My throat! Is on fi-yah! or Fi-yrrrrrr, depending on my mood...either way, it Burns like a C. Montgomery.

Internet, I'm sick. It's not quite the plague, but I'm pretty sure it's close. Or maybe it's just a bad cough/cold with some awful nasal drip, and I'm being a big baby about it. Yeah, possibly the latter.

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Work is still busy. It's not supposed to be busy during interim, but we're trying to cram three months' worth of work into one. I'll give you one guess as to the why of it. (Think hard. Here's a hint: "primary" doesn't just refer to a color, and November isn't just the month for Thanksgiving. Have you seen the television ads starting up yet? I have, and they annoy me to death, too.)
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I'm thankful the rain is over, at least for a little while. Friday night some of the roads around me flooded, but I'm happy to report I wasn't on any of them at the time, and managed to get around the road closures the rest of the weekend.

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So. The regatta on Saturday: I managed not to die. Threw up in the middle of my first race of the day, but Internet, it was a singles race, so it's not like there was anyone in the boat besides me. I kept going (no one can call me a quitter! passing out is the only thing that will ever stop me from finishing a race), and managed to win my flight, but when added to the other flight (kinda like a heat, but without a final - my final place in the race results was based on time), my finish wasn't exactly fast. Oh, well. It's hard to figure out how you're doing when you're only racing half the boats. and also puking. It's been suggested that my new nickname can be Puke-ahontas, after the events of this spring and early summer.

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Sunday I went to Iowa with some of the dad's fam to a small church in Hardy. (Speaking of rain and flooding, the area around Hardy is pretty much completely underwater right now. I've never seen anything quite like it there before, and probably won't again any time soon.) We did an extended family reunion on the day they were closing the church my relatives helped start 125 years ago. A little sad that the congregation is too small to keep the church going, but that's what's happened in a lot of small farming communities. The cemetery where my grandparents are buried is still there, though, and will be kept up by the county. The church building itself is coming down. Seven of the eight remaining siblings (my dad and 6 of his brothers and sisters) made it down for the final service, but I only managed to round up six of them for the picture above.

On a side note, for the second time in my life, I took a hymnal from a church (and just like before, I had permission to do it). I don't know what it is about old hymnals, but I have an affinity for them (particularly if the hymnal actually has some personal meaning, like I went to a church that used them, or in this case, my oldest aunt was baptized at the church and a bunch of my family are buried in the cemetery where this latest hymnal is from).

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Internet, I'm on a huge memoir kick. I finally finished reading The Blind Side ( = great book, great story), and then moved on to I'm Down. I wanted to read it based on the cover alone. All in all, the book was pretty funny (warning: she does use some colorful language, but that's probably obvious based on the premise of the book). I hope she writes another book on the next chapter of her life, because I want to know what happened in her life after the last page ended.

I am alive, but please send help anyway.

I have a lot going on and too much to do. Internet, please send help.

Work:
Things I love: editing/proofing other people's work.
Things I hate: editing/proofing my own work.
Things I love: red pen.
Things I hate: red font.

Guess what I'm doing this week?

Family:
The dad's side of the family does a reunion once every three years, and has done so since 1989. It was my turn to be on the planning committee this year. The reunion turned out well and was a lot of fun (and yet exhausting at the same time). I'm not even really sure how many people total were there for the weekend, but it must've been somewhere around 90. I have pictures, but no time to upload them. (Please send help, Internet, preferably in the form of elves so I can be amused, too.)

Anyway, because one is never enough, we have a second family reunion (this time the extended family on my dad's side - the last one was just for his siblings and all their progeny) in Iowa on Sunday. Plus we've been having get-togethers every night of the week.

Music:
Cousin Susie gave me a five minute harp lesson at the family reunion. It was pretty easy to pick up the reading of the notes, but playing anything fast? A bit more complicated.

Um, add to the list of things I love? The harp. I want one. Internet, I'm trying to convince my dad he should build me one.

Rowing:
I have a regatta this weekend. I'm a gonna die, Internet. Four races. Good thing Mpls Sprints is only 1400 meters long - short races. But there's still four of them! Also, I've had a sore throat the last coupla days, and I think fighting some sickness off is taxing all my strength. Or the rowing. Or maybe it's just having to live my entire day-to-day life that is taxing my strength. Yeah, definitely could be that last one.

Twisted Fork Grille

My new favorite place for Sunday brunch is the Twisted Fork Grille. If you're ever in the mood for peanut butter banana stuffed french toast, this is the place to go. I sampled that and loved it, even though I don't really like bananas. Eating these bananas wasn't a chore (which is how I feel about most bananas - eat them because they're all healthy and whatnot); this might have had something to do with carmelization, true, but they were delish.

Also, Twisted Fork bacon is delicious. Especially when it comes in a frittata with manchego, spinach and peppers. Mmmmm.

Monday Musings

It is so cold in my office, I'm using a space heater. On June 14th. My four layers (seriously! Four layers: two shirts, a sweater and a fleece vest) and consumption of hot liquids weren't enough to counteract the cold.
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This weekend was an inaugural weekend. First up was an inaugural row in a brand new 8+ that our coach has nicknamed "Big Red" until it's properly named and christened. Every time I've heard anyone call it that, I want to chew some cinnamon gum.

The second inaugural activity was breaking in my new bike. Or maybe I should say the bike broke me, because Internet? I hurt. I believe upgrading the seat is in order. But the bike is fast, and I love it (even with the hurt going on in the nether regions - and yes, I even wore the most padded shorts I own).
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Best joke I heard all weekend (maybe it's the best because it's the only joke I heard all weekend, and it was during Pastor Kenny's sermon, no less):

Q: How many narcissists does it take to screw in a light bulb?

A: One. He holds the light bulb up and the world revolves around him.

Your Passport to an Ugly Mug(Shot)

Internet, I let my passport expire last July. I know, I know: How could I possibly let that happen? Well, it's not like I've needed it. I know we're close to Canadia-land, but it's not like I pass back and forth over the border every day. So. Since I will need it later this summer to go back and forth to Canadia-land, I decided to *finally* take care of that little detail on Friday.

I decided to really plan ahead and go all cheap and swing by Walgreens to get my passport fotos (yeah, yeah: go watch this stupid Washington Post story...er, storee - and then we'll talk...er, tok...but this isn't really a post about Alaska, even though it does involve travel...) and save like 20 bucks or whatever. It was all super easy-peasy and convenient at first. Snap snap, picture taken, upload, use the passport settings on their photo [read: foto] processor [read: I give up; I like conventional spelling, so take that, you fonix (foniks?) people], throw it through the processing machine, wait 10 minutes and voilà. Voilà? No voilà. First picture came out streaky with all sorts of black marks. Send it through again. Wait another 10 minutes. Or 20. Or 30. Hmmm. Seems like the processing machine is jammed. Call your mother. Mother says "Your ugly mug broke the machine! hahahahah!" Justifiably hang up on mother. (Well, not quite. But in this situation, I think one would be justified in hanging up on one's mother.) Nice guy at Walgreens gets the machine unjammed, finally get the passport pictures (with $1 off for inconvenience! never mind I wasted an hour in there).

When renewing, you now have two options. 1. Fill out form and wait forever in post office line to mail it, paying for the added cost of mailing it certified or somesuch nonsense (since it's recommended or something, just in case it gets lost, and then they'll be able to tell you where it got lost but not whether they'll ever find it again). 2. Go across street from Walgreens to government center and stand in line forever there and then just hand over everything then and there.

I chose option 2.

Also, I should mention that I'd completely run out of coffee and at this point had had no caffeine because I kept thinking "Oh, this won't take long. I'll just pick some up afterwards." Dumb me.

So I went across the street to the government center, shakily filled out my form (lack of caffeine was really getting to me by this point), realized I only knew "Iowa" for my father's place of birth (I mean, really: it's Iowa? Who cares?), so after I filled it out, called parents (I know: glutton for punishment after the mugshot-like insult). You know when you're retired? And both parents sit around all day? Just waiting to get on the phone at the same time with their only daughter? So they can not only answer the question of where your father was born but give his entire birth story? Yeah, not a good idea when said daughter's "ugly" picture broke the machine, she's had no caffeine yet and she's still standing (well, sitting, technically, and it was nice and air conditioned - so much so that I was numb by the time I left, having frozen to my chair) in line waiting her turn with the nice government worker at the desk. And then when your mom says "You sound stressed" you are justified in hanging up again (I didn't, but I'm just sayin').

Finally, Internet. I finally got done with that whole fiasco after a few hours, and I finally got coffee. I pretty much wanted to mainline it by the time I was done with the passport renewal thing, but instead I had it iced (apparently I like the sensation of being frozen, or something). 3 whole glasses of it.

So now I can go visit super exotic locales like...Canada: Someplace completely nonexciting since it's pretty much, you know, America's hat. But at least it's better than Iowa.

In fourteen hundred ninety-two, Columbus sailed the ocean blue.

Sure, our stretch of the Mississippi River is more brown than blue, but occasionally it feels like the ocean (especially after the gravel barge goes through and leaves a bad wake, like this morning).

And now that the boat club has finally officially in the last year named a boat Nina, I think we should get matching boats named Pinta and Santa Maria. It's only fitting.

In fourteen hundred ninety-two
Columbus sailed the ocean blue.
[Read: In 2010, a bunch of crazies rowed on the Mississippi.]

He had three ships and left from Spain;
He sailed through sunshine, wind and rain.
[Read: Just like the US Post Office, only we row and don't really deliver any mail.]

He sailed by night; he sailed by day;
He used the stars to find his way.
[Read: It's horribly dark at 5:30 in the morning, but that counts as day, too, right?]

A compass also helped him know
How to find the way to go.
[Read: We don't have compasses, but maybe we should; that might help us from almost running into each other.]

Ninety sailors were on board;
Some men worked while others snored.
[Read: There are only 9 at the most, but it's true: some work hard, some sleep through practice.]

Then the workers went to sleep;
And others watched the ocean deep.
[Read: When those who work hard see others not working as hard, the whole boat tends to give up and watch our oar puddles. This is bad.]

Day after day they looked for land;
They dreamed of trees and rocks and sand.
[Read: We usually try not to hit this stuff.]

October 12 their dream came true,
You never saw a happier crew!
[Read: Does Head of the Charles Regatta in Boston ever fall on October 12th?]

"Indians! Indians!" Columbus cried;
His heart was filled with joyful pride.
[Read: I don't really know what would fit here. Well, the joyful pride part works. Not so sure about the Indians part.]

But "India" the land was not;
It was the Bahamas, and it was hot.
[Read: Contrary to popular belief, it DOES get hot and steamy in Minnesota in the summer.]

The Arakawa natives were very nice;
They gave the sailors food and spice.
[Read: We rowers like our food and spice, and we'll even share.]

Columbus sailed on to find some gold
To bring back home, as he'd been told.
[Read: Uh, we always go for the gold metal...er, medal.]

He made the trip again and again,
Trading gold to bring to Spain.
[Read: Who doesn't want to repeat wins?]

The first American? No, not quite.
But Columbus was brave, and he was bright.
[Read: Rowers are the coolest, bravest and brightest.]

*[And then maybe we could eventually round out our U.S. history flotilla with the Mayflower, Old Ironsides (though that name may give people the wrong impression that the boat is indestructible...so we could go with USS Constitution, the official name), and in honor of our fallen soldiers, the USS Arizona (though this, too, might give people the wrong impression that our rowing shells are sinkable...so maybe not).]