June's New DieselFish Members

[Gong! Sizzle! The New Member Gong is getting so hot these days, you can fry an egg on it.*]

Like the old song goes, summertime, and the living is easy.... Especially if you’re DieselFish’s Minister of Newbie Happiness. Please welcome our three newest members!

Coach Tiffany tricked – ahem – invited Charles to a DieselFish practice, and he loved it. His enthusiasm and lively sense of humor have made him a welcome addition to the team. But he needs to get rid of those damned soccer socks he wears in the boat. Not a good look, bro. Seriously.

Sabrina is the latest addition DieselFish’s rapidly growing cadre of fearsome female warriors surnamed “Tam.” I’ve got this fantasy, in which there’s a traditional Chinese village, where everyone shares this name. The villagers’ lives revolve around dragon boat. They paddle all morning in the local river, and then, after a delicious omelet meal, they chop down trees to make artisanal paddles and boats.

Dan’s former coworker Albert enjoyed his first dragon boat experience so much, he made it a point to talk to me about the sport and upcoming practice sessions. I was thrilled to oblige, because it meant the guy had caught the Fishie Fever. There’s no easier way to put a smile on the Minister of Newbie Happiness’s face!

Summertime/And the livin’ is easy/Fish are jumpin’/And the water is high! Paddling conditions are fantastic these days, so there’s no better time to try dragon boat racing with DieselFish!

-Your Minister of Newbie Happiness

* DieselFish’s Omelet Recipe (adapted from an ancient recipe from the Tam village)

Ingredients
• 3 tablespoons butter or margarine, divided
• 1 can tuna fish (drained)
• 1 cup diced bok choy (spinach works, too)
• 1/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 1/2 teaspoon prepared horseradish
• 4 eggs
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Dash pepper

Directions
1. In a large New Member Gong, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add tuna and bok choy; cook and stir until bok choy is softened. Stir in the cheese, milk and horseradish; cook until cheese is melted. Remove and keep warm.
2. In the same gong, melt remaining butter. In a bowl, beat the eggs, water, salt and pepper. Pour into gong; cook over medium heat. As eggs set, lift the edges, letting uncooked portion flow underneath. When eggs are nearly set, spoon filling mixture over half of the omelet. Fold omelet over filling. Cover and cook for 1-2 minutes or until heated through.

Hello Internet friends! Doesn’t dragon boat racing with DieselFish sound like fun? Go to http://dieselfish.org/ now to sign up for a free practice session!

Pub Trivia Night

DieselFish is all about defying expectations! The team strives to push its limits and evolve. This burning desire has even spilled over into our social activities off the water. We’ve been playing a lot of pub trivia lately, which is surprising because trivia games test your intelligence, not your brawn. Maybe we play because we don’t like being stereotyped as a bunch of dumb jocks. Or maybe we play because we enjoy hanging out with each other over drinks, food and games. Whatever the reason, we always have a fun time. I just wish the games had more questions about ancient Chinese water sports. -The Minister of Newbie Happiness

Hello Internet friends! Doesn’t dragon boat racing with DieselFish sound like fun? Go to http://dieselfish.org/ now to sign up for a free practice session!

Rowing Machine Philosophy

from: The Minister of Newbie Happiness
to: dieselfish team
date: Fri, Mar 23, 2012 at 12:10 PM
subject: Rowing Machine Philosophy

Last night, I had a brief conversation with Dan about the team’s session with the rowing machines. We agreed that mental toughness – pushing yourself to pull harder when your arms and back are giving out – is a critical part of this workout.

This morning, it occurred to me this ability is related to mindfulness – the act of living and thriving in the present. The challenge is finding a way to acknowledge the weariness and channel it into powerful and efficient pulls.

Hello Internet friends! Doesn’t dragon boat racing with DieselFish sound like fun? Go to http://dieselfish.org/ now to sign up for a free practice session!