*BREAKING NEWS* Cory Goodwin Climbs El Capitan With No Equipment!

Well, it happened again. We took Cory out in public and he just started freakin' out.

Every time we take him somewhere cool, he has to start climbing things. On Maui it was a rock in the Bamboo Forest.

Just look how happy he is. All you need to do is give this guy a rope and a rock and he will be entertained for a day. Pretty sad. But anyway, we decided that since he was coming to visit we should take him to Yosemite, Land of the Huge, Big Rocks that Everyone Loves to Climb. See how nice we are?

Well, you can imagine how happy Cory was once we got there. He saw those mountainous rocks and just about fainted. His eyes got bigger and bigger until they finally saw....El Capitan! Da da da duuuummmm!

I tell you he was so awe-struck it was amazing. This was no puny little rock with a rope ladder like on Maui. Oh no! This, THIS was far grander!

He grabbed the nearest pair of binoculars and gazed up at it in all its glorious, rocky beauty.

And then breathlessly announced, "I'm climbing it!" He then proceeded to throw his binoculars on the ground and run through the snow. We gazed after him in silent shock as he padded his way across the snowy field and towards the forest that cloaked the base of the mountain. When he stopped a quarter of the way across the field (it was much bigger than it looked) and gasped for breath, we silently sighed with relief. He would realize how silly this was and come plodding back. But even as we were thinking this thought, Cory looked up at the mountain and took off again, obviously spurred on by the magnificent sight of the rock.

He finally reached the bottom of the mountain and began searching for a good path up. AH HA! There was a rope! He evilly rubbed his hands together and chuckled, "Excellent," drawing out the 'e' to give it maximum scare factor. And then because he did receive maximum scare factor he did it again, chuckling still more evilly, "Excellent."

He then proceeded to grab the rope and give it a good shake, just to make sure that any person who was using the rope would fall off and give him a turn the rope was secure.

Being the dedicated journalist that I am I followed him and got some shots of his ascent.

Here he is just after he found the rope and started climbing. Look how happy this guy is! Hee hee hee, he's thinking, look at this rock! It's HUMANGOUS! and I'm climbing it! MUAHAHAHAHA!!!

But he didn't allow himself too much time for evil laughter, there was the matter of actual climbing to get down to. So he focused more steadily on his current situation.

Okay man, gotta focus!

Whew! I've been climbing for a while. I wonder how far I've gone?

Not very. Hmmm.... Well, better keep going.

After hours of climbing he finally reached the top. Wow, I've been climbing for hours! But I just reached the top! Woohoo!

YAY! I'm on top of...

a really big rock.

So he didn't really climb El Capitan, but he can always dream...

Wow. That mountain is HUGE! Some day, I'm gonna climb it...

They Call the Wind Mariah

Today we are being blasted with a storm. Supposedly its the outreaching parts of some hurricane up in Washington....but that doesn't make much sense to me. Washington is a long way away and I can't imagine winds getting through all those mountains and still maintaining their 65 mph constancy. Wherever its from though, it is BIG! This is a quote from our morning paper: "National Weather Service forecasters warned of roof-ripping, tree-toppling, power-pole-snapping winds gusting to 65 mph." Have a nice day!

You know whats even weirder than those winds? The fact that the weather service was right. Currently two buildings, the post office and the Fed-Ex building, have lost their roofs. Streets everywhere are closed due to trees and power lines developing a habit of smashing down on the roads, making travel quite hazardous. Roughly 20,000 people are without electricity, and the list goes on and on. Roads closed, accidents on roads meaning more roads closed, trees falling closing more roads, poles falling on roads closing them. See what I mean? We can't go anywhere. So I've been spending the extra time doing something productive. No, I haven't been doing that homework, cleaning my room or taking down decorations. I have been serenading the house to "They Call the Wind Mariah"!

Mom and dad just announced they are going to the gym and ran out the door. Maybe they don't like my singing? Nah, that can't be it. They just feel like working out...in a gym that probably doesn't have a roof anymore....

Anyway, I'm off. Gotta learn that second verse before they get back!

I Love These Two Turkeys

Thanks so much for a wonderful Christmas you guys!

Happy New Year!