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| Heading out |
Today was a pretty good day.
We raced this afternoon with one of the J24s our club recently acquired
and had a good time even without the 12 knots of wind promised by the forecasters
(it was probably more like 8). We came in first, well ahead of other
boats. Then I came back to an oyster
roost birthday party for a friend.
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| Steaming Oysters |
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| Addressing the Haggis |
The past couple of weeks have been both fun and busy. On Thursday night I was the keynote speaker
at a formal “Burn’s Night” dinner for the St. Andrews Society here. It was a lot of fun and if I could always
have my audience lubricated like that before I speak, I could be a
comedian. Although I tried to pepper my
talk with humor, I think I had more laughs than jokes. I found myself having to go easy on the single-malt
before the speech, but I still enjoyed the evening as I waxed on about Clarinda
(not her real name), one of the women Robert Burns desired (the rest consisted
of most of the female population of Scotland in the late 18th
Century.
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| Mia's rehab |
And a quick update on Mia.
This rescue dog isn’t cheap. I knew she had to lose some weight (and she
has) but she also appears to have a knee problem in her back legs. She is currently in rehab and seems to love
the underwater treadmill. I mentioned
that I would like such a contraption myself and was informed that for a mere $40,000
I could own one. Maybe I’ll put that on next year’s Santa’s list. Or maybe not.
I don’t say much about the Volunteer Fire Department duties
anymore, but I’m still there. I just
keep missing out on the good fires (the four major fires we had last year, I
was out of town). I just had a few minor issues such as motors burning up on
air handlers and smoking up the house, but not serious fires. However, we continue to train. The other week
we burned a doll house. My first thought was that someone’s daughter’s was
going to be pissed, but it turns out this was a doll house built for such a
training. They were able to simulate flashovers, backdrafts, and show the various types of
smoke and the effect of ventilation on the fire’s progression. All neat stuff.
As for reading, I am almost finished with John McPhee’s
Draft No. 4: On the Writing Process. I
am sure I will write a review of it (I have two other reviews that I need to
post, too…).
I also have 2 gallons of sauerkraut fermenting… Life is good! ;'
You've been busy! I like that you were the speaker for Burns night - I'll bet it was fun.
ReplyDeletePoor puppy dog! Poor you with the vet bills. Yikes - I'm sure she is worth it.
Poor dog. I’m not sure how my dogs would feel about the underwater treadmill. They’d probably freak out. It sounds like you’ve been busy. As always, great photos!
ReplyDeleteAj @ Read All The Things!
Wishing Mia all the love and luck she deserves, friend Sage ...and for the sauerkraut ... as soon as it's ready, i will boil the pig's hooks and potatoes to perfection and prepare the kraut for you as well, hmmm? ... Love, cat.
ReplyDeletePyromania anyone?
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
Underwater treadmills for dogs no less. Who says I still don't learn something new everyday!
ReplyDeleteI have attempted reading several John McPhee books over the years but I don't know if I have ever finished one. He is just too long winded for me I think.
Poor Mia. I don't think we have options like that anywhere around here, but our nine rescues are probably just happy to have regular food and love.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on coming in first in the race! The Burns night sounds like it was a fun evening. I think an underwater treadmill would be neat to have too, but $40,000 is nowhere in my budget for that! I hope the treatment helps Mia. I suppose it is a good thing that you haven't had many fires to go to. Let's hope that trend continues.
ReplyDeleteI have heard of those practice doll houses for firefighters. Oh my, I do love sauerkraut, esp. over mashed potatoes (which most find odd).
ReplyDeleteYou would think the fancy national chain gyms would have those underwater treadmills. Hope Mia gets better.
ReplyDeleteThat Georgia January looks awfully pleasant from my Arctic vantage point. And kudos to you on the public speaking. Is that something you enjoy, or something that makes you anxious? It's evidently Americans' number-one fear, though no doubt the single malt would help.
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks for the nice comments you left on my blog. Hearing about your youthful forays into the West sure would be interesting.
sounds like some good moments to enjoy!
ReplyDeleteWow, lots of good stuff here, from start to finish. A race out on the water? Better yet, WINNING that race and then coming back to shore to stuff your face with oysters? Sounds perfect!
ReplyDeleteVery cool about being the keynote speaker at the "Burn's Night" dinner. Did you guys eat the real-deal haggis there? I know some people love it, but (gag!) I can still remember how it looked and smelled when my grandmother used to cook it. (The sight and smell predisposed me to dislike its taste, too...) But Burns? He was like a family treasure. I still have all of my grandfather's poetry books, as well as my grandmother's beloved bust of "Bobby."
There was a serving at the end (right before desert) of haggis and short bread with a hot scotch topping... The main course was ribeye :)
DeleteOh, yeah! Ribeye is MUCH better!
DeleteI'm still betting that haggis wasn't the real deal...as in those innards cooked in a stomach, etc.
Wow on many levels. I love oysters cooked on an open fire, so I must make a journey north to Bodega Bay and get me some. Sorry about Mia's knee issues, but what a great way to rehab! I think you should do a Crowdfunder thing and get yourself one of those contraptions.
ReplyDeleteYou're doing great, it appears. Congratulations on finishing first! I love the thought and sight of an underwater treadmill. Talk about dog-paddling. And congrats on getting so much laughter going for the St. Andrews bunch.
ReplyDeleteHave a good, adventurous week.
You mightn't be able to build a walking belt but you could certainly put the equivalent of a ski trainer on rollers/tracks in a homemade tank.
ReplyDeleteI feel like I have catching up I need to do as well. You have a rescue doggie! She's adorable, and I love that you're giving her the care she needs. They say it's good to be busy, but I have to say, lounging around and doing nothing but reading does have its perks.
ReplyDeleteTwo gallons of sauerkraut! That must smell... interesting.
Aww here's hoping Mia gets her legs to feeling better soon. You have been busy.
ReplyDeleteLosing weight may well help Mia's knees (I hope!) and glad your keynote speech went well. I do not like to speak in public altho I have done it. Nice job coming in first!
ReplyDeleteWould have loved to hear your talk.
ReplyDeletePoor Mia :-( That water treadmill is amazing. Looks like it will help a lot. Well done on winning the J24 race and on your Burns Night speech. How was the haggis?
ReplyDeleteI sure do hope Mia is going to be okay, she's just the sweetest looking pup. You are one busy person, and engaging in your city is something to be proud of and your service no matter how big or small it is so appreciated I just know it.
ReplyDelete