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Home from the road and time to get my journal caught up. I am so hopelessly behind. Let be begin with the return from the Illinois.
Monday June the 14th Billy and I headed out from the Motel 6 in
We did a lunch stop in
I was in the lead through
We arrived at my house a little after 5:00 p.m. I opened the door to two cats who were in serious need of loves and hugs. Stumpy had to run outside first thing, while Daggy screamed at me for rubs.
After two weeks on the road it was heaven to be home again. The temperatures had been in the mid to upper 90° range. The central air had been running as per my instructions to keep the cats comfortable. This is a far cry from last year when I was able to hold back turning the central air till into July.
I planned on Billy sleeping in my bedroom and me taking the settle in the study. It makes so much more sense this way than to try and cool off the upstairs where the guest bedroom is. I had to be up early to attend the sculling camp. I missed the first day being on the road. By having Billy in my room he would not be disturbed when my alarm went off at 4:00 a.m. However it was double hard on the cats being locked out of their bedroom and having company staying over.
Sculling camp was pretty intense. The temperatures and humidity meant we were soaked to the skin by the time we finished up the practices. There are enough differences between sculling and rowing sweep to make things interesting but confusing at the same time.
The last day of classes I was in the bow seat of the quad. The responsibility of steering the boat and coxing fell on me. You maneuver the boat by varying the pressure your rowers exert on the port or starboard oars. I was a wreck by the time we docked. There was a ton of debris to steer around, not to mention all the barges and other boats sharing the river. Coxing from the bow is so different from coxing from the stern. In the stern you can see where you are going; coxing from the bow seat means you have to keep looking over both shoulders being sure not to look at the "catch" as that is when the boat is most unstable.
In spite of the frustration, I really liked sculling and am investigating purchasing a single shell so I can get out to row anytime I want.
Mom’s first cousin Criss passed away at 101 years old last summer. Criss and I were always in touch with each other. I was very surprised to receive a check from her estate. I was not expecting anything. My first inclination was to add that money to my CD the next time it matured. Then I thought, “Screw it… get something you want and will enjoy.” I’m now investigating and researching purchasing a single shell with the money. I figure I can name the boat “Christina MacKay” in honour of cousin Criss.
Friday night we had enough people sign up to take out the four. It had been so long since being on the water rowing sweep. Dianne coxed and I rowed 2 seat on the port side. It was sheer bliss being on the river rowing sweep/port again.
It was still hot and humid when we docked at 7:45. Originally I planned on just heating up frozen chicken wings when I got home. I was famished and needed something a bit more substantial. I made a detour to Publix to procure a steak for supper. The workers there are used to seeing me now showing up after rowing practices in my sweat soaked spandex and do-rag. I had the check out lady laughing explaining how I had to fix up a real meal over chicken wings! I devoured that delicious meal of steak smothered in onions and drenched in butter. I never eat a steak that I don’t think of my dad as that was his favourite food. The apple does not fall far from the tree in that aspect!
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