This line is thinner than swiss cheese!

That is a quote from one of the guys that I was sandbagging with on Saturday afternoon in April’s backyard.  There’s a science to effective sandbagging, and it’s amazing how quickly you can pick it up again, even after twelve years.

The last time I sandbagged was during the ‘97 flood – our high school organized sandbagging trips, and my family volunteered in neighbourhoods that needed us.  That was a much more serious flood, but this year there are still people being displaced from their towns, and in Winnipeg the Red River is getting incredibly high.  April and Jon rent a house on the river, and now have a lovely little wall of sandbags behind their house, constructed by the hundreds of volunteers that came out on Saturday.

Matt and I got to April’s around 1pm, and met up with Brianne shortly thereafter for a couple hours of slinging sandbags.  It is amazing the sense of immediate community that is formed when a bunch of strangers get together to build a sandbag dike – the lines we were a part of were all laughs and jokes, and everyone seemed to be really happy to be there.  In a park a few blocks from April’s house there were even tables set up with coffee, water, and cookies.  The whole afternoon was really fun.

That night we all got together again for April’s birthday.  The party was themed (of course) – Ugly Sweaters.  We met up at a bowling alley and played a couple of games with our hideous sweaters, and even had some people there judge which sweater was the very ugliest.  April gave Alex the prize, although I’m pretty sure that moustache won him the contest.  My sweater was so comfortable that I kept it on all night (and I’m contemplating keeping it).

We drank beer, hurled bowling balls, trash talked the other team, and went back to April’s for the rest of the night, which consisted of cupcakes, guitar hero, and plenty of booze.  I played guitar hero for the first time that night, and let me tell you – I’m no Slash.  I was booed off the stage twice, before retiring in shame.  All in all, though, and despite the sandbagging and bowling-related stiffness the next day, a damn fine way to spend a Saturday.