I envy you
Yesterday was odd to say the least.
I went to the climbing gym with the intent of climbing a real route rather than a bouldering problem. Unfortunatly, during my belay test I tied in through my caribener rather than the two loops on my harnass. Embarssing but I can retest next time. So back to the bouldering area I slunk. I honestly was not terribly into it but I had some successes. Did the usual intros, a couple V1s and my V2 that I like. I continue to fail on a couple that I really feel like an extra inch or two of height would make a whole lot easier. I wore out pretty quick and after an hour was pretty much done.
Last evening, I decided that my run for the day would be with the tire so I opted to run around the park. The entire park is probably about the size of three full soccer fields so I guesstimate 660 – 780 yards. I took one full lap with the tire, walked a half lap then ran another full lap followed by walking half a lap.
When I was done I put my tire away. I had said I wouldn’t do any sandbags but I couldn’t resist. So I opted for a quick 3 C&J with the 100, 150 and then tried my 200. I can get it to the zercher position but no higher, yet.
It was during the sandbag portion of my day that I got the title for this post. A middle agish woman walked by and said “I envy you” to which I gave her a confused look. She said “You’re doing it all”. We had some polite banter and that was it. It was just a strange sentiment. Later, as I thought about it, it made sense.
I have met a lot of people who I could say I envy for their workouts/training/goals/life. Typically, it’s not that I envy the workout but that I envy them for doing something I never thought I could. In most cases I could or still can but I envy them. the only thing that changes this is taking the initiative to do it for yourself.
I envy some of the amazing trips Chris has gone on. I have the rest of my life still to do them though. I have ample time to take trekking trips all over the world and in the case of trekking, although demanding, it’s not a technical and a big wall climb. There is no reason to envy without planning.
If I’m gonna envy someone but don’t have the guts to pay the price, I just have to put that envy aside. Envy is just another tool to get it done or to torture you for as long as you don’t. With any luck I can turn any envy I have into inspiration and hopefully someone else will envy me and then be inspired in the same way.
Anvil or Hammer 
on October 12, 2006 on 9:35 am
Three guys sitting in the bar at the ski resort waiting on the lifts to open, talking about travel and all the things that have gone wrong over the years on various trips. Like the time we parked in back of a truck stop to sleep in the back and cops came flying in from all over the place – we’d unknowingly rolled right into the middle of a suspected drug bust. Or when my arm swelled up to about 18 inches from a reaction to my Typhoid shot and turned fire engine red. Or when our buddy forgot his backpack and duct taped his sleeping bag to his back – including the tree he had leaned against. Thus was born Ruffled Feathers tours – three guys who knew that the real memories were the journey, not just the destination. Since that day when we founded Ruffled Feathers, we three have seen a few places, sometimes separately and sometimes together, but always with wonder at the world we live in.
And that when things go wrong – as they often do – that you just have to roll with it. That guns are a part of third world travel and talking your way out of trouble in an Amazon Indian dialect that you don’t speak with Spanish that neither of you speak very well with a shotgun in your nose can cause quite a stir – that bugs can and will eat your insides as well as outsides – and that taking the dog’s worm medicine is sometimes better than Cipro for fixing you up again – no matter what the guru at the hospital says. That carrying a handful of small bills in your pocket and hiding most of your money is a good idea. Higher altitude and throwing up go hand in hand very closely. Men in Ecuador will never admit they don’t know how to tell you directions – they will point you off towards someplace that you’ve never been before and heck, that’s where you were going anyway, wasn’t it? The books really aren’t kidding about drinking the water – a really good bit of advice is to take twice the toilet paper you think you’ll need. The bathroom in the internal airport in Katmandu is just a row of holes in a bare concrete floor – kind of took me by surprise, I guess.
So if you’ve ever had a surprise come on board your travels, welcome to Ruffled Feathered tours – we’ll treat you so many ways, you’re bound to like one of them. Enjoy your journey!
on October 12, 2006 on 10:10 am
very nice post. Those are the best parts of trips and never the part you thought you were going for.
You should definitely read Tim Cahill
on October 12, 2006 on 11:37 am
Tim Cahill is good, but I like John Long a little better – his trips get even weirder than some of ours. Give him a try – Gorilla Monsoon is a good start.
on October 12, 2006 on 11:46 am
John Long – Gorilla Monsoon
Will do.
Thanks Chris