Stumbling Through Adulthood

Perry: Unintentionally flipped for the first time in five years today... Got waked out hard by the Diving Institute boat in the cut and lost my bow light and starboard oar. Managed to finish the row but DAMN was it a long row back. Going to give the Diving Institute a call to complain about excessive boat speed and wake in the cut because that was not cool

Anne-Chloe: Oh dude I'm so sorry. You did look a little damp and annoyed when you came in

Dh and I laughed because poor Perry probably did have an 'air of drowned rat' around him.

That said, it's still scary. He ended up in the water in the Montlake Cut, used the quick release to get out of the shoe stretchers, rounded up the gear that had fallen out (water bottle, oar, bow light). He's hurting now, since he hit very cold water when he was very warm, and well, this wasn't an easy 'the boat tipped' it was a waked in the cut, wake hit the wall of the cut, got hit with the wave reflection, which is what yanked his oar out of the oarlock and precipitated the flipping.

He got back and then had to coach the next session. Damp.

Anne-Chloe is finally getting to do the shadowing she's been trying to do for the past two years, since she'd been stymied by Covid. She's shadowing an orthopedic surgeon, the guy who did her (second) ACL. He has a brand new fellow, and he's dragging my kid along for the ride, LOL.

Today, she was in the OR.

Isn't she cute?



In totally different news, I'm have a bit of a health scare. Don't know if I should deal with it before I leave or wait until I get back. Don't even want to think about it. Ugh. I suspect the news might be bad and I'm not sure a month is going to make that much of a difference. UGH. I may delete this later.

1. Quick up and down to Portland yesterday for nephew's birthday. It was nice and I got to talk to dh's aunt. I've been wanting to since she has been dealing with a problem with her pancreas most of her life and her brother and father probably did as well. She'll email me the details and since the pancreatic specialist she's been seeing thinks it is probably genetic, it's something to bring up when chatting with the gastro. Aside from that, it was a long day of drive down, hang out, drive up. Turns out the temps would have been ok for a night in a tent, but we weren't sure of that going in.

2. Linnea still feels periodically crappy. She's on famoitidine (Pepcid AC) for now, we're waiting on the referral. The thing is, we don't always see the severity of the symptoms she's talking about, and she's totally fine doing high level rowing etc. I dunno. The occasional headache stuff might be relevant, might be a red herring. The sigh, really? part is that she doesn't want to come to Europe if she doesn't have a definite diagnosis, since she's afraid she'll die far away from home. My heart breaks for my poor anxious little gal, but I don't think that's likely. Anyhow, I won't leave her alone here, so we may end up cancelling or my not going. I just don't know yet.

3. Anne-Chloe had her first regatta, at GreenLake yesterday. It went about as well as GreenLake regattas usually do: their first boat was a total mess and got hit by another boat, their second, which was the boat that has felt good to her, ALSO got hit by another boat. That was at the third try of starting the race (a paddleboarder disrupted the first two starts, I think), so they gave up and told everyone to paddle on home. Which kinda sucks because people paid for these entries, at least run the freaking race. Anyhow, she burned to a crisp. Typical GreenLake regata, LOL.

1. Someday, maybe, I hope to start living a life in which my spouse does not void warranties on a continual basis. He's outside right now breaking into the traction motor battery pack of the Prius. Why yes, I am concerned. But I'm used to the voiding warranty thing with electronics. This is a first for the Prius, in large part because our old Prius never had a single problem. Nothing. Zip. God, I loved that car. I mean, it was hit twice in parking lots, so it didn't look great (no, people didn't leave notes), but mechanically, it was rock solid. This one? Well, apparently the dude we bought it from had had to replace the traction batteries already. Anyhow.

2. My poor boys. We'll be picking up Perry, and two of the Novs from the airport tonight, we had them the night before they left (and at previous regattas). Their flight left Chatanooga on time, but their 1h20 minutes connection in Dallas did not go as well: they had 6 minutes to make their flights. Needless to say, the plan to get dinner during that hour didn't work out, so they're landing at what is effectively 2amm their time, having not eaten since lunch. I'm making sandwiches, baking cookies, and bringing pretzels.

3. Tuesday Linnea finds out if her foot has properly healed etc. We shall see. It's funny. When she first broke her foot, Anne-Chloe was completely non-compliant. Now, granted, the radiologist missed the break (WTF?) and it was only when I didn't feel it was healing well enough -still hurting two weeks later- that I escalated to Children's, where the orthopedic PA took one look at the image and said "it's broken". During those two weeks, she played soccer on it (at school), explored tide pools (ie hopped on rocks), also with school, and ignored the "keep the stupid special shoe on". She'd broken it falling off (or onto? I don't remember) the beam, and finished up her workout and did the evening run around the gym.... on what was a broken 4th metatarsal. However, after talking to the ortho, and getting a full boot (like the one Linnea has now), and hearing that it was, in fact, broken, she settled into healing mode and did not take off the boot etc. Linnea, OTOH... granted, she's a bit older -AC was in middle school- but OMG. She's walked without the book, erged without the boot, has gotten into a freaking BOAT to ROW without the boot etc. So yes, I'm a bit concerned. We shall see. Also, funny bit. She called me a few weeks ago asking if I could order her some Lisa Frank stickers. Which I did. Said stickers now adorn the book. Flahsback: 90s? LOL. I'll see if I can get a photo tomorrow.

Yesterday was Opening Day. It's the official start of the boating season for the all yachts, but also a major rowing event: The Windemere Cup. Pretty much a meet where the Huskies 3V teams can stomp all over the local D2 teams and looks OMG so awesome, and the 2V and V Husky teams go up against National Teams from other countries and usually win, but not always.

Yesterday was a "not always" LOL. GB won the women's Windemere Cup, the Netherlands the men's.

But other races were had, starting from Master's boats to Junior's, and then collegiate.

Linnea was not rowing, but the women's 8 came in second, which was a damn good showing. The competition were the two other D2 teams, and they trounced them. Yay WWU women!

Perry's boat did well, of course lol got stomped on by the Huskies and WSU (also a club program, but a gigantic one) but they were really rowing for time, and they beat their boat record, which is what they'd hoped for.

All in all a good event. The predicted rain held off (we were in the Olympics rain shadow, lucky us!), it wasn't too cold, and only a few people went by smoking (tobacco and fucking weed, ugh). This year there were even port-a-potties available, usually the only bathroom available is at the shellhouse, and that's usually a zoo. I don't eat or drink before events at UW because of this, LOL. And the best part? Because they officially open the boating season at noon, and it's a small regatta, it starts at about 10am. No need to be up in the pre-dawn hours to get there on time, LOL.

After all the racing is done, all the crews come back through the cuts, and it's a riot of boats, the few fours, many many eights, all from the masters who traditionally imbibe after the event to the juniors, with all the collegiate and international teams all mixed in.

Here's one bit of that, you can see the Netherlands' men's team go by (oars = Dutch flag).

Opening Day boats come back!

And this one has the WWU teams on their way back through the cut:

WWU boats and our small dorky cheering section. Perry is stroke.

And then there was the traditions of the whole event, of Opening Day, the fact that it's a big race and people come out to see it, and watch the "parade of boats" after the crew events. They set off the cannons and opened the Montlake Bridge (snarling traffic to get out of the area like something fierce). The Coast Guard went by, the KC Sheriff's boats, then yachts with the UW band playing Bow Down to Washington. We left after that... I don't need to see the ostentatious display of capitalistic wealth that are the bazillion dollar boats parading through the Montlake Cut for the hoi polloi. But it still felt like a tradition that I like being part of, because, well, Perry raced on Opening Day (because of the pandemic, only his second time, LOL) and hopefully at some point, Linnea will too. That my kids get to be part of a major Seattle/UW event.

I'm very conflicted about UW rowing. They dominate in a way that isn't even funny, and are pretty arrogant about the fact. They put out fast boats, though you'll see technique, at times, sacrificed to speed. They have a reputation for cutting rowers, and using them up like kleenex, I know Linnea's boathouse last year sent a lot of rowers to UW... and most didn't last more than a few years, out with either career ending injuries or cut or whatever. They price paid by the athletes for UW's program is, well, high, even if being part of the team is both an honor and a joy for them. I guess, in many ways, I'm glad Perry didn't get into UW and attempt to get on the team. He loves rowing, and I think it'll be something that is always part of his life, as a sculler, so avoiding youth injuries is important.

But aside from my bitchiness about the rowing program, and the many gripes I have about some aspects of the school, I'm proud that my daughter graduated from there. As someone who does not have a hometown, who doesn't feel comfortable saying where I'm from, because the answer is... well, here, now, but before, nowhere, Anne-Chloe graduated from the local university, the state's flagship university. No matter how far she wanders, and I suspect she may, she'll have the roots I never did. Perry and Linnea will too. They think I'm stupid for caring, but they'll always be able to look at Western Washington and say "that's where I'm from".

Wow, this turned into some random ramblings, sorry.

I spent a good portion of Friday trying to get Linnea an orthopod appointment. It was frustrating. Best I could do was Tuesday at 2pm, about 1 hour away. Because of the time, we'd need to borrow a second car and it was going to be a PITA.

Then I woke up in the middle of the night Saturday and a thought popped into my brain. The options are going to be "boot" or "cast" having done both with Anne-Chloe (*) boot is easier. But when I woke up the thought was "What if they put her in a cast because they don't have a boot small enough?" She's 5ft1 on a good day and wears a 5.5 size shoe. And then the realization hit me.

Why the fuck hadn't I called Children's? I should have taken her to the ER there on Thursday night, but I was trying to carefully use medical resources but feh on that.

Anyhow, we got her an appointment for tomorrow morning at Children's. Timing works out better for us, and I'll go pick her up this evening and she should be able to get a bus back.

(*) Dear god. When talking with the person who did Linnea's splint, we were chatting about injuries. I noted that from a arm and leg thing, we'd been through a broken arm, a broken foot, a serious ankle sprain with PT, a thank-god-it-wasn't-a-wrist-fracture ER and Xray, and two torn ACLs with surgery. And that was ALL Anne-Chloe.

Won't know how she did for a month but Anne-Chloe took the MCAT today. Fingers crossed.

Linnea was in a four in the Falcon Regatta today, they placed first, beating Seattle Pacific University (arch rivals, I think) and Humboldt State.

Linnea was in two-seat (not bow!) in the second photo. Falcon Regatta.

Again, dh has video, I'll see if he'll send me links.

1. Perry dealing with repercussions of someone getting fired at the boathouse he coaches at when he can. He is not directly invovled, except that he knows everyone and many of them trust him -all 21 years of him, younger than most of them by almost a decade- and are turning to him for support, because a lot of the coaches are upset, especially since the reason the dude was fired was given -in an email sent to all the coaches- as a SafeSport violation, which implies some sexual abuse when the issue is a disagreement about safety on the water between the younger coach and the older (very much disliked by all) coach/office manager. The email in itself is probably libel. I feel horrible for Perry because he's good friends with this guy (they have taught several programs together), but the person I really feel bad for, aside from the fired coach: the woman who wrote the older coach and boathouse manager to complain about safety on the water, and whose email (Perry read it to me) puts the blame squarely on the organization, NOT on the fired coach. She's devastated that she was probably the cause of his getting fired, when that wasn't her intent in the slightest. In the meanwhile, safety is still a concern.

2. At uni. Perry was a close contact to someone with Covid, he's not sure who, someone in the boat. Of course it was the day he was stroke. :P

3. The driver of Linnea's carpool is a close contact of someone with Covid. So Linnea and the other carpool car both need to find rides, and hope that the driver doesn't get Covid.

Amazon has rapid tests in stock. I had several packages sent to Linnea, half for her, half for Perry. This is going to get expensive fast, even if insurance does reimburse us, LOL.

4. Anne-Chloe has an ouchie tooth. I feel so bad for that poor kid, she has my crappy teeth/mouth bacteria. She saw the dentist week before last and they said they didn't think it was 'emergent' or whatever, but now it hurts. I'll add: I know it's not just her neglecting her teeth because she had problems with cavities when dh was handling all of her dental hygiene, ie flossing and brushing for her.

5. Can't find the dress pants I planned on wearing for my thesis defense. I swear I saw them a few months back, right before Christmas, but I cannot find them. Feh.

So work, where she is incredibly stressed (long story, she did everything right, but stress, still), an MCAT prep class, the whole rent thing and....

Her ex, who kinda shares custody of her-formerly-their dog who has attachment issues and has a hard time when he left alone... is having a nervous breakdown (*). Completely incapable of taking care of the dog, couldn't remember if the poor pup had been fed that day or taken out etc. (*) Don't ask. Not the first or probably last time, he's gotten a lot worse since he broke up with her. Funny -not funny- she's gotten a lot better.

Needless to say... Nader is coming to visit for doggie daycare with dh and me for a few days. I'm not overly fond of dogs, but Nader is a good dog and I'm even less fond of my daughter being stressed out by something I can help with.

Poor Anne-Chloe is dealing with the hard reality of what happens after an intensive prep class for an exam.

You have to take the exam.

She signed up for an MCAT date for early April.

She lucked out big time: she was able to get an April test date in Seattle. The next possibility was, like, June. In Idaho.

I hope she does well.