Roz Savage Update: July 11, 2011

Day 69:Decline And Fall

Today was a rough day – literally and figuratively.

As I have done so many times before in trying circumstances, I called my dear old Mum. It was good to share. She and I are going through very similar emotions at the moment – me with the ocean, she with her broken leg. We are both in uncomfortable, occasionally painful, situations. We are both feeling frustrated and impatient for this phase to end. We both know that this too shall pass – eventually. And we both have (very approximately) another 2 months to go.

The big difference is that I volunteered for mine. She didn’t. And another difference is that her leg is mending, while here it feels like everything is breaking.

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Maybe that is a little over-dramatic. Not quite everything is breaking, but after ten straight days of high winds and high seas, both Sedna and I are looking decidedly dishevelled. I can’t speak for Her Royal Purpleness, but I for one am very much looking forward to some calmer weather (due to start tomorrow, for a day or so) so I can get hevelled again. A bit of hevelment would most definitely have a restorative effect on morale. I would, indeed, revel in some hevel. Ideally on the level.

And on that decidedly nonsensical note, I shall shut up before I embarrass myself further.

Other Stuff:

It occurred to me today, while in this rather melancholy mood, that maybe this is how it feels to suffer from a degenerative disease, or to suffer effects of old age. One after another, things cease to function. Most things you learn to manage without, some you miss. There is a general feeling of decline, and a nagging anxiety as to what might go next. I am fortunate, in that I am only suffering the loss of creature comforts and a few electronics. But it did make me feel compassion for those suffering irreversible physical or mental decline.

Hoping my iPod lasts out long enough for me to listen to the next book – “Eaarth: Making a Life on a Tough New Planet“, by Bill McKibben. He is quite a hero of mine.

RGJ: relieved to hear it was a wind-up. Just like undergraduate days. Me rowing, you winding up. Plus ca change.

Thanks to Doug and Aimee for the info about “An Open Letter to All Humankind”. It sound fantastic. I very much look forward to seeing it when I get back to dry land. http://bit.ly/tommoletter

Jay – my 430th day at sea? Yes, I had lost count. Wow, that’s a lot of days. I really am a glutton for punishment. Today’s quote in honour of your “failures” story.

Quote: If you want to succeed, double your failure rate.
(Thomas Watson, IBM)

Photo: looking forward to being on the level – note angle of boat to horizon (photo taken on Atlantic in 2005)

Sponsored Miles: Thank you Curtis Zing.