[Paddlewise] Apology to Bayside Bob

Bob,

Let me start by saying I'm sorry to you. It's been a stressful time lately
and it appears that my sense of humor went paddling without me and didn't
return.

I'm very lucky in that my wife is into paddling (although not as seriously
as I) and has her own boat. The only problem we usually face when I want
some expensive accessory is,  I have to get TWO -  one for her.

Case in point; Several months ago I wanted a new paddle. Went and bought
one, with her present. I opted for fiberglass - It was quite a bit lighter
than my normal fiberglass paddle and I couldn't justfy another $120 extra
for a carbon version. The following week, we had to return to the paddling
store to get my wife the carbon version, because "the lighter weight would
be even better than a fiberglass version for my weak rotator cusp."
Therefore, a $200 paddle, actually cost me $520. (She's only been out
paddling 3 times with her new paddle (grin).

Anyway, I'm meandering here - please accept my apology - I did not want to
insinuate or imply anything or start any flame wars. I'll try and rescue my
sense of humor later today when I go out paddling. Hopefully it's wearing
it's PFD and I'll be able to find it floating on the ocean somewhere.

Steve Holtzman


 Bayside Bob wrote:

> This is a social problem that must be addressed.  In the SF Bay area
>
> > there is even a rowing club called the "Bay Blades".  You guessed
it.....
>
> > a rowing club for gay males.  And what do we married paddlers have?
>
> > Nothing, zip, nada.........How can this be corrected?
>

I replied:

> Unless you're going to sleep with your kayaking companions, what
difference
> does their sexual orientation make??
>
> If you like the people join - otherwise find a different group.
>
> Steve

Ralph Diaz wrote:
I apologize to BaysideBob for taking his point about Bay Blades as being
a stand-offish attitude toward gay people.  Most people seemed to have
seen his posting in the light he meant it (the woes of married paddlers
dealing with their SOs lack of interest in their paddling passion and
its expense in time and money), although one poster, Steve Holtzman
whose posting is reproduced above, saw it the way I did...as anti-gay.

I guess I am a bit sensitive on this because of that WaveLength
discussion of a few years ago, which I mentioned, that got pretty
heated.  To my recollection, it started with someone being concerned
about a camping trip in which two gay guys were sleeping in a tent and
doing what lovers do much to the consternation of others.  Then it went
to having kids along hearing this etc. and saying we shouldn't be
paddling with gays.  Quite a few postings were made on the subject,
including from me with pretty much what I said in my post to BaysideBob
this weekend about good friends of mine, who happen to be gay, who are
generous paddlers, contribute enormously to the good of our local
kayaking community and are great to be with in any setting because they
are so upbeat.

It was in light of that controversy back in WaveLength that I read more
into BaysideBob's comment than there was.  Again apologies.

I am now off to paddle along the Manhattan shoreline and hoping that the
gay sirens who sunbath nude at the end of the Greenwich Village piers
don't attempt to seduce me into crashing on the rocks.  :-)  Now I hope
nobody reads anything homophobic in that remark!!!

ralph diaz


***************************************************************************
PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List
Submissions:     paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net
Subscriptions:   paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net
Website:         http://www.paddlewise.net/
***************************************************************************