Making love under water

Will have to wait for another day.

Yesterday morning was all about learning the roll

and

a) Convincing my brain that just because there is a sprayskirt involved, water doesn’t all of a sudden turn into a terrifying monster. And I kid you not, Alex (rolling instructeur extraordinaire) actually did check under my boat, that there were no monsters under there!!! (I told my non-boating friend Laurie later, that I behaved like a complete baby, which she didn’t believe, but then again she has not experienced me in a ww boating situation...)

I just heard from Nora that Ron had posted a picture on his blog.

b) Convincing my stomach, that no, those antibiotics do not cause stomach upset. I said NO! Stomach to Rosie: "So why is it that the lake is swaying so badly?" I successfully negotiated with my stomach once and commenced rolling, but soon after it told me to f-off and something about “fool me once...” It was VERY clear about not wanting to roll anymore while having to deal with the bloody giardia that I caught, doing guess what, as well as the bloody antibiotics that I was taking against that Vermillness.*

But I would like to commend at least some of the parts of my body that did not fail me that day.

Number 1

A big hip hip hurray to my hips! Years of intense bellydancing have not been in vain and a hip kick and a hip snap really only differ in the kind of skirt you wear. (Remind me of that again in a combat situation...)

Number 2

Paddle thieves beware. I have strong arms and I am going to cling on to my paddle for dear life, if you try to pinch it, while I am setting up for a roll and I am not watching. (Sadly that didn’t help Alex with moving my paddle to where it shoulda gone...hindsightsigh!)

All in all, while I did not actually and fully roll, I got a lot closer and given more time I would have I'm sure. I also had an excellent chance to practise looking at an experience in a positive way and I can’t get too much of an expert in that!

I distinctly remember Alex saying: “That is going to make me cry.” (But I think that was in anticipation of me executing a beautiful sweep in combination with that hipsnap of mine. I did not make him cry that morning. But be ready, not if, but when. :-)

I don't have pictures, so I am borrowing this one of Freya (DE) from Peter's (DK) blog.

It was fun to watch those greenland guys roll and do all sorts of balance tricks with their boats and paddles, before I made my way home.

I had to get ready for a picnic with my non-boating friends - that restful tranquil eddy, where things like a roll and the fear of “being under” cease to have meaning. Where Laurie asks me, “Who’s Giardio?” As we catch up on recent love interests and her sister’s wedding to her Mr. Darcy. And my non-boating friends were all what yesterday afternoon was about. And it was good. I love you! Even if I haven’t been writing as much about my time with you. And yes Roxanne, let's paddle Lebanon Hills, Lake Rebecca or maybe even better, both and the St Croix to boot!

Gone paddling.

* A term somewhat coined by PaulE, who measures the flow of the Vermillion River by Hastings not in cfs (cubic feet per second) but cpps: cow pies per second :-))

Images: Qadesh the Cat