I'm on a week's vacation. No deep thoughts here. Mind on powersave.

Thank god Smash took a few shots of the group's latest Northern Virginia expedition. I could exhaust several thousand words describing the trip's triumph in detail, but frankly I'm sundrenched from hanging rooftop-poolside with Jicaaa! all afternoon, staring west at the Healy Building from Foggy Bottom wondering where the last six years went, and chances are I'll be passed out by the time the TBS special presentation of Jerry Maguire finishes. Shoow me the sunblock!

So I'll let Smash's digital camera take it from here. (With just a few comments in between.)




Lillis and Joanie. I love this shot - it sums up what Canoe Nation is all about. Sun. Peace. Beauty. Beer. And Envy of Beer from Other Canoe.




O'lourkin, in the last moments of life before the mud gods claimed him.




Smash and Babs. Ok, here's the thing and I'm not exaggerating: These are the two most entertainingly competitive sisters I've ever met. Mike was in the canoe with Smash and I was in with Babs. Every once in a while, our canoes would drift together. Every five seconds later Mike and I would wind up taking evasive maneuvers to steer our canoes as far apart as possible before the two sisters could tackle one another and capsize our boats. I'm not kidding.




Bonzai! There goes Joanie with one of Mike's friends. 'Probably best Joanie didn't know he was describing elaborate scenarios of death by DC Metro train just five minutes earlier.




If everyone else jumped off a bridge, would I do it too? Sure! Wait - No! Whoa, whoa - hang on. Second thoughts, yikes! I'll just let Babs do the honors and hope she lives.




What's that Babs? The river tastes of beer, you say? Geronimo!!!




Behold, the mighty dam. Smash and O'lourkin decided it would be a good idea to slide down the face, much to the horror of everyone else. When we recovered their bodies - and they were inexplicably alive - well Babs was not to be out-done by big sis. Next thing I know I'm a foot soldier in their little war, going feet-first over the falls.



Trouble with some rocks.




After all the excitement, Ed passes out - dreaming of Orrin Hatch and holding his paddle in a very inappropriate fashion.




In the final stretch, O'lourkin tells Mike of his near-death encounter with the mud gods. They resurrected him, on the condition he sport a massive tattoo across his chest.

Again, mad props to Smashtar, my blog videographer. In fact, she's due for a portion of the proceeds. Smash, check's in the mail...

Now if you'll excuse me, back to Jerry Magu-

[thud.]