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Birthdays are always fun! · 10 August 04
Birthdays are always fun…
How true that is, though I don’t always look forward to them. As the one-off thirty birthday, I definitely wasn’t looking forward to this year. In addition, being in a new place I wasn’t sure whether I was going to find many people to celebrate with. One person couldn’t come, another wasn’t sure, and before you know it, it’s you and one other. I know, I thought, I’ll ask my friend to run a kayaking trip – do that wild river run from earlier this month. To be honest, I asked largely in the expectation that he’d say no – I already knew that there was a possibility he had something on. But within half an hour the email came back saying, sure sounds great, no emotional blackmail needed.
For some reason I spent the rest of the week getting more and more edgy, so when it came to it I was very nervous on the river. My new boat didn’t help things either; knowing that it was exactly the same boat as the other ones I’d been in didn’t help. Still, I rolled on the flat then in an easy rapid, so no real problem there. Then came Hollywood… The water was much higher than last time, the hole more obvious, the Eddyline stronger. Funnily, it almost seemed easier to head down and flip, than to try and fight my way through it. But under the water, that wasn’t so fun – smashing my head against this and then that. Still, I got into position and was ready to roll, if only it would clear a bit. But then one incredible thwack against the paddle and into my helmet – suddenly I realised that if I tried to roll and didn’t make it, that could be my face… So wet exit then? Yes… no… yes… and I’m out in the rocks. But it wasn’t such a good idea after all – legs and ankles getting all smashed up. With a little bit of help I got back in my boat, and on we went.
By this time it was pretty dark and we had a class III to go – wow, this is going to be ‘fun’ I thought. We started on down, and got through the first bit OK – this one goes on and on and I was really starting to have fun – over this pour over, don’t get spun sideways, now round this rock and veer off to the left. Then suddenly – whoah, sorry… calls out from behind, as another guy comes down sideways and pushes me round too – we coast for a bit then reach the bottom, and over I go… but up I come! But then there is Heidi right by me – we coast down the next bit side by side, then over we both go. Up I come again, but where is Heidi – one try, two tries, but no out she comes – but then is that Justin upside down beside me? Yes, and out he comes too… Then the end comes and I’m gasping, and man what a ride! That went on and on and I rolled twice and just wow…
And all this just to prove that I’m not getting old?
— KS Sep 2, 12:39 #