Today at the lake…I wasn’t at the lake! But I found some buddies for swim dates tomorrow and Friday. Also, two packages arrived at my door. A college friend sent me her husband’s fancy wetsuit. I think it’s barely a year old and looks totes new! Thank you, M and L. I had ordered the exact same suit from Amazon a couple weeks ago, and today Amazon emailed me to tell me the order had been cancelled because of some issue with my address. I think what happened is that a little seawitch fairy knew that M and L’s gift was on the way and somehow zapped the Amazon circuitry so I wouldn’t have to go through the hassle of returning it. Yea!!!
Plus, some stuff I ordered two weeks ago finally arrived: a neoprene swim cap and badass superhero goggles, both from Xterra. The cap is orange ‘cause I always want to be visible, and the goggles are large and geometric, with a much heftier band than I’m used to on goggles.
I’ve been using the same Speedo goggles for years, like decades. Like maybe I’ve had them for 20 years or more. They have lived in the bottom of my swim bag since forever. I can’t believe they still work. Anyway, I was curious about the Xterra googles because they’re bigger and sit more around my eyes than around my eyeballs. And they look cool. On sale for $15!
Tomorrow I’m swimming at a different beach. It’s just down the road, even closer than my regular beach. Meeting the woman I swam with a couple weeks ago when I got sick, so grateful she is giving me another chance. Then on Friday a couple of people from the plunge group and I are trying to get together for an after-work swim. I hope it happens.
I am feeling better about trying to find people. I think I expected too much from strangers initially. Also, they do have lives other than swimming with me. I wish they didn’t. All I want is tons of friends to swim with every day. But I won’t be holding my breath. Ha.
I have a fabulous walk tonight. It was late, almost 9:30pm, but I was antsy and feeling fat, so I thought I’d just walk up the street a couple blocks and come back. I took my cane, in case I needed a weapon, and my pepper spray, but wasn’t sure how I would be able to respond to an attack because I have to use my dominant right hand for the cane. My left hand is f-d. Thanks to my neuro disease, I have demyelination on my spinal cord that leaves my left side weaker. I have less control, and poor grip strength. I drop shi*t all the time. Whatever. I put the little spray thingy in my palm with my thumb on top. Dying to do a test spray, but gonna wait until I’m wearing eye protection because it would be my spazluck that I would either get it in my eyes or get it on my hand then get it in my eyes. Focus on walking!
A block away I ran into two women with their dogs. I stopped to chat. As we talked I realized that I had said hi to them in passing on previous walks. One of the women said, “you are doing so much better.” The other woman said, “yea, my mother saw you the other day and you were just moving right along.” I was stunned that 1) they knew who I was and 2) that probably a lot of people in the hood have seen me hobbling around with my walker and cane for the past couple years. It made me feel good. I invited myself to continue walking with them, and we had a ball. D is from the midwest, too, so we were swapping midwest tales. C is from S Cali. We were chatting like old friends and laughing about “the Seattle freeze” and the Covid wardrobe. I told them I was so depressed last summer that my caretaker had to make me bathe one day a week (Thursdays). We laughed at how we are at the age where we don’t put up with sh*t anymore and have embraced sweatpants. They encouraged me to keep walking up to strangers to say hi.
During our we only saw one bunny. They thought it was funny that I counted bunnies, and were surprised that my best count was a 21-bun walk. “Come out here at 11:30 at night; you will see more.” I asked them if they knew the house with the pumpkin. Yes, they did. Well, I told them, “that guy gave me some squash.” And on and on we went until suddenly we were at D’s house. She has a huge spider web decoration stretching across her ear to the front of her house, with a giant spider in it. She lives just a few doors down from the freaky scary yard (we all agreed that the freaky scary yard is really very scary. And freaky.) We linger for a good 15 min, talking about kids and teens and sex and safety and drinking and all the dangers kids need to learn about today. Then they started talking about serial killers, and I was like, “uh, I still have 6 or 7 long blocks to walk home.” I saw a guy in the distance, and said, I’m gonna scoot so he doesn’t catch up with me.” D said, “he’s the Candyman.” I’m like, “Bye, I’m totes in if ya’ll wanna have a slumber party.” And off I skipped down the dark street.
In a block I ran into another couple, P and ? (Can’t remember her name, but I have talked to her before). I walked with them and we chatted. Their dog would come when they called. He wanted to follow me! And sniff me. I need to bring a little notebook to write down names. They were super nice and offered to walk me all the way to my house, but I said I was ok.
I was pretty giddy when I got home because I got to meet nice people, maybe I can walk with D and C again, and I got more exercise than I thought I would. And, the battery I shoved into my entryway fire alarm solved the constant chirping. Two sold days/nights of chirping.
CONFESSION: I ate an entire bag of frozen gluten-free kale gnocchi. 2.5 servings, and I just made the entire bag. Added tomatoes. Yum.
I have just, for the first time in my life, organized my gear for tomorrow’s swim. I have a doctor appointment tomorrow, so I have to be able to grab my stuff and scoot to the lake when I get home. It feels good to be a tiny bit organized. To care enough to prepare.
G’night, cupcakes.
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