Aug 2 was ACA Youth Regatta at the lake. I get there by 7AM. I wasn't expecting anyone in the cabin on a Thursday so I was surprise to find the door unlocked. Just in case, I hollowed "Anyone in here." A pretty a pretty woman in her twenty with bond dreadlocks hair stick her head out of the "couple" room. I asked her if I meet here before. I have not. Turn out her name is Laura and she is Scott's daughter, here to help out with the Youth Regatta. I brought my stuff into one of the bunk room and lift to give Laura some privacy.
I was expecting hustling of activities in preparation for the race but I find no car in the parking lot, and no one walking around. I walked up to Linda's cabin, and find her there. Turn out everyone already went to Sebago Beach, a couple of miles away from where we are but the race itself will not commence to 9:30. I went back to Sebago cabin, and ran into Scott and his wife who is getting ready to drive to the Sebago beach. Laura apparently get up and dress while I was talking to Linda, when I get back she was ready to drive her truck with the trailer to Sebago Beach. Scott and his wife follow in their own car.
Since there is nothing for me to do and it still 2 hours till the race, I setted up my sleeping pad, and sleeping bag and went back to bed. I did not get up till 8:3o, when Paul knocked on the door. I had not seen Paul in a long time, since at least 2 winters ago when we spend a lot of time together helping with the cabin renovation. Paul drove a large converted van, with beds and other comfort of home. Paul introduced me to his friend (who name I forget right away.) We talked a bit, I informed him that everyone is already at Sebago Beach. Before Paul drove off, I asked him to help me load one of the club's kayak on top of my car so I can drive it to Sebago Beach later on.
After Paul drove off in his mobile home, I site on the front deck and eat my breakfast. While eating my breakfast, I saw Anne come out of her cabin. I asked her if she is driving with her kayak to Sebago beach, she informed me that she and Jerry are paddling over. I never thought of that. I have paddle to Sebago numerous time, but I never thought that it was an option for this event. Since I already have my boat up, and tied down and everything I was hesitant to undo everything but in the end I end up paddling over the Sebago Beach with Jerry and Anne.
Along the right shores next to Sebago Beach is a grassy area where coal fire bbq and picnic is allowed, the various camps that participate in the Youth Regatta have their own little area where they can set up their boats and cheering section. ACA, being the smallest group there have the smallest section, right next to the Korean Campers. I paddled up to the ACA encampment, and say hello to Linda, her daughter Tiffany (or Steffiny), her son Cody, Pete, Paul, Paul's friend, Paul's wife Sandy, a young woman with the most spontaneous smile I ever seen, Paul's stepdaughter, Matty. I must have return her contagious smile because she get on one of the sit on top kayak and paddle out to meet me.
"Is there any restriction on where we can paddle" Matty asked me as she paddle out to meet me.
"Not as far as I know, except for the Beach, and we have to stay away from the racer when it start" I reply, not know if she mean at this moment or for the race itself.
We paddled out together. Matty want to compare the various touring kayak stroke with white water stroke, which she knew. Me showing off my sea kayaking moves as she compare it to her whitewater strokes. I think she was impress by some of my skills.
Our along time did not last long. I have to get back to shore to get some water, and rest before the canoe race get start. Somehow I did not notice if Matty come ashore with me or not. When I returned to the water to get ready for the race I did not know where she is. I spotted someone alone at the finish line of the race course. I have veryt poor distance eye sight. I can't see any detail more then 5 feet in front of me. This is usually not a problem except when I need to read a computer screen when showing my boss where a file is, or when I am trying to find a pretty girl I want to hang out with. It turned out the long paddle at the finish line was not Matty, just some fella with a cowboy hat, which if I have my subscription class on I would have seen. Since I paddle all the way to the finish line already, I have to stay they when the race start. I end up directing traffic, and yelling encouragement to the 9 to 12 years old boys and girls as they finished their race. It was an interesting even even if boring after the 20th time one see a race.
I left my position at the finish line after the more mature paddlers start to race since they should all know where to go when they crossed the finish line.
When I return to the water, I paddled along the side instead of siting at the finish line. Run into Matty a couple of time, and we did a couple of rescues together. After the race end, Matty and her parents drive back to the cabin while I stay around to see the camp spirit contest.
I paddled back to Sebago dock at 6PM and went for a swim. Meet Matty there but she did not stay long. For the first time I actually swim out to the diving dock. I am not a strong swimmer so I have never left the safety of swimming dock or the wading pool. I decided to swim out with a bunch of kids just because. I spend about an hour swimming from platforms to platforms. Meet another cute girl at the platform and end up playing tag with her and a couple of kids that hang out on the diving platform. It was fun and tiring.
After an hour someone come down and say that the pizza is here for the after race pizza party. Matty and her parents were at the pizza party but I end up spending most of the time talking to her dad. Matty and her parent have to leave that evening so there was not much time to talk.
Friday Aug 3
Everyone left except for me and young paddlers campers. Get up relatively late, 9nish in the morning. Had breakfast, then take a kayak out to practice rolling. I borrowed Jerry's Greenland paddle as backup. I have never did eskimo roll without Stevie or someone experience as backup before so I was a bit nervous. I did a couple of rolls in front of the dock. I had no any problem rolling with the Greenland paddle. I make a couple of rolls as I paddled to the usual area where I normally practice rolling. My goal on Friday was to do as much rolling outside of my comfort area as possible and only go to the comfort area when I want to do some roll that I am not sure about. I don't want to have happen to me what happen when I did my Star 3 assessment. I wet exit out off my boats every time I capsided even thought I can roll because I panic. I realized then that I only roll when I am at the "Green" beach where I practiced with Stevie. I need to expand my comfort zone for rolling. I rolled a dozen time by the time I get the the Green Beach on Friday. It is so much more relaxing to roll with a mask on, no burning nose when I get back up.
I switched to my European paddle when I get to the Green beach. I need to practice with my Euro paddle because it is still a hit or miss. I am much more comfortable do static braces, and high braces with the euro paddle now then I was the week before but still not comfidence that I can do it in an emergency. I find that I can do my on side roll with 99% accuracy, but still a bit shaky on my off side with the euro paddle.
I have to wet exit once when I fail a an offside roll with the euro paddle. I went half way up, then end up back down again, reset and did it again, same result. I end up going out of breath and bailing out. I attempt a couple of time to do a reenter and roll but no luck. End up scrapping my left knee a bit. I attempt to swim the boat to shore but it was impossible to move it. I finally realize that I get the Greenland paddle with me. I reenter and roll with the greenland paddle to get back onto my boat, pumped it out and continue with my rolling practices.
I get back at noon to have lunch. Grilled myself some sausages and vegetable on my portable gas grill. After lunch it was more swimming with the kids. The cute girl that I meet at my swim on Thursday invited me to play Dubadubo with her and some of the kids. Its a diving game, where on person would dive down with a floating object, on our case an oak nut and released it. The people of the dock would look for the oak nut as it float up, if you see it you yell Dubdubo and dive in for it. Whoever get the oaknut "the Dubdubo" would then dive down with it and release it for everyone else on the dock to find. The game gave one the incentive to dive. We play that for a bout an hour and the same boy still keep on trying to drown me.
I went out for a paddle and more rolling practice in the evening. I think I spend almost 5 hours rolling on Friday, and 3 hours swimming.
Saturday Aug 4
Stay at the cabin by myself till about midnight when David and his girlfriend come in on his motocycle, in the rain. I end up vacating the queen side bed for them. I did not plan to stay the whole day because I was supposed to go around Manhattan on Sunday (a story for another day). I did a bit of paddling (more rolling practices) in the morning and come back right as Stevie and Adele were launching. I told Stevie that I would meet him after I get some padding for the knee braces.
When entered the Sebago Cabin, I noticed some belong that were not there before, some of which I identified as Stevie and Adele but also alot of food on the countertop. I did not notice that woman working in the kitchen till come into the cabin. I asked her if I meet her before? Not exactly a proper greeting. She told me she was a daughter of one of Sebago member. The woman was petit, Middle East characteristics, neither Lebanon or Isrealis. I did not recalled her name or her father's name whole I do not recognized till I see him at dinner. She asked me what to do with the used knife. I give her a bucket that I used to bring the dirty dishes to the public restroom to clean and the soap. I also told her I usually just put it in the freeze over night if I am using it again. I did not spend too much time chatting with her. I picked up what I need and get back in the water.
When I get to the Green Beach Stevie and Adele was no where to be find. I did meet up with two paddlers from Yonker who seen Stevie and Adele previously. I stay at the Green Beach and practive my rolls till they show up, which is about 1 hour later. As I excepted, they paddle around the lake to warm up. Stevied help another member, Jane I believes, learn to roll while I practiced my rolls on my own. The only roll I still get wrong everytime on my offside is teh shotgun roll. I keep on getting the set up wrong when I am upside down.
We did not get back for lunch till 2PM. I have some food that Stevie brought for lunch. I meet the woman from the cabin again, and finally meet her father, who I used to paddle with alot on last year Saturday paddle. I again get intoduce but again did not remember her name. It is a beautiful Isreal sounding name.
I did not went back out again in the afternoon. I decided, I have enough rolling for the time being. I end up swiming and play Dubadopo again with the kids.
I stay for dinner with Anne, Jerry, Stevie, Adele, the woman and her dad and a couple of other sebago members. It was a nice dinner. I learn about for the woman, she 26year old, Isreali and have a nose piecing with a very small diamond. I did not notice that the last couple of time I meet her earlier.
I end up driving home at 8:30PM.
Where were all the pretty girls when I was younger? I was with the club for 6 years and know some of the members for a couple of years and never know that they have such pretty daughters.
Update:
Get home at 10:30 PM. Left Pete a message inquiring as to when and where we were to meet for the around Manhattan trip. Get no reply when I went to bed at midnight.
Get up to check my voice mail and email at 4AM. No email or voice mail from Pete. I decided to get ready anyway and drove to the clubhouse. Get there before the sunrise. See a cop car in front of the sport club next door, and people driving out of their parking lot. Apparantly 4Am is when the parking lot party must end. I open our parking lot gate and drive in without any question from the cop next door. There is noone in the club. I check my voice mail again, still nothing. I decided to have a nap in my car. At 6AM, someone arrive at the club and wake me up. The club member went on the Manhattan trip on Saturday with Pete. He informed me that Pete get sick and most likely would not be leading this Sunday Manhatten trip. He also told me that he think Sunday Manhattan trip would be meeting at the same place as Saturday trip, except instead of 4AM, they would leave at 6AM. The launching site for Saturday Manhattan trip was Inwood, at the northernmost tip of Manhatten, at least a one hour drive from the clubhouse. If I know and plan ahead, I would have carry my boat to up to the lake on Thursday, and then just drive down from the lake to Inwood on Sunday morning. It would be faster then from the clubhouse in Brooklyn to inwood. It is already 6AM when I learn this. It is way too late to drive up to Inwood. I decided to make a workday of it. I went back to sleep and get up at 8AM to drove to the local Home Deport to buy some stuff that I need for a boat repair job I have been putting off.
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