Running

Wednesday morning broke in a busy yet eventful day. I woke up early to help Stephanie and her brother move things to their new apartment. It wasn't much work but by afternoon winds started picking up. Once I left them to unpack, I picked up Kelly from work for some day sailing.

When we got to the boathouse we ran into Stephen and his sister. Together we rigged up our boats and headed out. Once we past the mooring field I let Kelly take the helm heading downwind. Suddenly, a wind shift took us into an uncontrolled jib, overpowering her, and sent us going in circles. What made matters worse during the commotion was how the tiller had gotten stuck under her life jacket. I had to muster muscle strength to fight the boom from knocking Kelly into the water until she could free herself. After taking control I sent us on an easy course, a few times going upwind to show her how to hike out. Mostly we chatted and caught up on things.

With sailing done for the day Stephen joined us for a beer at the Union Terrace. We sat on the steps descending into the lake so to enjoy the breeze. The Terrace in the summer is a bustling place for get-togethers. Families took their dogs to play and cool off in the water. We sat for a good time just watching the dogs swim around. Once Kelly had to leave, Stephen and I went out for a round of windsurfing.

Following an eventful day I slept in a good bit before heading out to the lake. There, I wasted no time rigging up. Upon heading out, I encountered a Korean girl who had dropped her keys into the water at the pier and was trying to fish it out. On a sunny day such as this, the small glimmer in the murky water marked its location, approximately nine to ten feet to the bottom. In early June, Lake Mendota is still quite cool so I offered to help. Fishing out the keys produced little result so I jumped in and reclaimed it in one dive. Thankful, she helped me lower my boat in the water.

In these light wind conditions I choose a leisurely course to the East end, toward James Madison Park. On the return approach I had the wind to my back and put the boat in a slow running position. By the time I made it back to Hoofers, Michelle had already rigged up for the day's windsurfing. I quickly picked out a sail, a 5.5m, larger than any I had taken before. Out on the lake the evening wind began to pick up and great gusts of wind had us flying. I worked mostly on correcting my stance and found a more comfortable position favoring speed. Sadly, I have much work ahead for improving my turns.

I left for dinner with the sun setting . Tonight was my first time dining at Dotty Dumplings since their re-location. The atmosphere is very comforting especially after an exhaustive day. The burgers were even more incredible and I probably ate much more than I should have. On the way to the restaurant I heard my name called. Kelly and David were at the Vintage for drinks and I would join them later for some singing at Karaoke Kid.

Though the last few days have been packed full, it's like this feeling of running and I don't want to stop.

Fry-O-Meter
Activity: 3 | Energy: 3 | Friends: 3