Holiday traditions are a curious thing. When growing up/living with parents there are family traditions. Then when you are older and out on your own you try to retain some of the traditions of your youth, if you liked them, but then also try to add in some of your own creation. I can recall having some orphans over, usually fellow college student friends of my brother. I remember one fellow from Burma, he was so confused when my mother told him to lick his fork. We didn't have enough silverware for the meal and dessert for the number of guests we had and while his English was good it was a colloquialism that he'd never heard before. It was common practice to hear "lick your fork", so we didn't think twice about it, we all had a good laugh that day.
I haven't spent Thanksgiving with family since I left for graduate school in 1991. It always seemed too short a holiday to travel so far. I became one of the orphans we would have taken in. Some years there were a group of us who gathered and made dinner. Other years I recall traveling from Rhode Island to Connecticut, taken in by Kathy Howard's family, or taken in by the DeLima family either in Connecticut or New Jersey. And one year by the McKee's in New Jersey. It's one of the few days of the year that I just prefer being around people. I am eternally grateful for my adopted families back east taking me into their homes and family traditions, where I could share in the warmth, love and laughter as the dark, cold winter crept in.
Now one of my traditions is to try and go for a paddle in the morning. This morning Diane, Kristi, and I had planned to go out on the OC1 and OC2 belonging to Seattle Outrigger. When we arrived we saw Jack had made it down as well. The four of us took out an OC6, it makes you work a bit harder when there is only four, but the weather was nice, not too much wind. We headed east towards the 520 bridge. On our way there we saw a very regal bald eagle pirched on an old piling, perhaps waiting for it's holiday meal to make an appearance. In a couple of hours Diane, Dave, and I will go to see a movie and follow that with a nice Chinese food dinner. We and Kristi, too, are going to a restaurant that has Peking duck, I guess that will be our holiday bird. It will be a restful day spent with good friends and good food.
I'm thankful for my family and friends, good health, employment, a nice place to live, and that I continue to have a good life. I hope you have a wonderful holiday.
Wow! I went to the Westin Hotel with my friend, Kyle, and met some co-workers to watch the election returns. It was truly historic. I thought Mr. Obama's acceptance speech was wonderful, humble, inspiring. Here it is:
Part One
Part Two
I'm more than a little tipsy and off to bed now. Hoping that Chris Gregoire wins the the election for Washington Stave governor again, but this time without the recount.
Wow! I went to the Westin Hotel with my friend, Kyle, and met some co-workers to watch the election returns. It was truly historic. I thought Mr. Obama's acceptance speech was wonderful, humble, inspiring. Here it is:
Part of the reason I haven't said much lately is that I haven't had too much to say. No amusing paddling anecdotes because I haven't been paddling since the Round Hat Island Race up in Mukilteo on September 13. Turns out I'd over done my shoulder back in July up at Gibson's, then did it some more a week later down at the Gorge. After the Gorge I took a week off to rest my shoulder and then back into it to train for the change out race end of August, and well then the last race of the season is in two weeks, I can muscle it through that and then recover. When it hurts enough that it's effecting your sleep, hmm, that may be a sign that you should have paid attention a little sooner. D'oh!
I went to an acupuncturist who is also a certified massage practitioner. He said that all kinds of stuff was out of alignment, ya, like I couldn't have told him that when I walked in the door. He moved things around some and did a little needle work. Then a few days later I went to my foot torturing massage person, Carmen. Damn, I thought she was brutal when she was working on my feet. Seems my neck and back were all a nasty knotted mess.
I'd hoped to be back on the water for a Sound Rowers race on Oct 11. Good sense, though hard to acknowledge, suggested I pass on that race. Then there was fun relay to be held in Tacoma on Oct 25. I decided to pass on that one as well. My back on the water date was going to be Nov 1, this Sat. I'd planned to go to our regular OC6 practice. Then I got an email that the Tacoma race was being postponed to Nov 1! Wahoo!
I figured I could do one of the four 2.6 mile laps. I've completed a 3 mile time trial in 31 minutes. I figure I can do a leisure 2.6 miles in 45 minutes and call it good. I'd found 3 folks to do the relay with me, Neil, Lise, and Janelle. Janelle has had a family emergency so we'll either do only 3 laps, have Neil or Lise do two laps, or find someone on the beach interested in doing a lap. I realize that I cannot do the first lap, I'd over do it trying to keep up with everyone else. And I cannot do the final lap, I'd try to finish hard since it's the end of the race. So, I am relegated to one of the middle laps. Sigh, at least it's paddling. And the quicker I'm off the water to sooner I can get a bowl of Bren's Chicken Long Rice!!!
To help kill some time before I can paddle again I voted today! I hope you have either filled out and sent in your absentee ballot or have figured out how you plan to vote so you are ready when you go to your polling location.
A kid named Damon Weaver from Florida had a chance to speak with Joe Biden when he was stumping in Palm Beach. Biden gave a nice easy to understand explanation for what the VP does.
I love to paddle outrigger canoes. I feel like a postal worker, neither rain nor snow, nor sleet will keep this paddler from her practice!
I have two corgi dogs, they are the best dogs ever. Gus and Llelo love long walks, fetching, going to the dog park and swimming.
