Weekend update from the mysterious soltero

Well what a weekend, perhaps the best yet, not in the productive sense thesis wise but in pure enjoyment definitely. Friday I woke up in anticipation for my normal Friday filled with being pumped full of new Spanish verb tenses that seem to have no end. About twenty minutes before departure on my lovely bike ride to campus I received a SMS (text message) from the professora saying that she was not going to be in class and asked that I pass the message along to my roommates. So usually a person would be ecstatic of such news but with a double espresso in the blood stream going back to sleep seemed as likely as walking on water. So instead I met up with two of my classmates and one of their friends who had just arrived that morning. He (the friend) has been traveling Europe (and next Central America) after losing his job and receiving a nice severance pay.

We had the plan to show him a few of the sights around town but the first few were closed because it was too early and the third one we had to leave early because the girls needed to go. Needless to say it was a nice walk but not to productive. In the afternoon I agreed to go with one my friends to the beach to exercise. The plan was that she would ride my bike while I ran because she has some serious shin splint problems. All was well until on the way back the cassette on the back wheel broke. So this means that the bike is unrideable, so we walked back to her house because it was the closest of the two and parked it in the garage. To finish up this story I will summarize what has happened this weekend. A friend knows the owner of the store I bought the bike at so he took my bike to the store....now there are two possibilities: 1) they fix it for free because it has only been a month since I bought it or 2) me and the girl split the cost of the repairs if it is a reasonable price. So this weekend I felt a little lost without my bike but my roommates broken old bike at least gave me a little faster way then walking to get around.

Friday night I made my way to campus for my rock-climbing class. The first class was pretty intimidating and reminded me of the first day of high school. Such anticipation and the knowledge of not being able to speak the language makes you question what the hell you are doing walking into the unknown. Somehow I was put in the "professional" group which made me even more nervous since it was only me and two other people. But it turned out it was great because the other two were extranjeros (foreigners) as well...France and Germany. Class was pretty cool and I got a course on the basic equipment to climbing as well as the double eight knot.

Saturday and Sunday were the climbing days. We were about 15 minutes outside Almeria and a dry canyon with plenty of rock to be climbed. In total I did eight climbs, seven different and one repeal. It was a great time and I think I have found a new sport to practice at least occasionally. I really liked the rush of being on the side of a rock face and the feeling you get when you make it to the top. Plus the other people in the class all (pretty much) seemed pretty cool and most the people I know in Missoula do at least a little bit of climbing. Today I am pretty sore but not too bad. Next Sunday I am going with three of the climbers to boulder (a type of climbing without a rope....but not high or dangerous) on the beach about 40 minutes from Almeria. It should be a good time and I look forward to it. On this Thursday night I am meeting up with some of the group to go for tapas and beer or at least I think that is why we are meeting.

No partying but I did cook for friends on Saturday night.
Well that is a general rundown of the weekend. This week I am hoping to get one to two interviews...we shall see. O and tonight I am playing indoor soccer so that should be interesting.
The days seem to be getting shorter and shorter and I can feel my time line here be squeezed. Only a month and I will be gone!!! Wow I would love to stay here longer but I really want to finish my thesis and just be done with school!!

Paz and AMor
Ty