As you may or may not have noticed, the blog space here at Up in Ontario has been silent for the past few weeks. It's felt like a hiatus, like I've gone somewhere else without Internet access and computer screens in every room for a period of time. But I've been here all along, just busy dwelling in the day to day: work, tax season, too much work, some time in the sun, some work on the body in preparation for swimming / cycling / running a triathlon this summer.
On the bright side I've returned to rowing in the Community Corporate Rowing Challenge race series. I rowed in the same series two years ago and had a great time in a quad. This time I'm in an eight, with a coxwain, and only one oar to manage. We're sweeping instead of sculling and I'm not sure I like it as much but somehow I ended up team captain, which means I knock my hand on the side of the shell and urge my teammates on.
I've also started working out in boot camp-style session with a fellow name Curt Heywood of Functional Athletics on Wednesday evenings in the out of doors at Kits Pool. In hockey, we lost our first two playoff games in the beer league where we play, and it's a double knockout format tournament, so we're out.
I've watched a few rugby games in the past few weeks as the BC Rugby Union playoffs have halved the teams every weekend. My brother plays with James Bay and last weekend I travelled over to Victoria to watch them as they played the Kitsilano Meralomas, the team my friend Bryan Erichsen captains. The Meralomas won a very tight game on a heartbreaker blocked kick returned for a try in the final few minutes. The Meralomas will now play the North Vancouver Capilanos in the finals this coming weekend at UBC's Thunderbird Stadium. If you're interested in some of the best rugby you'll see all year in Canada, come out and sit in the sun with us.
Right, so that's all to say that the body is active but the mind is restless. I find that when I'm not learning anything new that I'm a less interesting person to myself. And really, that's what it's all about. So in the next few weeks, more posting on this blog and more pursuit of the life of the mind.
Posted by James Sherrett at April 25, 2005 11:40 PMi was wondering what happened to you, good to have you back
Posted by: linda at April 26, 2005 03:30 AMDitto - glad to have you back. Of course I enjoyed this edition as it was an update for those of us in Winnipeg who follow your activities with great interest. Yes, life's -day to day stuff does sometimes get in the way of being occupied with other more interesting pursuits. That's just the way it is. Profound philosophy - right? Looking forward to your next entry. Jan
Posted by: Jan McManes at April 26, 2005 10:49 AMInteresting to me that I've never heard of you b4, since our lives are fairly similar. I have a cottage on Lake of thewwods and have written three books about that area. While you swim in Kits pool I sail out of Kits yacht club a scant 200 yards east. I grew up in a suburb of Winnipeg named St James. I was tall and blonde AND my mom probably liked that too.
The sad news, from my perspective, is that I am 15 years older and I have NOT written a novel, while you have! Congrats and too bad about the hockey. did you play well at least? What is your next literary project? I have to tell you that mine is in BC and although i am in Wpg now, I hope to be in BC for much of the next couple of years.
Posted by: chris at April 27, 2005 01:17 PM