In answer to your many questions, I give you these

Answers.

I Sail, I Sail

Please excuse the delay, my "borrowed" internet connection was temporarily unavailable so I had to wait. Though I must say, it has been very revealing. I had no idea you all were so desperate for entertainment that you have sunk to the level of clamoring for me to post. :) However I digress.

Sunday started just like any other Sunday with me rushing around mismanaging the time before I had to leave for church. The grey, overcast, and chilly morning was not a favorable portent to the coming day. However my expectations were all thrown head over heels in the space of just a few seconds. While waiting for the main meeting to start, my brother's boss walked up to me and asked, "If the weather clears up, would you be interested in going sailing this afternoon?" I simply laughed it off right then because there seemed no way the weather was going to break. However, as I sat through the meeting helping watch over my cousins, the idea grew and soon filled my thoughts with promises of new and exciting adventure!
Afterward, before we went our separate ways, I approached (let's just call him E.) E. and told him that if he were serious, and if the skies cleared, I would be more than happy to join him on his vessel. Before I even arrived home, I received the call telling me plans were proceeding full steam ahead.

The sailing party ending up being composed of four men. E- the captain, Steve- the steersman, Frank- the fisherman, and myself- the navigator. Yes, I was given the awefull (please don't think I misspelled that) task of making sure that we didn't sail into any rocks hidden below the murky depths of the ocean water. As well as try to keep us roughly pointing toward our goal. From the moment we started out I knew it was going to be a great trip. Motoring out of the harbour, into the bay, wasn't too much different from trips I'd taken with others, but then we reached the sea and unfurled the sails. I probably should say here that that was the first I've ever been on a boat of that size, and pretty much the first being out on the ocean in a boat. What a thrill! Up and down, riding up a crest, slipping down into the trough, and then crashing through the next oncoming swell. As long as we were going against the waves all was fine, but then the trip took a slight turn for the worse. The captain decided to make for a known shoal where the fisherman could employ his skills. However we had to make a course adjustment to get there and that adjustment put us parallel to the waves. Now instead of going up and down, we were going up, down, and side to side. As I was trying desperately to let the pilot know where he needed to go (much easier said than done, as the G.P.S. varied every time we were rolled by a wave) I had to repeatedly look up and gulp in lungfulls of air to keep from getting too queasy. After fighting bravely against the wind and the waves Captain E. decided in the interest of time that we should turn back and choose another destination.

Once we turned around things went much smoother. Even though my stomach was knotted up pretty tight, I thought it would be fine since it wasn't queasy. Unfortunately I was wrong. After offering my lunch to Poseidon I felt much better. Lest you all think me weak, let me hasten to inform you that a) there was a small vessel advisory on warning people not to go out, and b) it wasn't smooth calm waters. Listening to the coast guard report we heard them say 6-7 foot swells. Seeing the sea meet the sky for more than 180 degrees of the horizon made me wonder about the people who sailed across the Atlantic and what they had to go through back in the day. I regetted that I had never had the opportunity to go on the Coronet when she still went out on trips. On the way back I had the pleasure of experiencing 'tacking'. There wasn't much to set it apart from sailing in a straight line, but following our trail on the G.P.S. and seeing the boat actually making the manuevers brought the theoretical to reality. Finally we made it back into protected waters where we motored to a quiet, shallow spot and had a spot of dinner. The day was finished off with fishing, napping, and relaxing on board. At last with night fast overtaking evening we motored back to the marina, battened down the hatches, and generally made the boat ship-shape before heading home. A little chilled, but none the worse for wear thankfull for the experience.

Now I realize that this may not have been the great news you all were hoping for, but I have had a very slow last couple of weeks, so you'll excuse me if I used hooks to large for the bait, but every now and then I enjoy seeing what, or who, I can catch. To make up for it though here is some news I recieved while in the middle of writing this. I was just invited to be a groomsman. There, if one of these two events doesn't warrant the build up not much else will.

At Long Last

As the title suggests something finally happened that was even remotely blog worthy. Yes, I could have filled the ether with lines about reading in the park, or getting sunburned, but the boring everyday humdrum isn't intriguing enough for me to get excited about writing. However yesterday a grand event came along and inspired me to heights of publication rarely seen before on this page! However, I'm tired, out of practice, and need to go to bed so it will just have to wait for another day. Maybe tomorrow:)

Water Boy

Well I know that I said the last one was only temporary, so I'de better hurry and get the real one posted.

Once again I have realized that summer for me isn't ice cream, watermelon, or fireworks. It is simply water. Whether it is lying on a sunny sandy beach next to the ocean, or riding in a boat on top of a placid lake, or even simply floating in a pool with friends, my summer isn't complete without it.

Two weeks ago I was in Maine enjoying my Uncle and Aunt's all year camp on a lake. Ten minutes after arriving I hopped into one of their kayaks and started paddling around. Even though it was just a short ride (maybe ten minutes) it immediately started the tension, stress, and ill feeling flowing away. An hour or so later my uncle, dad, and I went out in the power boat to do a little riding and sporting.

Regardless of being out of shape and very out of practice, it was just about the best part of the summer ever (only the trip to florida topped it). We started off with tubing which is always a classic and when you have a clear lake and a good driver it is one of the greatest watersports ever. After several harrowing runs, impressive wipeout, and courageous triumphs, we took a break and just did some cruising.
Then I was introduced to a most incredible new (to me) sport. Kneeboarding! Similar to a bodyboard it has a padded section in the middle on which you sit with your legs underneath you. It definitely takes some effort to get established, but once you're on, hang on because you're in for a ride. Riding out to the sides, jumping the wake, and even spinning 180's and 360's! I can't say I was perfect, but I did a couple of impressive tricks, and got some serious air on a couple of jumps. We were out for several hours and when we got back I told my uncle, 'Now my summer is complete.'
(The only drawback was the next day, when I was sore all day long and felt totally beat up).

This last week (where it has been so hot) I, my brother, and my cousin have been able to spend some quality bonding time in a friend's pool. Sometimes nothing more than floating motionless, cooling off, hits exactly the right spot. And then every now and then it needs some spicing up with dives, cannonballs, or noodle wars.Not to mention silly pranks like throwing someone else's clothes in the water while they aren't looking.

So even though it is said that the way to a mans heart is through his stomach, I say just toss me in a lake and I'll be a happy man. Uummm, that doesn't sound quite right. Just buy me a kayak and that will be good. :-)