I flew back from Las Vegas, and it was pretty miserable. My flight was scheduled to leave at midnight and arrive in Boston at 8AM.  I had attended our sales awards dinner before grabbing a taxi and heading to the airport around 10PM.  There was much toasting and drinking.  Basically going from table to table and toasting all the different sales teams from different regions.  Many of them from cultures where drinking has been raised to an art form.  I stuck to beer, but even with that, I was feeling a bit tipsy by the time I got my cab.

I figured it would work out great.  I’d collapse into my middle seat and fall into a dreamless slumber.  Well, JetBlue had other plans for me.  I arrived at my gate to see that my departure had been delayed to 1:00AM.  I went to the desk and inquired.  The response was, “Oh yeah, that’s not the latest update, now we are planning a departure at 1:50AM”.  My heart sunk.  I had to try to stay awake for another 2 and a half hours in an airport terminal where everything was closed.  By the way, that’s when I wrote the “catching up” post.

Ultimately, the time passed and we were allowed to board.  At that point in time, we were told that due to a gigantic weather system over the midwest, we would need to fly a longer course, essentially due east to Georgia, and then up the east coast.  This would add about an hour to our travel time.  I was too tired to even react.  I just sat down. put on my seat belt, passed out and I don’t even remember taking off.  I slept for 5 hours straight, I didn’t even recline the seat.  I woke up as we were flying up the eastern seaboard and dozed off and on the rest of the way to Boston.  We finally arrived at 11AM, 3 hours behind schedule.

Now I had planned ahead.  After my 8AM arrival, I was going to stop in Newton, replace the oarlocks on my friends boat, and then take it out for a gentle row to work out the kinks from my flight.  These plans were also not to be.

I replaced the first oarlock without much problem.  They are a strange style.

To remove the pin, you have to back out the bolt at the bottom, and then unthread the pin from the nut on top of the rigger.  The replacement went fine on the starboard side, but on the port side, the bottom bolt was frozen in the pin.  I tried to work it out, but managed to shear the bolt.  So, I regarded my situation and decided to go buy a new bolt.  From the hardware store, I then went home, drilled out the broken, frozen bolt out of the pin, replaced the oarlock, and then drove back to the boat (a 30 minute ride).  I then put the oarlock back on the boat, and noticed that I had left the nut to secure the back stay onto the pin at home (shit!).  I drove home (again), and packed up the nut so I wouldn’t forget it again.  By now it was after 3:30.  I decided to row on the erg until my wife got home from work.  Nothing fancy or difficult, just r18 and 180.

She got home from work about 22 minutes and 30 seconds later.  I stopped at 24 minutes and went to say hello.  It was a very low key row.  I didn’t have much to give.

We had a lovely evening.  Pasta Puttanesca, Chicken Breast and Brussels Sprouts.  I collapsed into bed around 9:30.

Today, I am flying out to San Jose for a meeting and dinner.  I fly home on the red eye.  I hope this one goes a bit better.  I won’t have time for a workout.

Friday:  I think I will go for a row.