![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Yesterday was lovely. I had a Groupon that was expiring that day for a boat rental at Shoreline park. We ran a few errands, stopped at Peets for warm beverages, and then rented ourselves a rowboat. Christine took us out, and i quickly found this section of Wind in the Willows to read aloud:
I rowed with great enthusiasm around the lake, trying to get in position to where we would drift into the water birds. More often, they were long removed to a quieter corner by the time i'd positioned us for our drift. We did manage to go by some pelicans in contemplation.
The day was quite dazzling bright and we did not bring hats. I believe part of my exhaustion is simply being out in the bright midday sun, a rare occurrence for me. My concern that it would be a little chill was completely unfounded, and i found myself a bit too warm with the additional bundle of the floatation device. As far as exhaustion goes, though, there was much inexperienced rowing and use of muscles i hardly know.
The very best thing is how much Christine liked it, although i wish she was more fond of canoes. We can imagine splurging again on a boat, rowing to the middle of the little lake with a picnic basket and books and practicing the power of drifting again. But with hats.
We did momentarily ponder taking out the sailboat and managing it by constant reference to a website like http://www.wikihow.com/Sail-a-Boat . I was pretty sure that i'd drop my phone into the lake if we tried that, and i wasn't sure the story would be as amusing as it seemed while we were giddy with sunshine. The rowboat was entertaining enough as i found i do not pull with equal strength, and would often spin the boat around as i over corrected for listing off my heading.
The cafe at the lake was overcrowded, and we headed downtown for a late lunch at The Tied House, a local brewery pub. They have microbrewed soda now ("...new Hermitage Brewery in San Jose ...some sassy pops for the designated driver in us all, So Duh! Root Beer and a red-cinammon scorcher called So Duh! Liquid Fire.") so i gave the root beer a try, as the liquid fire was sold out. We split a half order of nachos and each ordered and appetizer as main course: Cajun popcorn shrimp (Christine) and blackened catfish and corncake (myself). The jalapenos on the nachos left a tasty residue after i moved them all off to Christine's side, and so i gave them a try. The blackened catfish was very spicy hot.
We came home, Christine promptly napped, and i probably should have. I was a yawning machine by dinner time, and found that the spicy meal seemed sitting heavy in my stomach. I suspect the fire of the blackened spices, but my foray into jalapenos seems suspect as well.
This morning i awoke to Christine pointing out i was still asleep, an hour before i needed to depart.
`This has been a wonderful day!' said he, as the Rat shoved off and took to the sculls again. `Do you know, I`ve never been in a boat before in all my life.'
`What?' cried the Rat, open-mouthed: `Never been in a--you never--well I--what have you been doing, then?'
`Is it so nice as all that?' asked the Mole shyly, though he was quite prepared to believe it as he leant back in his seat and surveyed the cushions, the oars, the rowlocks, and all the fascinating fittings, and felt the boat sway lightly under him.
`Nice? It's the ONLY thing,' said the Water Rat solemnly, as he leant forward for his stroke. `Believe me, my young friend, there is NOTHING--absolute nothing--half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats. Simply messing,' he went on dreamily: `messing--about--in--boats; messing----'
`Look ahead, Rat!' cried the Mole suddenly.
It was too late. The boat struck the bank full tilt. The dreamer, the joyous oarsman, lay on his back at the bottom of the boat, his heels in the air.
`--about in boats--or WITH boats,' the Rat went on composedly, picking himself up with a pleasant laugh. `In or out of 'em, it doesn't matter. Nothing seems really to matter, that's the charm of it. Whether you get away, or whether you don't; whether you arrive at your destination or whether you reach somewhere else, or whether you never get anywhere at all, you're always busy, and you never do anything in particular; and when you've done it there's always something else to do, and you can do it if you like, but you'd much better not. Look here! If you've really nothing else on hand this morning, supposing we drop down the river together, and have a long day of it?'
I rowed with great enthusiasm around the lake, trying to get in position to where we would drift into the water birds. More often, they were long removed to a quieter corner by the time i'd positioned us for our drift. We did manage to go by some pelicans in contemplation.
The day was quite dazzling bright and we did not bring hats. I believe part of my exhaustion is simply being out in the bright midday sun, a rare occurrence for me. My concern that it would be a little chill was completely unfounded, and i found myself a bit too warm with the additional bundle of the floatation device. As far as exhaustion goes, though, there was much inexperienced rowing and use of muscles i hardly know.
The very best thing is how much Christine liked it, although i wish she was more fond of canoes. We can imagine splurging again on a boat, rowing to the middle of the little lake with a picnic basket and books and practicing the power of drifting again. But with hats.
We did momentarily ponder taking out the sailboat and managing it by constant reference to a website like http://www.wikihow.com/Sail-a-Boat . I was pretty sure that i'd drop my phone into the lake if we tried that, and i wasn't sure the story would be as amusing as it seemed while we were giddy with sunshine. The rowboat was entertaining enough as i found i do not pull with equal strength, and would often spin the boat around as i over corrected for listing off my heading.
The cafe at the lake was overcrowded, and we headed downtown for a late lunch at The Tied House, a local brewery pub. They have microbrewed soda now ("...new Hermitage Brewery in San Jose ...some sassy pops for the designated driver in us all, So Duh! Root Beer and a red-cinammon scorcher called So Duh! Liquid Fire.") so i gave the root beer a try, as the liquid fire was sold out. We split a half order of nachos and each ordered and appetizer as main course: Cajun popcorn shrimp (Christine) and blackened catfish and corncake (myself). The jalapenos on the nachos left a tasty residue after i moved them all off to Christine's side, and so i gave them a try. The blackened catfish was very spicy hot.
We came home, Christine promptly napped, and i probably should have. I was a yawning machine by dinner time, and found that the spicy meal seemed sitting heavy in my stomach. I suspect the fire of the blackened spices, but my foray into jalapenos seems suspect as well.
This morning i awoke to Christine pointing out i was still asleep, an hour before i needed to depart.
Tags: