So, I should be posting about all the stuff we did on holidays this week, but there are more pressing matters. As I'm sure you are all aware, the Olympics will begin in 3 days. I'm not a huge Olympic follower (and will not be watching much of it at all this year, seeing as we don't get CBC on our TV.) The summer Olympics, especially, have never held much interest for me. But these Olympics, the 2008 Olympics, hold a special place for me. And for Bren.
It must have been during the 1996 Games in Atlanta that the two of us, enjoying our summer break between grades 11 and 12, got really excited about rowing. We watched all the races on TV. And somewhere in our research we discovered that rowers usually reach their peak at around 28 years of age. "Well", we said, "there will be summer Olympics in 2008. We'll be 28 and 29 then. We should TOTALLY become rowers."
Now, the two of us, I am not ashamed to say, were choir geeks. (The picture is from a photo of our high school choir executive committee, which we were both on, of course.) We were not jocks. Sooooo far from it. (well, Bren did play JV Basketball) But for whatever reason we thought we would be cut out for rowing. We decided that we would join a rowing club, learn to row, and compete in the 2008 Summer Games. (Then we could get tattoos with the Canada flag and the Olympic rings. Cool.)
Unfortunately, for all our enthusiasm we didn't get very far with our plan. We drove to Minnedosa one Saturday to watch one race. I seem to recall fashioning some sort of elaborate strength training gizmo out of rubber bands. And now it is 2008 and we are the farthest thing from rowers you could ever imagine.
However, we have had a stroke of luck! Because of the fact that the Olympics are in China this year, and, if we were actually Olympic caliber athletes, we would have boycotted the games anyway, we are able to say: The reason we are not rowing in the 2008 Olympic Games is officially NOT because we don't know how to row.
That's our story and we're sticking to it.
6 comments:
Hahahahaha. I'm laughing so hard I'm crying and the LG is looking at me funny. Har! If I ever get a tattoo I think I'll still get the one we were thinking of. Such a poser....
We're Moms now, Erin - we TOTALLY have the arms for rowing. ;)
I'm gonna link to this post later this week I think. Hilarious.
And that picture! Sheesh - we look like we're 12 not IN grade 12. *shudder*
Don't forget there was also the matter of the cost of the boat. I don't think we ever would've had enough between my summer job and janitoring and your Kmart job. I doubt Kmart would've sponsored us either.
For whatever reason, rowing has always seemed like it was well within reach for me, too. One of my cousins actually was a competition level rower, and she is the MOST athletic person I've ever met, so obviously rowing was never anywhere NEAR my reach.
Oh, I just don't know what to say about the Olympics this year. Although I usually get somewhat obsessed with some sport or another too.
I found a wee pair of Docs (little brown lace-up shoes not boots though) for $10 last weekend at our local discount store. They were adorable and I thought of you and your super boot find that one time we were in Wpg.....
That is such a great story! When I started reading I thought you were going to say that your friend Bren went on to actually row in the Olympics this year. :) Rowing is an awesome sport.
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