Class time

We finally got a chance to take a whitewater kayaking class this past weekend. We've toyed around with some minor whitewater on the Nantahala with our rec boats, but this was the first chance we've had to use actual whitewater boats outside a swimming pool. The first day was on a lake and the second day on the Tuckaseegee River, a couple hours north of Atlanta in western NC.

We spent a lot more time upside down under water than we do normally when we're kayaking, part of it on purpose as we tried to finally get the rolling down. We'd tried it before in a pool unsuccessfully - we both got close but still can't quite get it. Only one person in the class did complete a roll successfully, and of course it was a 21-year-old guy who had stayed up all night the night before drinking and was just there with a buddy, didn't even really want to do kayaking. Thanks, cosmic justice.

The Tuckaseegee is pretty tame as whitewater rivers go but has a lot of good spots to learn. We both flipped a few times working on the various skills and we both have a few little bumps and bruises, but nothing serious. (Yes, moms, we're both wearing our helmets!) The most serious casualty was my wedding ring, which is currently symbolizing my lifetime commitment to a spot somewhere along the bottom of the river.

I actually didn't notice it was gone until this morning even though I've never taken it off, but even if I had I'm sure I wouldn't have been able to rescue it. It would have been a real test of my sentimentality - I would have wanted to try to find it, but one of our instructors jokingly (?) referred to the river as the "Tuckafeces" more than once, which didn't make me want to spend too much extra time under there.

I probably should have taken it off. But I figure if I'd made it a habit to take it off to avoid losing it before, I'm sure I would have managed to lose it a long time ago. Anyway, I figure with the crummy economy, there's got to be a pretty good selection of used wedding rings down at the pawn shop!