Got a belay partner for my birthday!

My climbing buddy Emily came in at about 0910 hrs this morning and greeted me cheerfully as I was warming up on one of the auto belays at the climbing gym.  She and Lucas got me a really awesome hat and two stickers (I love stickers!) for my birthday.  Even better, though, was a belay partner for a few hours so I could work on “Chasing Dragons”, the green 5.8 arête route that I have been working on.  About an hour after Em got there, 50 fifth-graders came in.  Surprisingly enough, they were very well-behaved, and I complimented their teacher on their behavior.  For excited fifth-graders on a field trip to a climbing gym, they were extremely courteous and controlled!  I was still able to concentrate while they were there and I climbed until I was comfortably fatigued and had worked up a good sweat and a great forearm pump.  Emily was in the zone and did a few more burns than I did.  It was great to get to climb with her.  I does not happen that we are there at the same time very often since the new gym opened and our schedules change so frequently.  Em even bailed me out of a nightmare political conversation!  I do not talk politics or religion with people unless I know them quite well and want to know their views on things (and that it will not spoil our relationship).  I stay clear away from those two areas on purpose, especially at the climbing gym.  Some people need to vent, though, and I understand that.  Emily to the rescue.  “How about you get on the wall, Chris?”  YES!  Excellent idea!  How about I do that!  I so appreciated that.  The political venting had taken its toll, though.  I had temporarily lost my concentration and drew a blank on my beta just before the crux of “Chasing Dragons”.  I had Emily lower me.  She got me back on track, though.  It all turned out well.  I had a great time climbing!  I gave Em a big hug as she left and then I logged my climbs on MyClimb.