Totebag winner

[rootbeer1]

Been a pretty busy week. Last weekend we went to keanubear's birthday party, where we received the grand prize, the official John Ashfield Totebag, after Neil, the original winner, left it behind:



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As another way to remember poohbearhjim, I've created a web page for some of his family's recipes, and it can be found here.

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I went to the gym yesterday and met a friend who, surprisingly to me, can't swim. I had time, so I helped him try to do some rudimentary dog-paddling. It just sort of amazes me when I find friends who can't swim, especially since my family's vacations, when I was growing up, seemed to center around water -- swimming in the ocean, pools or lakes. In high school I opted out of the regular PE requirement in order to swim all year, and at the end was certified as a lifeguard. And even now, although the ocean is too cold to swim in here, I look forward every summer to the various pool parties around the bay area, and not just because they are filled with hairy bearded men in Speedos.

But I think there are more people than expected who don't swim, or never learned how. So ... poll-time!

[Poll #1134139]

Comments

[quirkstreet.livejournal.com]

I can swim the length of a pool much better via backstroke than face-down. For some reason, an ordinary crawl stroke just wears me right out. So I usually say I'm not a swimmer. I wouldn't want to count on my abilities in a crisis.

[rootbeer1.livejournal.com]

Nyahh, a backstroke counts. Swimming isn't just a crawl, it's the ability to move yourself in the water.

[quirkstreet.livejournal.com]

Except in white water rapids. Where you're supposed to put your feet first, and keep your head above water, aided by your life vest. Except the water in the rapids is lighter because of the air mixed in, so your head doesn't stay above water all the time because your buoyancy changes. And if you don't know how to hold your breath right, because you can't do the crawl-type strokes and never learned the whole breathing thing, you take in water in your nose during the rapids. And then you panic.

Fortunately, you are among friends who help fish you out of the river before you panic further, or drown. But then you see the scene in Ratatouille where the rat goes through the "rapids" in the Paris sewers and it's like you're drowing all over again.

Hi! ;-) I'm not still upset about that at all. ;-)

[bearfuz.livejournal.com]

*Ding* I'm afraid our time is up. But we've made good progress today. Let's start with that next week, shall we?