Another day at the gym

Our morning started in an alarming way, with a near fainting spell for my mom as she was hanging up her coat after a short walk. As usual, getting to a resting position and drinking some water revived her, but it really came out of nowhere. Maybe sitting around here in the dry warmth of our furnace-heated living quarters dehydrated her a bit; we'll have to be careful to get her to take enough water.
Got in another climbing gym session a bit later with a couple of friends, one of whom is a climbing coach. He can be a bit hard on his girlfriend, and even on me, but he was quite diplomatic today. They're a sweet couple of twenty somethings.
Still plugging away valiantly at The Tale of Genji; I've read about 200 pages, so am about a fifth of the way through, or into this tome. I think it's going to be one I cannot read straight through; there's only so much precious beauty-soaked material I can take at one sitting. It's a glimpse into a world I am extremely glad I never have to be a part of, an etiolated strung-out bunch of people, the women being pursued and screwed by randy noblemen. Yes, yes, lovely poetry and all that, but it's repetitive and tiring to read. I confess I alternate reading a book about fitness training for climbers...
Grasshopper, go eat a frostbitten chrysanthemum!