Tryweryn
Spent a day at the Tryweryn trying to master the Elbow Wave. Very fast and off course you get blown down the river if you screw up too badly. Managed to stay on it for more than a few seconds and try some turns. Still a way to go but maybe my experience on the Tees will help next time (see later).
Oasis
Just spent a week at Oasis in Penrith. Already paid for so what the hell? Very good chill-out time, but we did fall out with Jon a bit because he likes to be awkward some times. The days consisted of doing an activity and then chilling out at the sub-tropical pool for the rest of the time. We also went to see Jonny English which was OK, kind of Carry on up the Secret Service. Jon watched a lot of Fox kids and it is absolute crap, wall to wall low-quality cartoons and power rangers reruns, you can tell it’s owned by tabloid kings preparing the rest of us for a life of consuming their predigested bollocks.
Slalom in Fairnilee (nr. Selkirk)
Competed in a Div 4 slalom at Fairnilee on a bit of the river Tweed. Quite an interesting course, the first time I had ever competed at slalom. Much harder than it looks and on day 2 they had made the course more difficult and I managed to miss a gate (well more crash into one side of it and not get head and shoulders through). The kids from the club did well, Hannah got promoted to Div 2 and we think that Gareth may have done (needs confirmation). Hannah is now trying to amass enough points to get to Div 1 before the season ends. Going to the event at Marple in a couple of weeks. I’d like to get to Div 3 just for the hell of it but there’s not a lot of the season left and my slalom boat sucks.
The Tees
Paddled for 2 days at the Tees whitewater centre. Finally mastered the Happy Eater wave, was getting spins just throwing weight and lifting my legs. It’s taken me years to learn this because I had to unlearn the old way of doing things first. At last I seem to be making progress with playboating.
Saw one of the GB juniors training at slalom. It was like watching ballet as he whipped round the gates at speed without touching them, he’d just come back from training on the big water in Europe. Luckily his mum can afford to take him round but she’s saying that they will need some sponsorship soon. Interestingly they get his kayaks made in Bratislava (I think) and then pay the import duty because it’s cheaper than ordering them from Double Dutch in the UK.
(Hmmm big water in Europe … must save up and take summer off paddling – maybe see if I can get job as pursuit kayak … hmmm).
Job Search
Nothing doing at the moment, about to make a couple of calls to an agency for some jobs I saw on Skillsite http://www.skillsite.co.uk.
Adis
Received a letter minuting the meeting I had with der managemint a couple of weeks ago which of course missed out the bit that said if they employ a temp to cover for the work I used to do I will sue them. Not sure if I can be bothered replying to this dross. They were unable to put my street name and number on the letter and the Post Office had to wait for another letter for me to match the name up with the post code, this didn’t actually affect my impression of their competence one whit, I have to say, but I was impressed with the Post Office’s persistence. Need to get my P45 so that I can sort out my mortgage insurance and sign on (yada).