My daughter is home from University now she has wryly observed the inability of her brother and father to clean up after themselves. I find this interesting because up until now, my wife has done all the cleaning unless she was tired and then I could not get a moment of peace without doing what she asked. We have insisted upon engaging in barbaric activities such as drytooling and lacrosse, such past times amuse us because they involve sharp metal objects that we can bludgeon inanimate objects and other men with. While my daughter, who has the patience of a saint, tries to watch her harmless television show about the repressed nature of sexuality in America I sit to her right gnashing toast under my crooked teeth, hidden by my sea creature-like mustache. But this is all in the life of an ice climber. Which reminds me, I have made a recent convert. His name is Vito. He was an innocent; had not experienced the siren pull of the ice until a jaunt into Hyalite Canyon, Montana with a boy scout troop. Upon emerging from the wilderness, he had seen the light. It may have subsided, but he came to The Den during his Spring Break. He entered THE CAVE and all hope was lost. My daughter could only stand by and watch as her boyfriend became enamored with the Black Diamond Fusion and the dry tooling walls I constructed in my gym. He left with his eyes spinning and full of wonderment. Ladies and gentlemen, we have a new addition to the force. Let us welcome Vito to the brethren with open arms.
~ Guest Post written by Simone Cordery-Cotter
