I had a feeling this was going to be feast or famine, and it's starting to look like feast. I may not survive this fall :-) I've talked about most of these things here before, but I think some explanation is needed to give the full picture.
Some of you will remember I have a pilot's license (VFR - visual flight rules), though I haven't really flown that much since qualifying for it. A couple of months ago, someone pointed out to me that my company has a program where you can apply to get reimbursed for the costs of getting either the initial pilot's rating or an instrument flight rating (IFR - this would be the one that could have saved JFK Jr.'s life). I try not to miss opportunities like that so I applied to get the IFR. Since I'd probably want to do this in the evenings after work, in the dark so I get something resembling actual instrument conditions, I figured I could just cut way back on rowing for the fall.
Last November, Rudder rowed a marathon in Natchitoches, Louisiana (he'd done it once before, aboout ten years ago). He and his partner She-Hulk set the course record for mixed doubles, a bit over 3 hours. Another guy from our lake, D, also rowed it last year, only he took about two hours longer, stopping to talk to people on the way and even to use their bathrooms. I figured that's my speed, so in a weak (masochistic) moment, I asked D if he wanted to row it in a double with me this year. He's considering it - he's got some other stuff going on, with a daughter getting married in October and another due to have his first grandchild. On the other hand, he was pretty excited to win a medal next year, and I think he likes the idea of our being, in his words, "the only Jew boat in Lousiana" (yes, he is too).
On our way back from Masters Nationals a couple of weeks ago, we got to talking to a woman across the airplane aisle, who's from a rowing club in Colorado where we have some other contacts. (In fact, one guy from there often rows a double with Rudder at races.) In the course of discussion, she asked me to cox her boat at the Head of the Charles in October in Boston. I didn't know how seriously to take her, but then when it turned out she couldn't go, she passed my name on to someone else at their club (who knows me) and she asked me to cox their four. For perspective, you need to know that the HotC is the biggest rowing event in the world, with 7000 participants this year, and that it's on a very winding river with several bridges to go under. In other words, it's one of the biggest challenges there is for a coxswain. So many people apply that they hold a drawing to see which crews get to participate.
Also, my job is supposed to be an 18-24 month posting, and I'm supposed to "repatriate" by December. I want to transfer to another division that's a lot closer to home, but have no idea whether or how this will affect the IFR reimbursement.
To recap, there are four opportunities:
A) get a company-reimbursed IFR rating (company picks from applicants)
B) row a marathon in November (potential partner is considering)
C) cox the Head of the Charles (depends on draw)
D) change jobs within my company (requires applications and interviews, just like changing companies)
Notice that the flight training would be best done in the evenings, the marathon requires rowing practice which as long as it's hot out is better done in the mornings, the HoTC requires I get some coxing practice in since it's been a while, and the job thing just adds general stress.
Yesterday afternoon, I heard back on the IFR reimbursement. I'm in.
The HoTC application deadline was September 1. They said they'd have draw results posted by September 5. This morning, the results were up. We're in.
Now my potential partner just has to decide on the marathon and I need to work on the repatriation. If those all happen in the next few months (plus all the normal stuff with work and life's other minutiae) this could be an *extremely* full Fall. I may not get to sleep until December.
Posted by dichroic at September 3, 2004 12:13 PM