40 40 40

Oh, the jokes have flown this weekend, speculating on what was on the minds of certain parents some time around June 1970. 4 teammates all turning 40 this month? Oddly, delightfully coincidental. And a little tough for them. Kenn opted for a quiet celebration with his partner Cliff and a few friends, but the other three were forced to arrange their celebrations so as not to conflict one with another. In short, it made for a fun but busy weekend for many of us.

Romel was up first on Friday. A party at the home he shares with his partner Carl. Conrad, I am happy to report, made it on to an earlier flight back from work in Boston, and he was able to join me at Romel and Carl's after all. We snacked and sipped and chatted with a number of teammates and a few non-teammates. A very nice time to kick off the weekend.

Last night was Ron's turn. Daniel came over for dinner at our place, then the three of us headed downtown to Blue Frog where it turned out karaoke was the order of the night. Fun to watch, and all credit to Ron who turned in a great performance before Daniel, Conrad, and I left. More teammates to chat with, of course, and a bonus of mini chocolate cupcakes with a peanut butter frosting. Yum!













Today, then, and more than just food and beverage. Oh no, Liz had more in mind: a swim workout. It says something about our team that there were over two-dozen of us crammed into three lanes. Even better, some old faces showed up: Dominic at the pool and Amber at Rocks Lincoln Park afterward.






It was fun, and the swim certainly justified the large pieces of cake we all dug into (plus beer and other food!).

All in all, it makes me want to be more creative when in the future I celebrate a landmark occasion. Sadly, though, Conrad just won't be swayed into having karaoke at our wedding reception this fall...

Smelts anniversary

Reaching back almost two weeks here, but I've got a quietish evening wherein I do not care to do housework. Conrad will be home in about 8 hours - I hope he can sleep on the flight. Me? I'll blog a bit, read a bit, and head to bed.

Two Sundays ago the Smelts had their annual Thanksgiving banquet. This year has been the 20th anniversary of the swim team, so the night had a special feel. It certainly was reflected in the food. I missed last year's potluck, so this was my first team potluck since 2000 - intervening years we dined at Ann Sather instead.

This year we secured a bigger space at the Center on Halsted, and a good crowd turned up. Nice to see some older faces we haven't seen in a while, too. Liz did her usual fabulous job of coaches' awards to the swimmers (Tim wasn't there to get his team MVP award - a shame since I think he deserves a lot of credit for his fast swimming and for his deep sense of team spirit). The team bestowed on the five of us coaches some generous thank you gifts as well - I'm always floored by the generosity, and I promise that I will have IMMENSE fun spending the gift cards!

For almost two-dozen of us, the evening continued across the street at Kit Kat Lounge and Supper Club. $5 martinis - YAY! Nope, I didn't get up at 4:45 the next morning for a swim, I must admit.

The Smelts are so vital to our social life - did you know that Conrad and I met on the swim team? I'm sorry he missed the meal, but I'm ever so glad that we have all our friends on the team.

The banquet:

Ron and Carrie - a wonderful couple, and Carrie is one of the fastest swimmers in her age group in the country.

Tina, of Tina and Brad. Soon to be a former teammate, alas, but we hope to see her in NZ next year.

Brian, another soon to be former teammate. At least we'll have Vancouver. Fast guy, great technique.

Adam, another coach, a very fast swimmer, and reportedly a great massage therapist. Great guy - hey, we share a birthday, so how could it be otherwise?

Heidi - wow, I've frontloaded all the kick-ass swimmers. Do not race this woman at a long distance or in open water. She will take you down. Also a super teammate and our new registrar/treasurer.

Just a small peek at the abundance of food that night.

Hilary. One of Conrad's lane mates, and one of three women in lane one who are an absolute pleasure to coach. So good, they got an award for it!

Doug, a former team president and one of the few friends I have here in the US who actually kind of keeps track of what's going on in Canada. Great guy, and a bloody fast sprinter.

Presentations by two of the coaches: Liz, in the hat (Conrad and I love her to bits, and her husband is my totally excellent dentist, in case you need a recommendation), and Chris (Saturday mornings, and loved by EVERYONE - I can't stress that enough), in white on the right.

Long time Smelt Paul, cutting the cake. Oh, so much cake!

People begin digging in to the cakes.

Jeremy, Lisa, and Carrie discuss dessert, I think. Lisa, by the way, ran her first marathon this year. I'm so proud of her, what an accomplishment.

Stuart, another coach, mugging for the camera.

Romel - super Smelts party host - and Carrie.

John, our little twinkie (and I say that with affection). Also an award winner that night, but a joking award given for his penchant for taking breaks and not quite finishing a set let alone a full practice.


Kit Kat:

With Daniel - he's such good company even if he inexplicably does not like chocolate.

Max (the new co-president), Scot (who works harder than most anyone in the pool to improve his speed, endurance, and technique), and Jani (who I don't know well, alas, but she gave good advice on martinis that night!).

Daniel and me

Some of the group.

Adam and Jeremy, Adam's roommate (former roommate?) and someone I don't see often enough because we swim different nights.

Brian, again.

saying goodbye to Lou

OK, this is a little odd: I'm listening to country music. I can't explain it. Ah well.

I digress. This is about Medgar, a fellow Smelt. For a few days more. Medgar - Lou, as I call him - is moving with Mike to Seattle at the end of the month. Which means, of course, that I have to move there about a year from now.

I joke. Medgar and I knew each other in Montreal, so for almost ten years now. I met him at my second practice with À Contre-Courant, and we became friends thanks to sharing a lane and living not too far from each other. When he finished his degree (no, he's not also a librarian), he got a job in Chicago. Serendipity brought me here as well, and for most of my first week in this city, I stayed with him until my furniture arrived.

Friday night was one party for him, a Smelts party. Conrad and I begged off another one last night - I was so worn down that I was in bed and asleep before 8:30. Not hard living, just encroaching old age. In any case, some photos from the party (and that first photo, I should add, was from dinner at Nohana on my 31st birthday, waaaay back in 2001), and a goodbye to Lou. Conrad and I very much hope that we'll have opportunities to see him and Mike when we're back west in Vancouver, whether they come up or we head down.

Korean BBQ night

Three posts in one day? Wow. After a slow start to the month, I'm blogging full-bore. Yay me.

Last night the Smelts revisited San Soo Gab San for Korean BBQ. I have to say, it's a hoot. The food is tasty (especially the strong, garlicky or pickled sides), hanging with the teammates is fun, and we all come home stinking of grilled beef. Hazy photos? Of course - we're all grilling the meat at the table. Fun times.

I wish I had taken better photos, but at least a few turned out. I was parked at one end of the table with Carl and Romel beside me and Christopher and Scott across from me, so not too many photos beyond them. Sorry about that. Conrad has visited Korea in his work travels, so he was sorry to have to miss Korean BBQ this time. Jeph, does this bring back fond memories for you?