Ladders and HoneyBadgers

Well, it’s Wednesday. We’ve made it through more than half of the training camp already. Kind of alarming when you think about how fast time is going by. But at the same time, my body and hands have been reminding me that it’s not a bad thing we’re already this far through the camp. I have started to help sustain my energy levels by the usage of multiple Starbucks Frappuccino’s every day (the bottled kind you can buy from WalMart, I’m not that rich). Fortunately, they are not ‘light’ on caffeine, and so provide a nice amount of wakefulness – until the crash.

                This morning it was nice and sunny when we set out to the lake. Yet again there was debate about taking this afternoon off instead of tomorrow, due to a warm day forecasted for tomorrow. We are not doing this, we are sticking to our workout plan. The 12x250m ladder was pretty well run this morning, given a spread of abilities from novice all the way up to ‘been rowing since the dawn of time’.

                We have received a number of comments via facebook about our Harlem Shake video, or as it was also put ‘the worst Harlem Shake video ever’. What I can say is this: by the standards of my youtube account views, 200 views in less than one day is pretty much viral. So thank you for watching.

                Continuing with our usual tradition, I felt like I was driving behind Sebastian Vettel while following Matt from the boathouse to lunch at the Brenau University cafeteria. While there, as per usual, we all stuffed ourselves an awful lot, Matt specifically likes to enjoy an ice cream cone to cap off a filling meal (they do have waffles there but he manages to resist that during lunch and dinner). The cafeteria staff don’t seem to mind the way most of our team virtually runs into the dining hall to eat.

                The afternoon rolls around and I find myself sitting down here in the lobby while the others do things like nap, homework, nap more, watch tv, film random videos, do whatever the lightweight women are always doing while definitely not studying, napping or watching tv. I have heard rumours of pillow fights and crock-pot cooked food in their room.

                For the trip back to the lake for second practice, my car was again invaded by Alex and Lenore. The result – DMX and Ke$ha blasting through the stereo (not at the same time – boy that would be a weird mash up). This also meant multiple selfies and dance parties, etc were taking place while I was driving down to the course.  

                It had unfortunately clouded over and gotten a little windy by the time we reached the lake. Fortunately not windy enough to force us off the water.  After a quick row it was off to dinner. Dinner was the usual entertaining smorgasbord. This evening, those of us who had the pleasure of sitting with Matt got to enjoy a discussion on HoneyBadgers, and other things of that nature. 

Yesterday's Trip From Another Prespective

First off: we have a quick link to a youtube video captured by the other car on the trip yesterday:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJJWvgK-qdA&feature=youtu.be

Natasha was travelling in down in a different car and she wrote up a blog post about the experience, it was written entirely by her.

My morning started off with having to leave my bike in the erg room for the week because there wasn't enough room in the vans.  This was a little disappointing because I was hoping to bike to and from the lake every morning, but to my relief André pointed out that there was a gym not too far from the hotel and that it only costs $20 for the week.  Then, after putting my bike and front wheel in the dungeons of Thames Hall, Matt asked me to switch vans with Jérôme because "putting him in the back would be inhumane".  I have accepted the fact that I am small, and can fit in small places, but being relegated to the back seat is never something I look forward to.  Oh well, at least I sleep well in cars because it took all of three minutes before I fell asleep.   And this is essentially how the rest of the trip progressed for me.  We left Alumni Hall at around 5:20AM and arrived at the hotel around 9PM.  During these almost 16 hours I think it's safe to say that I slept for about 13 of them...at least.  But when I was awake, I had the pleasure of experiencing Matt's swervey driving and swearing, Lenore's entertaining comments, Waffle House and a few other stops along the way.  Here's are the highlights that I took with me: Road rage before 10AM Matt after ordering at Waffle House: "I'm home, baby" André's take: "Those waffles were awful. Don't tell Matt." Lenore: "Have you ever seen a horse pee? It's like a waterfall. " Matt:" if advise against hitting me in the larynx right now." Lenore, while driving the through the woods in Tennessee:"So where are the other 7 million people?" And  "if we crash we can go to a cabin and they'll give us deer soup. "  Matt:"We're on turtle mountain...where the fuck are we?! There are only Baptist churches and no restaurants" Lenore:"Omg that place was Called RAPERS!!" Matt:"I'm going to firebomb the next church I see" Lenore:"Oh a traffic light. Make it through, I don't want to get stopped here."  Lenore when we stopped for dinner in Georgia: "I need to get out more, need to see the world. This is seriously shocking" Maria: You can't go this way Matt: This isn't a road? Everyone: No! Matt: Is it getting narrower? Everyone: Yes! Matt: Well shit fuck Alex: You guys, we're alive, that's all that matters.  Kat: I'm actually really ok with that. Were alive, the boats are in one piece.  Alex: That's the fourth time I thought I was going to die today  Lenore: Are we almost there? That looks like YOLO. Wait, where are we going? Gainiesville? "We're going offroading...and Matt's going to go to Waffle House" "I feel great right now. I'm like drunk or something " Lenore: Are there alligators in this ocean? André: yea, there are. I googled it.  Lenore: why would they do that?

Snowbird Looking For Some Sun

She’s from Kingston, and measures to the height of 56 end-to-end glucometer test strips. Quite the athlete, she has managed some significant achievements; a recent one being successful completion of several lengths of the swimming pool without being lapped or drowning. She’s hoping that the trip to Georgia will bring an opportunity to catch some sweet rays and get a bit of heat. Basically, she’s a Canadian snowbird; unfortunately looking at the weather forecast for the week at this point, it will be warmer than here but she may be slightly disappointed. Oh well.  She known to be one of the more sensible and less wild and crazy members of the rowing team. However, certain sources have indicated the she once dressed up as a Chechnyan rebel. Some say that she recently went to a Toronto Maple Leaf’s game and where they didn't lose. And that she recently wrote a book called 50 shades of black. All we know is, she’s called Beth Farnell.

Random Mid-Day Blog Post

Here's a quick blog post with a link to the video from last year. A bit of a teaser for those of us who are going, and a bit of a 'it'll hopefully be sunny and warm with flat water' for those who aren't. I think we're all getting pretty excited to leave on Saturday morning!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vuGvxdAJ6g&feature=youtu.be

I may not be at re-rigging, I have an exam

This member of our team is proud to be able to touch her tongue to her nose. However, it may be difficult to acquire a demonstration of this talent owing to the fact that she is part of the infamous crew which was received the ‘disappearing act’ award. As part of the questionnaire which was sent around to all of us going down to Georgia in order to gain some useful information for each person’s biography; she responded in a similar fashion to the majority of the team – with a “Land Before Time” reference.  Anyway, her favorite dinosaur is Petrie the Pteranodon. She claims that she ‘may or may not’ be the subject of a tragically hip song, the operative words in that sentence being ‘may or may not’. Unlike most others for this trip, who responded to the question ‘what are you most looking forward to’ with something to do with, food, American stereotypes or Honey Boo Boo, she is most excited to be able to row and then not worry about falling asleep in class later. This is something that wouldn’t be a problem if we decided to practice at a ‘normal’ time, hint hint coaches. Some say that if she was mayor, she would have called something better than transit busses to transport her football team, and that she recently launched her own line of designer Tupperware. All I know is, her name is Alex Stefanovski

I had a post title, but it got hacked

Measuring a whopping 0.0010606061 miles high, she is an athletic force to be reckoned with, whose almost best known achievement was winning the 2012 beer Olympics on an all female novice team. As a lightweight rower, the thing which she is most looking forward to during the upcoming trip to the USA is eating at Chipotle. She was on the trip last year where her random shotgun obsession came to light. I’m not going to elaborate on that one. Ideally, she would find herself sitting in a onesie (aka snuggie) watching the bachelor.  Some say that she once hacked into her own facebook account and that in her wallet, she keeps a photo of her wallet. All I know is, her name is Jill.

This post would have been longer. However, it seems that her facebook profile was hacked yet again, and so instead of finding useful information there, all I found was a tidbit about her bowel regularity.  The next status update also had a rather fishy nature, I believe it was something along the lines of going to a Monday class ‘au natural’ if the post gets liked enough times. So I went further back in statuses, trying to find something of relevance. Unfortunately, no such luck, yet again another hacked, but most definitely entertaining status.

The picture, similar to the picture from my description is of her passed out. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find another one I wanted to use. So here we go, another sleeping picture.

The Most Definitely Not Self Serving Autobiography

Today I am starting the team introductions, with my own. As per last year, one of the things I have been most anticipating is the opportunity to write this blog yet again. I was going to say that I will try my best to not make this blog post self-serving, and then realized that I will just do that. After all, we do or do not, as opposed to trying. Clocking in at a whopping 11.3 Stone and 188 000 000 nm tall, sporting an exploded appendix  and originally hailing from the fabled ‘best coast’, I now spend most of my time in London (the one where the Queen does not live). I only row in high definition, ideally near or under bridges; or other items of civil engineering merit. Ever questing for the All-Spark. Some say that I have recently been releasing pop records under the pseudonym of Lady Gaga, and that under my unisuit, there’s another unisuit. All we know is, I’m not called the Stig. I am quite excited to jump in my car and Roll Out for Georgia.

Hey y'all! Read This!

Welcome to the blog for the Western Mustangs reading week Georgia training camp. No, we are not yet in Georgia. Our planned departure is on the 16th of February, when it's actually reading week. Over the next couple weeks, until we leave I hope to be able to post highly detailed, accurate, serious and not at all funny blog entries describing each of us who are planning on heading down there. This year, the blog will be different than last year, as opposed trying to be funny and lighthearted, the blog will be serious and only report the most uninteresting and highly uninteresting details of the trip. One exciting example to look forward to is an in depth description of how they cast the concrete in the interstate system we drive on while driving down there. So if you're looking for a fun to read blog, I'm afraid you're SOL this time. Not. Rest assured I will endeavor to be as entertaining and fun to read as an engineering student can be.

Anyway, we're all getting super excited to head on down the Waffle House express way, also known as I-75,  on the way down to the homeland of Honey Boo Boo. As a way to get ready for the trip, many of us were competing at the Canadian Indoor Rowing Championship yesterday, there is a link to a summarizing video below. Is there a video in the first blog post this year? Yes, yes there is - and should be many more to come during the trip, get excited.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFn3t6RwVug