Alright, I realize that I put one of these things up not all too long ago, but there is much to tell. So bear with me. Looking back on some older posts I realized I had mentioned that I would put a picture of my van. Seeing as I don't have a lot of other photos for this blog, thought I might share this (and please, feel free to laugh). I am not sure if you can read any of them, but needless to say I get quite a diverse amount of reactions. Does having long hair, a stickered out van (which I sometimes live in), and an open mind make me a hippy? I don't think so, but most people do.

I have been spending most of my days washing windows at this "government insurance agency". This is the cover they keep, but the multitude of armed guards, layers of security clearance needed to access the site and such all lead me to evaluate the situation a little deeper... I am pretty convinced they are experimenting on aliens in a bunker located 200 ft below the surface (I cant say too much... I think they are watching me). Anywho, this property has a fair amount of "wild" land surrounding it. There is lots of wildlife and such; gophers, snakes, rabbits, roadrunners, owls, etc. The other day we found two little dog legs up on the roof... I believe that this was the culprit. There is a gang of about 4 or 5 owls that hang around and they have it made there. Anyways this has brought me to the conclusion that if an owl can swoop down and scarf your dog for a midnight snack, it wasn't much of a dog and you should probably just stick to house cats.

Climbing has been at a minimal lately due to the relentless heat. This has made life here very hard for me. I thought cold winters were bad, but at least you can take certain measures and still enjoy being outside. In this kind of heat there is nothing you can do to escape it besides stay inside. This is a picture of me out on a day climbing a place called the Prescott Dells (it is pronounced press kit, not press cot, as many will be quick to correct you on).




If you were paying any attention to my last blog you might remember me talking about going to a music festival in San Fransisco. This is not a picture that I took, but you can see where I was. It was an amazing time. Good friends, good music, good food, and good beer. I don't know how I got so lucky to live the life I do. Some of the bands I saw were Phish, The Shins, Deadmou5, John Fogerty, Beirut, GirlTalk, the Roots, and so many more that I can hardly remember. It was three days long which is quite an endeavor. After having such a great time it was hard to come back to an empty apartment and triple digit heat.

Which brings me to my biggest news to share...



So my days in Phoenix are dwindling. On Labor day I will be making a move to this place... Bremerton, WA. That's right, time for a new chapter in the ol' book. I am heading up there to do some work. The work is rope access rock scaling. If you have ever seen chain link fence on steep rock faces right over a highway, this is what I will be doing. The project is only suppose to last until mid-October but that is just fine with me. I will be getting a substantial pay raise with this company and with a little padding in the pocket and the great unknown waiting beyond the project, how could I resist?

So that is what is on the docket for me these days. Trying to thin out my belongings so they will all fit in my van again (it is amazing how much unnecessary junk people acquire) and selling lots of it on Craigslist. Anyone need 3 pairs of used socks, a half eaten hot pocket, and what appears to be... a.... um... well I'm not sure what that is, but I will cut ya a real good deal. I will have to leave my van in Phoenix in the meantime, so it is inevitable that I will return. I don't have anything against AZ, but Phoenix, and Scottsdale in particular were just not places where I belong. But ya know, there is just too much fun to be had for me to belong anywhere right now anyways. This was how I started my workday today. I will say one thing about AZ... it is the land of beautiful sunsets and sunrises. No where else have I been that harbors so many a picturesque dawn/dusk.

So that ought to about do it for now. It is hard to say when I will be able to get another one of these up. I wont have a computer in Bremerton, but rest assured, I will have my camera. So until the stars align... don't do anything I wouldn't do.

Truly, madly, deeply,

Danjerous

We're all here, cause we're not all there

Gather 'round folks, it is time again for the tales of a madman on the loose. It hasn't been so long since my last post, but so much has gone on. Where to start, oh where to start...
This here (for those who haven't seen it yet) is a picture of me working on the Hyatt Hotel in downtown Phoenix. By far the coolest project I have been on at work. If the picture doesn't illustrate it well enough there is about 300 feet of open air beneath me. There is a rotating restaurant at the top of this building and it got hit bad by the big sandstorm you may or may not have heard about. Anywho, it was All-Star Weekend so they needed the job done quick. Luckily we got the bid. After each window drop I took it upon myself to drop beneath the restaurant and hang upside down with nothing but air beneath me. Ya cant help but feel alive when staring down at your own mortality.
I am also proud to say that I am now a SPRAT certified level II technician. I got the opportunity to go to Denver for another course on rope access. I passed with flying colors and went from a "rope worker" to a "lead rope access technician". So that is pretty neat. This picture is of a rope rescue. I am the one being rescued here but you can see that it is somewhat complicated.
Anyone one who knows anything about me ought to know that I can usually find some fun, even in work. While in Denver I got to stay with my sister at her new place and they were more than kind in showing me around. This is from "The Garden of the Gods". It is a very neat city park with lots of climbing to be had, though I got to do none. A storm rolled in so it gave some great colors.
While in Denver I also got to tour the New Belgium brewery, the O'dell brewery, and the Fort Collins brewery (and when I say tour the brewery, I mean, the tasting room). I also got to do some whitewater rafting and even some climbing in the Rockies. This picture here is from the hike in to our climb in Estes Park. It was a beautiful day and everything went perfect.
Here is me at the top of our climb called Georges Tree. It was one of the toughest climbs of its grade that I have ever done (as I was warned). In the background is Longs Peak. There is a big wall up there called the Diamond and yes, as I am sure you imagined, another place I intend on climbing.
Here is one more picture I got from a solo trip up the Four Peaks Wilderness outside of Phoenix. I went to do the ridge traverse but only got on half of it. The views were worth the efforts anyways. So I think that should about do it for this one. Life remains exciting and impossible to predict. In a few weeks I am heading to San Fransisco for a three day music festival with some good friends. I'm doing my best to not lose my marbles in this awful summer heat but ya cant lose what ya never had, right?

Much love,
Dan