DAY 209
10.30.07
TREE 133
It’s Tuesday. The day before I leave MACA. I got up early. I am trying to acclimate my schedule for my upcoming job. I drove all the way to La Grange to get my new Kentucky drivers license. Then I went to a prompt care clinic to get my CDL medical card for work. Boom, boom, boom, getting shit done. Then I came back to the Mount to train Emily some more. Not a lot to do really. Norm helped us reorganize the office. I thought about doing some stuff to get ready but I just kept thinking that I’ve got all day tomorrow to pack. I got hungry for dinner and drove down to Taco Bell.
I parked in the back corner of the lot and walked through the dirt field to this sycamore by the edge of Route 150.
I’ve seen this tree almost daily for seven months and now I’ve finally climbed it. As I went up it wasn’t too challenging, just strange that it had so many dead limbs. Also strange that many of those dead limbs looked as if they had been ripped or torn off leaving many sharp splinters in the wounds. It did not prevent me from a high and safe climb.
What an evening! The sky was perfectly blue and the sun was warm. I got to the top and looked around at the stores and restaurants of Highlander Point.
I thought about how I am going to miss this place, this freedom I’ve had for so many months. My time here is coming to an end and it makes me sad, but I have to go. Change is good and I can’t stay. I have to keep reminding myself of that.
At the top I took some shots. I tied a ribbon and collected a leaf.
I was hungry and it was time to get down. This climbing project is far from over but I feel as though it’s ending. The project started here at the Mount and to leave it and still continue the climbing may change the feel of the project. We’ll see.
10-30-08: First I’ll just say that I am very happy I did not stop the project when I left. It was a continuation… something that tied my new life to the old. Plus, once January came around it forced me to return to the Mount over and over for reclimbs. Lisa did ask me to stay longer. Actually she talked to Norman about asking me to stay longer first and he just said to not ask me, that I was ready to go. When he told me that I felt like that was the right thing. I could have been tempted to stay but that chapter was ending and I just needed to let it. I had already stayed an extra month longer than I first planned.
Now I would like to just complain about Taco Bell a little. I used to go there, the only fast food I would eat, because they had the best deal in town. I could get three 1/2lb beany, cheese and rice burritos for $3.15. That was a damn good bargain. Plus I wasn’t eating their questionable meat. Well, I went there a few nights ago and they had jacked the price 30%!!! From 99 cents per burrito to $1.29! Just imagine if your other frequent purchases all the sudden jumped 30%? No explanation, just jacked up. That is when I thought, "man this poor economy is really starting to affect me." I gotta find the next best deal in town… any thoughts?
Last night I went to parkour at U of L. On the bike ride there the top of the left leg was feeling a little strange. I got to the playground with Brennan and Jeremy and I just wasn’t feeling spritely. As I began to warm up and stretch my leg just wasn’t feeling right. I decided to just take it easy and help these guys with whatever they wanted help with. I crossed over 3rd street onto campus and I decided to put my efforts into finding a tree for the day. One of my fellow traceurs picked out a tree by the law building.
I looked up at the tree and though difficult, thought it was do-able. It took four or five tried to run up the trunk and grab the lowest branch. But I made it and started to climb. They quickly left the tree and practiced their moves on the rails and ramps in front of the law building.
I worked slowly up the tree to a pretty high point.
Along the way a few steps of my left leg really started to tweak my already sore muscle. I ignored it as I always do in trees since I have no choice to ignore all pain so as to not fall. I took some pictures, got Brennan and Jeremy to pose for one, then climbed back down.
It was obvious then that I was starting to favor my right leg. I dropped and rolled and when I started to walk was limping. I am now still limping this morning. I hate being injured!