HIT TEN HIT! (or, dragonboating)

This is too bike-related! So, last fall, the BTA had an amazing advocacy intern, Amanda, who also was in her final stretch of law school up at Lewis and Clark. She's upbeat, hardworking, smart, good sense of humor, etc - the sorts of things that make you want to not only work with someone, but also drink beer with them afterwards.

Mid-spring, I got a note from Amanda - their dragonboat team was coming up short in practices, and did anyone want to jump on-board? Sure.

Cue a month-plus of practice 3x/week - after the first one, our tiller advised "anyone who's new... go home and take some ibuprofen and have a strong drink. You'll be sore tomorrow." (He was right.)

This past weekend was the Rose Festival - so, in addition to Navy folks running around in official costumes, bike detours all over downtown, and excessive bridge-raising - there were dragonboat races.

With catcher skilled and caller shrill,

And Honeybadger* at the till,

We've got a stab! and snap! and reach!**

We're gonna beat you to that beach!

For the first time in a long time, Scales of Justice made it to the semi-finals.

And to the finals.

We took second in our division.

Sunday was long, and hard, and I slept like an idiot that night. Monday I was sore - even before short-track. But boy, did that feel good. Can't wait for next year...

*most folks took their jersey names from internet memes. I was Row Bott, of course.

**three of the steps of the awkward dragonboat paddle stroke, which is unlike that of canoeing/kayaking/other logical things.