It came!—Oh, did I forget to mention? I bought a kayak! I've been putting off the purchase because, well, they're not cheap...but I decided that I was going to enjoy this Summer a whole lot more than I enjoyed last Summer—and also, that I was going to keep my butt out of the hospital this time around.

I poured over reviews, specs, and finally decided to buy with the problem-area in mind. I found a kayak that allows for several different leg positions with the bigger cockpit and side pads so that I can keep shifting, adjusting the pressure on the high maintenance (and costly) derrière. This is nothing new—I've never in my entire life found sitting for long periods comfortable...who knew it was to blame on a tumor and lacking coccyx!?

At twelve feet, it's not so short to be an absolute nightmare on choppier waters (but short enough that it's still pretty maneuverable for someone with a shorter arm span), and has excellent ratings on stability and tracking. It came last Friday, and I was well pleased to return from my father's to find it sitting sweetly atop Nick's SUV. I jumped from my car and cried loudly, embarrassingly, "I HAVE A KAYAK!" Nick came out, inquiring whether or not I was drunk.



The next day, both kayaks were loaded on the SUV and we headed to Mirror lake to paddle the waters there. After four or five hours, we bobbed just off from where we put-in and clutched onto each other's boat to stay close and not drift away. It was so lovely just then, feeling the fatigue in my muscles and the heat of the sun—I am very happy with my choice of kayaks.

At one point, however, I called up to Nick, "Yours is still faster!"

He called back, "It's called arm strength."




Oh, and Nick wants me to publish that last night, at his birthday dinner, I ate steak. And liked it.