So I was coming upstairs after talking to the digits about the things you talk to digits about, when a little beep came from my mobile receiving a text message and I just knew it was going to be the outing coming On. 4pm on a cold dark monday with only 4 people signed up: I thought there was a fair chance of it being cancelled and me getting a chance to work late (oooh how I love a chance to work late). But no, thanks to James (the one how lives on a boat, except that isn’t specific enough, the one who lives on a boat and has a cat not a dog, that will do) we were out in the Four of Death (stoat passim). To make things even better the Queens Boys were oiling their rippling torsos in the IV bay doing synchronised erging so we had 15 mins to kill and Tom said “why don’t we do an erg while we’re waiting” so we did. I disgraced myself with 7:38, but I haven’t been on for months.
The outing, however, was really rather good. Despite Paul H’s rather eccentric approach to balance (viz, throw your weight onto bowside in an effort not to have it down on stroke side; actually I’m being unfair in describing this as eccentric, it is all too common 😦 Also he improved as we went along) and the IV’s notorious skittishness we did manage the odd balanced stroke. And we didn’t turn it over, a definite plus on a winter night. And it was a lovely still night, perfect for rowing, except when Cantabs tried to slice us in half. It’s not as if there was a lot of other traffic out.
In the Spring afterwards we all agreed it was a splendid outing and we should do it again. Thanks to Ralph, Tom, Paul, James T. And Me.
Stoat: the blog that should really be called “Otter”. Thanks to all for the responses to “Ask Stoat”. I haven’t forgotten you, I’m just busy.
wmconnolley: scienceblogs.com/stoat archive 