How Is It May? Symposium? Eeek!

And on a happier note -

Eeek!

Where did this “May” come from anyways?

That’s what I was thinking last night as I found myself writing my monthly bills.

May I please have another week of April? I could sure use it.

Wow. In 17 days I’m supposed to be teaching at a symposium. I got reminded of that when I looked at Sea Level NY today & there in his "May Events" entry I saw "HVO’s Hudson Valley Kayak Symposium" & thought "Yikes…I’m teaching at that and it’s going to be here before I know it!"

I'm excited but the "yikes" is definitely there!

I need to start paddling! I mean paddling SERIOUSLY. After work. Or maybe (groan) before. With a nice zen-meditiational kayak-yoga aqua-dressage advanced-strokes practice sessions at the end of each paddle - not just plain old getting from point A to point B.

And I have to come up with some lesson plans! Yeah! Lesson plans! I haven't had to do a formal written lesson plan for a couple of years but I need to now. You know, where you work out what you hope to impart beforehand and how you’re going to get it across, so that you actually come across as, well, having a plan. Or a clue. Or something.

And I gotta get a Fresh-ette (gentlemen, investigate that link at your peril), for the Women on Water session and I really should crack open my first-aid kit & see what needs to be replaced, and maybe I should break down & get a wetsuit that’s not 7 years old and has an outer layer so shot (after many many many pool sessions) it makes me look like a homeless Shar-Pei, and finish looking through the Ragged Mountain Press Woman’s Guide to Sea Kayaking that Mrs. Kayak Boy was nice enough to loan me, and go re-find that great article I found eons ago about back-country skills for women, and I need to see if I have enough line in my kayak-junk-stash to make a new rescue sling…and…and…and…

And I have to practice! Seriously! Basics up to demo quality! Bow rudders! Hanging draws! Low-brace turns! Arrrr, avast ye! All those things that make beginner paddlers go “Ooh, that looks COOL, I want to learn that!” – if it’s still mostly beginners attending, we may not get to the spiffier strokes – in fact IMHO, for first-time beginners, it’s better to concentrate on giving them a really thorough grounding in the basic control strokes & some rescues - but it’s good to introduce the idea that the basic strokes are just the start. Then, if they really take to it, they can go build on that solid foundation of basic boat-control skills for, oh, the rest of their lives.

These people are paying good money – I owe ‘em the prep time. Fortunately all the prep is stuff I like doing anyways! Heh heh heh. Lucky me.

So much to do, though! Good thing I went to see The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy (which was fun) on Saturday. I need to remember that thing about “Don’t Panic”.

Oh yeah…and I need to know where my towel is.

No, really. I’m going to go pack it right now. Knowing where your towel is is ALMOST as important for sea kayakers as it is for intergalactic hitchhikers.

So much to do...well, I better start by going to bed. G'night.