By Sarah Schrock
In a recent conversation with friends, we breached the topics of time-space, dark matter and the supernatural. The conversation reminded me of staying up late in college after the consumption of, well, lots of things, and pontificating the nature of the world, then coming away confused. Only now, 20-some years later, I was asleep by 10 p.m. But I am still confused about time.
Perhaps the quantum physicist in you can help me. The concept of time — the relativity of it and the theory that time moves at different speeds depending on your speed, that it may be static rather than linear somehow relates to the possibility of being in multiple places at once — this would have been helpful this weekend, because there was too much going on. It was impossible to be at it all — or maybe not, based on quantum theory.
I am not sure why (again a physicist can lend some help here), but it seems like the natural sequence of events in the valley tends to occur in bundles, or waves. On Friday, 75 partiers were at Twisp River Suites to bid goodbye to Dee Townshend at a retirement soiree, after 38 years as a fire manager. Simultaneously next door, local rock stars Jason Hickman, Peter Nietlich, Phil Woras and Steve Hirsch brought the women out on the dance floor at Twisp River Pub for their self-titled album release party, “Shakedonia.” Although they are known mostly as a cover band, the album includes all original material and can be purchased from the band or on iTunes, Amazon or cdbaby.com.
Avery Catlin of the Loup Loup Alpine Ski team had an unexpected encounter with a non-competitor at last weekend’s Wolf Chase Race at the Loup.
Winterfest at TwispWorks also brought out the dancers. At least 200 folks packed the dance floor and studios in what more aptly could be called “music fest.” A lineup of local musicians and visiting acts was reported a “huge success” on all fronts.
The Wolf Chase Race brought throes of families to the valley to compete at the Loup Loup Ski Bowl. According to Denis and MaryAnn Kirkland, their granddaughter Avery Caitlin had a close encounter of the ruminant kind. As Avery descended the course on Saturday, a deer popped out on the slope, forcing her to slow down and avoid a collision, thus impeding her finishing time. According to the special theory of relativity, the faster you go the slower time moves. So had she been wearing an atomic clock, her aversion tactic may not have actually cost her the race, as her time may not been altered. Are you following here?
District 6 firefighters prepped for the stair climb at Hank’s Harvest Foods last weekend.
As if Super Bowl Sunday wasn’t enough to round out the busy weekend, while football fans bought enough hot wings and beer to consume an average of 6,000 calories for the day, Room One hosted an alternative to gluttony with free Nordic skiing for women. Meanwhile, Okanogan County District 6 firefighters burned it off in front of Hank’s Harvest Foods, taking turns on a stair-climber to train for the Scott Firefighter Stairclimb at the Columbia Center in Seattle. The District 6 team, composed of Josh Jankowski, Mark Crum, Tiago Pacheco, Zack Gurney, Thor Johnson and Brian McAullife, will climb 69 stories in full firefighting gear weighing 60 lbs to raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society on March 6. You can help them reach their goal of $7,000 by donating at www.llswa.org (click on Scott Firefighter Stair climb > donate > search for Okanogan).
In sum, employing quantum theory or bending time, or whatever it is that allows one to be at many places at once, would have been helpful this weekend because in the midst of it all, Hank’s sold out of wild sockeye, I had family in town, a kid with a high fever, birthday and Super Bowl parties to attend. Quite likely next weekend, there will be nothing to do.
