The Hobbit Hole III - Journey to the Cross-roads!

[HairOfTheDog]

Welcome to The Hobbit Hole!

Journey to the Cross-roads
The Two Towers Edition

Come on! Come in! -if you would like to have some seedcakes and a pint and relax a while. (If it is a special occasion, we still have a few bottles of the old wineyards left!)

Our first thread ( New Zealander builds Hobbit hole ) reached 4,100 posts, and we thought that was big. Our second thread (The New Hobbit Hole ) held us for over 48,000 posts, and we loved it dearly. We talked about moving to a new thread for the last 38,000 posts, but we are really slow to muster! Finally, the time has come. Tomorrow (at 12:01 am, to be precise!) The Two Towers comes out, and we start a new chapter.

[HairOfTheDog]

Alright, lurking one....

I have to go feed ponies.... Bay is poundin' on the gate, the malcontent.

[ecurbh]

Alright, lurking one....

How'd you know? Oh yeah, the cam is on.

[g'nad]

You'd think if the doctor was gonna get to know me that well, he'd at least buy me dinner.

I had a colonoscopy a few years back... (brave souls, I know...) It wasn't the most esteem building situation... There were six people in the room... and I was the only guy... the doc kept sayin' "if you'll look at the monitor..." and I yelled "I ain't lookin at the inside of my....(add a colorfull word fer bum)...

all in all, pretty awful... but on the bright side.... I know what my colon looks like...

[Corin Stormhands]

Yeah, but Corin don't want Jr. to get some kind of idea that he can start backgammoning with just anybody!

He ain't currently IM'ing anyone either. I exorcised AOL from my computer tonite. Earthlink is next...

[Wneighbor]

After my little kayaking class I was completely sold on the sport. So, there was this guy that worked in accounting where I worked that kayaked. I hadn't met the guy but knew he did. So, I trekked on over to accounting my very first day back at work and quizzed him about the sport.

In the discussion I found out that he was an Olympic alternate in kayaking. He owned several boats and offered to let me take different ones out till I found what I liked BUT only if I would agree to practice the next 2 weeks and enter that race. So, I agreed and that's how I ended up racing 2 weeks after learning.

Well, that afternoon I went over to pick up the racing kayak and get a lesson. The boat I'd taken the class in was a nice stable kayak with flat bottom and large seat. That guy took this one out of a shed and started carrying it down to the creek behind his house so I could practice and all I could think when looking at it was, "my butt ain't never gonna fit in that itty bitty hole!!" So, we got down to the creek and I was really embarrassed because I really didn't think I could get in it. But, he insisted that I could.

So, here is this boat that is barely wider than me. About half the width of the one I'd learned in. And very rounded, no flat stable bottom. And it's sitting in the creek waiting for me to get in. Took that guy and my cousin who had gone with me to hold the thing still while I got in. My butt fit, but it was so little that I had to hold knees straight and slide in without bending knees. Very awkward. Then, for the first 2 or 3 minutes I just wobbled and held onto Jason, my cousin because I was positive I was going to roll over. It was wild. And I was thinking, "okay, in 12 days I've committed to taking this thing 42 miles!"

But, I did. And I loved it. And funny thing is, now I have tried out several kayaks and that one is still the favorite of all I ever used! I ended up falling in love with the unstable, hell on earth to get into and out of kayak! But, I'd grab one of those today in a heartbeat if one like it turned up!

[SuziQ]

Shudder! Been there, done that. Don't want to do it again.

[SuziQ]

I meant to mention that I don't plan to do any kayaking on water rougher than a lake! I'm a weenie, I know, and I could change my mind once I get some time in the boat, bit I don't think so. I like the idea of paddling along a nice quiet lake or river not having to worry about what's coming up around the bend!

[Alkhin]

Sure!! Here it is

Here

[Alkhin]

Suzi - go about midway down...poster's name is Europanya.

[Wneighbor]

Yes, I noticed after I posted that you had gone to the sea kayaks. I haven't done any ocean kayaking, although I get an annual invitation from a group of women down in Port Aransas. I would love to go down there and try it but the timing is never right.

My thing is just flat-water lakes and rivers. Not much white-water in Texas although, one of the things on THAT list is to kayak the Rio Grande around the Big Bend. Parts of that are... uh hum .. sometimes flowing. Depending on the time of year. I did learn on the Guadalupe down in the hill country so it's got a few low class rapids. Enough to be a bit entertaining for a novice.

My typical outing though is just a local lake or creek back home.

But, I did win first place women's solo in the Brazos River Festival!

Oh! And I have a Prion Invader. They don't make this style anymore but I'll see if I can find one like it.

[Wneighbor]

LOL. Well, I see from the photo that a flat water or sea kayak is appropriate!

As for my preferences in kayaks, my favorite one was a 17 footer. But the one I own is not that long.

[2Jedismom]

I had one of those last year...and also one test where they went down my throat to look around. For the first test, this very gaunt hunch-back nurse SHOT the knock-out medicine into my vein, nearly killed me and then perched at the foot of my bed to watch me, didn't speak a word. I remember thinking I was dying and she was vulture waiting for me to die.

When I went in for the second test, I told the nurse about it and she said "Oh, I know who you are talking about...we call her Lurch. She doesn't work here any more." Then she slowly gave me the knock-out medicine and I remember thinking what a sweet person that nurse was...before drifting off to sleep.

Both times I got the best sleep of my life though...they knocked me plum out.

[SuziQ]

LOL!! I think I'll prefer the nice large cockpit, somewhat flatter bottom boat. This one is 14' long and 28" wide. Sounds like a barge, but the bottom seems nicely shaped, and all the reviews we read said it could go reasonbly fast. I'm not looking to race anyone, so as long as I can paddle the thing without having to feel like I'm lifting weights, I'll be happy.

We want to try the Walden "Cuda", which is designed for fishing. It is sort of a 'sit on top', but not quite. You can see it HERE

[Wneighbor]

We won't play with interlopers or anything!

Still, we have to watch the influences on the young one! I mean, he does live with Corin! He certainly has a sheltered life. *eyes roll*

[Alkhin]

W - per Dom becoming the "Kissing Bandito" - that was funny! I got the biggest laugh out of the panic Elijah caused though, and I would have loved to watch Sean wrestle him to the ground. they would have ejected me for sure, because I would have been roaring with laughter.

its a bit frightening to think what it would have been like if their fourth hobbit had been there...Billy is VERY sneaky...or at least that is my guess.

Just got off a rant with someone who posted snide comments on my blog about the defense of marriage. i swear, I think I must be the only one in the blogosphere who says that marriage doesnt belong to homosexuals. But you know what...the growing "acceptance" doesnt bother me half as much as how the idjits went about it. They were down to FOUR states...so could they just lobby in each of those states? NO...they had to go to some pissant lawyer who wanted to make it big, and now the Rule of Law is even more %$%^@$%@# up!!

{/rant OFF}

[Wneighbor]

I had a colonoscopy a few years back

That was the absolute worst experience I've had in my life! I would prefer to repeat any number of disgusting experiences before that one.

[Ramius]

I'm probably not going to (intentionally) go out in real rough water either. It can kick up pretty good on the sound, but we usually have more than enough warning to get off the water if it is going to be nasty.

There are a lot of pretty big boats that generate surfable wakes though, and that would be a regular part of kayaking out here. That, and it's pretty common in some parts of the sound to have a nice gentle two or three foot roller that is just always there all day. Not dangerous, but still something that I think a nice long one (sic) would handle better.

[SuziQ]

Thanks! I found it!

[SuziQ]

That's cool about your winning that race just after you'd begun paddling!

[Wneighbor]

I wish they'd o' knocked me out. I didnot get so lucky! But it was about 16 or 17 years ago.