My Darkest Secret...

...is that I cannot lipread in the dark. (Okay, so this isn't true deep-dark-secret material, but it's still a valid point.) Moving rowing practice back half an hour, so that it's almost pitch-black outside and I can't see the cox at the onset, is a major, MAJOR no-no. Fortunately the time changes this weekend, which might make my life a bit easier.

Also fortunately, the cox is starting to figure me out. She doesn't sign anything (and doesn't seem interested in learning, pffft), but certain meaningful gestures at pivotal times help a lot. Not that rowing terminology is that hard - oars flat, oars ready, stroke, easy there. It's all repetition and rhythm. And when the weather's not freezing cold, which it is more often than not, feeling the boat glide through the water, powered by our strokes, does get rather fun.

Today's random photo: courtyard at Magdalen College. I love all these magical old buildings. Though of course walking on the grass is prohibited - Oxford gets the prize for super-over-the-top grass protectiveness.