There's a Double Meaning in That
Finally, I can breathe! Working from home yesterday, I could feel the Code Red Day -- yuck! But the asthma stayed mostly clear - what I was referring to was....
I (mostly) finished the draft congressional testimony just after midnight, having started at 7am yesterday morning! Phew. More on it today though, but it should be out of my hands shortly.
It meant I missed the Rudes Play Selection Committee Meeting, but I have no doubt the best selections were chosen. I just hope they got my email and don't think I blew them off!!
Sailing Log
Last Wednesday -- I sailed on Wildfire instead of Bump because Bump canceled due to the freaky weather that blew through. The Race Committee eventually canceled us as well, when it was thundering and lightninginging. I don't like lightning when I'm on a sailboat.
Last Friday -- I sailed on an Esse 850, Sailing World's 2007 Overall Boat of the Year. It was me, my trimmer from Wildfire, the boyf's best female friend from college (Mike-Anne) and the older skipper, a totally chill native Hawaiian who now drives from Chincoteague every Friday so that he can be on a sailboat. The boyf asked me later how it was and I told him I wasn't sure -- when we sailed past the club, they shot at us!! There was dead silence and then he started laughing -- we got the gun and won the race!! The skipper gave the trophy hat to Mike-Anne because she drove. I got to trim the mainsail and did very well, thankyouverymuch. It was very exciting.
On Saturday -- I helped out with Race Committee, providing the humor, the sunblock for the sailor who forgot his, and the ability to hang off the front of the Boston Whaler and jerk 30lb counter weights out of the water. I was a bit sore the next day. But I was helping the skipper from Bump, and I got a really interesting opportunity out of it. One of the types of boats in this regatta was a laser, and I told the people on our boat about how when my life gets really stressful and out of control, my anxiety manifests itself into dreams where I am on a laser, in the starting sequence and can't remember port from starboard (not farfetched, since I'm not real good with my lefts/rights) and I don't know the rules (true). I laughed and said that what I needed to do what just get out and do it!
The skipper asked me why I didn't and I said I didn't have a boat. He disagreed, saying that I had his boat, his club membership and that the races started at 6pm on Friday.
Oh. So next Friday, I might skip the Esse opportunity and go sail a laser.... Wow.
Sunday -- 2 race regatta with Wildfire. The drama has unfolded on Wildfire and it appears that I am always welcome on the boat but I can't be guaranteed a specific position. SO I did the first race as the mast person -- haven't done that in about 2 years, and I've only helped take down the spinnaker twice ever and once just after a sail ripped, so I didn't actually want to touch the sail, lest I rip it. So the first dowse (taking the sail down) was a complete mess but we didn't rip anything. I couldn't find the open hatch on the bow to stuff the sail, so that was kinda funny. The next one was much better. Finding the place to stuff the sail reaaaaally helps. The second race, I was on the runners (helps keep the mast straight) and we got 3rd overall for the day -- it was great!
I'll be on Bump again on Wednesday and doing whatever they having me doing on Wildfire on Saturday.
My strawberry picking buddy had to bow out of picking this week, but I think the residuals from the testimony assignment will keep me at my desk this week anyways. And maybe I can leverage yesterday's extra work into part of next Friday off to go practice on the laser before the race?
Phew. Busy life lately. But good. real good.
Oh, and I found the best ever peanut butter cookie recipe. Wow.
I (mostly) finished the draft congressional testimony just after midnight, having started at 7am yesterday morning! Phew. More on it today though, but it should be out of my hands shortly.
It meant I missed the Rudes Play Selection Committee Meeting, but I have no doubt the best selections were chosen. I just hope they got my email and don't think I blew them off!!
Sailing Log
Last Wednesday -- I sailed on Wildfire instead of Bump because Bump canceled due to the freaky weather that blew through. The Race Committee eventually canceled us as well, when it was thundering and lightninginging. I don't like lightning when I'm on a sailboat.
Last Friday -- I sailed on an Esse 850, Sailing World's 2007 Overall Boat of the Year. It was me, my trimmer from Wildfire, the boyf's best female friend from college (Mike-Anne) and the older skipper, a totally chill native Hawaiian who now drives from Chincoteague every Friday so that he can be on a sailboat. The boyf asked me later how it was and I told him I wasn't sure -- when we sailed past the club, they shot at us!! There was dead silence and then he started laughing -- we got the gun and won the race!! The skipper gave the trophy hat to Mike-Anne because she drove. I got to trim the mainsail and did very well, thankyouverymuch. It was very exciting.
On Saturday -- I helped out with Race Committee, providing the humor, the sunblock for the sailor who forgot his, and the ability to hang off the front of the Boston Whaler and jerk 30lb counter weights out of the water. I was a bit sore the next day. But I was helping the skipper from Bump, and I got a really interesting opportunity out of it. One of the types of boats in this regatta was a laser, and I told the people on our boat about how when my life gets really stressful and out of control, my anxiety manifests itself into dreams where I am on a laser, in the starting sequence and can't remember port from starboard (not farfetched, since I'm not real good with my lefts/rights) and I don't know the rules (true). I laughed and said that what I needed to do what just get out and do it!
The skipper asked me why I didn't and I said I didn't have a boat. He disagreed, saying that I had his boat, his club membership and that the races started at 6pm on Friday.
Oh. So next Friday, I might skip the Esse opportunity and go sail a laser.... Wow.
Sunday -- 2 race regatta with Wildfire. The drama has unfolded on Wildfire and it appears that I am always welcome on the boat but I can't be guaranteed a specific position. SO I did the first race as the mast person -- haven't done that in about 2 years, and I've only helped take down the spinnaker twice ever and once just after a sail ripped, so I didn't actually want to touch the sail, lest I rip it. So the first dowse (taking the sail down) was a complete mess but we didn't rip anything. I couldn't find the open hatch on the bow to stuff the sail, so that was kinda funny. The next one was much better. Finding the place to stuff the sail reaaaaally helps. The second race, I was on the runners (helps keep the mast straight) and we got 3rd overall for the day -- it was great!
I'll be on Bump again on Wednesday and doing whatever they having me doing on Wildfire on Saturday.
My strawberry picking buddy had to bow out of picking this week, but I think the residuals from the testimony assignment will keep me at my desk this week anyways. And maybe I can leverage yesterday's extra work into part of next Friday off to go practice on the laser before the race?
Phew. Busy life lately. But good. real good.
Oh, and I found the best ever peanut butter cookie recipe. Wow.