RRC Archives

Sandy wrote: Just to be clear, I am definitely a bitch. No poll neccessary. (I love you, too, Charlie!)

Back 'atcha babe. Cause, well, nice girls worry me.

Drink more!!! Self-medication is the key. Blows off stress and lets you handle lifes shortcomings in stride.

Sandy wrote:

andy_lemon wrote:Didn't Miguel get pissed at you and want to burn the kiosk? I heard that and laughed my ass off... the thought of Miguel getting angry at something, didn't think it was possible.

HA! Then you don't know Miguel very well.

He wasn't pissed at me, he was pissed at the RRGCC, which in turn got me pissed at the RRGCC. And the rest is, as they say, water under the bridge.

Just to be clear, I am definitely a bitch. No poll neccessary. (I love you, too, Charlie!)

I was there and I can back her on that. Miguel was never pissed at Sandy and the whole thing is water under the bridge.

Why did miguel want to burn/chop down the kiosk?

It was a misunderstanding, combined with a mistake that was compounded by poor communication. In other words, it's resolved now so we should leave it alone. Don't worry bud, there will be plenty more drama and you can participate.

Screw that, I'll tell the story! If bberlier is going to post baseless attacks on me, I'm not protecting the RRGCC from themselves. If bberlier's bullshit is still posted when I get back home later today, make yourself some popcorn, young'n, and I'll tell you just why Miguel was going to chop down the kiosk, and why I now wish I had helped him.

bberlier wrote:"Setting a good example for children takes all the fun out of middle age."

You must be having loads of fun in your middle age! Why don't you get a fucking job so we don't have to wade through all your bullshit on this board.

I just wonder who your next victim will be. You'll attach yourself, like some scum sucking parasite, to a climber in the community trying to build yourself to some unattainble level of power and respect in the community.

How can some one be so insecure and yet have some kind of God complex where she believes she is always right?

You've moved from climbing area to climbing area looking for a way to gain some distinction. Do us all a favor and move on to the next place and find the next sucker for your wicked games!

Go ahead and ban me if you want, BITCH!

bump

Maybe I don't know Miguel well... seems as though everytime I ask him if he wants to come out back and drink a beer he smiles at me and shakes his head. I think he would be nice all the time if he didn't have so many climbers eating all his pizza... that would make me mad too.

Yes, please tell us about the kiosk. Uh, make the story long enough to merit a bag of popcorn, please.

Haha! Buster wants to hear the story, even though he already has. Buster, by the way, gave me the greatest advice after all this happened: "Sandy, fuck the RRGCC and just climb!" So okay, I'll tell - but this is going to be long.

First let me say that I have no idea what bberlier is talking about with the power and moving from climbing area to climbing area crap. I have been in Kentucky for over 9 years, and was never involved in any kind of climbing politics (or any politics) here or anywhere until last year. Last May, I was nominated to the CAC (not by me). I didn't even vote for myself. I was genuinely surprised that I won a seat and was reluctant about accepting, but was talked into it. And yeah, I dated an "important" climber last year. It had nothing to do with power (WTF?) and everything to do with the fact that I was in love with him. Those are the facts. I used to think BBerlier was cool, but obviously he can be a raging asshole. I'm actually glad Buster quoted bberlier's rant and that it can no longer be deleted. I love that Bryan lost control like this, because as you shall see, that is exactly why I was berated and I didn't even do anything mean or intentionally damaging like bberlier has.

Anyway, here's what happened...

Last Fall I held a gear sale at Miguel's, on behalf of the RRGCC, in order to raise money for the purchase of the Murray Property (we raised nearly $1000, which was very cool). We held the event concurrently with the Access Fund's Kicken' Access gig w/Kurt Smith, who generously allowed us to host it during his already scheduled event - at the risk of steering cash away from the AF (Kurt rocks!). We had a great Friday night sale, in front of the kiosk. Then Saturday morning it was POURING down rain, and Miguel let us basically take over the front porch. Not only that, but Leah had brought some awesome baked goods, and we were selling those as well. Miguel never once complained that we were taking away his business (which we were). He even gave my daughter breakfast and gave me free coffee during the event! (Miguel is a WONDERFUL person, in case you don't already know that.)

So later that day, Vic rolls up with a huge sign for Rocktoberfest, as well as some fliers. A little while after he arrived and was doing his thing, I went into the store. Miguel immediately pulls me into the kitchen and starts yelling at me, "what the fuck is this?? God dammit I'm sick of this shit!..." and on and on and on (screaming, really - and there were witnesses to this). This was my first experience with Miguel's legendary temper, and I was stunned at first. He was yelling AT ME, but he wasn't angry with me personally. I was just a convenient recipient of his wrath (and I completely understood his anger). It did shake me up, but I let him rant.

From Miguel I learned that 1) the Roctoberfest fliers had NO MENTION of Miguel's. Miguel who was hosting the Pancake breakfast for Rocktoberfest, grinding fresh wheat for the pancake batter, and allowing the use of his kitchen... Miguel who had just let us take over his place for this gear sale..., and 2) (even more importantly) apparently there was a long history of Miguel being shafted by the RRGCC (which I never knew). He said he was done with them, that he was kicking them off his property and "Fuck them!" He was going to chop down the kiosk! But I begged him to let us (the RRGCC) make it right, asked him not to do anything rash. I told him I was sure it was just a simple oversight, a mistake. He said "it's always the same! I'm tired of being treated like shit!" I asked him to please talk to Shannon and to let the RRGCC try to make it right before he made any decisions. After what seemed like a very long time of yelling, then finally talking, he agreed to meet with Shannon.

After listening to him yell, and hearing how the RRGCC has disrespected him for YEARS, I was pretty upset, and this is where I am not at all proud of my actions... I went outside and absolutely raged. I took down and tore up a couple of fliers, and told Vic that Miguel didn't want the sign erected until they fixed this issue (Miguel told me to tell him this). I definitely was not in control of my emotions, and this is why the RRGCC hates me now - because I said stuff like "I can't believe this shit" *oh shudder* in front of actual people who were influenced by my criticism. (KILL THE BITCH SANDY!)

Anyway - bottom line - when Miguel was pissed, it got me pissed (and not the other way around). There were additional conversations with Vic and Miguel and me. It became clear to me later that Vic's perception of the events as they unfolded is completely whack. I have been accused, among other things, of pointing the flier omission out to Miguel, which is absolutely untrue - but it's not like they could have hidden it from him even if I did, so screw them. Shannon, by the way, never once asked me or Miguel what actually happened that day...

The following week, Shannon was sending me very cryptic, terse replies to my inquiries about what was being done. I found it strange that she never asked me what happened. She was treating me like a bad child, and said things like "we'll deal with you later." So Shannon and the BOD agreed to meet with Miguel. Once I was satisfied that Miguel was taken care of, I resigned from the CAC. I had finally had enough of the crap (I could tell you more BS, unrelated to this story - trying to work in that organization is hella frustrating, to say the least). In response to my resignation, I was accused by Shannon of the following:

It is the opinion of the executive leadership of the RRGCC, (the board of directors and the executive director of the RRGCC) that you have committed serious breaches and indiscretions. You took and greatly inflamed what was a minor, non-issue and acted reckless, unprofessional, and irresponsible, damaging the reputation and standing of the RRGCC among members of the climbing community, with the RRGCC's sponsors, and its reputation outside the climbing community for what can only be perceived as, for personal gain at the RRGCC's enormous expense. At best, you would be considered "self-dealing" or having a conflict of interest where you are "trading" the influence and the RRGCC's resources in the form of advertisement for personal benefit from one of the Coalition's sponsors, Miguel's. At worse, you may be violating the "private benefit" rule and the cannons of ethical practices of nonprofits.

Pffffft. That's utter crap. What personal gain?? Jeebus. Okay, yes, I was COMPLETELY unprofessional. That is absolutely true, but I did NOT inflate a "minor, non-issue." Miguel was SUPER pissed. I'm sure Miguel would be pleased to know that is what she thought of his long standing grievances! She was mad because they had to deal with Miguel. She blamed me because they had to make things right with him after THEY mistreated him for years. She also made these accusations under the guise of having authority of the BOD to do so, which I was later told she did not have the authority to do. (If that's true, can anyone see the hypocrisy here? But I digress...)

The truth is that NONE of Miguel's anger was my fault - even though I did lose it and criticize the RRGCC (which is punishable by death, I prefer an injection please), my rant was outside of his store and he did not witness my temper tantrum. Yes, climbers did. I had just been fucking screamed at for things that were not my fault - I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. I'm not proud of my rant, not at all (and I apologized for it), but I talked Miguel into NOT doing anything rash, and this was the "thanks" I got from Shannon. At any rate, I'm glad they finally had to do right by Miguel. That is the "trouble" I caused for the ED (executive director, aka Shannon), to which bberlier refers. I say too damn bad. I believe that if it were left up to Vic to make things right that day, the kiosk would have been firewood that night. Vic's heart was absolutely in the right place (and he was definitely not emotional like I was), but his communication skills leave an awful lot to be desired. Vic told Miguel things like "this [flier? your complaint?] isn't important" and "tell us what you want on the web page." As if Miguel cares about a web page! Maybe Vic could have soothed Miguel had I not been there, but I really doubt it.

So this incident is why I am now a pariah to the RRGCC, because they had to take action to correct what Miguel felt was years of mistreatment - Miguel who is regarded by many as an icon of the climbing community (because he is). Gretchen told me "Miguel isn't important - he's never even been a business member!" and Vic said "if it wasn't for the RRGCC, Miguel wouldn't have any business!" What a joke. That's how they really feel about Miguel, and I say screw them. Miguel should have chopped down the kiosk. And I should have given him the axe.

I never intended to stir this up again. The RRGCC can thank bberlier for this, bberlier your CAC representative.

I can feel the love coming my way any time now!

/donning flame retardent suit/

let me just say this...

I had a talk with someone from this board just this morning about the RRGCC and the way they treat people on the inside....it does suck!

BUT you can still support the cause and do your part to help the RRGCC help keep YOUR climbing open!