A rare weekend of no action engulfed me with the start of it being breakfast at the sailing club with Angel who, like me is a veteran of the cold water rescue team. It was a perfect day to launch the rowboat – not much wind, strong sunshine – but Angel had to work later and I was scheduled to travel south soon after. We talked for once without applying ourselves to oars or being interrupted by dragging capsized sailors into the safety boat. We made plans for some maintenance on our boats, but otherwise were idle.
Once a year, the family meets. Some decades ago, it was noticed that funerals and weddings were the only occasions that catching up happened and so an annual get together on the first weekend of May was started. Curating a year’s activity into some sort of coherent narrative without dominating the conversation is the challenge. “What have you been up to Dan, still armwrestling?” – yes – “Still working on the channel swimming boats?” – no. I mention Judo, tell tales of the Claymore throwing around circus dumbells. It doesn’t hold much interest to those who play tennis and golf and yoga. My usual jibe that chasing after a ball is entertainment for dogs has been said previously and if I’m honest they didn’t find it funny then. Tales of the woods are a bit more well received. I deferred from the after dinner walk for a heartening talk with Aunt Sally who is 80 and full of enthusiasm and plans.
We eventually all went our separate ways back to lodgings or on the road to the different parts of the country that we live in. That night, full of dinner and not at all tired from any sort of exertion I woke in the early hours and found it hard to get back to sleep. Surprising, given my habit of falling asleep anywhere at any time of day no matter how much noise is going on around me. I have slept in a hotel under an open window, sunshine pouring in whilst outside a funfair operated. The car park was being attacked by workmen with pneumatic hammers. Such things do not bother me. Weddings are a danger. I try to find a seat behind a pillar or at the back. I have been rudely woken with a sharp elbow in the ribs during a particularly long service. “You fell asleep.” My shrug and lack of concern was met with the further whispered statement “and you were snoring.” It’s not just the clergy that send me off. I have paid for interesting courses and had to stand at the back of the room so as not to sleep through the instruction. Theatre trips and cinemas equally lead to slumber.
In the dark, a thousand thoughts and scenarios can play out with nothing achieved. The endless inner narrative has to be directed. I used the time awake to plan the next few weeks of training. 16 hours of one thing, 3 hours another. Plenty of movement, don’t forget the recovery. Don’t get tempted to compete here or there, stick to the plan. Stop eating so much. All decided before dawn. The journey home on the motorway did not require me to drive. I slept of course.
See you down the road.
