My valiant attempt at participation.
www.halogenguides.com
Go there.
Monday, April 7, 2008
Monday, July 30, 2007
Fuck Strathclyde
So, it's all done. What we worked for all summer was thwarted by the wrong boat in atrocious conditions. There was about an 18 mile an hour tailwind, which was pretty much the one condition that didn't favor us. The waves were huge, we couldn't find a rhythm, and we got fourth. We were 1.18 seconds out of gold, .3 seconds out of the medals. I hate excuses but we are very frustrated at how things turned out because we are confident that we were the strongest boat here and that we essentially got fucked over. The hudson we had was bullshit, especially in water like that, and it's very frustrating that circumstances like that ended our summer. Either way, this summer was a lot more fun than last year, and I'm really going to miss the guys from the boat. We had a pretty fun night last night, fairly mellow considering it was an after party. Woke up and went for a run this morning, feeling like I can always say "oh, I'll do it tomorrow," but I'm glad I did it, it made me feel a lot better. Now we're playing trivial pursuit in the dining hall while we wait for the bus to come. I'm really excited to get home and just have some different time... things have been pretty monotonous this summer, but really good people. We are sad that things didn't turn out how they could have but we've had fun. Who knows where my rowing goes from here, but despite the horrid thoughts and emotional rollercoaster (unlike anything I've ever had before) that came right after the race ended, I'm not sure I'm ready to quit yet.
Got some sweet gear from trading, perhaps more on that later. Now for a day and a half of traveling, wooty woo. Onwards.
Got some sweet gear from trading, perhaps more on that later. Now for a day and a half of traveling, wooty woo. Onwards.
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Now digital posting
So it's Saturday, we're playing Trivial Pursuit with the boat after a nice dinner altogether down in town at Di Maggio's, an Italian place right in the center of some clubs, a great place for some very eccentric people watching. Sooo since that last analog post...
We tried to practice Friday morning, but Jesse missed the bus and alos it was horrifically windy and rainy so we cancelled practice, came home and chilled out. Went back in the afternoon and it was still really windy but less rainy. We had a pretty crazy practice due to the wind, and we still didn't have a good skeg. After practice, though, Rainier Empacher helped us by putting a fullsized skeg in, which was a pretty impressive gesture as Hudson stole his family's boat design... he didn't have to do it but really hooked us up. So now we have fancy, normal slides, rudder, skeg, and hardware. Woooo. The boat feels way better. Went to lunch yesterday with dad before practice, which was again fun, going through town and to some Italian restaurant. The restaurant ended up being kinda crazy expensive but we found some delicious minestrone and lasagna that we shared.
Last night I must have been crazy tired or something, cause I set my alarm for 8am to get some breakfast, then for 9, then 10, then 11:30 until I got up to catch our 12 o'clock bus. Lots and lots of sleeping. Went down to the course amidst crazy wind and rain and had some lunch, then hung around the course until it was time to go race. We had a fairly shitty semifinal, but we qualified for the final, so that's good. We had a much better start than the heat, which was good, but the rest of the race was pretty mediocre. We beat the Canadians again, sending them to the 2nd final, but lost by just a little bit to Great Britain and Estonia. We really could have gone through them, but didn't, so that sucks. Now we're amped up for the final though, and I really think we can do some serious damage. We just have to put it all together and be very aggressive, and we've got what it takes to blow it open. I'm excited, it will be roller derby for sure.
Other than that, it's just a kind of crazy time, thinking about racing and leaving and plans afterwards and all that. I'm nervous but excited for tomorrow, it's a different feeling than before the race last year. Last year we were stil trying to think we could win but were talking about magical plans to make it happen; this year we just have to stay within ourselves and do what we are capable of and we will win, which feels good. It's really fun to have my dad here and get to see him all the time. Sounds like things at home are going well and I'm excited to get some time off and chill out both in Washington and in Woodside. Then I need to figure out what I'm doing with my life and submit my resume to Mike Callahan...
Time to kick some serious ass like never before.
Music: I'm keeping my iPod on random and trying to see how far through my 11979 songs I can get through. I might have to cancel it tomorrow to listen to some angry music to get ready to kill some people tomorrow, but I'm sure that my 10 hours in Newark Airport will give me plenty of time to see what lurks in the depths of iPodland.
We tried to practice Friday morning, but Jesse missed the bus and alos it was horrifically windy and rainy so we cancelled practice, came home and chilled out. Went back in the afternoon and it was still really windy but less rainy. We had a pretty crazy practice due to the wind, and we still didn't have a good skeg. After practice, though, Rainier Empacher helped us by putting a fullsized skeg in, which was a pretty impressive gesture as Hudson stole his family's boat design... he didn't have to do it but really hooked us up. So now we have fancy, normal slides, rudder, skeg, and hardware. Woooo. The boat feels way better. Went to lunch yesterday with dad before practice, which was again fun, going through town and to some Italian restaurant. The restaurant ended up being kinda crazy expensive but we found some delicious minestrone and lasagna that we shared.
Last night I must have been crazy tired or something, cause I set my alarm for 8am to get some breakfast, then for 9, then 10, then 11:30 until I got up to catch our 12 o'clock bus. Lots and lots of sleeping. Went down to the course amidst crazy wind and rain and had some lunch, then hung around the course until it was time to go race. We had a fairly shitty semifinal, but we qualified for the final, so that's good. We had a much better start than the heat, which was good, but the rest of the race was pretty mediocre. We beat the Canadians again, sending them to the 2nd final, but lost by just a little bit to Great Britain and Estonia. We really could have gone through them, but didn't, so that sucks. Now we're amped up for the final though, and I really think we can do some serious damage. We just have to put it all together and be very aggressive, and we've got what it takes to blow it open. I'm excited, it will be roller derby for sure.
Other than that, it's just a kind of crazy time, thinking about racing and leaving and plans afterwards and all that. I'm nervous but excited for tomorrow, it's a different feeling than before the race last year. Last year we were stil trying to think we could win but were talking about magical plans to make it happen; this year we just have to stay within ourselves and do what we are capable of and we will win, which feels good. It's really fun to have my dad here and get to see him all the time. Sounds like things at home are going well and I'm excited to get some time off and chill out both in Washington and in Woodside. Then I need to figure out what I'm doing with my life and submit my resume to Mike Callahan...
Time to kick some serious ass like never before.
Music: I'm keeping my iPod on random and trying to see how far through my 11979 songs I can get through. I might have to cancel it tomorrow to listen to some angry music to get ready to kill some people tomorrow, but I'm sure that my 10 hours in Newark Airport will give me plenty of time to see what lurks in the depths of iPodland.
Analog Blog Postings
Here's some thoughts I handwrote when I couldn't find a computer. Now Jesse Johnson is letting me use his, so I can write some shiz:
It's Thursday the 26th, day after my 22nd birthday (22!? Holy Shit!), and I got a nice little belated present today in winning our heat. It was a little wet and windy, but not quite as bad as the forecast predicted, leaving rowable conditions. We had a strong warm-up with the boat feeling more collected and together than we have during the past couple crazy days. Our starts and 20s started to feel really solid and sustainable and definitely calmed someo f the worries I'd been having. We lined up and I felt relaxed, we took of with a decent but not great start, and were going. We fell a little behind Canada and Poland, even with the Netherlands. It looked liek about 5 seats to me although apparently Canada got out to about 8 seats at one point. We took a big move at the 1000m, and the boat flew. It was unlike any move I've had in a boat before, it was so defined, strong, and committed that we pushed a length up on the field and held it to the line. Awesome race, really fun to smoke Canada. As Murph reminded me though, "It's who wins last." Australia won their heat in 5:58, Germany in 5:57, us in 5:59, but I know we have a lot of speed to gain. We were strong, but partway through the race I thought to myself "I am rowing badly," skying my blade and whatnot. But our rhythm was strong, our effort inspired, and we fucking won. No racing tomorrow, just paddling, semis on Saturday. Going to dinner with Dad soon, should be fun.
Later:
Had a really fun dinner with dad. FIrst we puttered around the Buchanan Street shopping district, then eventually a place that looked suitable to sit down and eat called Blane Valley Pub. Good food, surprisingly cheap (3.50 pounds for a bacon cheeseburger). We just had a good time chatting. He had a Guiness, naturally, I had a strongbow. We went to the bus stop for him just in time as his bus was coming and some of my boatmates were walking by. Left him there and tried to go see the Simpsons' Movie but it was sold out, so we mosied around, came back and watched House, and are now going to bed before a 7AM depart to practice. Onward.
It's Thursday the 26th, day after my 22nd birthday (22!? Holy Shit!), and I got a nice little belated present today in winning our heat. It was a little wet and windy, but not quite as bad as the forecast predicted, leaving rowable conditions. We had a strong warm-up with the boat feeling more collected and together than we have during the past couple crazy days. Our starts and 20s started to feel really solid and sustainable and definitely calmed someo f the worries I'd been having. We lined up and I felt relaxed, we took of with a decent but not great start, and were going. We fell a little behind Canada and Poland, even with the Netherlands. It looked liek about 5 seats to me although apparently Canada got out to about 8 seats at one point. We took a big move at the 1000m, and the boat flew. It was unlike any move I've had in a boat before, it was so defined, strong, and committed that we pushed a length up on the field and held it to the line. Awesome race, really fun to smoke Canada. As Murph reminded me though, "It's who wins last." Australia won their heat in 5:58, Germany in 5:57, us in 5:59, but I know we have a lot of speed to gain. We were strong, but partway through the race I thought to myself "I am rowing badly," skying my blade and whatnot. But our rhythm was strong, our effort inspired, and we fucking won. No racing tomorrow, just paddling, semis on Saturday. Going to dinner with Dad soon, should be fun.
Later:
Had a really fun dinner with dad. FIrst we puttered around the Buchanan Street shopping district, then eventually a place that looked suitable to sit down and eat called Blane Valley Pub. Good food, surprisingly cheap (3.50 pounds for a bacon cheeseburger). We just had a good time chatting. He had a Guiness, naturally, I had a strongbow. We went to the bus stop for him just in time as his bus was coming and some of my boatmates were walking by. Left him there and tried to go see the Simpsons' Movie but it was sold out, so we mosied around, came back and watched House, and are now going to bed before a 7AM depart to practice. Onward.
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