Going Forward

It has been a tough couple of weeks filled with some deep disappointment--however, I know who my friends are--those who reached out to me--I may not have been so receptive to some but I will come around soon.  Keep trying, you may be surprised.  My sister was a great support--she put it out there & I'm grateful for her incredible & kind words.  Check out her blog (yeah, chip off the old block): windycitymomma.com. 

Sandaway on Tred Avon in Oxford, MD

But I had a great weekend come out of great disappointment--good karma perhaps.  Xing Fu was racing to Oxford on his regular ride & I was able to get on a boat myself--a PHRF A2 boat (not used to that fleet at all).  It was good fun & the regular crew really made me feel welcome--I flew the kite for a bit & trimmed jib.  For me, this was hugely important because I was feeling pretty low about the racing thing & extremely nervous about stepping on a new boat too.  The race went by pretty fast & the guys I sat with on the rail kept me laughing along with learning a bit more about tactics for that particular boat.  It also helped that Xing Fu recognized how anxious I was when he dropped me off at the marina for the 3 hour motor to the start & sent me a text telling me that I should have fun & that I was a good sailor.  It was the best thing he could have said--I instantly relaxed & I did have great fun.  After the race, we all sat out with about four boats rafted together enjoying Dark 'n' Stormies made by my skipper & Mango Mai Tais made by the boat rafted next to us along with a very nice spread of cheese, fruit, nuts, & crackers.  Nice ending to a nice distance race.

Xing Fu & I planned a stay at the Sandaway B&B--a beautiful room overlooking the Tred Avon River with its own screened in porch, just where the the race ended. We planned to stay there overnight & have a leisurely morning instead of racing back. Which we did--we went briefly to the party, had dinner at a cool little bistro & then got pulled over by Oxford's finest for a headlight.  He was desperately trying to make Xing Fu get a ticket for 1) going 30 in a 25 mph zone & 2) broken headlight & 3) DUI.  Xing Fu even offered to take a breathalyzer test which the cop declined but still tried to tell him that he smelled alcohol--mind you, Xing Fu had had a sip of my wine at dinner & that was all...so all he ended up giving us was a verbal warning for speeding, a repair order for my car which just seems to LOVE blowing headlights (this being the 4th since I've had the car).  The next day we watched the boats start the race back to Annapolis & then went to brunch at the Robert Morris Inn--very nice also.  It will be great to do that again next year. All in all, good came from bad & I have another wonderful weekend full of memories.