Archive for the 'random stuff' Category
We roller bladed at Hyland Park today with G. It was a lot of fun. It seems silly to go to a park reserve to run on asphalt, but it was still a blast. She hauled ass most of the way, attached to Lumpy.
There’s a couple of photo contests that Lumpy and I have come across I’d like to share with you all:
www.digitalnwaworldtraveler.com (NW Airlines)
www.costco.com (Don’t know if you have to be a member for this one.)
Happy running, flying, roller blading, walking, and couch potato-ing, everyone!
Sorry, not about TAS, it was about my canoe trip. I told everyone that I was going to try to get us on the show about our trip. Think about it…6 women, totally different backgrounds, experience, comfort levels, only a few knew each other prior…and we conquered a bit of nature, history, and our own issues, as well as the “wilds” of the Berens River. Now, THERE’S a story. Ordinary women being extraordinary. I’m also going to write to Ellen. Any other suggestions, TAS readers and writers? I have an article brewing in my head for a women’s outdoor magazine, mainstream outdoor magazine, or anything else I could sell it to. Banana, you’re the writer in the family. Any ideas? Any ideas on a great slant? I have a million and I don’t know how to narrow it down.
I wrote to Oprah a little bit about water. I referenced a few posts ago my tipping incident. Well, I tipped twice. The first time was due to total lack of communication about what the hell we were doing. We celebrated, then I did not communicate that I was drawing us out of the whitewater, while my stern still had her paddle in the air. Yep, we dumped. I was fine with it. I totally trusted my stern. 100%, and she knew it. We did not lose our paddles, nor a single piece of equipment. I only panicked when we got sucked back into the whitewater and eddy for the 3rd time and started cursing, shouting, and generally carrying on. She still likes me, amazingly, but I have to say if anyone was going in the water, the two of us were the best two to go. We’re both calm in emergency (she’s an RN), and we both have GREAT respect for the water. So, after the third go round, I decided to use the paddle I had in hand, and with my feet planted in the opposite gunwale (boat upside down, bags and gear floating, lodged inside), I and my partner paddled out on our backs to the water’s edge. Then we baled. A lot. And baled some more.
Since it’s been phenomenally cool and wonderful here in Minnesota, I’ve been able to run Miss G lately. I’ve missed it very, very much. This canoe trip greatly proved to me that I missed running my dog and canoing with my Lumpy. Lumpy and I took the Old Town out for a short spin at Lake of the Isles, etc. and had a great (at least, I thought it was great) time. We have named our boat The Mary Marie, on a play on the Merry Marie, in honor of our two grannies. To get back to running…I’ve been having great runs by myself and with G since I’ve been back, so obviously, portaging and paddling do not hurt running, trail running, or any other conceivable kind of running. It’s been wonderful to run with the dog, since I missed it so much. At the first place we stopped at a reservation, Amy brought down a village dog for me, since she knew I’d love it. I wanted to wash, brush, and overall de-bug the dog, but I wanted so much to bring it home with me. Cute, cute, cute. I, at this time, can’t find a photo of said dog, but will post a photo, and many others having to do with this trip soon. I do promise. All the reservation dogs we met were super sweet and completely responsive to me. Let’s just say that the ones at the end of our trip peed on everyone else’s stuff except mine and Kelly’s, the two women who a.) didn’t care, b.) knew dogs, c.) would have “taken care of it ourselves…” meaning either one of us would have gone and peed on their stuff/where they slept/anything they had previously peed on. Either way, it was funny, and I now have some of Amy’s stuff here at our house to get rid of dog pee/scent. Her tent is pretty much clean, but her pfd still has some drying to do. heh.
**Photo added 4 Sept 08**
For the second time, in Jensen Lake, Lebanon Hills park. Just wasn’t paying enough attention. Here’s the funny part: I used an old volleyball roll to not really hurt myself. It’s called a barrel roll, and frankly, I hated it when I played. I always sprawled or used an over the shoulder roll, instead.
So, because the light was playing between shadow, light, and dark, I missed a root. I caught my toe, everything went into slow motion, and I did a 100% volleyball aggressive “I’m about to get up and make you wish you hadn’t tried to make me dig this ball,” kind of move. I said, “GODDAMMIT!!!” to make sure that the dog knew I meant it; (we all know how effective that is…) and I got up and kept moving. I actually caused abrasion on my left palm, left hip, and right back of my shoulder due to the effectiveness of my old high school moves.
Strangely, I was thinking about the first time that I and my paddling partner flipped the boat during my trip. It was all very slow motion, I knew what was happening the whole time. I was calm. At least during the boating incident, I panicked at one point and did a lot of shouting and screaming. Post to follow one day…Today, I didn’t even bother brushing myself off, I just picked myself up, palm, shoulder, hip pain, and all. Crap. What more do I need on top of all the messed up stuff my spine and muscles are feeling because of this trip?!?! Sheesh. I see Golden Touch Monday. Thank the goddesses.
These are some direct quotes, some are casual observations that I have had since I’ve been back in “civilization;”
“Oh my Gawd; my bathwater is GRAY.” (First bath after my return)
“We could seriously sell all this fur on the floor to someone who could weave.”
Things are so loud.
I have a great life.
“Holy crap, I really did lose about 10-15 pounds. I wasn’t exaggerating!”
“How can I buy local produce when we don’t produce melons in Minnesota?!?!?!”
“I wonder if everyone else is slightly overwhelmed right now…?”
What challenges are left?
“Shouldn’t I not be tired anymore?”
How soon can I get back out on the water? Can I teach Lumpy how to read class II and III water?
I wish I had run more rapids.
I wish I could have brought the Berens River village puppies home with me. Gordon and Buster. They need me. They want me. They should be at my house. G and I could train them to be wonderful runners.
“Lumpy and I should figure out how to make Lily a therapy cat.”
“I can’t believe that Amy thought that I was one of the ’solid’ and ’steady’ members of our trip…”
Geez, I missed my animals. And My Lumpy.
I learned so much about water. That’s another full post itself. Water. Everywhere. Water.
I feel like I’m living…really, really living.
Boy, oh boy, did I miss you all. I sent flowers down the river for Pito at the beginning, and each one went down a waterfall or rapid…it was the only thing I knew to do for him and for myself while I was out there. (Side note: I just found out that Lulu has cancer. Keep her in your thoughts, and if you pray, please pray for her. Losing Pito and Lucette in this short amount of time might be more than I can handle.)
I believe that one of life’s greatest risks is never daring to risk. -Oprah Winfrey
The biggest adventure you can ever take is to live the life of your dreams. - ” ”
Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that all was vanity; but the dreamers of day are dangerous men, for they act their dream with eyes wide open and make it possible. - T. E. Lawrence (of Arabia)
16 days with no shampoo/soap and I still look the same…
Well, I’ve grieved Pito, slept on many dubious surfaces, worried about being raped, almost gotten thrown from a boat, but I’m home.
I’m exhausted, due to having not slept much in the last 48 hours, and I’ve got so much to post about, but I’ll sum it up as a humongous growing experience, friend maker, and learning experience. It was much more than that, but I can barely keep my eyes open and I see a dog that needs my loving hands in her fur, so I will post no more.
More another day, after having slept and tried to put into words my back country experience.
I’ve missed you all terribly. So many thoughts to share…
In Loving Memory
”A human being does not cease to exist at death. It is change, not destruction, which takes place.” -Florence Nightingale
”It is not dying, but living, that is the preparation for Death.” -Margo Asquith
”It’s only another adventure, after all.” -Dorothy Eden
”Watching a peaceful death of a human being reminds us of a falling star; one of the million lights in a vast sky that flares up for a brief moment only to disappear into the endless night forever.” -Elizabeth Kuber-Ross
For those of you still watching…during this time of infrequent posting…I’ve added a new feature here at Toots and Sally (TAS). Up on the menu bar you can see “Track-TAS”. This will take you to a list of pages to track who from Toots and Sally is Where In the World.
Currently Playing:
Where in the World is Sally - Canadian Edition
Enjoy…
With all the events going on around here, The Lumpy is left to hold up the fort. Well, he’s been a total slacker at posting lately, so time for him to get on his game. That said, I came across the following at TreeHugger:
New Study: Kids Need the Adventure of “Risky” Play
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 08. 5.08
A new British study finds the obvious to any modern parent- we overprotect our kids. Half of all kids have stopped climbing trees, and 17 percent have been told that they can’t play tag or chase. Even hide-and-seek has been deemed dangerous.
