At the beginning of 2013, with Dylan now in school 5 days a week, I headed back to school myself. I was not doing anything with my math degree but got talked into accounting. So I headed to CNM and went through their CPA prep program, basically a series of classes that fulfill the requirements in NM to sit for the exams. I had intended to complete the program before looking for a job but ended up getting hired by a small local firm that fall, Matts & Co. Accounting Professionals, LLC (only 5 people in the office), through a referral from a classmate. Anyway, I finished the program while working my first tax season and took the 4 exams between the end of August 2014 and January 2015 (4 total), and received my license from the state on April 15th, 2015. In the meantime, Matts & Co. merged with Atkinson & Co., Ltd., a large local firm of 50+. So I'm now finishing up my 3rd year in public accounting which has of course taken time away from many of the things I used to do, such as maintaining this blog and cycling, climbing etc.
Anyway, Dylan has changed and grown quite a bit in the interim. He has picked up and given up soccer and guitar after a couple of years doing each. He is going to the NM International School, a NM state charter that is spanish immersion and based on the International Baccalaureate program. He currently is mostly focused on learning to swim, being water safe is important to both Linda and I. I don't really care if he ends up being a good swimmer so long as he can keep himself afloat and get where he needs to if he was to fall in with his clothes on. As well as violin, which he has twice a week at NMIS as well as once a week on his own with the same instructor.
While climbing has definitely taken a back seat for a few years, Linda was eligible for her 3rd sabbatical with Intel in August 2015, however with a child in school we were unable to go anywhere until this summer, not to mention I'm not allowed to take time off during tax and tax extension seasons. We have been wanting to go to South Africa to check out Rocklands for years and with some friends that are from there and will be headed to many of the same areas we want to go to this summer seemed like a perfect opportunity. We have been working on the plans for at least 10 months and even then we were not able to reserve our first choice lodging at Rocklands.
With a climbing trip on the horizon it was time to get back into climbing shape. So, with what spare time we had through tax season, Linda and I put in many nights at the climbing gym and trying mostly unsuccessfully to climb outside. We did however make it out to El Rito for a day in May. With Dylan getting a little into climbing these days and a new hammock, Linda and I were able to get more climbing in than we've been able to recently. Below are a couple of photos of Dylan on his first completed outdoor routes, chilling in the hammock and a sunset.
Focused on getting to the top, possibly the offer of Rebel Donuts had something to do with Dylan's enthusiasm on this day.
Linda is the grey looking spot below
Getting serious about and apple
Pretty colors
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