I got 2 in the house!

That's my new curling terminology. I means I got both rocks on the bullseye target thing in a couple of the "ends" (rounds) I played last night. I think that's pretty good for a first time curler!

I was surprised by both how much work curling is, and by how much I enjoyed it! And not just the drinks and snacks between games. My sides and shoulders are sore today from all the sweeping. And my knees have some lovely purple bruises from the few times (ok every time) that I fell on the ice after throwing the rock. But my "skip" the team captain guy gave me lots of tips, and by the end of the night I think I was definitely getting the hang of it. And I won some BBQ tools!

After the tournament, Amanda, James, Laura from work and her friend Rachel and I went to the PI (short for Patricia Inn), one of Dryden's three bars. They had a great band that played some awesome tunes (I think I lost my voice about halfway through Jesse's Girl) and we got to meet Ralph, the town drunk. It was a very interesting clientele, ranging from college kids home from school for spring break, to older couples who looked like they were taking a break from their kids at home, to what can only be described as the lower echelons of Dryden society.

I also was amused to see two of the patrons who appeared to be fresh from a day of snowmachining, wearing full bib snow pants and toques. The best part? They seemed to be semi-successfully picking up chicks!

Today, after a bit of a late start, James, Amanda, and I headed back to the Dryden Ski Club (paparazzi be damned) to try cross-country skiing. I was pretty convinced that the 12 km trail would be a good place to start, but by the time we made it from the chalet to the beginning of the trails, I helped nudge the group towards the beginner loop. Still, we skied about 5 km, which was enough for me!

Now I think it's time to settle down on the couch to finish up the lace border on my Pi are Squared shawl. Then I'm going to figure out how to block this thing! I might have to block it on my bed, and sleep on the couch for a few nights.