Although, if I recall from that expedition to find them, it seems they took a more difficult route and probably didn't make it.

From what I'm remembering of Simonson's talk, he believes it is possible that Mallory and Irvine did reach the summit - having made the capital mistake of leaving lanterns and torches behind in their tent, and then compounded that error by pushing on to the summit at a time of day when there would not have been enough light left for them to make it there and back to camp safely. Simonson's expedition found Mallory's goggles in his pocket, bent as though they had been in the pocket during a fall; as another member of Mallory's expedition had suffered debilitating snow-blindness, Simonson believes Mallory would remove his goggles only in low light conditions. Further, the condition of Mallory's body shows injuries consistent with a fall of only a few hundred feet, so it's not likely that they fell from higher up the mountain, but either not long after they were last seen, or on a return trip. If they chose not to climb to the summit they would have had plenty of time to make it back to their camp in daylight. One of the reasons Simonson wanted to return in 2001 was to search for the camera that Mallory and Irvine had - likely as it is that they would have taken photos at the highest point they reached. Kodak has assured him that the film used in that model would survive indefinitely if kept in refrigeration (and not otherwise damaged): Simonson had a wry grin on on his face when he said, "That's not a problem."

I followed that link to the Chinese house a few months ago, thanks to someone posting it here. Very cool. I would totally go to Salem to see it in person and have beers with Nora.

'Cause that's when the monsters come out.

"I don't know...the name of the wino...who walked out of the alley and onto the 9th street bridge, but he was wrong. Just purely wrong."

Ran up my back, danced on my head for a while and then ran down my front.

Yeah, a tall skinny kid with a little kid on top of him, beating him with a stick and yelling, "Faster, faster, you fool, you fool!"

{{{Kristin and juliana}}}

I was very accident prone as a young child. Standouts include:

• Had my collarbone broken in day care as a toddler. My mom bought me new clothes (she says I was always a fashion whore) and when she lifted my arm to try something on, I howled in pain.
• Bit through my lower lip. Newspaper on floor + running toddler + coffee table = OWIE
• Split my head open playing Ring Around the Rosie for the first time. I took "We all fall down" quite literally and just fell backwards. On to cement.

Reminded me that I have a funny niecey story from my visit. I taught her to yell "cheers!" and clink glasses while I was there. Later during dinner, she ran over to the my Mom's place at the table, yelled "cheers!" and slammed her cup into my Mom's, which was on the table. Diet Coke everywhere.

Someone needs to take the sharp objects out of this house -- before I do violence with them.

My FiL is in the next room, with the TV on, and has just turned on the radio TOO. Very loud, because he's partly deaf but also because the FRIGGING TV IS ON.

So now everyone in the house can hear Rush Limbaugh pontificating. Hell, everyone in the neighborhood can probably hear him.

Must not commit murder.

Today.

I'm considering doing the San Francisco AIDS Half Marathon to both get in shape and do something good. Has anyone else done one of these? Would I survive?

If I wandered out of her sight I would immediately hear, "Get back where I can see you".

I grew up in a simpler time. After I was about 6, the rule was within the sound of my mother's voice. If she called me and I didn't come, I was in big trouble.

In conclusion, everyone should come to Salem to see the China house, and then have beers with me.

Okay.

whoo-hoo!