This is why I stop writing in my blog for long stretches...I'm so bored of me. Anyway...

Slept in this morning (thanks NyQuil) and then went for a 2 hour paddle. It's hot & humid and the fog on the lake is holding down the smog which means there's a yellowish-grey, web-like veil over everything just off shore. There's enough of a breeze on the lake to make it nice though. It was about 11:30 when I hit the water and there were tons of boats coming out of the Credit and heading towards the city. It was the paddle equivalent of going for a nice, long walk. The entire time, it was difficult not to think that I'd gambled on the wrong day to be sunny for the next beach party but that's how it goes. Oh well, I was out on the water and it was nicer than dealing with the stack of pictures that need hanging and housework at home! I had a quick shower and changed at the sailing club. As I was leaving, I could hear an alarm going up the stairs. I was thinking I had set it off but my code wouldn't let me disarm anything. As I went outside, I ran into one of the sailing guys and mentioned that maybe he could turn off the alarm I couldn't. He went charging up the stairs, saying that's not the system. I just this second realized that it must have been a smoke alarm or similar (but didn't sound like one). 

I stopped at Starbucks for an iced coffee on my way home and that's where I saw the first indication that the heat was getting to people. A woman pushing a stroller was in the long lineup and a man behind her made some comment about her not moving forward quickly enough, or the stroller taking up too much space or something equally ridiculous and she kind of went off on him. She was a big girl too and he was a thin, pinched and pale-faced euro-type - she wasn't about to back down. They started a nasty back and forth and I was happy to get out of there before it escalated.

I didn't get home until almost three, made a snack, then decided I couldn't stand to be inside even though I was starting to run a fever. I went into Port Credit, parked across from Helen's and went for a walk around town, back along the trail and out onto the pier to the Ridgetown. On the way back, crossing the bridge over the river, I saw a C1 paddling out towards the first buoy (by Snug). The boat was reflecting sunlight so the colour was blazed out. I stopped to see if I could identify them by paddling style. I haven't been around the club for awhile but really, there's only so many people who'd have access to the club during off hours, it should be easy. They were a little shake and I could tell it was an older boat, first generation Hody. I was thinking it must be a midget whose mom was on the board or something but, you know how it is, it becomes a kind of game. So I waited until they were close enough for a visual. Yup, old Hody - blue deck, white hull. No wonder I couldn't figure it out, it was Brock! We chatted for a bit - he's been in China teaching English and giving guitar concerts. I told him I wanted to hear all about it but not when he's up on his knee in obvious pain. He laughed and said yeah, his back and knee were hurting quite a bit but it felt good to be out in his boat again.

Having that brief chat with Brock really made my day (and I realized how much time I actually spend alone. I hadn't spoken to anyone but strangers all day).

I was planning to order in sushi but wasn't hungry so I went to the self serve car wash at the corner of Royal Windsor & Winston Churchill and killed another hour washing my car.

Now I'm going to make myself a buffalo salad (I found real buffalo milk mozarella at Battaglia's!), pour a glass of wine and find a movie to watch. Right after I write a cheque to pay Dav for my new mudpuppy board!