![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Today's gym session was a little different from usual. I'd signed up for a "Get Fit Rock Climbing Course," which is running two days a week over the next four weeks. It involves 40 minutes of bootcamp exercises (mostly core work) interspersed with climbing.
Constant bootcamp exercises over 40 minutes are sufficiently draining that they make climbing 4/5 grade routes feel restful by comparison. (Three climbs, so one every fourteen minutes or so?)
Because I am stubborn, and also wanted to lift, I followed up CLIMBING BOOTCAMP with another hour in the weights area. Ouch.
Benchpress: 5x5 @60kg.
Squats: 3x8 @80kg.
Overhead press: 2x5 @20kg.
Lat raise: 3x10 @7kg/arm.
Bicep curl: 3x10 @7kg/arm.
No scales in the gym today (I wonder where they went?) so no weigh-in.
Constant bootcamp exercises over 40 minutes are sufficiently draining that they make climbing 4/5 grade routes feel restful by comparison. (Three climbs, so one every fourteen minutes or so?)
Because I am stubborn, and also wanted to lift, I followed up CLIMBING BOOTCAMP with another hour in the weights area. Ouch.
Benchpress: 5x5 @60kg.
Squats: 3x8 @80kg.
Overhead press: 2x5 @20kg.
Lat raise: 3x10 @7kg/arm.
Bicep curl: 3x10 @7kg/arm.
No scales in the gym today (I wonder where they went?) so no weigh-in.
Ouch.
I went to the climbing wall this evening. After a year and change away, I can no longer even do a proper warm-up. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. I mean, I still remember the motions. The technique to match hands and suchlike. But my muscles?
OUCH OUCH FUCK NO.
So that went less well than I was hoping. But I'll go back next week and put a notice up looking for a belay partner, and maybe that'll get me something a bit more interesting than just tipping around.
Cycling: 10km in 28:45.
Rowing: 1km in 06:00.
I went to the climbing wall this evening. After a year and change away, I can no longer even do a proper warm-up. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. I mean, I still remember the motions. The technique to match hands and suchlike. But my muscles?
OUCH OUCH FUCK NO.
So that went less well than I was hoping. But I'll go back next week and put a notice up looking for a belay partner, and maybe that'll get me something a bit more interesting than just tipping around.
Cycling: 10km in 28:45.
Rowing: 1km in 06:00.
Climbed: orange 6A, grey 6A. Attempted blue 6A: failed earlier than previous attempt. Attempted black 6B: interesting, failed. In quick succession, no rests: blue 5, yellow 5, pink 4.
Exercise log: climbing
Nov. 8th, 2012 02:02 pmTwo 6As (orange, grey). Half another, interesting 6A (blue), which I may be able to finish next time, if my right wrist is less twitchy. A 5, which I flew up feeling powerful to finish.
Still not where I want to be, but improvements. Improvements!
Still not where I want to be, but improvements. Improvements!
Which I haven't managed since, oh, February or thereabouts. So, blue 5, red 6A, orange 6A, very easy pink thing, fell off yellow 6A due to sore fingers, gave up grey 6A due to sore everything. Nothing clean bar the two easy things... but I am getting better.
Maybe my bloodtest results, which are supposed to come back to me today or tomorrow, will explain why I'm tired so often, though.
Another cold, bright November day. The window is open, and I can smell rosemary - it must be from the Provost's garden, because I can't think where else it could be coming from.
Okay. Time to Greek. And then read the smelly book. But first, closing the window, because the outside world is 5C.
Maybe my bloodtest results, which are supposed to come back to me today or tomorrow, will explain why I'm tired so often, though.
Another cold, bright November day. The window is open, and I can smell rosemary - it must be from the Provost's garden, because I can't think where else it could be coming from.
Okay. Time to Greek. And then read the smelly book. But first, closing the window, because the outside world is 5C.
she may have forsaken some other like me
Oct. 22nd, 2012 05:14 pmSo, today I climbed. In terms of physical recovery, I'm much improved from last week, and at about the right level of strength/ability for where I should be after nine months either irregular or off climbing.
(The total: two 5s, one 4(twice), one 6A, half of two other 6As - which are now my projects until I actually succeed in not falling off.)
There's a mini-gym-triathlon in ten days. I've signed up for that. I need a lot of training to get the stamina back... and meanwhile, I need to turn a review of Sharps in for Vector, sort my thesis priorities into some sort of order, figure out how to allocate time for my Greek study - modern and ancient - and rough out some more column pieces.
In my copious free time, I'm sure I'll figure out how I'm going to get all the other things that need doing done.
Towards thee I roll, thou all-destroying but unconquering whale; to the last I grapple with thee; from hell's heart I stab at thee; for hate's sake I spit my last breath at thee.
(The total: two 5s, one 4(twice), one 6A, half of two other 6As - which are now my projects until I actually succeed in not falling off.)
There's a mini-gym-triathlon in ten days. I've signed up for that. I need a lot of training to get the stamina back... and meanwhile, I need to turn a review of Sharps in for Vector, sort my thesis priorities into some sort of order, figure out how to allocate time for my Greek study - modern and ancient - and rough out some more column pieces.
In my copious free time, I'm sure I'll figure out how I'm going to get all the other things that need doing done.
Towards thee I roll, thou all-destroying but unconquering whale; to the last I grapple with thee; from hell's heart I stab at thee; for hate's sake I spit my last breath at thee.
it will be summer ere he comes again
Jun. 12th, 2012 08:31 pmClimbing: improvement visible on last week. Strength returns a little, but slowly. Such is always the way.
My post is live at Tor.com: Why Are Fantasy Films All About The Men?
Other links of interest:
Cultural Imperialism Bingo at the World SF Blog.
The Victimisation of Lara Croft.
Jim Hines on boundaries.
Kameron Hurley on Prometheus and white guy sperm seeding the universe.
Brit Mandelo spotlights James Tiptree/Alice Sheldon at Tor.com.
I came across Aliette de Bodard's SF short story "Scattered Along the River of Heaven" at Clarkesworld, and lo, it is good.
My post is live at Tor.com: Why Are Fantasy Films All About The Men?
Other links of interest:
Cultural Imperialism Bingo at the World SF Blog.
The Victimisation of Lara Croft.
Jim Hines on boundaries.
Kameron Hurley on Prometheus and white guy sperm seeding the universe.
Brit Mandelo spotlights James Tiptree/Alice Sheldon at Tor.com.
I came across Aliette de Bodard's SF short story "Scattered Along the River of Heaven" at Clarkesworld, and lo, it is good.
Creaking in the damp
Jun. 7th, 2012 08:58 pmGym stuff: climbing proved an improvement over Tuesday, though I repent most heartily my loss of conditioning.
Links of interest:
Aliette de Bodard's fantastic short story "Immersion" at Clarkesworld. (And I say this as someone who rarely reads shorts.)
Amal El-Mohtar on The Sandbaggers and Female Exceptionalism.
![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
jennygadget has some thoughts after reading the first chapter of How To Suppress Women's Writing.
What you might call a grand soft day today. Never got brighter than twilight, really. A rain like mist occasionally spattered into greater vigour. Crossing the Liffey between Connolly Station and the arse-end of college, the Jeannie Johnston down the river almost obscured by the mist: docklands disappearing in the rain. River high and swollen with the tide, lapping less than a meter or so from the bridge arches, the green weed-scent of river water at war with the faintest tang of brine.
If it's like this tomorrow, I don't think I want to leave the house. It makes my joints ache. I am too young to creak in the damp.
Links of interest:
Aliette de Bodard's fantastic short story "Immersion" at Clarkesworld. (And I say this as someone who rarely reads shorts.)
Amal El-Mohtar on The Sandbaggers and Female Exceptionalism.
jennygadget has some thoughts after reading the first chapter of How To Suppress Women's Writing.What you might call a grand soft day today. Never got brighter than twilight, really. A rain like mist occasionally spattered into greater vigour. Crossing the Liffey between Connolly Station and the arse-end of college, the Jeannie Johnston down the river almost obscured by the mist: docklands disappearing in the rain. River high and swollen with the tide, lapping less than a meter or so from the bridge arches, the green weed-scent of river water at war with the faintest tang of brine.
If it's like this tomorrow, I don't think I want to leave the house. It makes my joints ache. I am too young to creak in the damp.
Aristophanes, Assemblywomen 163-200
Feb. 8th, 2012 08:42 pmΓυνὴ Β
φέρε τὸν στέφανον: ἐγὼ γὰρ αὖ λέξω πάλιν.
οἶμαι γὰρ ἤδη μεμελετηκέναι καλῶς.
ἐμοὶ γὰρ ὦ γυναῖκες αἱ καθήμεναι— [165]
Πραξάγορα
γυναῖκας αὖ δύστηνε τοὺς ἄνδρας λέγεις;
Γυνὴ Β
δι᾽ Ἐπίγονόν γ᾽ ἐκεῖνον: ἐπιβλέψασα γὰρ
ἐκεῖσε πρὸς γυναῖκας ᾠόμην λέγειν.
Second Woman:
Give back the crown: I'll speak again.
For I think I've taken good thought.
With/for me, O women who have been seated in assembly -
Praxagora:
Women again, wretched one? Aren't you speaking to men?
Second Woman:
Because of that Epigonos! For observing him,
I thought I spoke to women.
Πραξάγορα
ἄπερρε καὶ σὺ καὶ κάθησ᾽ ἐντευθενί:
αὐτὴ γὰρ ὑμῶν γ᾽ ἕνεκά μοι λέξειν δοκῶ [170]
τονδὶ λαβοῦσα. τοῖς θεοῖς μὲν εὔχομαι
τυχεῖν κατορθώσασα τὰ βεβουλευμένα.
ἐμοὶ δ᾽ ἴσον μὲν τῆσδε τῆς χώρας μέτα
ὅσονπερ ὑμῖν: ἄχθομαι δὲ καὶ φέρω
τὰ τῆς πόλεως ἅπαντα βαρέως πράγματα. [175]
ὁρῶ γὰρ αὐτὴν προστάταισι χρωμένην
ἀεὶ πονηροῖς: κἄν τις ἡμέραν μίαν
χρηστὸς γένηται, δέκα πονηρὸς γίγνεται.
ἐπέτρεψας ἑτέρῳ: πλείον᾽ ἔτι δράσει κακά.
χαλεπὸν μὲν οὖν ἄνδρας δυσαρέστους νουθετεῖν, [180]
οἳ τοὺς φιλεῖν μὲν βουλομένους δεδοίκατε,
τοὺς δ᾽ οὐκ ἐθέλοντας ἀντιβολεῖθ᾽ ἑκάστοτε.
ἐκκλησίαισιν ἦν ὅτ᾽ οὐκ ἐχρώμεθα
οὐδὲν τὸ παράπαν: ἀλλὰ τόν γ᾽ Ἀγύρριον
πονηρὸν ἡγούμεσθα: νῦν δὲ χρωμένων [185]
ὁ μὲν λαβὼν ἀργύριον ὑπερεπῄνεσεν,
ὁ δ᾽ οὐ λαβὼν εἶναι θανάτου φήσ᾽ ἀξίους
τοὺς μισθοφορεῖν ζητοῦντας ἐν τἠκκλησίᾳ.
Praxagora:
You, go away, and henceforth sit in assembly:
taking this [crown], on your account I myself will speak.
I pray to the gods, standing upright,
to hit the mark with the things which have been resolved upon. [which I resolved on]
To me equally as great [the things] of this land among you
[This land is just as greatly valued by me as it is by you]
I'm grieved and I bear heavily
all the matters of the city.
For I see that she's subject herself to worthless front-rank men
always: and if someone one day
were to be born good, ten would be born evil.
You rely upon another: he'll accomplish worse evils yet.
So it's hard to advise men who're hard to appease:
you've feared those who want to love [you],
while those who don't want to love you, you supplicate every time.
There was a time when we didn't hold assemblies,
not one at all: but we believed
Agurrios evil: now with them using [since they're furnished up? established?]
the one who takes silver praises [himself?] above measure,
while the one who doesn't, he says worthy of death are
those who seek to receive wages in the assembly.
Γυνὴ Α
νὴ τὴν Ἀφροδίτην εὖ γε ταυταγὶ λέγεις.
Πραξάγορα
τάλαιν᾽ Ἀφροδίτην ὤμοσας; χαρίεντά γ᾽ ἂν [190]
ἔδρασας, εἰ τοῦτ᾽ εἶπας ἐν τἠκκλησίᾳ.
Γυνὴ Α
ἀλλ᾽ οὐκ ἂν εἶπον.
Πραξάγορα
μηδ᾽ ἐθίζου νῦν λέγειν.
τὸ συμμαχικὸν αὖ τοῦθ᾽, ὅτ᾽ ἐσκοπούμεθα,
εἰ μὴ γένοιτ᾽, ἀπολεῖν ἔφασκον τὴν πόλιν:
ὅτε δὴ δ᾽ ἐγένετ᾽, ἤχθοντο, τῶν δὲ ῥητόρων [195]
ὁ τοῦτ᾽ ἀναπείσας εὐθὺς ἀποδρὰς ᾤχετο.
ναῦς δεῖ καθέλκειν: τῷ πένητι μὲν δοκεῖ,
τοῖς πλουσίοις δὲ καὶ γεωργοῖς οὐ δοκεῖ.
Κορινθίοις ἄχθεσθε, κἀκεῖνοί γέ σοι:
First Woman:
Yes by Aphrodite, you say this well indeed.
Praxagora:
Wretched woman, you swore by Aphrodite? Clever if
you did that, if you said that in the assembly!
First Woman:
But I wouldn't say it!
Praxagora:
Don't be accustomed to saying it.
This alliance afresh, when we considered it,
they said if it didn't happen, it'd ruin the city:
and then when it did, they were hated, and the orator
who persuaded us about it straightaway fled.
It's necessary to launch a ship? for the labourer it seems good,
for the rich man and the farmers it doesn't seem good.
You were vexed with Corinth, and they indeed with you:
now they're useful, and now you've become a friend.
This evening's climbing encompassed four lead climbs and four top-ropes, pushing myself hard. I still feel as though I'm not pushing myself hard enough when it comes to exercise-related things, especially since there was no jujutsu yesterday.
Things to do before Monday:
- Finish funding app stuff
- email supervisor about getting some feedback
- modern Greek homework (composition) (oral comprehension)
- climbing Friday
- karate Saturday
- progress on second paper for presentation
φέρε τὸν στέφανον: ἐγὼ γὰρ αὖ λέξω πάλιν.
οἶμαι γὰρ ἤδη μεμελετηκέναι καλῶς.
ἐμοὶ γὰρ ὦ γυναῖκες αἱ καθήμεναι— [165]
Πραξάγορα
γυναῖκας αὖ δύστηνε τοὺς ἄνδρας λέγεις;
Γυνὴ Β
δι᾽ Ἐπίγονόν γ᾽ ἐκεῖνον: ἐπιβλέψασα γὰρ
ἐκεῖσε πρὸς γυναῖκας ᾠόμην λέγειν.
Second Woman:
Give back the crown: I'll speak again.
For I think I've taken good thought.
With/for me, O women who have been seated in assembly -
Praxagora:
Women again, wretched one? Aren't you speaking to men?
Second Woman:
Because of that Epigonos! For observing him,
I thought I spoke to women.
Πραξάγορα
ἄπερρε καὶ σὺ καὶ κάθησ᾽ ἐντευθενί:
αὐτὴ γὰρ ὑμῶν γ᾽ ἕνεκά μοι λέξειν δοκῶ [170]
τονδὶ λαβοῦσα. τοῖς θεοῖς μὲν εὔχομαι
τυχεῖν κατορθώσασα τὰ βεβουλευμένα.
ἐμοὶ δ᾽ ἴσον μὲν τῆσδε τῆς χώρας μέτα
ὅσονπερ ὑμῖν: ἄχθομαι δὲ καὶ φέρω
τὰ τῆς πόλεως ἅπαντα βαρέως πράγματα. [175]
ὁρῶ γὰρ αὐτὴν προστάταισι χρωμένην
ἀεὶ πονηροῖς: κἄν τις ἡμέραν μίαν
χρηστὸς γένηται, δέκα πονηρὸς γίγνεται.
ἐπέτρεψας ἑτέρῳ: πλείον᾽ ἔτι δράσει κακά.
χαλεπὸν μὲν οὖν ἄνδρας δυσαρέστους νουθετεῖν, [180]
οἳ τοὺς φιλεῖν μὲν βουλομένους δεδοίκατε,
τοὺς δ᾽ οὐκ ἐθέλοντας ἀντιβολεῖθ᾽ ἑκάστοτε.
ἐκκλησίαισιν ἦν ὅτ᾽ οὐκ ἐχρώμεθα
οὐδὲν τὸ παράπαν: ἀλλὰ τόν γ᾽ Ἀγύρριον
πονηρὸν ἡγούμεσθα: νῦν δὲ χρωμένων [185]
ὁ μὲν λαβὼν ἀργύριον ὑπερεπῄνεσεν,
ὁ δ᾽ οὐ λαβὼν εἶναι θανάτου φήσ᾽ ἀξίους
τοὺς μισθοφορεῖν ζητοῦντας ἐν τἠκκλησίᾳ.
Praxagora:
You, go away, and henceforth sit in assembly:
taking this [crown], on your account I myself will speak.
I pray to the gods, standing upright,
to hit the mark with the things which have been resolved upon. [which I resolved on]
To me equally as great [the things] of this land among you
[This land is just as greatly valued by me as it is by you]
I'm grieved and I bear heavily
all the matters of the city.
For I see that she's subject herself to worthless front-rank men
always: and if someone one day
were to be born good, ten would be born evil.
You rely upon another: he'll accomplish worse evils yet.
So it's hard to advise men who're hard to appease:
you've feared those who want to love [you],
while those who don't want to love you, you supplicate every time.
There was a time when we didn't hold assemblies,
not one at all: but we believed
Agurrios evil: now with them using [since they're furnished up? established?]
the one who takes silver praises [himself?] above measure,
while the one who doesn't, he says worthy of death are
those who seek to receive wages in the assembly.
Γυνὴ Α
νὴ τὴν Ἀφροδίτην εὖ γε ταυταγὶ λέγεις.
Πραξάγορα
τάλαιν᾽ Ἀφροδίτην ὤμοσας; χαρίεντά γ᾽ ἂν [190]
ἔδρασας, εἰ τοῦτ᾽ εἶπας ἐν τἠκκλησίᾳ.
Γυνὴ Α
ἀλλ᾽ οὐκ ἂν εἶπον.
Πραξάγορα
μηδ᾽ ἐθίζου νῦν λέγειν.
τὸ συμμαχικὸν αὖ τοῦθ᾽, ὅτ᾽ ἐσκοπούμεθα,
εἰ μὴ γένοιτ᾽, ἀπολεῖν ἔφασκον τὴν πόλιν:
ὅτε δὴ δ᾽ ἐγένετ᾽, ἤχθοντο, τῶν δὲ ῥητόρων [195]
ὁ τοῦτ᾽ ἀναπείσας εὐθὺς ἀποδρὰς ᾤχετο.
ναῦς δεῖ καθέλκειν: τῷ πένητι μὲν δοκεῖ,
τοῖς πλουσίοις δὲ καὶ γεωργοῖς οὐ δοκεῖ.
Κορινθίοις ἄχθεσθε, κἀκεῖνοί γέ σοι:
First Woman:
Yes by Aphrodite, you say this well indeed.
Praxagora:
Wretched woman, you swore by Aphrodite? Clever if
you did that, if you said that in the assembly!
First Woman:
But I wouldn't say it!
Praxagora:
Don't be accustomed to saying it.
This alliance afresh, when we considered it,
they said if it didn't happen, it'd ruin the city:
and then when it did, they were hated, and the orator
who persuaded us about it straightaway fled.
It's necessary to launch a ship? for the labourer it seems good,
for the rich man and the farmers it doesn't seem good.
You were vexed with Corinth, and they indeed with you:
now they're useful, and now you've become a friend.
This evening's climbing encompassed four lead climbs and four top-ropes, pushing myself hard. I still feel as though I'm not pushing myself hard enough when it comes to exercise-related things, especially since there was no jujutsu yesterday.
Things to do before Monday:
- Finish funding app stuff
- modern Greek homework (composition) (oral comprehension)
- climbing Friday
- karate Saturday
- progress on second paper for presentation
Πενθεύς
ἐκφέρετέ μοι δεῦρ᾽ ὅπλα, σὺ δὲ παῦσαι λέγων.
Διόνυσος
ἆ. [810]
βούλῃ σφ᾽ ἐν ὄρεσι συγκαθημένας ἰδεῖν;
Πενθεύς
μάλιστα, μυρίον γε δοὺς χρυσοῦ σταθμόν.
Διόνυσος
τί δ᾽ εἰς ἔρωτα τοῦδε πέπτωκας μέγαν;
Πενθεύς
λυπρῶς νιν εἰσίδοιμ᾽ ἂν ἐξῳνωμένας.
Διόνυσος
ὅμως δ᾽ ἴδοις ἂν ἡδέως ἅ σοι πικρά; [815]
Πενθεύς
σάφ᾽ ἴσθι, σιγῇ γ᾽ ὑπ᾽ ἐλάταις καθήμενος.
Διόνυσος
ἀλλ᾽ ἐξιχνεύσουσίν σε, κἂν ἔλθῃς λάθρᾳ.
Πενθεύς
ἀλλ᾽ ἐμφανῶς: καλῶς γὰρ ἐξεῖπας τάδε.
Διόνυσος
ἄγωμεν οὖν σε κἀπιχειρήσεις ὁδῷ;
Πενθεύς
ἄγ᾽ ὡς τάχιστα, τοῦ χρόνου δέ σοι φθονῶ. [820]
Pentheus:
Bring here to me weapons, and you, stop talking.
Dionysos:
Ah!
You want to see them, who have lain together in the hills?
Pentheus:
Indeed, giving an immense weight of gold.
[Very much, and I'll give a lot of gold for it.]
Dionysos:
Why have you fallen into this great desire?
[Why do you want it so much?]
Pentheus:
I'd distressfully see her drunk.
Dionysos:
All the same, you'd gladly see those things which are bitter to you?
Pentheus:
Be clearly, sitting in silence under the firs.
[Indeed yes...]
Dionysos:
But they'll track you down, even if you go sneakily.
Pentheus:
But obviously: for declaring this nobly.
Dionysos:
So will we lead you? Will you set out on the road?
Pentheus:
Lead as fast as possible: I grudge you the time.
So, climbing. My current climbing partner is a tiny giggly Polish woman who's basically the human equivalent of the Energiser Bunny. And really freaking strong. So there I was, being slightly intimidated by her ability to just keep going, when she points to yet another still-unrated route and says, "You should do this one! It is very doable!"
Dear friends: at this point I'd already climbed three 6As and a 5 (difficulties estimated), and was feeling a wee bit pumped in the forearm. But I don't like to not even attempt a challenge.
Well. If pinchy, reachy, horribly technical and made me scream like a baby is your definition of doable, yeah, sure. It's doable. While I was clinging on with two tiny fingertips per hand and stabbing my toe at a hold the whole length of my leg away...
So I fell off a lot. And eventually clawed my way past the two-thirds mark. And then my fingers, which were once again pinching tiny holds while my foot scrabbled for something, anything, decided Cap'n, she canna take much more a'this!
And that was that for my attempt at a buggering bloody 6C. (At least a 6B+, at any rate.)
I managed one more route (estimated 5) and fell off halfway up a couple more 6Bs before packing it in for the night. Still. Tonight's evidence suggests I'm building back strength, since it's an improvement on Monday and last week. My upper body strength is always going to take more maintenance than I'd prefer.
ἐκφέρετέ μοι δεῦρ᾽ ὅπλα, σὺ δὲ παῦσαι λέγων.
Διόνυσος
ἆ. [810]
βούλῃ σφ᾽ ἐν ὄρεσι συγκαθημένας ἰδεῖν;
Πενθεύς
μάλιστα, μυρίον γε δοὺς χρυσοῦ σταθμόν.
Διόνυσος
τί δ᾽ εἰς ἔρωτα τοῦδε πέπτωκας μέγαν;
Πενθεύς
λυπρῶς νιν εἰσίδοιμ᾽ ἂν ἐξῳνωμένας.
Διόνυσος
ὅμως δ᾽ ἴδοις ἂν ἡδέως ἅ σοι πικρά; [815]
Πενθεύς
σάφ᾽ ἴσθι, σιγῇ γ᾽ ὑπ᾽ ἐλάταις καθήμενος.
Διόνυσος
ἀλλ᾽ ἐξιχνεύσουσίν σε, κἂν ἔλθῃς λάθρᾳ.
Πενθεύς
ἀλλ᾽ ἐμφανῶς: καλῶς γὰρ ἐξεῖπας τάδε.
Διόνυσος
ἄγωμεν οὖν σε κἀπιχειρήσεις ὁδῷ;
Πενθεύς
ἄγ᾽ ὡς τάχιστα, τοῦ χρόνου δέ σοι φθονῶ. [820]
Pentheus:
Bring here to me weapons, and you, stop talking.
Dionysos:
Ah!
You want to see them, who have lain together in the hills?
Pentheus:
Indeed, giving an immense weight of gold.
[Very much, and I'll give a lot of gold for it.]
Dionysos:
Why have you fallen into this great desire?
[Why do you want it so much?]
Pentheus:
I'd distressfully see her drunk.
Dionysos:
All the same, you'd gladly see those things which are bitter to you?
Pentheus:
Be clearly, sitting in silence under the firs.
[Indeed yes...]
Dionysos:
But they'll track you down, even if you go sneakily.
Pentheus:
But obviously: for declaring this nobly.
Dionysos:
So will we lead you? Will you set out on the road?
Pentheus:
Lead as fast as possible: I grudge you the time.
So, climbing. My current climbing partner is a tiny giggly Polish woman who's basically the human equivalent of the Energiser Bunny. And really freaking strong. So there I was, being slightly intimidated by her ability to just keep going, when she points to yet another still-unrated route and says, "You should do this one! It is very doable!"
Dear friends: at this point I'd already climbed three 6As and a 5 (difficulties estimated), and was feeling a wee bit pumped in the forearm. But I don't like to not even attempt a challenge.
Well. If pinchy, reachy, horribly technical and made me scream like a baby is your definition of doable, yeah, sure. It's doable. While I was clinging on with two tiny fingertips per hand and stabbing my toe at a hold the whole length of my leg away...
So I fell off a lot. And eventually clawed my way past the two-thirds mark. And then my fingers, which were once again pinching tiny holds while my foot scrabbled for something, anything, decided Cap'n, she canna take much more a'this!
And that was that for my attempt at a buggering bloody 6C. (At least a 6B+, at any rate.)
I managed one more route (estimated 5) and fell off halfway up a couple more 6Bs before packing it in for the night. Still. Tonight's evidence suggests I'm building back strength, since it's an improvement on Monday and last week. My upper body strength is always going to take more maintenance than I'd prefer.
Joyful things
Jan. 16th, 2012 10:05 pmToday, my supervisor gave me a book. Gave, not loaned!
The way to my heart, she has it.
(The book, by the way, is Robert Garland's Eye of the Beholder, about disease and deformity in ancient Greece. I've read the earlier edition - it's pretty cool, albeit a touch full of unthinking ablism.)
Two Greek classes today, ancient and modern. I foresee much confuzzlement on Mondays from now until March. Also some watching of Greek TV on Youtube: I need to get my ear in. Quickly.
Falling off walls: a good thing in life. Sent: two estimated 5s and a 6A, made another step higher on last time's estimated 6B, and threw myself at about three hard things that gave me little satisfaction - one is really dynamic, and I think it's either a hard 6A or a middling-low 6B: lots of hop-and-reach, and one move that may be a true dyno. Fun was had.
Also a good thing: Joanna Russ's The Country You Have Never Seen.britmandelo, I may have to make squeeful noises in your direction for the recommendation, when I've read more than three pages of it. I hope you'll forgive me when that happens.
The way to my heart, she has it.
(The book, by the way, is Robert Garland's Eye of the Beholder, about disease and deformity in ancient Greece. I've read the earlier edition - it's pretty cool, albeit a touch full of unthinking ablism.)
Two Greek classes today, ancient and modern. I foresee much confuzzlement on Mondays from now until March. Also some watching of Greek TV on Youtube: I need to get my ear in. Quickly.
Falling off walls: a good thing in life. Sent: two estimated 5s and a 6A, made another step higher on last time's estimated 6B, and threw myself at about three hard things that gave me little satisfaction - one is really dynamic, and I think it's either a hard 6A or a middling-low 6B: lots of hop-and-reach, and one move that may be a true dyno. Fun was had.
Also a good thing: Joanna Russ's The Country You Have Never Seen.
britmandelo, I may have to make squeeful noises in your direction for the recommendation, when I've read more than three pages of it. I hope you'll forgive me when that happens.Tonight: running (2.5 miles in 29:30, in intervals), climbing, being social with people of whom I am exceedingly fond.
Apparently life goes better when I socialise. Even if being social turns out to be expensive, the difference it makes to my mood is quite extraordinary.
Tomorrow I'm supposed to take a black belt grading for Shotokan. It's been delayed, and I haven't trained in four weeks? I'm not really looking forward to this right now, but hey, the worst that happens is I make a fool of myself in public. Yay.
...Hopefully this will actually crosspost to LJ. One must always hope. Always and forever.
Apparently life goes better when I socialise. Even if being social turns out to be expensive, the difference it makes to my mood is quite extraordinary.
Tomorrow I'm supposed to take a black belt grading for Shotokan. It's been delayed, and I haven't trained in four weeks? I'm not really looking forward to this right now, but hey, the worst that happens is I make a fool of myself in public. Yay.
...Hopefully this will actually crosspost to LJ. One must always hope. Always and forever.
Books 2011: 46
46. Petronius, The Satyricon. Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1997. Translated with an introduction and notes by P.G. Walsh.
In this fragmentary ancient novel, generally ascribed to the Petronius who was Nero's contemporary and, as Tacitus says, 'arbiter of taste,' sexual hijinks abound. The lustful interludes are interrupted by a long, lovingly-described dinner party, the famous dinner of the vulgar (and obscenely wealthy) parvenu freedman Trimalchio. It's entertaining, but its humour is mean-spirited when directed at anyone but the protagonist, the rather hapless Encolpius, and the litany of debaucheries grows rather wearing. Also, hello, humorous rape! Bloody Romans.
Climbed this afternoon. My capabilities have diminished considerably since this time last year: I'm struggling on 6As, and 6Bs are for the most part beyond me. Sigh. I need to get the discipline together to drop ten kilos, which should make hauling my heavy bones up eleven metres of wall slightly less difficult.
It was fun, though. Climbed three 6As, a 5B twice, another route whose rating was either 5B or 5C, and flailed off of three 6Bs at approximately four metres up. One of the 6Bs was rated a 5. It wasn't a 5. It really wasn't.
Sample conversation:
Me (singing, off-key, while belaying): At the sickbed of Cuchulainn, we'll never say a prayer, for the ghosts are rattling at the gate and the devil's in the chair!
M. [my climbing partner](pausing halfway up the wall): You do realise most people here probably think we're mad?
Me: They're climbers. We're climbers. Sanity is kind of an optional extra around here.
M.:...
M.: Point taken.
46. Petronius, The Satyricon. Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1997. Translated with an introduction and notes by P.G. Walsh.
In this fragmentary ancient novel, generally ascribed to the Petronius who was Nero's contemporary and, as Tacitus says, 'arbiter of taste,' sexual hijinks abound. The lustful interludes are interrupted by a long, lovingly-described dinner party, the famous dinner of the vulgar (and obscenely wealthy) parvenu freedman Trimalchio. It's entertaining, but its humour is mean-spirited when directed at anyone but the protagonist, the rather hapless Encolpius, and the litany of debaucheries grows rather wearing. Also, hello, humorous rape! Bloody Romans.
Climbed this afternoon. My capabilities have diminished considerably since this time last year: I'm struggling on 6As, and 6Bs are for the most part beyond me. Sigh. I need to get the discipline together to drop ten kilos, which should make hauling my heavy bones up eleven metres of wall slightly less difficult.
It was fun, though. Climbed three 6As, a 5B twice, another route whose rating was either 5B or 5C, and flailed off of three 6Bs at approximately four metres up. One of the 6Bs was rated a 5. It wasn't a 5. It really wasn't.
Sample conversation:
Me (singing, off-key, while belaying): At the sickbed of Cuchulainn, we'll never say a prayer, for the ghosts are rattling at the gate and the devil's in the chair!
M. [my climbing partner](pausing halfway up the wall): You do realise most people here probably think we're mad?
Me: They're climbers. We're climbers. Sanity is kind of an optional extra around here.
M.:...
M.: Point taken.
Not dying, 2011. (1)
Jan. 14th, 2011 09:42 pmSo tonight I nearly died at climbing.
It was a case of belayer fail - I was leading, had about 1.5 metres of slack in the rope, new rope so stretchy, and she let herself get taken by surprise so the rope ran through her fingers - understandable, but not fun. I got the rope wrapped around my thigh somewhere between five and three feet above the ground, and she got a solid grip on the rope before I made impact. So - having fallen from three times my own height - I have a single deep bruise, and not, y'know, broken anything.
Having taken two months off, I now really suck at climbing - that's not a fall I would've taken in November, and the burst blisters on my fingers are making me really miss my pad of callous. But, you know, it is what it is. All I can do is knuckle down and train back to something approaching competence.
Before my brush with mortality, though, I actually got some work done. I am feeling hopeful that I will actually manage productivity this semester.
It was a case of belayer fail - I was leading, had about 1.5 metres of slack in the rope, new rope so stretchy, and she let herself get taken by surprise so the rope ran through her fingers - understandable, but not fun. I got the rope wrapped around my thigh somewhere between five and three feet above the ground, and she got a solid grip on the rope before I made impact. So - having fallen from three times my own height - I have a single deep bruise, and not, y'know, broken anything.
Having taken two months off, I now really suck at climbing - that's not a fall I would've taken in November, and the burst blisters on my fingers are making me really miss my pad of callous. But, you know, it is what it is. All I can do is knuckle down and train back to something approaching competence.
Before my brush with mortality, though, I actually got some work done. I am feeling hopeful that I will actually manage productivity this semester.
Not dying, 2011. (1)
Jan. 14th, 2011 09:42 pmSo tonight I nearly died at climbing.
It was a case of belayer fail - I was leading, had about 1.5 metres of slack in the rope, new rope so stretchy, and she let herself get taken by surprise so the rope ran through her fingers - understandable, but not fun. I got the rope wrapped around my thigh somewhere between five and three feet above the ground, and she got a solid grip on the rope before I made impact. So - having fallen from three times my own height - I have a single deep bruise, and not, y'know, broken anything.
Having taken two months off, I now really suck at climbing - that's not a fall I would've taken in November, and the burst blisters on my fingers are making me really miss my pad of callous. But, you know, it is what it is. All I can do is knuckle down and train back to something approaching competence.
Before my brush with mortality, though, I actually got some work done. I am feeling hopeful that I will actually manage productivity this semester.
It was a case of belayer fail - I was leading, had about 1.5 metres of slack in the rope, new rope so stretchy, and she let herself get taken by surprise so the rope ran through her fingers - understandable, but not fun. I got the rope wrapped around my thigh somewhere between five and three feet above the ground, and she got a solid grip on the rope before I made impact. So - having fallen from three times my own height - I have a single deep bruise, and not, y'know, broken anything.
Having taken two months off, I now really suck at climbing - that's not a fall I would've taken in November, and the burst blisters on my fingers are making me really miss my pad of callous. But, you know, it is what it is. All I can do is knuckle down and train back to something approaching competence.
Before my brush with mortality, though, I actually got some work done. I am feeling hopeful that I will actually manage productivity this semester.
...semi-perpetual humidity, intermittant rain, and the occasional thunderstorm.
I appear to have recovered somewhat from the urge to run screaming from all social contact. And the annoying suicidal ideations have taken a hike for the time being as well. I'm interested to note that this correlates with the government finally ponying up my unemployment/jobseeker benefits and making the future look just a little less impossible and bleak. It seems that feeling trapped and powerless and being deadbeat broke go very well together. Who knew?
Anyway. I'm almost starting to get a grip on where my thesis next year might be going. Yeah, I know, I haven't even got my letter of acceptance yet, but I'm a compulsive worker, what can I say? I've been spending quite a bit of time in the library, and a couple of books - one by a guy called van Eijk, and one by a lad called von Staden - have me thinking that Alexandria might be the place to start. While there's no evidence associating the Alexandrian anatomists, Herophilus and probably Erasistratus (who practised human dissection and - allegedly! - vivisection) with the Library and the Mouseion, or indeed with the temple of Serapis, which had healing associations, the co-existence of all these elements in the one city might be worth examining to see if it can shed light upon the inter-relation of healing cult and surgeons. Or whether in fact any such relation can be defined.
Which means that I have to go back and read P.M. Fraser's history of Alexandria, the which I managed to avoid doing last year, on account of it being dry as dust and dreadfully long.
That's the price you pay for wanting to be a historian, I suppose.
I think it's time for me to go now, though. Last night I walked eight kilometers and went to karate, and today I've been climbing: my muscles hate me and want me to die, and tomorrow I'm plotting to do more exercise. (I'm thinking about training for 5Ks. Well, it's the first step on the way to 10K, right?) The climbing was weak. But better than last week.
I appear to have recovered somewhat from the urge to run screaming from all social contact. And the annoying suicidal ideations have taken a hike for the time being as well. I'm interested to note that this correlates with the government finally ponying up my unemployment/jobseeker benefits and making the future look just a little less impossible and bleak. It seems that feeling trapped and powerless and being deadbeat broke go very well together. Who knew?
Anyway. I'm almost starting to get a grip on where my thesis next year might be going. Yeah, I know, I haven't even got my letter of acceptance yet, but I'm a compulsive worker, what can I say? I've been spending quite a bit of time in the library, and a couple of books - one by a guy called van Eijk, and one by a lad called von Staden - have me thinking that Alexandria might be the place to start. While there's no evidence associating the Alexandrian anatomists, Herophilus and probably Erasistratus (who practised human dissection and - allegedly! - vivisection) with the Library and the Mouseion, or indeed with the temple of Serapis, which had healing associations, the co-existence of all these elements in the one city might be worth examining to see if it can shed light upon the inter-relation of healing cult and surgeons. Or whether in fact any such relation can be defined.
Which means that I have to go back and read P.M. Fraser's history of Alexandria, the which I managed to avoid doing last year, on account of it being dry as dust and dreadfully long.
That's the price you pay for wanting to be a historian, I suppose.
I think it's time for me to go now, though. Last night I walked eight kilometers and went to karate, and today I've been climbing: my muscles hate me and want me to die, and tomorrow I'm plotting to do more exercise. (I'm thinking about training for 5Ks. Well, it's the first step on the way to 10K, right?) The climbing was weak. But better than last week.
...semi-perpetual humidity, intermittant rain, and the occasional thunderstorm.
I appear to have recovered somewhat from the urge to run screaming from all social contact. And the annoying suicidal ideations have taken a hike for the time being as well. I'm interested to note that this correlates with the government finally ponying up my unemployment/jobseeker benefits and making the future look just a little less impossible and bleak. It seems that feeling trapped and powerless and being deadbeat broke go very well together. Who knew?
Anyway. I'm almost starting to get a grip on where my thesis next year might be going. Yeah, I know, I haven't even got my letter of acceptance yet, but I'm a compulsive worker, what can I say? I've been spending quite a bit of time in the library, and a couple of books - one by a guy called van Eijk, and one by a lad called von Staden - have me thinking that Alexandria might be the place to start. While there's no evidence associating the Alexandrian anatomists, Herophilus and probably Erasistratus (who practised human dissection and - allegedly! - vivisection) with the Library and the Mouseion, or indeed with the temple of Serapis, which had healing associations, the co-existence of all these elements in the one city might be worth examining to see if it can shed light upon the inter-relation of healing cult and surgeons. Or whether in fact any such relation can be defined.
Which means that I have to go back and read P.M. Fraser's history of Alexandria, the which I managed to avoid doing last year, on account of it being dry as dust and dreadfully long.
That's the price you pay for wanting to be a historian, I suppose.
I think it's time for me to go now, though. Last night I walked eight kilometers and went to karate, and today I've been climbing: my muscles hate me and want me to die, and tomorrow I'm plotting to do more exercise. (I'm thinking about training for 5Ks. Well, it's the first step on the way to 10K, right?) The climbing was weak. But better than last week.
I appear to have recovered somewhat from the urge to run screaming from all social contact. And the annoying suicidal ideations have taken a hike for the time being as well. I'm interested to note that this correlates with the government finally ponying up my unemployment/jobseeker benefits and making the future look just a little less impossible and bleak. It seems that feeling trapped and powerless and being deadbeat broke go very well together. Who knew?
Anyway. I'm almost starting to get a grip on where my thesis next year might be going. Yeah, I know, I haven't even got my letter of acceptance yet, but I'm a compulsive worker, what can I say? I've been spending quite a bit of time in the library, and a couple of books - one by a guy called van Eijk, and one by a lad called von Staden - have me thinking that Alexandria might be the place to start. While there's no evidence associating the Alexandrian anatomists, Herophilus and probably Erasistratus (who practised human dissection and - allegedly! - vivisection) with the Library and the Mouseion, or indeed with the temple of Serapis, which had healing associations, the co-existence of all these elements in the one city might be worth examining to see if it can shed light upon the inter-relation of healing cult and surgeons. Or whether in fact any such relation can be defined.
Which means that I have to go back and read P.M. Fraser's history of Alexandria, the which I managed to avoid doing last year, on account of it being dry as dust and dreadfully long.
That's the price you pay for wanting to be a historian, I suppose.
I think it's time for me to go now, though. Last night I walked eight kilometers and went to karate, and today I've been climbing: my muscles hate me and want me to die, and tomorrow I'm plotting to do more exercise. (I'm thinking about training for 5Ks. Well, it's the first step on the way to 10K, right?) The climbing was weak. But better than last week.
New routes at the climbing wall means new pain. Ow.
They aren't officially graded yet, so my reckoning is by hand and eye, so to speak. We flashed some 4-5s, on-sighted a couple of 6As, struggled up a probable 6B, and were roundly defeated halfway up a 6C. It took the skin off my fingers, I tell you that.
The routes seem to have been set mostly in the easier range. I've spotted a handful of probable 6Cs and 7As, but we're short on 6Bs. But the leading looks very promising, with two new routes looking about in the 6A range over the roof, and one which is probably a reasonably doable 6B. For definitions of doable that include with a couple months' practice, maybe.
I can't bend my legs now. Isn't life great?
They aren't officially graded yet, so my reckoning is by hand and eye, so to speak. We flashed some 4-5s, on-sighted a couple of 6As, struggled up a probable 6B, and were roundly defeated halfway up a 6C. It took the skin off my fingers, I tell you that.
The routes seem to have been set mostly in the easier range. I've spotted a handful of probable 6Cs and 7As, but we're short on 6Bs. But the leading looks very promising, with two new routes looking about in the 6A range over the roof, and one which is probably a reasonably doable 6B. For definitions of doable that include with a couple months' practice, maybe.
I can't bend my legs now. Isn't life great?
