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mishakI think I've found a replacement New Year's Resolution: I'm going to swim across Walden Pond. It's probably not that big a deal to the normal, reasonably-in-shape human, it's less than half a mile across at it's longest point. When I get the other side I'd feel like a complete tool walking around the lake barefoot in my swimtrunks, so after one lap I'll have to turn around and swim back.
The thing is, I am absolutely terrified of dark water. When it's all murky and you can't see the bottom god knows what's going to come up underneath you and start chomping. There's alligators and shit out there. There's piranha, big mutant flying piranha, fer chrissakes. I've seen movies. Walden Pond's 100-foot depth was carved out by a big glacier, so you know there's at least one ichthyosaur down there. Oh man. I am going to be so scared.
The thing is, I am absolutely terrified of dark water. When it's all murky and you can't see the bottom god knows what's going to come up underneath you and start chomping. There's alligators and shit out there. There's piranha, big mutant flying piranha, fer chrissakes. I've seen movies. Walden Pond's 100-foot depth was carved out by a big glacier, so you know there's at least one ichthyosaur down there. Oh man. I am going to be so scared.
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Date: 2003-01-10 05:40 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-01-10 06:32 am (UTC)Re:
Date: 2003-01-10 07:15 am (UTC)good luck!
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Date: 2003-01-10 06:22 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-01-10 06:25 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-01-10 07:02 am (UTC)I can see the headlines now:
Date: 2003-01-10 09:48 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-01-10 06:22 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-01-10 06:30 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-01-10 06:34 am (UTC)Did you mean the long way? Because I've only swam the short way (width). But I'll train for the long way with you if you want, its just an excuse to go to Walden more.
Dark Water
Date: 2003-01-10 06:37 am (UTC)Re: Dark Water
Date: 2003-01-10 07:04 am (UTC)it's actually the shallow water that you have to worry about. up here the only things that are likely to bother you are snapping turtles and alligator snapping turtles and they live in the mud.
Re: Dark Water
Date: 2003-01-10 08:05 am (UTC)(do they live around here? They have them in lakes in Quebec...)
Re: Dark Water
Date: 2003-01-10 08:30 am (UTC)Walden experts, have you seen leeches there?
Re: Dark Water
Date: 2003-01-10 09:15 am (UTC)There are no leeches! Its a pond not a lake! A lake comes from a river, the pond came from a glacier. Its a hole filled with water and rocks. No leeches, no mucky muck. Lots of pebbles to step on, and over-tanned guys in spandex. A few small fishies that run away from you. Big deal.
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Date: 2003-01-10 08:59 am (UTC)Yeay! More people to distract the bog monster! Don't eat me! Eat her - she's much tastier!
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Date: 2003-01-10 09:16 am (UTC)Anyway, you know I go every weekend I can once May hits, so just you let me know. :)
i'll do it.
Date: 2003-01-10 06:52 am (UTC)100 feet deep? wow. good thing it's fresh water. :)
they say that when you're in the ocean, there's often something bigger than you are watching you. ;-)
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Date: 2003-01-10 07:15 am (UTC)good luck though!
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Date: 2003-01-10 07:40 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-01-10 07:24 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-01-10 07:58 am (UTC)Anyway. That's my "being terrified of Walden Pond" story.
The dark water thing doesn't bother me quite so much, which is good as the times I have been there to swim it's been too dark to see much, which is however too bad because I've been there with naked hotties.
As for swimming the length, I'll have to pass -- my swimming skills are barely sufficient. But go, you.
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Date: 2003-01-10 08:11 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-01-10 08:38 am (UTC)You've jumped out of an airplane, and this scares you???
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Date: 2003-01-10 09:52 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-01-10 09:23 am (UTC)Some of my friends in grad school used to go swimming in the morning there in the middle (non-municipal swimming beach) area sometimes au natural. They spoke of the beauty of the mist coming off the surface of the water at that hour.
I think I might be up for this though I am so out of shape and there's no landings between flights of stairs on this one...
Plus, afterwards as a momento of your completed resolution you can leave a stone on the cairn next to where Thoreau's hut used to be.
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Date: 2003-01-10 10:17 am (UTC)If you're not swimming behind me prodding me with a trident the whole way, I might get to wimp out. Have another cigarette.
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Date: 2003-01-10 10:26 am (UTC)Tridents leave permanent marks if not mortal injuries. A paintball gun will serve as a good swimming crop of sorts... I'll just drop in the ol' dial-a-welt spring kit in if you start lagging badly.
Then again, I want to do the swim too.g
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Date: 2003-01-10 10:08 am (UTC)You did pretty well in the pond in CT! Just think, you've already taken the first baby step.
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Date: 2003-01-10 01:01 pm (UTC)Dude, that water stays COLD. I actually went skinnydipping there at another point at night with some friends, but we were all liquored up a bit, which surely helped stave off hypothermia...
Good luck! And definitely consider borrowing a wetsuit!
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Date: 2003-01-13 06:43 am (UTC)if a 96 year old bag o'bones can do it, i think
Count me in!
Date: 2003-01-13 11:51 am (UTC)