good things come to those who wait

You may have a while to wait of pictures of me climbing my sweet. Until I look a bit more elegant, there won't be any pics of me whaling my way up a wall. That said, I had such an awesome time last night. I end up partnered with Rodrigo which is actually a really good match because we are both keen to climb marked paths and give each other advice as well as being slightly competitive about the whole thing. We both did a tricky-ish one and then I did a 4a (I haven't worked out UK gradings compared to what was used in NZ) so Rodrigo had to go do a 4+ (just that little bit better) so I did that one too and then he mostly did a 6+ on the same route and I tried, I really did, but I just kept popping off the wall. Partially the holds were just that little bit too far away for teeny weeny me but also I just wasn't good enough for it. Still, I had a bloody good bash at it and came home with adrenaline pumping through my veins and my forearms not working at all. Throwing ourselves off the wall went well, Rodrigo went first and he let go and jumped away with such enthusiasm that he set the bar quite high so of course I had to respond in kind. It does build trust quickly...

On the way home I stopped by Kerry's and was greeted by Jen and Tanya bearing over-ripe bananas and winsome smiles. Having tasted both my banana cake and my banana bread, they were hoping I'd bake some for them. And I'm ever the sucker for someone who loves my baking... ;-)

But now for piccies and a brutal summary of my weekend:

On Friday we went out to celebrate Rose's 30th birthday (far left in the pic) and we went to the Medieval Banquet which was quitequite cheesy but a great evening. Some people dressed up in full medieval kit and others of us just opted for a fancy hat. I had this stunning red princess-esque number but it kept slipping off my head so it spent most of the evening under the table.Basically it's like attending a perofrmance where they have audience participation and stop every now and then so you can eat. Everyone got in to the spirit of it and there was much laughing and hilarity.Kerry and I have reached the conclusion that no matter where we go out to eat, there will end up being a picture of her with a napkin tucked down her front. At the moment food just seems to leap off her plate/fork/spoon in an eager bid to splatter itself all over her chest. A girl can't win. This photo sums Lauren up perfectly really. Check out her sensible trainers! In her defence, you couldn't see them under her long skirt unless she lifted up the dress.

On Sunday I got sunburnt for the first time this year. It seems there's always gonna be once no matter how careful I am. Lotte, Fanni and I went to FruitStock, a free festival in Regent's Park. It's sponsored by this fruit drink company and was a fantastic day out. We wandered around, enjoying the food stalls with funny signs. This sign was beside a stall that was doing different types of hummus-based meals. They even had badges with 'give peas a chance' but sadly I was too slow and missed out. Lotte and I enjoyed tucking in to some massive wedges of watermelon which, although a smidge on the floury side, were enormous fun to eat. I mean check us out, those things are nearly the size of our heads! The rest of the afternoon was spent lazing in the shade listening to music and reading and chatting. I even bought some poi with streamers on them. I know I have poi at home but they aren't doing me any good in NZ are they?Sunday evening saw yet another BBQ at Kerry's (the Sunday BBQ at that flat seems a summer tradition by now) and I brought out the pois and of course everyone wanted to learn. More hilarity ensued with great feats of lack of coordination and of course the crowning glory when JJ cracked himself in the nads. *sigh* It will never be not funny...