Man what do I start with. Girl or climbing. Girl? Girl! Last Tuesday a friend of mine had a little party/social by renting out part of one of the local breweries to celebrate her finishing her residency. She's now on a road trip for a wedding, climbing trip (she's so excited to be able to climb regularly again) and other stuff with her boyfriend. So happy for her! She invited a handful of people, maybe 10, from one of the running groups out here, which is the group I met her in! I spent some amount of time hanging out with a few friends and drinking free beer, and shuffling around talking to some of the people from the running club who I didn't know very well. One girl was there who I ended up really, really hitting it off with. We ended up spending probably half the night together getting to know each other and I got her phone number. We went out on a first date Thursday night, that went great, and a mini-date Sunday night after I got back from a long run and she got back from Mount Hood. Stayed the night at my place both times, and Sunday night she even brought her dog over. Very smart, she's getting her phd, we're the same age, she's big into running, not at all into climbing, has a very similar taste in music, and i've felt so, so conversationally and intellectually stimulated and engaged around her and talking with her. she's also very attractive...she has said she doesn't want to rush into anything, and neither do i! yet here we are, texting each other daily, and her sending me a photo of her new tattoo while she's back home on the east coast...she also gave me (to borrow), unsolicited, her copy of ocean vuongs latest book of poetry. The catches are: she had been in an on again-off again relationship for 3 years with the person who started the prior mentioned run club...and i have no idea what she's looking for and don't really want to have that conversation anytime soon. either way, i'm happy, and she invited me to her birthday run weekend that's in two weekends! CLIMBING: another friend of mine had to get helicoptered off a mountain because of a bad fall he took, probably a 50ft fall. fractured his facial bones, and a bunch of other stuff. is in a neck brace, and has some other moderate injuries. no surgeries needed it sounds like. but we're up to 2 friends who have had to be rescued and walked out on their own, and 2 friends who have been helicoptered off of a mountain, and it's only late June. Really has me wondering how much alpine climbing i want to be doing this year, it's got me a bit spooked...