I just got back from a pool session where I attempted to roll a kayak (on purpose) for the first time… In my opinion, they didn’t have quite enough instructors for the number of novices that were there, but I still managed to get both some second-hand instruction and some good practice on my hip-snap.

No full rolls tonight, but I’ll be back next week. I don’t think I did too bad for my first time in a white-water boat; I think I’m going to wait until I can roll comfortably before I sign up to try it in a sea kayak.

Posted by protected static as kayaking at 10:55 PM UTC

9 Comments »

xkcd strikes again!

Okay, it’s funnier if you’re somewhat experienced with database programming… But if you aren’t, trust me – it’s funny.

Posted by protected static as humor, programming at 9:13 AM UTC

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After a day of murky skies and intermittent downpours, tonight the Seattle skies favored us with clouds the color of healing bruises: yellow-purple with greenish highlights. East of the Rockies, I’d have marked it as a harbinger of tornadoes, and kept an eye on the basement; here, however, such skies mean really only one thing: rain by the bucket load. Winter will not be long in coming.

This evening, the clouds are meeting their end of the bargain. This is a late autumn rain, a winter rain, somewhat out of place quite this early in October. Still – the raindrops drum insistently, pounding on our kitchen skylight, leaving no doubt. Winter is nearly upon us.

The trees are much more vivid this year than in years past; eye-popping reds and yellows line the lakes, hiding the far more typical muddy yellows and oranges and vomit greens. Few leaves have fallen, but they are gathering for their curtain call, scattering and blowing, rustling to the drumbeat of wings flying south, a muted counterpoint to the swirling cacaphonies of bird calls en masse.

Tonight, a winter rain falls. And it is so; winter is upon us.

Posted by protected static as random at 8:23 PM UTC

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