well, i think i have finally set a record. i completed my taxes within 12 hours of my T4s arriving at my door. I must get some sort of sick pleasure out of finishing this little chore. I guess it is like a simple grade 5 math problem set. Terribly easy, but cathartic in a twisted kind of way. Well, even though this years taxes were one of the most complicated to date, I managed to finish in about an hour with a refund of about $130.

I hear it only gets worse from here. :)

So I went climbing after the tax session. Climbing is progressing at that plateau level. I need to start working on the good old endurance followed by the "mythical" power-endurance problem that separates the good climbers from the excellent ones. I'm hoping the time I'm putting in at the swimming pool will allow me to punch through that barrier. That and more climbing. ;)

The goal is to complete a 5.12a by spring's end. And hopefully lead a decent roof (completely horizontal) root in the mid 5.11 range.

With that accomplished, and perhaps some good Squamish climbing, I'll feel that I've gotten to a place that I probably never would have gotten trying to manage school work or a full time job.

Lastly, the fruit-cake. You might wonder what fruit-cake has to do with taxes or climbing. Well I mentioned two challenges in my life, and now for another. The challenge being: cleaning your cupboards and discovering some....and then...

Yummy!

I can personally say that this stuff NEVER goes bad. :) I think I'll try and save some for May so I can break yet another personal record.

Hope all is well with my audience.

-drj

Well there is an air of sickness about my appartment. Good thing my room-mate left for the week. I'm sure there will be many sleepless nights as I toss & turn, pause to hack up a lung, and then sneeze repeatedly before blowing my nose.

Hooray for anti-histimines. They make you drowsy to boot.
No heavy machinery for me today.

I started swimming again this week. I remember how, I was surprised. I got a few tips from an ex-instructor, so it was really bennificial.

I saw some big fat guy on the bus... think... "pom-pom" in the japanese cartoon version...

Anyway...the guy was so far asleep he was almost snoring, but it was more like a fish gasping for air. I could hear him from the front of the bus. It was pretty funny.

It was my Dad's b-day on Wednesday: Happy Birthday Dad! I sent him a pair of Senator's tix for his b-day. I hope he enjoyed the game.

This week, I paid my bills, made some beef stew w/ dumplings, fajitas, banana bread... it was a pretty good week.

Still looking for work though, if you have any ideas, send them my way.

-drj

...well, not in that order...

it was an interesting week to say the least. Some wonderful beef stew was made by my room-mate and I. I went out to the Marine Club for my birthday. I was hoping for some rock-a-billy, but I only got some girly rock. Kinda dissapointing, but fun none the less. Thanks to those brave souls who turned out.

Toby & Michelle: Thanks for dinner.

Matt & Dan: Thanks for the shooters.

Ugh.. sky-trained to the end-of-the-line and back today. it was wonderful, with a tummy full of mc'd's and coffee.

jen: thanks so much for the coffee, fruit juice, etc. you made my week.

i've obviously had way too much to drink to properly continue this post.

ttyl,

-drj

So over the past few days I've poked my nose into some more "relaxing" books instead of huge technical bibles. :)

I read "The Life of Pi" by Yann Martel. Great easy read, with many underlying messages about the similarities of organized religions.

I also read, "Tuesdays with Morrie" by Mitch Albom. This is a book about a student who re-unites with his university professor and meets with him once a week until his death. His old professor has amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) also know as Lou Gehrig's disease. Morrie, the professor shares some inner wisdom with his old student on how he should live his life to the fullest.

I tried to start into: Foucalt's pendulum by Umberto Eco, but it just seemed "too meaty" for me to handle. Apparently his other book, "The name of the rose" is better anyway. ;)

If anyone has some good suggestions of something to read, I'd love to hear it.

-drj