First day on Novice Row Team - D.C. Strokes

Well. I love rowing. OK, I said it. There's nothing like being on the water, paddling in unison and making your legs work it. And your allergies dissapear when you're on the water. But, before you become a novice with D.C. Strokes, you have to take the Learn-to-Row course. We had a great team there and most of the people on the intro team are here for the novice season, which is great. We miss our coach, Austin, though. You'll love him, too, once you take the Learn to Row course. Hint, hint.
So, we were on the water, rowing the fastest our group has ever rowed before. It was an amazing rush. We were pretty good, too. Not too much shaking from side to side. Bow pair - that's the two seats closest to the bow of the boat - were setting the boat, making sure it remained steady, so the boat would move efficiently. We were doing so well that I hated the thought of not getting some of it, at least, on tape. I still made sure to hold steady!

Here's a couple seconds of our first day as novices at D.C. Strokes:

Off to the races/A weekend in Cleveland

I spent Memorial Day weekend in lovely Cleveland, Ohio. The plan was to see my two handsome pups, who are visiting Grandma for a while, and to catch up with the fam.

Look how handsome! Here's Brock on his walk:

And here's Peanut:

But some very exciting things happened while I was there. First, I had some amazing margaritas with my parents, which means there was great catch-up conversation. Anyone who isn't able to see their family often knows how good it feels to share some current affairs with the two who raised you - a little alcohol makes it just a bit more fun. Second, I happened to get into town the day before the birthday party of my best friend Jen's hubby, Jeff.

Here's Jen with baby Kara:


Birthday parties at my age mean old friends, babies and toddlers, and a ton of fast talk, trying to fit into conversation what had been happening in the last year or two. It was great to see Jen and her family, Beth and Phil, Kelly and her family, Todd and Meagan, Corey and some old college buddies. At age 30, the average amount of children per couple is two. Wow! We're growing up.

So, Beth and her hubby, Phil, were at the birthday party. That's when I got invited to Phil's race. He's a race car driver in Cleveland. And he's good! Being able to see him race was fun enough, but Phil made it even better: He let me ride in the car. During the race! This is a pic of us just before hitting the track:



Here's Beth next to Phil's race car:

Look at all these cars ready to race:

Watch a short video clip of Phil racing. The image flip flops a bit. Sorry about that.

I can't wait to do this again! I defiantly have a need for speed.

After a great weekend, it was time to say goodbye. Dad decided to get dressed up for the occasion. He's silly. Hehe!