July, The Month of Firsts

First Organic Peach from A Farmer’s Market
The peach was sweet and juicy, prompting me to declare that organic does taste so much better. It also cost me $3.50 a pound, which is about three times more than I really want to be paying for fruit. However, I might just have to save my pennies so that I can start shopping at the Farmer’s Market. Oh, sweet, delicate fruit.

First Rock Climbing Success
Tick Rock, Malibu. I looked at the Sliding Rock signs and thought: what have I done? I think what made this rock so terrifying was that it appeared to be a smooth rock face with few crevices but very sharp edges. It looked like if I fell, I would bounce off a couple of those sharp edges like a human pin-ball. While it wasn’t as physically challenging as other rocks I’d been on, I still cried all the way up, I was that scared. When I got to the top, I touched the anchor and whooped for joy. Then, I cried all the way down. Call me crazy, but leaning back and letting someone basically lower me while I walk down a rock with my legs above my hips is frightening. Fear and tears aside, it was the first time I completed a route and it felt good.

First Blind Date
Suffice to say there are reasons why there are first date rules such as: keep it short, talk on the phone first, have an escape plan. Hey, at least The Blind Date didn’t stab me in a dark alley and leave me for dead. For that, I’m grateful. There could be worse things about a person than a bitter sense of humor and an unfortunate speech impediment.

First Time At The Gym
Turns out, the gym wasn’t as intimidating as I’d always imagined it’d be. The gym wasn’t filled with too-muscular meat heads or peroxide blondes. In fact, it was filled with people of all ages, shapes and sizes. I nearly fell off the treadmill, but other than that, I had a really great workout and left feeling victorious. I’m finding I actually like the gym. There’s something very soothing about getting your heart rate up, sweating it out and physically pushing yourself until you can no longer think.

First Earthquake
I didn’t even know what it was. I was leaning up against a wall in the conference room at the office when I felt it tremble. I remember thinking, wow, the guys at the gym downstairs are really slamming those free weights down. It wasn’t until someone in the room said, “Earthquake,” that I looked out and saw that the windows were actually shaking. It wasn’t as scary as I thought it’d be, but then again, I was with a group of people. I’m sure it’d be a lot more frightening if I were by myself. I know what words like “epicenter” and “foreshock” mean now. Welcome to Los Angeles. I should find out what goes into an earthquake kit.