a copy and paste from my BME journal.
My first and last time swimming to Bowen Island
2005/08/21 23:20
Fuck, I'm tired.
I'm drinking hot chocolate right now cuz that's as "comfort food" as it gets for me. I always have a thermos of the stuff when i'm boarding and I always have a cup nearby when i'm working during fall, winter and spring.
I'm physically and emotionally exhausted.
Okay.. and on with the story of the swim.
Met up with J_Sun downtown at 9:30 in the morning. We went to Granville Island and rented booties and flippers. Lea was working, and because we've spoken to her before, the actual "so where are you going and what for?" didn't take long at all. There's this shirt i want, it's purple and silver.... (i get distracted easily)
We got our shit and went back downtown. We went to Old Navy and picked up my paycheque. HALIRIOUS. There's this table right by the entrance with application forms and big sign that says "NOW HIRING." My cheque was in a big FedEx envelope.
Went and bought another underwater camera. J bought some pringles.
Waited for our bus with all our equiptment. Spent the next few hours on the bus and wandering towards Whytecliff Park. Neither of us have ever been there, so we relied on the map J was clever enough to print out.
On the way there, we sat behind this girl with the hairiest arms i've ever seen. She was pretty and sitting on her boyfriend's lap but her arm hair was at least 2" long and curly. I called Sean about this but he didn't pick up his phone.
I called Keith a couple of times and gave precise intructions. In Diana language. I mean, most people would think of it as vague, ambiguous, unclear rambling, but Keith's been around long enough to decipher my random thoughts that escape my mouth in an equally random manner.
We hiked around for awhile in our flip flops before fiding a decent take-off point. I was unimpressed with the hiking in flip-flops. Not my thing, it seems.
We put on our boots and googles. We put all the important things in our drybags.
We were off!
There was a shitload of SCUBA students in the water. We tried to go around, but maneuvering in our flippers proved to be difficult. I nearly fell over a couple of times. The water was damn cold. Eventually, it became not so bad and we started swimming. 5 minutes into our swim, my left flipper comes loose. I make my way back to where we were and go through the entire process of getting into the water all over again.
We swam. And swam. And swam. The current pushed us faaaaaar from where we wanted to go. It's hard to judge distance and things in the water. I had very little idea of where i was going. Several ferries and boats passed; reating many waves in their wake. We swam for another 2 and a half hours. We were about 100 yards away from a shore on Bowen Island when people on a sailboat came by to speak with me. This was probably the 10th boat to stop and ask if we were okay. I was tired. I was somewhat lost. I couldn't kick anymore. It was about 3 hours in. I got on the boat. Had we landed on the shore, we still would've had to hike about 4 km to get to where we wanted to have landed. We were waaay off course and swam for much longer than we should have.
Getting onto the sailboat as exhausted as i was proved to be a little difficult. Especially with my flippers. A woman gave me a towel and I spent the next 15 minutes shivering underneath that.
We picked up J and headed towards Snug Cove (where we wanted to go). We got close enough, and the owner of sailboat took the motor onto the dinghy. J and i moved all of our equiptment from the sailboat to the dinghy. J and I followed him into the dinghy. We were on our way to snug cove!!!
we got out of the dinghy and on to the dock only to find that my legs refused to work. They wouldn't hold me up. So i lied sprawled for a while and let our things dry.
Coastguards found us there minutes later. That's another story. The only part i feel like i need to mention is that: I DIDN'T LIKE IT WHEN SHE TOUCHED ME! She didn't believe me when i told her i didn't have hypothermia, so she grabbed my arm to check. She was very cynical and didn't believe most of what we told her. For instance, when she asked about our wetsuits/drysuits and J replied that we didn't have any.
"You swam with only that?!"
Anyway, on with my recovery. Eventually my legs felt strong enough to carry me and we made our way to the restuarant. I choked down the clam chowder. It was delicious, don't get me wrong. My throat just felt raw from all that salt water. Everytime I'd attempt to swallow something, I'd start coughing. My voice is still hoarse and my throat is still irritated.
I gorged down the pasta in record time also. I mean, J still finished before i did, but i ate as fast as i possibly could.
J took the bill before i even got a chance to see it.
We made our way home and I was asleep for the majority of that trip.
When J got off the skytrain, a boy named Kaz started talking to me. He sat across from J and was carrying a huge bag. (Do you remember who i'm talking about, J?) Aaanyway, turns out he works on Big White for most of ski season. He kinda sorta recognized me. We talked for a good 6 minutes and i recall shaking his hand but everything pre-shower is somewhat of a blur. I recall telling him everything about my life and i know he's been to Tofino when he was younger. And that he works as a cook. I know he knows about my CASI. Huh. I'm probably going to dwell on this somemore when my brain recalls how to function.
My shower nearly killed me. It was only luke-warm but i felt like passing out anyway. I washed everything twice. The first thing i did was condition my hair. And then i did a thorough exfoliating scrub. And then i shampoo'd my hair. Rinsed. Conditioned again. Followed by washing my skin with a moisturizing soap from Lush. Shampoo and conditioned my hair once last time. Rubbed myself all over with You Snap The Whip (a Lush body butter). I had to stop and sit in my tub several times cuz i kept feeling like i was about to fall over.
I've probably forgotten and left out large chunks of today but I'm too tired to care. I have to wake up in less than 8 hours for work.
My reaction to Sean's request to see me in September seems completely unreasonable now. But a part of me still doubts that I really wouldn't have had to do anything except for see him when i could. I dunno why. Alright, i should sleep before i get started thinking about all that again.
My first and last time swimming to Bowen Island
2005/08/21 23:20
Fuck, I'm tired.
I'm drinking hot chocolate right now cuz that's as "comfort food" as it gets for me. I always have a thermos of the stuff when i'm boarding and I always have a cup nearby when i'm working during fall, winter and spring.
I'm physically and emotionally exhausted.
Okay.. and on with the story of the swim.
Met up with J_Sun downtown at 9:30 in the morning. We went to Granville Island and rented booties and flippers. Lea was working, and because we've spoken to her before, the actual "so where are you going and what for?" didn't take long at all. There's this shirt i want, it's purple and silver.... (i get distracted easily)
We got our shit and went back downtown. We went to Old Navy and picked up my paycheque. HALIRIOUS. There's this table right by the entrance with application forms and big sign that says "NOW HIRING." My cheque was in a big FedEx envelope.
Went and bought another underwater camera. J bought some pringles.
Waited for our bus with all our equiptment. Spent the next few hours on the bus and wandering towards Whytecliff Park. Neither of us have ever been there, so we relied on the map J was clever enough to print out.
On the way there, we sat behind this girl with the hairiest arms i've ever seen. She was pretty and sitting on her boyfriend's lap but her arm hair was at least 2" long and curly. I called Sean about this but he didn't pick up his phone.
I called Keith a couple of times and gave precise intructions. In Diana language. I mean, most people would think of it as vague, ambiguous, unclear rambling, but Keith's been around long enough to decipher my random thoughts that escape my mouth in an equally random manner.
We hiked around for awhile in our flip flops before fiding a decent take-off point. I was unimpressed with the hiking in flip-flops. Not my thing, it seems.
We put on our boots and googles. We put all the important things in our drybags.
We were off!
There was a shitload of SCUBA students in the water. We tried to go around, but maneuvering in our flippers proved to be difficult. I nearly fell over a couple of times. The water was damn cold. Eventually, it became not so bad and we started swimming. 5 minutes into our swim, my left flipper comes loose. I make my way back to where we were and go through the entire process of getting into the water all over again.
We swam. And swam. And swam. The current pushed us faaaaaar from where we wanted to go. It's hard to judge distance and things in the water. I had very little idea of where i was going. Several ferries and boats passed; reating many waves in their wake. We swam for another 2 and a half hours. We were about 100 yards away from a shore on Bowen Island when people on a sailboat came by to speak with me. This was probably the 10th boat to stop and ask if we were okay. I was tired. I was somewhat lost. I couldn't kick anymore. It was about 3 hours in. I got on the boat. Had we landed on the shore, we still would've had to hike about 4 km to get to where we wanted to have landed. We were waaay off course and swam for much longer than we should have.
Getting onto the sailboat as exhausted as i was proved to be a little difficult. Especially with my flippers. A woman gave me a towel and I spent the next 15 minutes shivering underneath that.
We picked up J and headed towards Snug Cove (where we wanted to go). We got close enough, and the owner of sailboat took the motor onto the dinghy. J and i moved all of our equiptment from the sailboat to the dinghy. J and I followed him into the dinghy. We were on our way to snug cove!!!
we got out of the dinghy and on to the dock only to find that my legs refused to work. They wouldn't hold me up. So i lied sprawled for a while and let our things dry.
Coastguards found us there minutes later. That's another story. The only part i feel like i need to mention is that: I DIDN'T LIKE IT WHEN SHE TOUCHED ME! She didn't believe me when i told her i didn't have hypothermia, so she grabbed my arm to check. She was very cynical and didn't believe most of what we told her. For instance, when she asked about our wetsuits/drysuits and J replied that we didn't have any.
"You swam with only that?!"
Anyway, on with my recovery. Eventually my legs felt strong enough to carry me and we made our way to the restuarant. I choked down the clam chowder. It was delicious, don't get me wrong. My throat just felt raw from all that salt water. Everytime I'd attempt to swallow something, I'd start coughing. My voice is still hoarse and my throat is still irritated.
I gorged down the pasta in record time also. I mean, J still finished before i did, but i ate as fast as i possibly could.
J took the bill before i even got a chance to see it.
We made our way home and I was asleep for the majority of that trip.
When J got off the skytrain, a boy named Kaz started talking to me. He sat across from J and was carrying a huge bag. (Do you remember who i'm talking about, J?) Aaanyway, turns out he works on Big White for most of ski season. He kinda sorta recognized me. We talked for a good 6 minutes and i recall shaking his hand but everything pre-shower is somewhat of a blur. I recall telling him everything about my life and i know he's been to Tofino when he was younger. And that he works as a cook. I know he knows about my CASI. Huh. I'm probably going to dwell on this somemore when my brain recalls how to function.
My shower nearly killed me. It was only luke-warm but i felt like passing out anyway. I washed everything twice. The first thing i did was condition my hair. And then i did a thorough exfoliating scrub. And then i shampoo'd my hair. Rinsed. Conditioned again. Followed by washing my skin with a moisturizing soap from Lush. Shampoo and conditioned my hair once last time. Rubbed myself all over with You Snap The Whip (a Lush body butter). I had to stop and sit in my tub several times cuz i kept feeling like i was about to fall over.
I've probably forgotten and left out large chunks of today but I'm too tired to care. I have to wake up in less than 8 hours for work.
My reaction to Sean's request to see me in September seems completely unreasonable now. But a part of me still doubts that I really wouldn't have had to do anything except for see him when i could. I dunno why. Alright, i should sleep before i get started thinking about all that again.
VIEW 4 of 4 COMMENTS
mediapuzzle:
sounds like an adventure
angelvanilla:
SGBC NeWs