My husband is the Team Captain for the Flynnigan’s Wake dragonboat team. This is the second year that the The Great Midwest Dragon Boat Festival has been held in Racine. A team is comprised of the team manager, a drummer, 20 paddlers, and 3 spares. Each team must include a minimum of eight women per race. Last year, their team took 3rd in the Silver category. 
The team was mostly comprised of Flynns and their extended family and friends. Most of the team liked doing it well enough to sign up for this year’s race. I was the team photographer. The photo above was one I shot of the team racing. They’re the boat in the foreground. Anyhoo . . . I like being the team photographer. Since I’m not athletic, am about as uncoordinated as they come, and am not particularly fond of being out on Lake Michigan on a slightly overgrown canoe, staying on land with my camera suits me fine.
That said . . . yesterday was the team’s first practice session. It was hastily put together, and therefore, the whole team was not able to make it on such short notice. I sat there with my new camera, eager to see how it was going to work for the event. As Mike counted team members arriving, he said, “Les, you may have to row.” I laughed. Not I, the photographer! When it came time to get organized, I looked around and said to him, “I’m rowing, arent’ I?” He glanced at the camera, and said, “You’d better go put that in the van.” Damn.
So, as we lined up, I kept telling my husband how much I hated his guts. My brothers-in-law chuckled, and I told them I’d probably hate them by the time it was all said and done!! We donned our life vests and waded out to to the boat. Aah, Lake Michigan. Haven’t stuck my feet in your icy waters since I stupidly agreed to the Polar Bear swim on New Year’s Day. Slightly warmer this time. But not much.
Rowing a dragon boat is not difficult, really. The coach teaches you how to hold the paddle, and the proper technique for rowing. What kills you is getting the rhythm down. You’ve got to ALL be in synch . . . otherwise you’re clanking paddles. And that doesn’t win you any races. Let’s just say, in all, we weren’t pretty. We got wet, we were sloppy, we weren’t in top form. But . . . if I might brag . . . I was ROCKIN’!! I actually did very well!! And don’t tell anyone . . . but I had fun! That would severely ruin my crab-ass reputation, so please don’t tell any of the Flynnigan’s team!!
And, the best part — I’m not even sore today!! So perhaps I’m not as out of shape as I’d thought. LOL! Although, you all may want to check on me at about 3 p.m. to see if I’ve changed my story . . .
Now we’re all running around saying, “Hot rod flames!” “BUNNIES! “Hot rod flames!” “BUNNIES!!” (Which really doesn’t sound funny until you see it in the context of the cartoon. ) So, I encourage you all to tune into the Cartoon Network on Sunday at 7pm Eastern to watch it with us. We’ll be there. 
