Weekend on wheels

Sooo, Friday morning I got to take the long car ride to Toronto (and I've already learned I can't make good use of that time by knitting, I get kinda carsick). Spent the afternoon with a friend from school, went to a screening that was part of the Toronto short film festival - not bad. Had dinner with said friend and my boyfriend at East! (yum!), a restaurant right across from.. City TV I believe it was? Down by Much Music. Good times.

Now the main draw to Toronto was the event on saturday, the Rolling Rampage. Last year it was the most fun ever, me on my rollarblades, the boyfriend in his racing chair, and one of his friends also on rollarblades. We got to raise money and do laps around Queens park. Then watch all the professional wheelchair racers - I got hooked on the sport.
This year, the professional races were awsome. Toronto's own Jeff Adams was sooo close to winning! He came in second. (He's the fellow who wiped out during a demo of wheelchair racing at the olympics). Chantel Petticlerc won her race of course. Great fun.
Unfortunately, the Roll for Pledges was sad, sad, sad. Instead of getting to race around Queens Park like the pros, we had to do laps of a little tiny piloned off section - hardly enough room at the ends for the boyfriend in the racing chair to turn around. It didn't do much to help the stereo type of wheelchair users not being able to keep up with the able-bodied. I guess last year they had complaints of it being too long.
The boyfriend and I complained (I was heartbroken at the sad state of affairs), and most the organizers seemed to agree that this year was a bit off the mark. Admittedly there was much less turnout as well. We might try joining the committee to help organize next year's. So hopefully it will get better - it's only in it's third year afterall - and will do a better job at intergrating both the able-bodied and wheelchair-users into one event that everyone can feel proud of!

And that's my rant. I think I'll go work on cousin Erin's scarf now.