A not-furious rundown.

It’s been a crazy end of the week and I’m so glad this week is almost history. Caroline is coming into town tomorrow (it was supposed to be tonight but her flight was cancelled last night… yet another part of this ridiculous end of the week), and I doubt I’ll be wanting to write too much until she’s gone so I figured I’d give a quick rundown of recent events that wasn’t fueled by unbridled hatred for the assfuck that stole my sandals. Pardon the profanity, but it still makes me pissed thinking about it.

ANYWAYS, other things…

So it looks like I haven’t written since Wednesday night, which makes sense because Thursday and Friday seem, in my mind, like they are rolled into one big crazy game. Thursday morning was one of the most intense practices I’ve ever had. 4x1500m at 34. I really think it was the hardest I’ve ever pulled on the water. Some hard rock helped that, and after each piece I was dead but by the starting line I was ready to go crazy again. I was in 7 seat and had a blast. Our boat did pretty well; both boats were putting up blazing times for 1500s. Like, seriously fast. Anyways, after a good morning I had a mellow day as usual and then went to afternoon practice, where they again separated the boats into what looked like potential A/B boats. I was happily in 3 seat of the A boat. For the first third of practice our boat was being very careful and trying to row well, which ended up leaving us quite a bit behind the other boat. Callahan remedied this with a “STOP BEING SO FUCKING CAREFUL AND PULL. THIS IS ROWING.” With all the power we had in the boat, we made up about 10 lengths pretty quickly and led the other boat for most of the rest of practice. I left feeling good that I had been in the boat, but wary that it would only be fleeting… and for good reason.

This morning, we went back out to do more pieces (originally planned for Saturday, but Silas had a wedding in Chicago he left for this afternoon, thus making this morning his last practice for the week… quite possibly the MOST inopportune time to leave…). I was back in 3 seat in the A boat again for the first piece, again 1500s at 34. That piece our boat had about zero rhythm and length and struggled to get the rate above a 32, going down the piece mostly at 32 ½ or 33. We were down to the other boat for most of the piece, only pulling out a very small victory at the end due to brute force. Then I got switched for Brad Wurnst, a strong but young kid from Princeton. The boat held rate this piece, and I lost the seat race by 7 or 8 seats. So that sucks. Maybe I suck, maybe the rate sucks, but either way, the whole thing sucked. It was nicer to be in the other boat, though, because Silas was stroking and laying down a great rhythm. He was then switched for Dave Naughton who was stroking the other boat. Dave did well in our boat, but Silas won the race by a lot. I was happy for Silas, but still frustrated at how things had gone down for me. This afternoon, the boats seemed kind of separated but not totally A/B… I was in the more B one. Things are very tense within everyone’s minds though they’re staying civil to each other and friendly. Next week apparently we’ll be trying out combinations more than direct seat racing… I want a chance in 7 seat as I think I contribute more there than anywhere else, but maybe there’s just not a place for me there, which would suck. Who knows what’ll happen, but it was an intense end to the week. One more practice and it will be totally done… finally. This week must end.

Caroline just got into Boston and is driving to Marblehead with her dad, then to drive up here tomorrow morning. That’s very exciting. I got an invitation to Lake Winepesaukee from family there. They have a beautiful place on the amazing lake, so it’d be great to get up there, but tomorrow Caro may be tired of traveling. Perhaps we’ll try to get up there for Sunday. It will be very nice to have something to look forward to during the days besides frustrating rows, Wimbledon, and trying to sleep the day away. Talked to the whole family today, which was great. Coop’s been partying lots and may take a break, silly boy. Dad sounded good, mostly just listened to me being bummed this evening. Mom sounded good too, very cheery when I talked to her this evening on her way back from Bremerton. Fun to talk to them all, I don’t think I’d talked to Coop since graduation. They keep going through it all and remind me what it’s all about.

Soundtrack currently:
I have a short playlist that has been rocking me pretty hard. It calms me during the day and relaxes me as I go to sleep (I’ve been napping well, but having trouble sleeping at nights…) It goes as follows:
Cat Power w/ Karen Elson – “I Love You (Me Either)”
Belle and Sebastian – “Meat and Potatoes”
Interpol – “The Lighthouse”
Feist – “So Sorry”
I just realized my playlist is virtually an essentialist guidebook to sad-bastard-indy music, and I’m ok with that. The songs are all awesome, the last 3 are new to me and still blowing me away every time I listen to them. I was just given the original “Je T’aime (Moi Non Plus)” that Cat Power covered, and it makes her version even better. It’s simple at first listen, complex under more listens, beautiful every time. Karen Elson’s unfinished singing is Nico-esque (She’s a model-turned-singer, duh… though trying to sing high, not low). I love this song (me either). The Belle and Sebastian is hilariously tongue-in-cheek and impliedly vulgar, with a fun melody. The Interpol is entrancingly ethereal with what sounds like 50 mandolins all playing at once, with the Interpol guy’s voice coming through and making progressions unexpectedly but perfectly. I expect it to stay just being kind of out there strumming and then all of the sudden it’s a gorgeous melody. The Feist is pretty much just classic Feist… a beautiful voice with simple backing, almost countryish but not really. Very mellow and calming. Anyways, that’s my rundown, that’s the music that’s keeping me from breaking things.