Monday, September 22, 2008

62nd-housewarming-Chilli-paddle-wack

I love it when a plan comes together... what's even better is when it comes together without the plan. On Friday night Margaret and I had planned to celebrate our (cumulative) 62nd birthday party and my housewarming by getting everyone around for a pot-luck dinner, and all the usual party stuff. A lot of amazing food (which I'm still eating) came along in the hands of a lot of great people. Thank you all! My house survived and whether my kayak could be successfully ridden down the stairs and out of the living room window fortunately stayed a mystery. After first abandoning the plan to go dancing in town, at about 1am we trooped out... to go dancing in town. We'd missed the last bus, but we hadn't missed the band at the Roxy. I did my vocal chords some serious damage singing (yelling) along to the party-rock favourites including of course Bon Jovi. Fun times. Sunday arrived with rain, which was a relief as it gave an excuse not to rush out and ride on the Shore. Cups of tea, chat, indoor climbing, and Thai food made for a wonderful relaxing day... not something I have many of! 

On Sunday Kala, Lina and I headed to Chilliwack in my freshly-repaired Subaru (thanks Chris!)  for Lina's long-planned introduction to whitewater paddling. Lina took to whitewater like, err, a duck... and was picking her way down through the rocks like she'd been doing this for years. Teaching talented people is so rewarding. Kala and I bounced down the Tamahi slalom course at the end and my enthusiasm for paddling that came back on the Wenatchee was in full force again. It's great to be back on the water. After some hopeful, but unsuccessful hitching I started running back towards the car but soon got picked up by a couple of strangely quiet, but friendly, guys in a huge jacked-up monster truck. I think they were pretty amused to pick up a soggy English bloke by the side of the road in Chilliwack. Thanks guys, whoever you are!

Kala and Lina on the rocks.