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turn turn turn
Sep. 17th, 2016 12:39 pmit's starting to really feel like fall. the sky is grey, and the rain is here. the tree in the courtyard is waving around and i think the drip cups for one of my planters blew away.* C and i both have colds, so i regretfully put our Sounders tickets up for sale this morning. i thought i could manage standing for a couple hours, but standing in the rain for a couple hours isn't very wise. i will take an extra-hot shower and put on my jersey and my lucky socks** and we can watch from the couch while wrapped in blankets and sipping throat coat tea.
***
earlier this week Seattle was splashing out with the last perfect days before the long nights arrive. last month one of my coworkers took a group of us out on his sailboat on Lake Union. we just lazed around in circles, but it felt amazing just to be on the water. so i started prodding C about going canoeing - it's something he loved as a Boy Scout that we would talk vaguely about and not actually do. it's not like it's hard to get to a body of water here, or even to rent a canoe.
the University of Washington main campus is bounded by Lake Washington and the ship canal (which connects to Lake Union and the Puget Sound). UW rents canoes by the hour. so it was kind of brilliant - i walked from work to the train station, got off at UW, and walked less than five minutes to the rental desk. the process felt way too easy: can you swim? give us your ID, here's your life jackets and your paddles, that dude will help you get in the boat, pay up when you get back. so that was it.
we puttered through the wildlife sanctuary past dozens of waterfowl who were completely unconcerned about our presence. C was reasonably good at giving novice me paddling lessons. it was peaceful and quiet and profoundly good. i was nervy about how high i was sitting and turning around to get stuff from the middle of the boat and not dropping my paddle. once i got over feeling like i was going to tip over, i started to feel connection with the paddle and the boat and manouvering it where we wanted to go.*** no mishaps, other than stumbling as we returned the boat. i'm sorry we tried it so late in the season; an hour of paddling is definitely $10 worth of fun but i don't know if we'll have a chance to go back together before they shut down for the heart of winter. next time i'll be willing to risk the good camera and take wildlife pictures. we've started some tentative talk about paddle-in camping :D
both of us left bubbling with happiness - endorphins from the exercise, peace from the water, the pleasure of working together. we got tacos on the way home, and sat at the bar where C made enthusiastic small talk with the bartender, which is how i know that he was pretty much giddy because he is not one to talk with strangers. it was a grand evening, i'm glad to have had it.
*sorry downstairs neighbors. or perhaps they welcome sky tupperware.
**they have not lost when i have been watching and wearing these socks. go go correlation.
***i went home and looked at buying canoes. we don't have a place to put a 12-16ft anything. but i looked. they make folding ones...
***
earlier this week Seattle was splashing out with the last perfect days before the long nights arrive. last month one of my coworkers took a group of us out on his sailboat on Lake Union. we just lazed around in circles, but it felt amazing just to be on the water. so i started prodding C about going canoeing - it's something he loved as a Boy Scout that we would talk vaguely about and not actually do. it's not like it's hard to get to a body of water here, or even to rent a canoe.
the University of Washington main campus is bounded by Lake Washington and the ship canal (which connects to Lake Union and the Puget Sound). UW rents canoes by the hour. so it was kind of brilliant - i walked from work to the train station, got off at UW, and walked less than five minutes to the rental desk. the process felt way too easy: can you swim? give us your ID, here's your life jackets and your paddles, that dude will help you get in the boat, pay up when you get back. so that was it.
we puttered through the wildlife sanctuary past dozens of waterfowl who were completely unconcerned about our presence. C was reasonably good at giving novice me paddling lessons. it was peaceful and quiet and profoundly good. i was nervy about how high i was sitting and turning around to get stuff from the middle of the boat and not dropping my paddle. once i got over feeling like i was going to tip over, i started to feel connection with the paddle and the boat and manouvering it where we wanted to go.*** no mishaps, other than stumbling as we returned the boat. i'm sorry we tried it so late in the season; an hour of paddling is definitely $10 worth of fun but i don't know if we'll have a chance to go back together before they shut down for the heart of winter. next time i'll be willing to risk the good camera and take wildlife pictures. we've started some tentative talk about paddle-in camping :D
both of us left bubbling with happiness - endorphins from the exercise, peace from the water, the pleasure of working together. we got tacos on the way home, and sat at the bar where C made enthusiastic small talk with the bartender, which is how i know that he was pretty much giddy because he is not one to talk with strangers. it was a grand evening, i'm glad to have had it.
*sorry downstairs neighbors. or perhaps they welcome sky tupperware.
**they have not lost when i have been watching and wearing these socks. go go correlation.
***i went home and looked at buying canoes. we don't have a place to put a 12-16ft anything. but i looked. they make folding ones...
