This is your life: 2010 HOCR

Dear Internet,

A few short days from now (in fact, almost exactly 72 hours from now), it's likely I will feel like dying. (I probably won't actually die - I'm just going to want to die.) Here's why: I will be rowing in Boston at the Head of the Charles regatta. It will be 3 miles of agonizing fun. I will be out there with teammates A, K, J and Coxswain K. We will have a great time racing (aka "dying") together.

Here's an idea of what we're going to go through (though we will be in a four and not an eight like you see here), courtesy of the 2008 Upper Valley Rowing coxswain cam:

(Yes, it really takes three YouTube videos to adequately show you the length of time it takes to get through this race.)

I doubt Coxie K will be shouting at us quite the same way this coxswain did his crew (and thank goodness for that! I don't think I could handle "Pushhhh-a" or "oooommpppp-aaa" - or whatever he's saying half the time - for miles on end). But this is basically it.

Wish us Godspeed! Go St. Paul!

Fall Fun

Dear Internet,

I've had an interesting couple weeks.

-I had to have my work computer re-imaged twice in three weeks. This gets old very quickly.

-People say that we are having the most beautiful fall in recent memory here in Minnesota. I'd agree with them, but I haven't been around too much the last few autumns, so I can neither confirm nor deny. But I agree it's awfully pretty. I regret that I have taken no pictures of any pretty leaves.

-As I walk through the streets of the suburbs (and will continue to walk through the streets of Minnesota for another 19 days), I have decided I can no longer wear flip flops - despite our beautifully sunny & warm weather - because crunching leaves with my toes is mildly disturbing to me.

-I'm in a new Bible study. This year it's not Precepts, but Beth Moore. It's taken me a while to get used to the completely different style, but I'm enjoying it thus far. One of the interesting things I've thought about recently is from Isaiah 48:18 - it talks about having peace like a river. Whenever I think of the old hymn "It Is Well With My Soul," I always think that peace is gentle and calm. But you know something? Our stretch of river has flooded twice this year - in the spring, and again now (it still hasn't come down to normal levels yet). This tells me that rivers are powerful and can be overflowing and all-consuming and passionate. (I have pictures of the fall flooding somewhere, but in all the computer melee, I'd have to dig pretty hard to come up with them...and by pretty hard, I mean it would take me more than 30 seconds.)

As Beth Moore says, "God's Word doesn't say we'll have peace like a pond. Some imagine peaceful people as boring and a breath from death. We think we'd rather forego peace and have an exciting life...few bodies of water are more exciting than rivers! When was the last time you saw white-water rapids?" I want that kind of peace. Peace that isn't boring and is all-consuming.

-I'm going to Boston next weekend to row (and also see cousin M with whom I traversed New England last year). So excited!

(Also, I'm very excited to be done with this season of racing. It's been a long one. If I go out on the water after that, it'll be just for fun.) Not so exciting? The fact that our dear Mississippi River is still flooding, and any time we go out there, it's like rowing in an endless pool.

2010 FISA World Masters Rowing

Internet, where do I even begin? A couple weeks ago, I drove out to St. Catharines, ON, with friends M & J for the 2010 FISA World Masters regatta, a four-day event for old people. (I'm an old person! Yay!)

Driving out there involved pulling the boats:

And stopping by a boat builder to tour his shop:

While at the regatta, I met new friends:

New friend Debbie...

...from Club España

So a couple Aussies, a Brit, a Canadian and some Americans walk into a pub...is my life really the start of a bad joke? (Kidding, kidding) At the Kilt & Clover for poutine with some friends - new and old - including the older Australian gentleman next to me in this picture, who I now would like to adopt me...

And saw a lot of boats and teams from around the world:

On Day 3 of racing (Saturday), they had to cancel the afternoon's events because of windy conditions. I think the first sign that they would "arrest" (yes, that's the word they used) racing for the remainder of the day was when all the refs headed to the beer tent:

And after it was all done, celebrated the pretty boats and collected souvenirs:

Pretty boats in this picture = Kaschpers

Souvenir = Official jersey with all 2500 competitors' names on the back - see those wavy blue lines? My name is in there in really, really, teeny-tiny print.

So, Internet, that's one explanation of where I've been the last month or so. I was gone for just over a week for this trip. Parts of it felt like they lasted forever (waiting to start the races, for instance), and other parts went by quickly (especially the three or four hours I spent in the hotel swimming pool throughout the week). Although I didn't win anything, I am happy with how I rowed and finished in each of my races. But the part I really liked? I enjoyed meeting so many different people from all over the world who share a common love for all things rowing. It was a great trip.

Old People Visit Canada

Including yours truly, Internet: that's where I was for a week. More on this later. For now, though, you can catch a bit of it here:

NWIRA v.2010

Internet, I went to Kenora (aka, "If my town was originally called 'Rat Portage,' I'd probably change it to Kenora, too") in Canadia-land for the 107th NWIRA regatta over the weekend. It was fun. Here's how much fun:

Sir Thomas Lipton's Cup, my first-ever NWIRA medal and me

Our team won the Lipton Cup again this year, and even though we had a few minor weather issues on Saturday afternoon, a couple delays getting a large silver trophy and an Estonian across the border, Tim Hortons nearly running out of doughnuts at 2am Sunday morning, a couple riggers to the head (my head was one of them - I think there's a bruise up there under my hair somewhere) and some sunburn (not mine), a stuffed-to-the-max car trunk, and never-ending wind and road construction on the way home, the two-day competition was a success.

A few favorite moments from the weekend:

Sparky's back! We're working to convince her it should be permanent

Amanda's back! Well, not really. We're trying to convince her to come back. Rowing is way funner than driving 8 hours there and 8 hours back to just watch us have all the fun, right?

Celebrating with Sir Thomas

Celebratory moments can occasionally be confusing, I guess, Aidan?

The whole gang with The Lipton Cup

So. Is eating Rudolph basically the same thing as shooting Bambi?

Internet, I've been meaning to tell you all about Alaska. (Although I'm betting you already know all about it.) But lately, I've been too busy enjoying summer in Minnesota to care about telling you anything. Or even visiting you outside of work hours. But now I will. Well, at least I'll tell you about some of the highlights.

I had some new experiences in Alaska. Several of them, in fact. I had new things to eat - many new things, in fact. I'd never had plain ol' dried strawberries. Those are awesome. I ate a lot of halibut, which is surprising, since I don't like fish and had never eaten any halibut before. But it was good (possibly because it's the mildest fish known to man, practically), so I ate it just about every day.

I also ate Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer. Many times. And boy, was he ever delicious. Those Alaskans serve him a lot for breakfast in delicious sausage form. If they ever make reindeer bacon? I would live on the stuff.

I had some non-food related firsts, too. (Can we tell that the food takes priority, though? Yeah.) I went kayaking for the first time, and while out on the water, I had a starfish on my arm for the first time. The starfish sucking the hair off my arm? Definitely hasn't happened before.

I did my first 40 mile bike ride. And then a second 40 mile ride the next day. And followed up those two rides with a 60 mile bike ride the third day. Followed by a 60+ miler the fourth day. (I suppose that means that last day I should've ridden 80, but no way, man. I'm too lazy for that, especially when my longest training ride had only been 18.)

I saw Denali, which is now the tallest mountain I've ever seen, and since it's #3 in the world for height, it might be a while before I dislodge that one (the previous tallest I had seen in person was #11 in the world, Mont Blanc).

Kim experienced new things, too, and let me tell you, when that 5.0 earthquake hit Anchorage the first night we were there? the look on her face was priceless. It wasn't exactly terror. It wasn't even fear. It was more a look of utter surprise. It was pretty funny. It was the largest earthquake I'd ever been in, too, so we both had fun with that one.

I'd never climbed on a bronze moose before. Kim had never taken a city bus before. (Quite the experience for her, what with the drunk guy who kept wanting to touch her hair...) And in the end, we've both been to the largest state in the union. It was pretty awesome up there.

I'd go back. Why not? It's gorgeous there. There's still so much to see. Plus I need to get into a bi-plane...or better still, a floatplane. And walk on a glacier. And see an orca eating a puffin. ('Cause I'm sure that happens all the time when we're not around, right?) And stuff like that.





















Photos: (I'd take them myself, but, oh, that's right! I didn't see any of these animals while in AK)
Alan D. Wilson
Robert Pittman

I'm back in Minnesota...

...And although there's no place like home, Alaska's pretty nice. More pictures and stories to come soon.

Denali

Your Passport to an Ugly Mug(Shot)

Internet, I let my passport expire last July. I know, I know: How could I possibly let that happen? Well, it's not like I've needed it. I know we're close to Canadia-land, but it's not like I pass back and forth over the border every day. So. Since I will need it later this summer to go back and forth to Canadia-land, I decided to *finally* take care of that little detail on Friday.

I decided to really plan ahead and go all cheap and swing by Walgreens to get my passport fotos (yeah, yeah: go watch this stupid Washington Post story...er, storee - and then we'll talk...er, tok...but this isn't really a post about Alaska, even though it does involve travel...) and save like 20 bucks or whatever. It was all super easy-peasy and convenient at first. Snap snap, picture taken, upload, use the passport settings on their photo [read: foto] processor [read: I give up; I like conventional spelling, so take that, you fonix (foniks?) people], throw it through the processing machine, wait 10 minutes and voilà. Voilà? No voilà. First picture came out streaky with all sorts of black marks. Send it through again. Wait another 10 minutes. Or 20. Or 30. Hmmm. Seems like the processing machine is jammed. Call your mother. Mother says "Your ugly mug broke the machine! hahahahah!" Justifiably hang up on mother. (Well, not quite. But in this situation, I think one would be justified in hanging up on one's mother.) Nice guy at Walgreens gets the machine unjammed, finally get the passport pictures (with $1 off for inconvenience! never mind I wasted an hour in there).

When renewing, you now have two options. 1. Fill out form and wait forever in post office line to mail it, paying for the added cost of mailing it certified or somesuch nonsense (since it's recommended or something, just in case it gets lost, and then they'll be able to tell you where it got lost but not whether they'll ever find it again). 2. Go across street from Walgreens to government center and stand in line forever there and then just hand over everything then and there.

I chose option 2.

Also, I should mention that I'd completely run out of coffee and at this point had had no caffeine because I kept thinking "Oh, this won't take long. I'll just pick some up afterwards." Dumb me.

So I went across the street to the government center, shakily filled out my form (lack of caffeine was really getting to me by this point), realized I only knew "Iowa" for my father's place of birth (I mean, really: it's Iowa? Who cares?), so after I filled it out, called parents (I know: glutton for punishment after the mugshot-like insult). You know when you're retired? And both parents sit around all day? Just waiting to get on the phone at the same time with their only daughter? So they can not only answer the question of where your father was born but give his entire birth story? Yeah, not a good idea when said daughter's "ugly" picture broke the machine, she's had no caffeine yet and she's still standing (well, sitting, technically, and it was nice and air conditioned - so much so that I was numb by the time I left, having frozen to my chair) in line waiting her turn with the nice government worker at the desk. And then when your mom says "You sound stressed" you are justified in hanging up again (I didn't, but I'm just sayin').

Finally, Internet. I finally got done with that whole fiasco after a few hours, and I finally got coffee. I pretty much wanted to mainline it by the time I was done with the passport renewal thing, but instead I had it iced (apparently I like the sensation of being frozen, or something). 3 whole glasses of it.

So now I can go visit super exotic locales like...Canada: Someplace completely nonexciting since it's pretty much, you know, America's hat. But at least it's better than Iowa.

Alaska: Land of the Midnight Sun

Just booked my tix for July.

2009 v. 2010: Accomplishments v. Goals

Q: Accomplishment in 2009?

A: I, having been nominated to undertake the task for the first time ever, made the gravy for the turkey on Christmas Day (mainly 'cause no one else standing around in the kitchen wanted anything to do with it). It was a tasty success. I figure if you can make good, edible, non-lumpy gravy, you can cook pretty much anything.

Q: New goal for 2010?

A: I have decided that for vacation next year, I want to go here and do some of this and this and this, and see some of this and most definitely this, and maybe ride one of these. And some other stuff, too. Doesn't Alaska sound great? You'd think with all the snow we've received here lately, I would be less interested in hiking about in a wilderness where you can see snow all the time. But no. I'm dreaming of AK next summer.

Some New England Pics

New England 09

I have returned.

While I wade through email and try to sort out some pictures, enjoy this snapshot I took of Walden Pond at sunset on Sunday, October 25th.

You are free to move about the country.

Well, I am free to move about the country...though I'm not actually flying the airline that uses that slogan.

I am off for the next 2.6 weeks to enjoy the country. (Ah, I have finally found a map where my state is red...well, almost red. It's kind of a dark hot pink. That's as close as I'm probably going to get any time soon, despite T-Paw's valiant efforts recently.)

To be more specific: this area of the country. I will be on the lookout for these. And also, maybe this.

Later.

Things that make for a Happy LinnEy

-Rowing on the river for the first time in a month

-Booking tix to Boston for an unheard-of $207 (and that includes the taxes and fees! I don't think I've ever before flown to the east coast for so cheap)

-Coffee: what would I do without it? Oh, that's right: die a painful death

-Coloring pictures with some California cousins - thanks to five-and-a-half-year-old LGC, I now have new artwork on my fridge (although I did find it hilarious that she drew fire instead of grass - and then colored the two of us standing in the fire, but hey! we had crowns and our own apple tree, so it's all good)

Tour Du Mont Blanc - "Show Me the Way to Amarillo"

Between this vid and the fact that the Tour de France just went "right by" Mont Blanc yesterday in stage 16, I really want to go back and do more hiking in the Alps...

The Vatican (exhibit, not City)

Last week when I went to the Vatican Splendors exhibit at the MN History Center, I kept wondering why I was paying $20 to get in when I'd already been to the actual Vatican City. Then, when I discovered they had several paintings on display that had never before been exhibited to the public anywhere, I was okay with that. Well, maybe not twenty dollars okay, but okay with some form of monetary payment okay. The exhibit was quite good (and has been extended through later this month, so if you're in the neighborhood, you, too, can go see it should you so desire), but I'm still not sure if it was worth the whole twenty bucks. I mean, I'm quite positive I didn't pay twenty dollars to go to the Vatican, see the Sistine Chapel and some other museum areas and then climb the stairs to the top of the dome. (OK, maybe it was $20; right now it costs €14. Although when I think about it, I went to the Vatican so long ago that I actually paid with lire, anyway, so it might not have been so much...)

All this to say, the exhibit was interesting and very nicely done: not too little or too much information, and it combined a history of the papacy, Swiss Guard, all that, with actual Vatican artwork and objects.

For those of you who like pictures of Europe, but have not yet joined facebook...

...this link's for you.

For those of you who like pictures of the Alps, but have not yet joined facebook...

...this link is for you.

Swiss Cowbells.

A taste of hiking the Tour du Mont Blanc.

Mont Blanc's Hair (the glacier)
Chamonix, France

The view from my hotel balcony, Courmayeur, Italy