Archive for December, 2005
Posted by derrick on
December 31, 2005
Give me these moments -kb
I’d like to see the new year dawn with the mad ringing of church bells sailing through the streets of a spring thawing coastal town.I’d like to sit on a wet hillside among smatterings of Purple Saxifrage flowers and just feel the damp breezes twist around my ears.
I’d like to run and slide on water covered melting ice until my legs were soaked and frozen to the knees.
I’d like to suck frozen water from the tips of wool mittens.
I’d like to sit on old concrete stairs and pick black mud from my boot treads with a stiff bit of grass.
Posted by derrick on
December 30, 2005
On, Wisconsin! On, Wisconsin!
Raise her glowing flame
Stand, Fellows, let us now
Salute her name! - Carl Beck
One thing is for sure, the Wisconsin “Fight” song certainly has nothing on Manchester United. Why don’t our football songs start with lines like,
“We’ve won the f****in’n lot. .” !
These days there are not a lot of kayaks out there that I really want to “test” paddle. I think I’ve probably taken most of the well known sea kayaks out for a romp. The Alaw from Rockpool calls to me but without flying to the UK there’s no way to try one. Which is probobly the same problem folks in the UK would have if they wanted to paddle a QCC. Which by the way, is the other kayak I really want to paddle. The Q700X by QCC looks like flippin’ fast boat.
Posted by derrick on
December 29, 2005
Perfection Mekanik
Aero Dynamik
Materiel et Technik
Aero Dynamik
Condition et Physik
Aero Dynamik
Position et Taktik
Aero Dynamik
- kraftwerk
This is the third winter since I went from near 300lbs to a svelte 190lbs. Summer of course passes with little effect. Being a manic kayaker I’m always in the water and paddling & rolling do wonders for your form. However as the snow begins to fly things change. I’m starting to believe you gain 1lb for every inch of snow.For the longest time I hadn’t really noticed my weight gain. For some reason life can just fly by you and you’re just too busy to notice. People around you are either too close to notice or not close enough to say anything. It wasn’t until I saw a photograph of myself holding a then 1 year old Gryphon that I realized how much like an African river mammal I’d become. I found myself looking in the mirror with the the song “I want a Hippopotamus for Christmas” rolling through my head. This couldn’t be good.
Posted by derrick on
December 28, 2005
Round here hey man got lots of time
Round here we’re never sent to bed early
And nobody makes us wait
Round here we stay up very, very, very, very late
- counting crows
As you can see Kayak Joe has taken my kayak across Lake Michigan and is paddling around the Ludington North Pierhead Light leaving me here to browse the web. I would have gone with him, but the conditions look a bit rough!Alex Pak added a whole bunch of Greenland style rolling clips to the Wisconsin Paddlers site. So I’d head on over there and watch Alex roll for awhile. Nice “Juice Box” roll by the way. Still waiting for that straight jacket!!
Posted by derrick on
December 27, 2005
“Dear Santa Claus, How have you been?
Did you have a nice summer?
How is your wife? I have been extra good this year,
so I have a long list of presents that I want.
Please note the size and color of each item,
and send as many as possible. If it seems too complicated,
make it easy on yourself: just send money.
How about tens and twenties?” - Sally BrownIt takes two full days to clean the house after Christmas. You know there is a floor there somewhere under sedimentary layers of psychedelic wrapping paper and torn cardboard. With the skills of a student archeologist you can hopefully sort the legos and other important items from the twist ties and cookie crumbs.
Posted by derrick on
December 24, 2005
Then he slunk to the icebox. He took the Whos’ feast!
He took the Who-pudding! He took the roast beast!
He cleaned out that icebox as quick as a flash.
Why, that Grinch even took their last can of Who-hash!
Then he stuffed all the food up the chimney with glee.
And NOW! grinned the Grinch, I will stuff up the tree!
Ok, So I couldn’t stay away. I just had to share. . . Mary making a homemade Christmas Pud, in the living room, on Christmas eve morning. While Boris Karloff narrates the Grinch. . .
-d
Posted by derrick on
December 23, 2005
Today we get something like 8 little posts, beginning here and ending with the short entry, “Driving To Wales”. All these little tid-bits have been rolling around in my head and I wanted to get posted before the holidays. I imagine I won’t be posting for a few days now as time becomes a precious commodity.Mary is now laboring (or in this case labouring) over lemon curd, clotted cream, whisky butter, Lard, mince pies & assorted cakes. There are hours of baking ahead.
We have all the presents wrapped and under the tree. I’m never sure how it happens but each year I feel so poor yet come Christmas, the tree is floating on boxes and bows. Gryphon of course would like to make a new rule that states he can open just 1 present Christmas eve! Sorry kid. 
Give me these moments -kb
