Digital Time Capsule 10/01

Today, in my writing class, the students are creating a digital time capsule of themselves, and I am joining in. 

What am I into that I wasn't 5 years ago today?

CLIMBING! My daughter joined a competitive climbing team 2 years ago, which practices three nights a week for two hours. I used to lug a stack of grading and sit on the grotty couch, and slog through papers, my stomach folding in on itself. 

Years and years ago, before there were any Hoffspring, we used to climb, me and my hot-husband, at climbing gyms in Portland and Breck and Philly. We even hosted the first night of our wedding weekend at Philly Rock Gym, the same family of indoor climbing spaces where my daughter joined the team. 

So why was I grading instead of climbing? I told myself I was old, out of shape, and certainly not climbing on par with the other adults at the gym, no pull strength to speak of and my hands butter-soft. 

At my daughter's urging, I upgraded to a family membership and bought myself a pair of shoes. I avoided the parent group, deliberately going to the other side of the gym, despite their encouraging invites to climb with them, and I doggedly dragged myself back into climbing shape, creating callouses and deltoids. Last winter, cooling my burning hands on the frosty car window as we drove home from the gym, I told Piper that I had no aspirations of moving beyond a VB or VO, the lowest grades at the gym, that I would eschew the camaraderie of the parent group, and quietly climb by myself. 

Last week, because of Piper's encouragement, and the whoops of the parent group I climb with, I got to the top of my first V3 ever, and was one hold away from topping out a V4. 

What do I hope to be doing in 5 years?

I hope my horse has had several years to get himself into competition shape, that we have checked intro level eventing off our bucket list without medical incident and are enjoying trail riding and partnership.

Professionally, I hope that I have worked myself out of an administrative management job at the college, so I am free to write, teach when I like, and putter. 

Current favorite songs

Post Malone CIRCLES

Twenty-one Pilots CHLORINE

Imagine Dragons BAD LIAR

OTR/Shallou HEART

What am I binge watching?

I don't typically watch TV, but since the election in 2016, when it felt like there were no grown-ups in charge and we better be paying attention, my husband and I started watching Chris Cuomo before bed. He seems to be keeping his finger on the pulse of what is true in this country, without being alarmist like Anderson Cooper, or the echo-chamber/whiner like Don Lemon. Sometimes, just to switch it up, we switch over to FOX and Friends. On those nights, I have to shower before bed. 

What am I currently obsessed with? 

Topic that I am chewing on when my mind is quiet?

Too close to my heart to share. I do a lot of crying alone in the car or the shower. Limbo sucks. This is ok. 

Go-to outfit?

Oh I don't think this one is changing any time soon. Jeans and a hoodie, baby, with a base layer black tank. Boots if it is cold, flips if it's hot. Maybe the cut of the jeans will change? Maybe the rinse? But I feel like I know who I am when I put that on. 

Favorite meal/drink?

Pretty into chickpeas and toasted pecans. 

And tequila with grapefruit seltzer.

And coffee with heavy cream. 

What do I want to tell myself 5 years in the future?

I hope you worked hard and are able to relax a little now? I hope you get to putter in your garden with your chickens and gallop around cornfields with your horse and sip wine after dinner with your husband. 

What am I spending money on? 

KIDS. I hope we are doing a good job launching them. 

HORSE. My sanity has a price, and it's called board/vet/farrier.