(May 23) Outing #6

On this Friday, May 23, I manage to stop working midafternoon. Well, late afternoon - I'd targeted 3pm but went until 4pm. We head off again in anticipation of checking out the rumored yacht. The cheapskate in me is also happy because trip #6 puts us into the cost pay-off territory for the lake's yearly boat fee versus per-use fee. We've got the hang of getting shell off the back porch and onto the dolly. I'm ready to donkey it in no time.

We get out on the water smoothly and the water is really calm. Sweet. Temperatures are the highest we've experienced yet. It's not long before we're sweating like crazy. We head directly to the headwater cove. And Kathleen's right. The "yacht" is at the house by the turn into the cove. I don't know what qualifies a boat as a yacht, but this is big. It's long, it's kinda high, and it has one of those rotating thingies on top - a yacht in my book. We see that various folks are coming by, in their boats, to take a look. The owners have people with them but they're not on the water. We keep going.

We're taking it easy. Kathleen, having read the printout of the NY Times article, linked to from the rowingmasters Yahoo group, is reinforcing "slow and easy." I'm listening and, for the most part, paying attention.

Kathleen has a hard time with keeping her grip on the oar handles. They keep slipping in her sweaty hands. I remind her she's not supposed to be gripping them hard. She has more trouble, in general, when she's not. She's got the blisters to show for it.

On this outing, I tucker out first. Calling out the count is tiresome. Kathleen gives that a try. This gives us a new opportunity to "discuss" what where doing. She was complaining about my count not always being in synch with what I'm doing. I let her know that her count isn't steady and that she can't call 'catch' to try to shorten up my stroke. Fun, fun. I remind her that the bow seat is supposed to be the more adaptable rower who matches the person in the stroke seat. "What seats are you talking about?" she says. Luckily, she has to keep her hands on her oars or I'da been konked in the head.

We wrap it up short this time. Long days, trip to Pittsburgh, not enough sleep - taken a toll. As I'm walking the shell back, a guy in the neighbor drives up and stops. He'd love to go out with me to give it a try. He's #2 on our list now, after my boss. I tell him we're still learning but that I'll call him soon.