Last One Picked

Friday rowing on the river was wonderful. It has been WAY too many months since I’ve been on the river without a sweatshirt! We were short a person, so it was kind of awkward rowing the eight with only seven people. Doing drills and transitions gets confusing with an odd number. Jason did a great job coxing. I was doing my best to concentrate on not collapsing my chest going up to the “catch’ and looking forward. I could really tell a difference in my performance. All that work on the Concept II rowers at the Y is now starting to pay off.

Stump woke me up with his “paw bats” at 3:45 this a.m. I made him wait till the alarm went off at 4:00 before going outside. I could hear the morning birdsong through the open bedroom windows. Those Mockingbirds were singing their little hearts out. My Google home page pegged the 5:30 a.m. temperature at 59°. It looks to be another beautiful day.

I just put potatoes on to boil with garlic. It will be a huge breakfast today of homefries, pepper bacon, and “real” fresh eggs from the farm. Last week Paul brought me a bag of fresh eggs. The shells are varying hues and the eggs sizes vary wildly. But, when they are cracked into the cast iron skillet, those yokes stand tall and are a bright orange color. What a change from the runny eggs having an anemic yellow yoke that come from the supermarket.

There is work to be done at the boathouse and dock, so a crew is meeting there at 8:00 today. If anybody had told me a year ago I would be rowing and involved with the Alabama Crew team I’d have said they were full of s—t. It just goes to show how a comment from Debbie about one of her clients rowing gave me the courage to show up to try something I had never done before.

When I was back in High School I dreaded gym class. I was usually among the smallest in body size and for whatever reason I was always put in a class that was a year ahead of me. When choosing sides for the team sports I was always one of the last ones picked.

On a rowing team everybody works together. Watching a boat with skilled rowers cut through the water is like witnessing a steam locomotive with the pistons and drive shafts working in perfect harmony. There is no way I could ever match the strength and endurance of the collegiate rowers. But, that does not stop me from trying! The kids get a kick out of being around us “old timers” and I have to admit the feeling is mutual. We are learning from each other. I like to think I’m showing how you can still have fun as you age, and to not be afraid to try things outside of the norm. my god friend Bob has his philosophy of life summed up into one word: ENJOY. No matter how grim things can get, I try to live my life following Bob’s wisdom. I pass it on…..