For all the swimming I’ve done, I never learned how to do a flip turn. This is a move where the swimmer does a forward roll as they approach the wall and then kick off from the wall and begin the next lap inverted. It makes it easier to keep going and keep up the momentum.
I usually just grab the wall as I get to it, twist around with my head above water, and push off to start my next lap. Far easier for me since I tend to get disoriented when I’m inverted.
Over the weekend I was in a small pool and decided it would be a good time to try and learn. I tried a few times stopped near the wall and holding my nose. Seemed to work okay and the mantra of “push off when you see the sky” was working for me. Next, I tried with a slow approach to the wall to figure out the breathing and where I should begin my flip. Then, I worked my way up to not holding my nose during the maneuver and handling the recovery. I tried to do two of these in succession and then three – and that’s when my timing went to shit.
I inhaled underwater. And not just a little, I went for it big time. I came up sputtering, coughing, and choking. Felt like I had tried to shove an entire pool’s worth of water in my sinuses. I was dizzy and my head was pounding.
I got out of the pool and sat in a deck chair for a while until I was better. And that was pretty much it for me and the pool that day.
Today, I’ll be swimming after work again and I think I may try the flip turn. Wish me luck.
Last week, I saw an article online about… ummmm… cat crafts. These would be items you can make for your cat – not how to teach your cat to do crafts. Which would be more entertaining, I think, but far less productive.
http://www.simonscat.com/Blog/2013-08-22/Craft-Your-Cat-a-Gift/
I took a look at this and thought, “Hey, I could do that. I bet Thunder(cat) would really like…”
And then I stopped myself with a swift, self-inflicted, blow to the head.
No. I am not going to make crafts for my cat. Not gonna do it.
Of all the toys I’ve gotten for him, Thunder(cat)’s favorite is a wadded up ball of paper. That’s it. Just a bit of scrap paper will keep him busy for minutes. He doesn’t even like cardboard boxes that much.
Although, that scratching board would be fun to make… NOooooooo!
In other news… Pizza Hut. Their pizza is amazing, the service at our local Hut is awesome, and we have eaten there enough to be considered regulars. The server takes our drink order at the door – she usually guesses pretty close – and we seat ourselves. As a formality, she’ll stop over and take our order but doesn’t give us a menu anymore. The whole process has gotten more efficient the more times we’ve gone there. I’m pretty sure we’ll reach a point where we can just walk in, make eye contact, seat ourselves – and they’ll bring over drinks and pizza when it’s ready.
I know the server’s name that usually waits on us – Amber – but she doesn’t know us. I think I’m going to start introducing myself when a server does.
“Hi, I’m Amber, and I’ll be your server today,”
“Hi, I’m Anthony, and I’ll be your customer today,”
Or is that too weird? It’s tough for me to tell anymore – I come from a long line of fairly weird people and the line between “normal” and “weird” is a vast, gray fog.
So, back to work today and the parking lot is already full. There’s a line out the door of students to get their computers fixed. And I’ve got the mother of all parking surveys to build. Welcome to Fall semester 2013.