Bowling

"If I had been on 'Bowling for Dollars,' I'd wind up owing them money." - Ricki Lake


So, bowling. I am not the best at the "sport" of bowling. It seems that the more I try, the worse I get - until the next time. I start playing at near peak performances - strikes, spares - the whole works. I can remain at this stage until a certain point, usually quite early or after the first game, I just stop being good. I will consistently get less than 10 for the duration of the game/games. I have to find a way to break out of this. Also, the thing about where we play, though, is that it's five pin, whereas I usually play ten pin. Ten pin is much more fun, as if you have a direct hit you will knock down more than just one.Regardless, it is quite fun and I enjoy it.


-Derek

Sail the Ocean* Blue (*Lake)

"Adventure is worthwhile in itself."
-Amelia Earhart

The spirit of adventure has befallen me. In less than three weeks some of my classmates and I will traverse the vast lower mainland on the treacherous Trans Canada Highway to the distant Pitt Lake, where we will be going on an adventure. Yes, a real adventure. With a surface area of 53.5 kilometers squared, we will navigate the perimeter of the lake, stopping only to eat and to set up camp for the night. We will be on Voyager canoes, which I expect (because I have been on them before) to be tough, however definitely not unbearable. Luckily for us the food has been provided, so we will be able to concentrate on the activity itself. I can only hope the weather will remain clear, however based on prior camp experiences "smooth sailing" is definitely not in order. I have a habit of severely overpacking, or severely overpacking to find that all of my clothes have been soaked beyond wear-ability (yes, in grade six that happened to me). As of yet I don't know if we will be circling the entire lake (chick measures 24 kilometers at its maximum length and 4.5 kilometers at its maximum width), or if at some point we will cut across. No matter what we do, however, I know that it will be a challenging experience that I will remember for years (and maybe even decades) to come.

-Derek

Sail the Ocean Brown

Welcome back to the blog of fun!


"Be strong, O paddle!
Be brave, canoe!
The reckless waves
you must plunge into.
Reel, reel.
On your trembling keel,
But never a fear my craft will feel."


Over the past three weeks, we have ventured to treacherous Burnaby to conduct some canoeing. Luckily for us, it was sunny the entire time and the heat was nice. I was too hot the first day, ditto the second day, however by the third day I learned to wear my PE shirt and shorts. Unfortunately I forgot to wear sunscreen and utterly soaked myself with water, however the sun was amazing. We were in two person canoes, with Ryan being my partner for all three sessions. A prominent and important aspect of canoeing is what seat you sit in. I found it fun, and easier, to be in the back, whereas in the front you have a much tougher time, less legroom and limited control/power over the boat. I feel like I improved, however I am still at a stage where I can put the strokes I have learned into practice, just not when I have to do it impulsively. Additionally I know most of the strokes, just not the proper combination of them to make the boat go where it's supposed to. Over the time we had I learned how to properly draw (pull the paddle towards the boat), a pry (pushing the paddle away from the boat), and other strokes. We also learned how to semi-successfully switch seats on the water and how to ensure a perfectly un-capsized boat (always stay sitting, always paddle on different sides, etc...). There are two things I have learned about Deer lake (our canoeing venue) - 1) It's beautiful on the outside, with trees, sun and stunning landscape, and 2) It's morbid on the inside. In vivid detail our instructors described how waste from the house of all kinds (yes, all kinds). Were dumped into the lake, and how it was not possible to swim in the lake for "sanitary" reasons. Therefore getting wet or, at the worst capsizing, was definitely out of the picture.


Overall, though, I remained dry and happy, and I improved my canoeing skills to prepare for the exciting, water-filled future.


-Derek