Why am I late this time? I’ve been on strike. Nicole failed to send my entry for Rowing Personal Assistant of the Year 2010. (Although, yes I forgot to send Simon’s). Something about impending motherhood, a career, exceptional chocolate fund raising, and I fear she has been listening too closely to rumours of work experience students who have suggested that I do not know the difference between the fax and the Bob Stanley (I was storing documents there in the shoes BTW to fax at a more convenient moment) and a dictaphone and the cox box (simple multi tasking by dictating minutes while coxing saved me hours which could be better devoted to colour photocopying car parking passes). Anyway, she managed to get a late entry and we have saved the kitty on the $5 a day drain the frigging gen Y work experience kids were costing us. (Sorry Simon, they wouldn’t except further late entries).
So I thought I might mention some below outstanding items that Nicole has mentioned in the last couple of team meetings (where I have carefully drawn big love hearts with Katie 4 Oarsome Foursome 4 Eva on my notepad whilst she has continued to waffle on about petty cash, the cost of stamps and the zootie machine wash testing)
1) Alright greedy guts, your chocolate money is due. (I am in final discussions with channel 10 for biggest gainer for 2011 to coincide with our next fundraising drive) It’s $28.80 per box (payable into your B-Pay fundraising account). This also means that everyone should have picked up their chocolate boxes by now – the bar is open so there are no excuses. Now we didn’t sell these at cost, we made a profit, not sure what we do with that yet, might have been mentioned in a number of recent meetings. But I’m sure it will crop up again. In the mean time, use that money to buy me a drink and I’ll let you know (this money may be to be raised twice to cover beverage expenses)
2) The boss (as I had refused to open mail) received regatta entries for APSM (All People Smell Mouldy (when wet)) on May 8th and hopefully the weather will be nicer than at Barwon. It’s the last regatta of the season and the bosses last regatta as HOR (before the boss goes to have a baby girl rower) – so lets make it a good one.
Personally, the HOR would love to see RRC crush Powerhouse in a mixed 8. (Watch out for a couple of girls (well they entered as girls) that flogged JK and I few years ago, you’ll know them, they have red eyeballs and are part machine, might be best to crash into them at the start and render their boat unrowable, or hope it rains and they short circuit).
3) We will be holding time trials around the island this Sunday. I drove it the other day and it took me 9 minutes, so I am looking for the time closest to that. Franzie’s Novice Men’s 8 is going split in two bow four and stern four and battle it out for novice guys supremacy. The plan is mix up all female rowers into even crews and let be a battle of guts and glory.
Please, note that these time trials are for “bling” at presentation night. (And its super nice, without my success in previous years I would be having to drink only primas or stubbies or out of the tap at home) – which will be held on the 19th of June. If you are not happy, with your tub four time you can repeat the trial in any crew of your choosing three weeks later. Other time trial bling up for grabs is time trials in tub pairs and in tub single. These are from the club, around Swan Street Bridge. If you are interested in competing in the small boat time trials, please let your coaches know and they will arrange a time for you to do it safely.
I have a few special mentions.
Laura Schouten – Mother of two who knows what it means to keep pushing when the going gets tough. Awesome display in Sydney in a big head wind and gearing that most blokes would be bragging about.
Sam Morrison (AKA Captain Splash) – Another big pusher who in the third 500 meters of a 2K race moved from 5th to 2nd taking three boats lengths off the competition in the process.
Joe Lian-Lloyd – Awesome (and secretly seeing other crews, sobbing)
From Simon (MNB) Naturalists Award
Goes to Johno and Matt from the men’s eight for their efforts in losing a frog in Sam’s bed on the Sunday night of the regatta. The frog planted in Sam’s bed took a side exit while Johno and Matt when back for another beer. When the lads came back the frog was gone and the tricksters fearing that the frog had gone astray, ending up in someone else bed or even their own, pulled the cabin apart looking for the frog while abusing each other for losing the frog. Comedy at it best.
Lastly, Girls, Very important! Vote on the thingy button on the blog. The B team has voted so many times that Netspace and Intel have repossessed our computers. Some of those boys are probably in jail now for erroneous voting, press the button and bring us our deserving victory.
Katie Gray (PANS&SK – Personal Assistant to Nicole Stupka and Side Kick (get it))