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Claudia in bed with two hairy guys

Shoulder surgery. January kicks in with a big decision: Claudia delivers herself to the scalpel to have her left shoulder repaired which she broke last May. A risk is basically non-existent, success almost guaranteed, we are covered financially. What remains is the outlook to pain and a dysfunctional shoulder for yet another 3-6 months. On January 8, the date for the surgery is set on the 16th. In the morning of January 15, Claudia gets a phone call from the hospital, asking her what she has had for breakfast and if she wouldn't like to have it done the same afternoon...? She indeed wants to: Saving her the last night of bad dreams. Everything happens according to plan, after 2 nights in hospital she comes home into Peter's care. He now does not only have to look after the complete household, but also after Claudia: Chopping the food into manageable pieces, shampooing her hair, combing it, braiding it, giving her neck a massage, helping her with the physio exercises... Under his care, she recovers increasingly.

The karma of sea kayaking

Broughton Island. The week-end before – already with the outlook of the approaching operation – Claudia had taken the Friday off work and made use of this last long week-end to realise a kayaking dream: To paddle to Broughton Island with Kevin. Start in Fingal Bay, from there 16 km northbound on the open ocean. The weather was okay, but not fantastic: On our first attempt on Friday, we encountered strong headwind (15-20 knots) and couldn't make it. Refuge in Port Stephens with a camp on Jimmys Beach. The second attempt on Saturday morning was more successful: On the water at 5:45 am, before the wind came up. Arrival on Broughton at 9:00 am. In the afternoon a circumnavigation of the group of islands in meanwhile 20 knots of wind. Back on Sunday morning before the predicted change in the weather could kick in. The adjacent photo was taken on Sunday at 6:00 am. The islands at the horizon are our destination: Fingal Bay is the one to the far left. Only minutes later, we got visited by dolphins and penguins. See also our photo gallery Broughton Islands per kayak.

Australia Day 2004

Australia Day. January 26 is Australia Day. This year, we stay in the city (Claudia isn't yet too eager to sleep on a camping mattress) and mix with the Sydneysiders celebrating themselves, their nation, and their city. Many shows concentrate on and around the Harbour: The day is opened with a Surf Board Challenge: 3.5km racing on a surfboard – paddling with bare arms! Then Ferrython: A race of dressed ferries. Then the big parade of all ships. Then... Peter, Kevin, and Andrew dare to challenge the crowd on the water with their kayaks. Peter's initial apprehension due to the wash of the many boats soon fades for the safety of routine. Matthias and Irina see the three guys in their kayaks and discuss whether Peter is amongst them or not. Irian doesn't want to believe that someone could go out on such a tiny boat on such a day... On the far side of Bradleys Head, the three kayakers return back towards the Bridge and the Opera House, since there "isn't enough action out there, too boring". Well done, Peter!

New website of the NSW Sea Kayak Club

Volunteer tasks. This Monthly Report remains relatively short because Claudia can't use the keyboard very well with one arm in a sling, and Peter spends his free evenings redesigning the Web site of the NSW Sea Kayak Club. Since November, he is a member of the Club Committee in the position of the Web master. This is the most time-consuming job in the Universe. However, when the redesign project will be finished by February and it'll have come down to the maintenance, it will hopefully relax a bit.