I had planned to be back blogging by now, but I've run into a few snags here in Victoria that will keep me off-line for a few more days.
The big one is that our household furnishings haven't arrived yet. So we're still struggling a bit, and I don't have any of my office equipment yet.
When we originally booked our move, we didn't have an address in Victoria, so we were going to have our stuff sent out in a container and stored for awhile. Containers travel slower than trucks, but that wouldn't have been a problem. But when we got our new house, we changed our order to get the stuff delivered quicker.
Unfortunately, the order didn't get processed properly at the head office of the moving company, so our stuff didn't even leave Hamilton until last week...then it got lost on the road, then the truck broke down -- it was quite a litany of problems. The end result is that we might get delivery tomorrow but if not, then it won't be until after Labour Day. Oh well...
In the meantime, the weather here has been outstanding. Nothing but sunshine the whole time. I've been having fun finding new places to walk the dogs and Roxy has discovered that there is nothing better in this world than swimming. We can't keep her out of the water!
So, until I can get my office set up, my chances to blog are not that good. Did I mention that my hard drive on my PowerBook died just before I left? I'm still waiting to see whether it can be fixed -- so I don't have a computer at the moment that's working.
Oh, and one more thing. Since every student out here is trying to get Internet access set up, we're on a long list to get that as well...another thing I over-looked in the run-up to the move. I should have booked a time before I left Hamilton. But they are supposed to come and get us hooked up at the end of next week. So, assuming that my stuff has all arrived, we should be back in business before too long.
Thursday, August 31, 2006
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
Blogging will be light while I'm on the road
Here's a belated update on my travels. Plus, I just managed to upload some photos, so I've added a snap here of Jaime and Kelly at the University of Louisville. This was taken last week, the day we left Kelly there.
I'm at the cottage in Buena Vista, with Jaime and the dogs. We're staying here for the week with my Mom, her sister, Gwen, from PEI, and Gwen's daughter, Mary, who's here from Montreal.
We're having a lovely, relaxing time, which is why you won't see any more posts from me until I get set up in Victoria.
Jaime and I are leaving here Friday for Edmonton, and a brief stop-over with my sister there. She's got a dog and a welcome mat out for our puppies.
Then, on Saturday, Jaime and I plan to blast right through from Edmonton to Victoria. We're hoping to catch the 9pm or 10 pm ferry to Victoria...but it will be a challenge to make it in one day. I'll post next week and let you know how I did.
And finally, once I get to my new digs, I'm going to do a little walking tour of the area, taking lots of pictures and posting some commentary, so you can get a sense of what the new life I'm heading into looks like. And it will be good for me to get my head into it as well.
So, I'm going to kick back and enjoy a few more days of sun, then a brief drive through the mountains and I'll be home. I can hardly wait. I'll talk to you again in September.
Friday, August 18, 2006
This Jamestown place looks familiar...
Who knew that I'd be able to get Internet access every night of this trip? But here we are, in Jamestown, North Dakota, and we're only a few hours away from Regina. We're going to get in there around noon on Saturday.
Driving here today, something about this place seemed familiar, but I couldn't remember why. Then it hit me -- Heather and I spent a night at the Holiday Inn here way back in the eighties on our honeymoon! Talk about things coming around again...We must be true prairie people. When we went on our honeymoon, we drove to the prairies, but in a different country.
Other than that, I can't say too much about Jamestown. I haven't looked around. We pulled in late and we'll be gone early. But it's great to be back on the prairies.
I realized as we drove up from Minnesota and into North Dakota that I always feel like I'm coming home when I hit the flatlands. Those great big skies (we could see thunderstorms all around us) and the clouds everywhere -- but most of all -- NO SMOG! What a treat!
I've noticed that when I'm here on the prairies, I never compare them to anywhere else. They just are. When I'm in Ontario, I compare it to the prairies. Same in the mountains, or on the coast. I suspect it will always be that way. There's no place like home, is there?
I heard from Kelly today. She's settling in nicely. She's got her room mostly set up, she's got a new cell phone and a bank account. And best of all, she's got Skype working on her computer. She's very excited about the fact she can call anyone, anywhere, anytime -- for free! Since Skypeout is free until the end of the year, it's a great way for us all to keep in touch. And the new version for the Mac that she just downloaded is a big improvement over the previous one.
So, Kelly seems to be settling in fine. And after a few relaxing days at the cottage, and another couple of long days in the car, I'll be settling in to my new life in Victoria -- I can hardly wait.
Driving here today, something about this place seemed familiar, but I couldn't remember why. Then it hit me -- Heather and I spent a night at the Holiday Inn here way back in the eighties on our honeymoon! Talk about things coming around again...We must be true prairie people. When we went on our honeymoon, we drove to the prairies, but in a different country.
Other than that, I can't say too much about Jamestown. I haven't looked around. We pulled in late and we'll be gone early. But it's great to be back on the prairies.
I realized as we drove up from Minnesota and into North Dakota that I always feel like I'm coming home when I hit the flatlands. Those great big skies (we could see thunderstorms all around us) and the clouds everywhere -- but most of all -- NO SMOG! What a treat!
I've noticed that when I'm here on the prairies, I never compare them to anywhere else. They just are. When I'm in Ontario, I compare it to the prairies. Same in the mountains, or on the coast. I suspect it will always be that way. There's no place like home, is there?
I heard from Kelly today. She's settling in nicely. She's got her room mostly set up, she's got a new cell phone and a bank account. And best of all, she's got Skype working on her computer. She's very excited about the fact she can call anyone, anywhere, anytime -- for free! Since Skypeout is free until the end of the year, it's a great way for us all to keep in touch. And the new version for the Mac that she just downloaded is a big improvement over the previous one.
So, Kelly seems to be settling in fine. And after a few relaxing days at the cottage, and another couple of long days in the car, I'll be settling in to my new life in Victoria -- I can hardly wait.
The cross country road trip continues
Still on the road, but the beds are getting worse.
Yes, it's the curse of the motel beds hitting me. I woke up this morning near Rockford, Illinois with an aching back. Oh well. Just another good reason to get up, walk the dogs and hit the road early, I guess.
Yesterday was a tough day, but a good one. Eighteen years ago, I watched Kelly come into my world. Yesterday, I watched her leave it.
I know that she's not really gone -- just like all my other kids. But there's something final about saying so long to the last one that was living with you. It does make it feel like you're moving into a new stage. And that's certainly what I'm doing by packing up and heading to the other end of the country.
So Jaime and I packed up our tears, dogs, bicycle and everything else and headed out of Louisville north to Canada. We should be in Saskatchewan tomorrow, if all goes well.
I'm sitting in the lobby of a Motel 6, with several annoyed people watching me and waiting their turn on this shared terminal, so I'm going to sign off. See you back in the big country to the north...
Yes, it's the curse of the motel beds hitting me. I woke up this morning near Rockford, Illinois with an aching back. Oh well. Just another good reason to get up, walk the dogs and hit the road early, I guess.
Yesterday was a tough day, but a good one. Eighteen years ago, I watched Kelly come into my world. Yesterday, I watched her leave it.
I know that she's not really gone -- just like all my other kids. But there's something final about saying so long to the last one that was living with you. It does make it feel like you're moving into a new stage. And that's certainly what I'm doing by packing up and heading to the other end of the country.
So Jaime and I packed up our tears, dogs, bicycle and everything else and headed out of Louisville north to Canada. We should be in Saskatchewan tomorrow, if all goes well.
I'm sitting in the lobby of a Motel 6, with several annoyed people watching me and waiting their turn on this shared terminal, so I'm going to sign off. See you back in the big country to the north...
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
On the road again in Toledo, Ohio
Well, the great adventure is under way. I've spent the last couple of days finishing the packing, helping the movers get everything out of our house in Hamilton, cleaning and finally hitting the road!
Jaime, Kelly and I are in Toledo, Ohio tonight, about half-way to our first destination. We should be in Louisville on Wednesday to get Kelly set up at the U of L. We've got a very full van (complete with 2 dogs!). But the good thing is that most of our stuff is Kelly's. So when we drop her off, we'll have plenty of room for the next stage.
From Louisville, we'll be heading up to our cottage at Buena Vista (just outside of Regina) before heading off to Victoria.
I'm still a little stunned that everything got done...this was event management of a very significant sort. Of course, I ended up with more to do than I expected...but that's the way of these things. Now that everything's done, I'm just enjoying the ride...and looking forward to getting to our new home.
The weather has been beautiful, but it's hot. And likely to get hotter still before we get back to the Great White North.
More later...when I'm not quite so exhausted...
Jaime, Kelly and I are in Toledo, Ohio tonight, about half-way to our first destination. We should be in Louisville on Wednesday to get Kelly set up at the U of L. We've got a very full van (complete with 2 dogs!). But the good thing is that most of our stuff is Kelly's. So when we drop her off, we'll have plenty of room for the next stage.
From Louisville, we'll be heading up to our cottage at Buena Vista (just outside of Regina) before heading off to Victoria.
I'm still a little stunned that everything got done...this was event management of a very significant sort. Of course, I ended up with more to do than I expected...but that's the way of these things. Now that everything's done, I'm just enjoying the ride...and looking forward to getting to our new home.
The weather has been beautiful, but it's hot. And likely to get hotter still before we get back to the Great White North.
More later...when I'm not quite so exhausted...
Saturday, August 12, 2006
Proud Papa Update - Henley, Day Five
This is the post I've been waiting four years to write -- Jaime won her first Henley Gold today!
She was part of the Senior Lightweight Women's Eight and they roared to a convincing first-place finish this afternoon. Man, was it fun to watch them cross that line.
I was so choked up, I could barely talk, but I did manage to get to the medal stand and catch this great photo of Jaime, looking very proud and holding tight to that great big trophy. (There were eight other people in the photo too, but I only have eyes for Jaime at this point!)
What a day! And what a Henley for Jaime. She had a first, a second and a fourth-place finish. She made every final. And today, in her last race for the Leander Boat Club, she wins a Gold medal. What a great way to finish.
She was very disappointed at her second place showing in the single this week. But if anything, it only made her more determined to lead her boat to a victory in the Eight. And that's just what happened.
I was in Victoria watching Jaime when she just missed a spot on the National Under 23 Team in June. I watched as she shook off that huge disappointment and turned it into a positive. She vowed to take this opportunity to win a Gold at Henley. And now she's done it. I am constantly in awe of how cool my kids are.
In a couple of days, we're wrapping up this stage of our lives. Tuesday morning, Jaime, Kelly and I are leaving for good. We're dropping Kelly off in Louisville, then Jaime and I are continuing on to Victoria. It will be hard to say goodbye to Hamilton, and all the good rowing memories we have here. But there's plenty more good things to come -- that's for sure.
And now it looks like our son, Cory -- the non-rowing kid, who was there with me today, cheering louder than anyone -- is going to join the move to the West. He just got back from a vacation in Saskatchewan and he sounds pretty determined to move out there next spring. It will be great to have him a little closer to us.
This is one very Proud Papa, wrapping up this Henley regatta. Who knows? Maybe we'll do this again next year!
And just to be fair to the other rowers, here's a full shot of all the gold-medal rowers, the Leander Senior Womens Lightweight Eight - Henley Champions for 2006!
Technorati Tags: Proud Papa Henley Regatta
Friday, August 11, 2006
Proud Papa Update - Henley, Day Four
The wind picked up at the Henley course today, blowing from the east and straight into the rowers. It made for a very difficult row and a lot of very, very exhausted kids at the end of their 2,000 metre endurance test.
Unfortunately for Kelly, her Junior Women's 8 race was the toughest of the four heats, and her boat ended up in 5th position. Only the top 3 boats in each heat advanced. Ironically, Leander's time would have qualified them in any of the other heats - but that's the way it is in rowing. You take what the rowing gods (or the regatta organizers) throw your way.
So Henley is over for another year for Kelly. But there's always next year and if anything, she's more determined than ever to get to the finals next year. We'll see what a year of hard work at the University of Louisville does for her. I suspect it will be impressive.
Jaime had an off-day today, taking advantage of the downtime to get a massage and hang out with some of her friends from Victoria who are also at the Henley.
Tomorrow, she'll be rowing in the finals one final time -- as part of Leander's Senior Lightweight 8.
Jaime announced yesterday to the Hamilton Spectator that she won't be coming back to the Henley again. But she's determined to leave with at least one Henley Gold in her pocket. It's a prize that's eluded her in four years of trying, as this story in today's Spec points out.
So my involvement in the Henley is almost over. It's been a great ride having two such talented rowers in the family. I don't know whether I'll be back again in summers to come -- we'll just have to wait and see. But I thoroughly enjoyed the many hours of hanging out at the course and watching the races. It's made me a very Proud Papa indeed.
I'll have my final update tomorrow...
Here's the updated schedule and of course, you can watch the results of Jaime's last race live at the Henley website.
Unfortunately for Kelly, her Junior Women's 8 race was the toughest of the four heats, and her boat ended up in 5th position. Only the top 3 boats in each heat advanced. Ironically, Leander's time would have qualified them in any of the other heats - but that's the way it is in rowing. You take what the rowing gods (or the regatta organizers) throw your way.
So Henley is over for another year for Kelly. But there's always next year and if anything, she's more determined than ever to get to the finals next year. We'll see what a year of hard work at the University of Louisville does for her. I suspect it will be impressive.
Jaime had an off-day today, taking advantage of the downtime to get a massage and hang out with some of her friends from Victoria who are also at the Henley.
Tomorrow, she'll be rowing in the finals one final time -- as part of Leander's Senior Lightweight 8.
Jaime announced yesterday to the Hamilton Spectator that she won't be coming back to the Henley again. But she's determined to leave with at least one Henley Gold in her pocket. It's a prize that's eluded her in four years of trying, as this story in today's Spec points out.
So my involvement in the Henley is almost over. It's been a great ride having two such talented rowers in the family. I don't know whether I'll be back again in summers to come -- we'll just have to wait and see. But I thoroughly enjoyed the many hours of hanging out at the course and watching the races. It's made me a very Proud Papa indeed.
I'll have my final update tomorrow...
Here's the updated schedule and of course, you can watch the results of Jaime's last race live at the Henley website.
HENLEY SCHEDULE - AUG 8-13 (Updated Aug 11)
TUESDAY (heats)
8:42 Kelly (Jr. Women Cox Four) RESULT 3rd - Did not advance
1:01 Jaime (Sr. B Lwt Women Single) RESULT - 1ST - Advance to semi
3:49 Kelly (Jr. Women Single) RESULT - 2nd Advance to semi
4:03 Jaime (Sr. Lwt Women Double) RESULT - 3rd Advance to semi
WEDNESDAY (semis)
4:52-4:59 Jaime (Sr. B Lwt Women Single) RESULT 2nd - Advance to Final
5:27-5:41 Kelly (Jr. Women Single) RESULT 3rd - Did not advance
5:48-5:55 Jaime (Sr. Lwt Women Double) RESULT 3rd - Advance to Final
THURSDAY (finals)
4:40 Jaime (Sr. B Lwt Women Single) RESULT 2nd
5:40 Jaime (Sr. Lwt Women Double) RESULT 4th
FRIDAY (heat)
10:41 Kelly (Jr. Women Eight) RESULTS 5th - Did not advance
SATURDAY (semi and final)
3:15 Jaime (Sr. Lwt Women Eight) (FINAL)
Technorati Tag: Proud Papa, Henley Regatta
Thursday, August 10, 2006
Proud Papa Update - Henley, Day Three
So close...
Jaime just missed out on a gold medal in her single. She finished second. But for the second day in a row, a bad start hurt a Traynor rower.
Just like yesterday, when a bad start put Kelly in a deep hole from the beginning, Jaime says she had one of her worst starts ever today. By the time she recovered, she was down a couple of boat lengths and although the rest of race went really well...
What is this? A new Traynor curse at the Henley? I certainly hope not, since there are still races to be rowed. Both girls still have their eights left.
In Jaime's second final, with her partner Lauren Chewter, their double didn't have quite enough horses to catch a gold medal. They ended up getting edged out of third place at the finish, in a race that Jaime said was not one of their strongest efforts. Once again, big sigh.
But while Henley gold wasn't in the cards today, I couldn't be prouder of the way that Jaime rowed. My throat is still hurting from all the lumps it's had in it today and my eyes are watering just remembering the races. It's definitely worth all the effort. Congratulations to her.
So tomorrow, the eights begin. Kelly rows her first heat in the morning and she's looking to advance to the semis. Jaime has a straight final on Saturday afternoon.
Here's the updated schedule and of course, you can watch the results live at the Henley website.
Jaime just missed out on a gold medal in her single. She finished second. But for the second day in a row, a bad start hurt a Traynor rower.
Just like yesterday, when a bad start put Kelly in a deep hole from the beginning, Jaime says she had one of her worst starts ever today. By the time she recovered, she was down a couple of boat lengths and although the rest of race went really well...
What is this? A new Traynor curse at the Henley? I certainly hope not, since there are still races to be rowed. Both girls still have their eights left.
In Jaime's second final, with her partner Lauren Chewter, their double didn't have quite enough horses to catch a gold medal. They ended up getting edged out of third place at the finish, in a race that Jaime said was not one of their strongest efforts. Once again, big sigh.
But while Henley gold wasn't in the cards today, I couldn't be prouder of the way that Jaime rowed. My throat is still hurting from all the lumps it's had in it today and my eyes are watering just remembering the races. It's definitely worth all the effort. Congratulations to her.
So tomorrow, the eights begin. Kelly rows her first heat in the morning and she's looking to advance to the semis. Jaime has a straight final on Saturday afternoon.
Here's the updated schedule and of course, you can watch the results live at the Henley website.
HENLEY SCHEDULE - AUG 8-13 (Updated Aug 10)
TUESDAY (heats)
8:42 Kelly (Jr. Women Cox Four) RESULT 3rd - Did not advance
1:01 Jaime (Sr. B Lwt Women Single) RESULT - 1ST - Advance to semi
3:49 Kelly (Jr. Women Single) RESULT - 2nd Advance to semi
4:03 Jaime (Sr. Lwt Women Double) RESULT - 3rd Advance to semi
WEDNESDAY (semis)
4:52-4:59 Jaime (Sr. B Lwt Women Single) RESULT 2nd - Advance to Final
5:27-5:41 Kelly (Jr. Women Single) RESULT 3rd - Did not advance
5:48-5:55 Jaime (Sr. Lwt Women Double) RESULT 3rd - Advance to Final
THURSDAY (finals)
4:40 Jaime (Sr. B Lwt Women Single) RESULT 2nd
5:40 Jaime (Sr. Lwt Women Double) RESULT 4th
FRIDAY (heat)
10:41 Kelly (Jr. Women Eight)
SATURDAY (semi and final)
11:21-11:28 Kelly (Jr. Women Eight)
3:15 Jaime (Sr. Lwt Women Eight) (FINAL)
SUNDAY (final)
2:40 Kelly (Jr. Women Eight)
?? Jaime Dash For Cash
Technorati Tag: Proud Papa, Henley Regatta
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
Proud Papa Update - Henley, Day Two
Another beautiful day in southern Ontario, and another good day for Jaime on the water. For Kelly, it was another disappointment, as she just missed out on qualifying her single for the final.
Jaime, on the other hand, placed second in her single semi, and finished in a near photo-finish with two other boats to go through to the final in her double.
Rowers often say there's nothing tougher than rowing in a race where only the top two boats advance. It's OK if you're one of these two, but for the other four, there's only disappointment. That was the case for Kelly today, as only the two fastest boats in each of the three semi-finals advanced to the final.
Kelly hadn't rowed her single all summer, choosing instead to focus on the four and eights as a sweeper. And at Leander this year, mixing sculling (with two oars) and sweeping (with a single oar) wasn't allowed. So she decided not to row her single.
A couple of weeks ago, with injuries to some of the other girls making her chances in the eight look less good, Kelly decided to enter a single in the Henley. But she still didn't get too much opportunity to practice in it. So today, when she needed to be at her best, her start was not that good, and she ended up dead last at the 500 metre mark. Although she dug in and raced the remaining 1,500 metres like crazy, she just couldn't quite make it to second and a spot in the final. But she certainly didn't leave anything on the course.
So Thursday, we're excited about Jaime's two races. She's up against all the familiar competition and she's defnitely in the running to medal.
Oh, and in case you're wondering why Kelly finished third but didn't advance, while Jaime finished third and did advance -- it's a simple numbers game. There are so many more heavyweights competing than lightweights that they end up with a lot more heats, but only two from each qualify for the semis. Then they end up with three semi-finals, instead of two. And if you can only end up with six boats in the final, you can only take two boats from each semi. So the numbers just work out that way for Kelly this year.
And of course, the rowing isn't over tomorrow. Kelly has the eight heats on Friday, semis on Saturday and finals on Sunday. And Jaime is racing the lightweight eight on Saturday (It's a straight final, without any heats, again because there are only a few boats entered.)
So here's the updated schedule. Jaime's races are both later in the day on Thursday. I'm not sure of the time, but you can find it on the Henley regatta website.
Jaime, on the other hand, placed second in her single semi, and finished in a near photo-finish with two other boats to go through to the final in her double.
Rowers often say there's nothing tougher than rowing in a race where only the top two boats advance. It's OK if you're one of these two, but for the other four, there's only disappointment. That was the case for Kelly today, as only the two fastest boats in each of the three semi-finals advanced to the final.
Kelly hadn't rowed her single all summer, choosing instead to focus on the four and eights as a sweeper. And at Leander this year, mixing sculling (with two oars) and sweeping (with a single oar) wasn't allowed. So she decided not to row her single.
A couple of weeks ago, with injuries to some of the other girls making her chances in the eight look less good, Kelly decided to enter a single in the Henley. But she still didn't get too much opportunity to practice in it. So today, when she needed to be at her best, her start was not that good, and she ended up dead last at the 500 metre mark. Although she dug in and raced the remaining 1,500 metres like crazy, she just couldn't quite make it to second and a spot in the final. But she certainly didn't leave anything on the course.
So Thursday, we're excited about Jaime's two races. She's up against all the familiar competition and she's defnitely in the running to medal.
Oh, and in case you're wondering why Kelly finished third but didn't advance, while Jaime finished third and did advance -- it's a simple numbers game. There are so many more heavyweights competing than lightweights that they end up with a lot more heats, but only two from each qualify for the semis. Then they end up with three semi-finals, instead of two. And if you can only end up with six boats in the final, you can only take two boats from each semi. So the numbers just work out that way for Kelly this year.
And of course, the rowing isn't over tomorrow. Kelly has the eight heats on Friday, semis on Saturday and finals on Sunday. And Jaime is racing the lightweight eight on Saturday (It's a straight final, without any heats, again because there are only a few boats entered.)
So here's the updated schedule. Jaime's races are both later in the day on Thursday. I'm not sure of the time, but you can find it on the Henley regatta website.
HENLEY SCHEDULE - AUG 8-13 (Updated Aug 9)
TUESDAY (heats)
8:42 Kelly (Jr. Women Cox Four) RESULT 3rd - Did not advance
1:01 Jaime (Sr. B Lwt Women Single) RESULT - 1ST - Advance to semi
3:49 Kelly (Jr. Women Single) RESULT - 2nd Advance to semi
4:03 Jaime (Sr. Lwt Women Double) RESULT - 3rd Advance to semi
WEDNESDAY (semis)
4:52-4:59 Jaime (Sr. B Lwt Women Single) RESULT - 2nd Advance to final
5:27-5:41 Kelly (Jr. Women Single) RESULT 3rd - Did not advance
5:48-5:55 Jaime (Sr. Lwt Women Double) RESULT - 3rd Advance to final
THURSDAY (finals)
4:40 Jaime (Sr. B Lwt Women Single)
5:20 Kelly (Jr. Women Single)
5:40 Jaime (Sr. Lwt Women Double)
FRIDAY (heat)
10:41 Kelly (Jr. Women Eight)
SATURDAY (semi and final)
11:21-11:28 Kelly (Jr. Women Eight)
3:15 Jaime (Sr. Lwt Women Eight) (FINAL)
SUNDAY (final)
2:40 Kelly (Jr. Women Eight)
?? Jaime Dash For Cash
Technorati Tags: Proud Papa, Henley Regatta
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
Proud Papa Update - Henley, Day One
The Henley Regatta got under way for Jaime and Kelly today, and, well, three out of four is pretty good, in my books. The girls each had two races and ended up moving ahead to the semi-finals in three of the four races.
By the way, I'll be spending a lot of time this week at the Henley, so don't expect a lot of other stories from me for the rest of this week. When I'm not at the race course, I'll be finishing up packing. By this time next week, we'll be in Louisville, dropping Kelly off at her new home!
So if you don't have a burning desire to be up-to-date on my daughters' activities at Henley, feel free to take a pass on this blog for a few days. For the rest of you, here we go!
Kelly moved on to Wednesday's semi in the Junior Womens Single, but her four just missed out moving through in the Junior Womens Four by finishing third. Because of the number of entries, only the top two boats in each heat advanced.
Jaime advanced to Wednesday's semi-finals in both her Senior B Lightweight Womens Single and Senior Lightweight Womens Double, thanks to a first place showing in her single and a tight third in her double, with her partner Lauren Chewter. In Jaime's races, the top three boats qualified for the semi's.
The action continues for the rest of the week. Here is the updated Henley schedule for Jaime and Kelly. If you want to watch the results live, go to the Henley website and click on the Live Results button.
By the way, I'll be spending a lot of time this week at the Henley, so don't expect a lot of other stories from me for the rest of this week. When I'm not at the race course, I'll be finishing up packing. By this time next week, we'll be in Louisville, dropping Kelly off at her new home!
So if you don't have a burning desire to be up-to-date on my daughters' activities at Henley, feel free to take a pass on this blog for a few days. For the rest of you, here we go!
Kelly moved on to Wednesday's semi in the Junior Womens Single, but her four just missed out moving through in the Junior Womens Four by finishing third. Because of the number of entries, only the top two boats in each heat advanced.
Jaime advanced to Wednesday's semi-finals in both her Senior B Lightweight Womens Single and Senior Lightweight Womens Double, thanks to a first place showing in her single and a tight third in her double, with her partner Lauren Chewter. In Jaime's races, the top three boats qualified for the semi's.
The action continues for the rest of the week. Here is the updated Henley schedule for Jaime and Kelly. If you want to watch the results live, go to the Henley website and click on the Live Results button.
HENLEY SCHEDULE - AUG 8-13
TUESDAY (heats)
8:42 Kelly (Jr. Women Cox Four) RESULT 3rd - Did not advance
1:01 Jaime (Sr. B Lwt Women Single) RESULT - 1ST - Advance to semi
3:49 Kelly (Jr. Women Single) RESULT - 2nd Advance to semi
4:03 Jaime (Sr. Lwt Women Double) RESULT - 3rd Advance to semi
WEDNESDAY (semis)
4:52-4:59 Jaime (Sr. B Lwt Women Single)
5:27-5:41 Kelly (Jr. Women Single)
5:48-5:55 Jaime (Sr. Lwt Women Double)
THURSDAY (finals)
4:40 Jaime (Sr. B Lwt Women Single)
5:20 Kelly (Jr. Women Single)
5:40 Jaime (Sr. Lwt Women Double)
FRIDAY (heat)
10:41 Kelly (Jr. Women Eight)
SATURDAY (semi and final)
11:21-11:28 Kelly (Jr. Women Eight)
3:15 Jaime (Sr. Lwt Women Eight) (FINAL)
SUNDAY (final)
2:40 Kelly (Jr. Women Eight)
?? Jaime Dash For Cash
Technorati Tags: Proud Papa, Henley Regatta
Monday, August 07, 2006
Who says puncuation isn't important?
As a writer and an editor who often struggles to convince others that puncuation is important, I had to smile at the story on the front page of the Report on Business this morning.
"The $2-million comma" describes how Rogers Communications screwed up the punctuation in a deal they did with Aliant. They thought one thing, but a team of experts saw the misplaced comma as changing the whole meaning of the sentence. It's a good story, and instructive for those of us who are prone to skipping over punctuation from time to time.
While there are those who think that proper punctuation is an out-dated notion, I think that grammar is making a comeback. Punctuation isn't that important when you're speaking to someone on the phone, for example. But with the increasing use of email, which ends up serving as the written record, it's more important to be sure your written words mean what you want them to mean.
I've got a book sitting by my bed that is a must-read if you find this sort of thing interesting. It's called "Eats, Shoots & Leaves," by Lynne Truss.
The book is full of all kinds of great stories about punctuation. But just to whet your appetite, here are a few excerpts, taken from her website:
"The $2-million comma" describes how Rogers Communications screwed up the punctuation in a deal they did with Aliant. They thought one thing, but a team of experts saw the misplaced comma as changing the whole meaning of the sentence. It's a good story, and instructive for those of us who are prone to skipping over punctuation from time to time.
While there are those who think that proper punctuation is an out-dated notion, I think that grammar is making a comeback. Punctuation isn't that important when you're speaking to someone on the phone, for example. But with the increasing use of email, which ends up serving as the written record, it's more important to be sure your written words mean what you want them to mean.
I've got a book sitting by my bed that is a must-read if you find this sort of thing interesting. It's called "Eats, Shoots & Leaves," by Lynne Truss.
The book is full of all kinds of great stories about punctuation. But just to whet your appetite, here are a few excerpts, taken from her website:
To be fair, many people who couldn’t punctuate their way out of a paper bag are still interested in the way punctuation can alter the sense of a string of words. It is the basis of all “I’m sorry, I’ll read that again” jokes. Instead of “What would you with the king?” you can have someone say in Marlowe’s Edward II, “What? Would you? With the king?” The consequences of mispunctuation (and re-punctuation) have appealed to both great and little minds, and in the age of the fancy-that email a popular example is the comparison of two sentences:
A woman, without her man, is nothing.
A woman: without her, man is nothing.
Which, I don’t know, really makes you think, doesn’t it? Here is a popular “Dear Jack” letter that works in much the same fundamentally pointless way:
Dear Jack,
I want a man who knows what love is all about. You are generous, kind, thoughtful. People who are not like you admit to being useless and inferior. You have ruined me for other men. I yearn for you. I have no feelings whatsoever when we’re apart. I can be forever happy – will you let me be yours?
Jill
Dear Jack,
I want a man who knows what love is. All about you are generous, kind, thoughtful people, who are not like you. Admit to being useless and inferior. You have ruined me. For other men I yearn! For you I have no feelings whatsoever. When we’re apart I can be forever happy. Will you let me be?
Yours,
Jill
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
Putting passion on display
I like the way that one idea on the web can link you to another and then another and so on. And while it can eat up a lot of time, you often end up somewhere worthwhile.
I was scanning through some unread blog postings when I stumbled across a link to TED, a conference of 1000 thought leaders that happens in Monterey every year. I'm not even going to try to describe it. I suggest you click on the link above and explore it for yourself.
The presentation that I want to point you to is by Sir Ken Robinson, an expert on creativity in education. His presentation is deceptively simple.
He arrives on stage, with no slides and no notes. He just talks. He's witty. He tells wonderful stories and the audience loves him. But as he warms to his main thesis, which is that "Creativity is as important in education as literacy, and we should treat it with the same status," you can feel his passion pulsing. His stories become more focussed and the intensity is palpable.
It's an extraordinary display of how to connect with an audience. Those of us who deliver presentations in our work will do well to watch the techniques he uses and consider how they might work in our own delivery.
Of course, there is no "right" way to connect with an audience. But in all the presentations I watch, it's always "passion" that makes the best ones work. We need to see it in the presentators. We need to hear it in their voices, see it in their slides, and watch it in their body language.
Mind you, standing on stage and delivering a lecture is not the only way to present. And with today's technology, most presentations use PowerPoint or KeyNote slides.
For many presentation, a good slide deck is mandatory. But learning how to use slides effectively is no less an art than effective speaking. If you're interested in exploring some of the best uses of slides, check out the Presentation Zen blog, where you will find plenty of examples and advice on the latest in using technology in your presentations.
And to see some of the classics of the trade, check out the best work of some people like Lawrence Lessig, or Dick Hardt or Steve Jobs at MacWorld 2006.
Your own presentation style will evolve, of course, as you sample the work of others and start integrating the "good stuff" into your own repertoire. That's the beauty of this new technology - how easily we can imitate. But the challenge is to move past imitation and creat our own unique style, full of the passion we need to be effective.
I was scanning through some unread blog postings when I stumbled across a link to TED, a conference of 1000 thought leaders that happens in Monterey every year. I'm not even going to try to describe it. I suggest you click on the link above and explore it for yourself.
The presentation that I want to point you to is by Sir Ken Robinson, an expert on creativity in education. His presentation is deceptively simple.
He arrives on stage, with no slides and no notes. He just talks. He's witty. He tells wonderful stories and the audience loves him. But as he warms to his main thesis, which is that "Creativity is as important in education as literacy, and we should treat it with the same status," you can feel his passion pulsing. His stories become more focussed and the intensity is palpable.
It's an extraordinary display of how to connect with an audience. Those of us who deliver presentations in our work will do well to watch the techniques he uses and consider how they might work in our own delivery.
Of course, there is no "right" way to connect with an audience. But in all the presentations I watch, it's always "passion" that makes the best ones work. We need to see it in the presentators. We need to hear it in their voices, see it in their slides, and watch it in their body language.
Mind you, standing on stage and delivering a lecture is not the only way to present. And with today's technology, most presentations use PowerPoint or KeyNote slides.
For many presentation, a good slide deck is mandatory. But learning how to use slides effectively is no less an art than effective speaking. If you're interested in exploring some of the best uses of slides, check out the Presentation Zen blog, where you will find plenty of examples and advice on the latest in using technology in your presentations.
And to see some of the classics of the trade, check out the best work of some people like Lawrence Lessig, or Dick Hardt or Steve Jobs at MacWorld 2006.
Your own presentation style will evolve, of course, as you sample the work of others and start integrating the "good stuff" into your own repertoire. That's the beauty of this new technology - how easily we can imitate. But the challenge is to move past imitation and creat our own unique style, full of the passion we need to be effective.
Technorati Tag: Presentation Style
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)