Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me

September 16th, 2010

Wait Wait Don't Tell Me Clare & Reflection of Chase Bank

We love Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me. As big fans, we decided to take a trip to Chicago to see it live at the Chase Bank Auditorium.

Clare & Dennis at Topolobampo Yummy Ceviche at Topolobampo
Before the show, we went out for dinner at Topolobampo. It’s one of Rick Bayless’s restaurants and the food is wonderful. The atmosphere was lively and hopping. I got a mojito, ceviche, and enchiladas. All were delicious and popped with flavor.

Lively Art Inside Rick Bayless' Topolobampo

Later at WWDTM, we saw Peter Sagal and Carl Kassell host Paula Poundstone, Paul Provenza, and Luke Burbank as they presented the week’s Oddly Informative News. The audience was very energetic, and almost routy! It was really fun to be there and see them in action, and I would totally recommend the experience to other fans.

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Rock Climbing – El Rito, NM

September 4th, 2010

Climbergirl Topping Out on Blackballed (5.10b) Kat & Dennis Hiking to El Rito Sport Climbing Crag
Kat, Lauren, Dennis, and I climbed at the El Rito Sport Crag in Northern New Mexico. We had a fabulous day, climbing for about 7 hours. After climbing, we had a fantastic dinner of salad, homemade organic pickles, roasted corn, and pasta. Read the rest of this entry »

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Rock Climbing – El Rito, NM

September 3rd, 2010

Lauren & Cookie Belle Hiking El Rito

Lauren & I roll into El Rito just as the heat gets hot. We decide not to climb in the rubber melting temperature, so we hike to the Trad Area for an exploratory look. The route to the Trad Area was a few miles down the gravel road from the Sport Area, and we found it without too much trouble. Lauren wears her VFFs for the hike and has a good time walking in them. I think Cookie Belle was jealous. Read the rest of this entry »

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Mountaineering – Mt. Meeker (Attempt)

August 29th, 2010

Clare Experiencing a Mountain High
Wake Up Time: 3:50am
Meet Up Time: 5am
Start Hiking: 5:15am
Turn Around Time: 9:45am
Finish Time: 1pm
Total Distance: About 8 Miles (See Topo below!)
Mt Meeker Topo and Profile
CMC Group met at the Longs Peak Ranger Station. Leader crossed names off a list, and we waited for one gal who was about 10 minutes late. When she arrived, we took off hiking.

Not knowing about the team capabilities (except mine & Linda’s) prior to our hike made me a little nervous. I had to trust the leader Steve had a rough idea. This trip was completely the opposite of the prior CMC trip I had attended, which was executed with a militaristic degree of efficiency and planning. Steve’s leadership is a laid back and all-inclusive style.

Our group was a hodge podge assortment of personalities. Quotes from my fellow climbers later that day:
“I’ll make it to the top even if I have to crawl on all fours!”
“Oh, don’t mind him, he’s an engineer…I’ve been out with him before and he’s always like this.” (referring to above quote!).
“What am I going to tell the guys when they find out we didn’t summit?”
“I don’t understand why we have to start this early. When I did Quandary, we didn’t start hiking until 10am and we had a wonderful day!”
And, my favorite…
“I haven’t been running for a month. I threw my back out playing with my daughter.”

Pictures as follows: Read the rest of this entry »

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Rock Climbing – Third Flatiron, East Face (5.6)

August 27th, 2010

Climbergirl & Lauren Using VFF for the Hike Back
Lauren & I climbed the East Face of the Third Flatiron with her 70 meter rope. We did the route in 4 very long pitches, with way more gear than we should have taken. Extra weight is good for training, right? We had enough stuff for a 120 meter rope (if they make such a thing!).

Wake Up Time: 4:45am
Meet Up Time: 5:10am
Chautauqua Parking Lot: 5:50am
Hiking: 6am
Climbing: 7:15am
Summit of Third Flatiron: 10:45am
Finish Rappelling: 12pm
Back to Packs: 1pm
Lunch at South Side Walnut Cafe where I had the artichoke heart & swiss omelette & french toast. Totally YUMMY!!!

Temps got up to the mid 90s, and again, it was a scorcher. At times, both Lauren & I were uncomfortable as the heat radiated off the rock. Good thing we were fast and started early! Pictures below, Read the rest of this entry »

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