Stuff I think about at 5AM

Too many cables, cords,  rechargers for phones, computers,  camera,  iPod, Kindle, and yep.  My power tools.

Plastic packaging is driving me insane. It encases EVERYTHING! Food in hard plastic lock boxes, that no reasonable human being can readily access. All electronics locked in impossible plastic casing that requires hedge clippers to remove. The inimitable plastic that must be peeled from CDs with your fingernails.

Ants.

Sunburn

After a lifetime of swimming, I have yet to find the perfect goggles.

Competition swimsuits that are impossible to squeeze into.  I now have nine suits. Only two pairs of jeans that fit without falling down, drawers full of tees,  and only one socially acceptable dress.

I haven't worn heels since high school proms.

Shaving. I hate it. Women have hair on their legs, and under our armpits. Why did it become socially unacceptable to appear with a normal, hairy body?

Rob Ford. (always comes to mind at 5AM)

Republicans are profoundly uninformed.

All Canadians are nice people.

Mississippi. (I just like typing that) Don't like the state.

People are always telling me that I look young "for my age". As if that's a compliment. I don't know. Perhaps it is.

Older men who wear those baggy Abercrombie and Fitch shorts look really silly.

And finally. Why can I never get to sleep when I know I have to get up especially early?

Monday, Monday

Time for a rant. STEEL THYSELVES! Woke up with a headache. Again. Pulled on my suit, grabbed something to eat, and headed to the pool. *Note I was not motivated* Swam 1000 meter warm-up LSD. Daydreaming about being anywhere else but this pool with goofy lady in the next lane, who didn't want to get her hair wet, and glared at me, every time I passed her. Did 10X200 intervals on 5 minutes. Decided to do some sprint work. Did 20X50s on the top. I was averaging 40 second per 50. AARRGGHH Did you hear that, Jennifer Huffman?! I know my arms were moving, but I wasn't going anywhere!!! Finished it off with 500 meter cool down. Got out. Slipped in the shower...got locked out of my locker...mistakenly used hair spray for deodorant. *Oh shut UP!* Now my shoulder hurts. I think this is one of my better whiny rants, don't you? Now if we could just eliminate all %#@#% Mondays from this calendar, I would have an awesome workout every day. Rant over.

The Straits

So.  Life is becoming more interesting now.  I was contacted by a company who sells the same sports drink that Diana Nyad drank during her swim from Cuba to Florida.  She would like me to "endorse" it for my swim. Okaaay.  A weight trainer and sports nutritionist also called me, and offered to help me free of charge. I guess that means there's no backing out NOW! As far as the Coast Guard is concerned, I just need to get them a map of my route...which is going to be kind of hard, because I'll be following the current.  One of my kayakers said he has marine maps of the area...He's in Florida now, I think.  But. Obviously, I've got plenty of time.   Now there will be no more excuses. I've gotta be in that water every day!  No more excuses!                                                                           Didn't have a chance to get in the water at ALL today, as I had to take Bree in to the Vet for her Lyme shot. I stopped off to visit some old horse friends.  They have a horse who needs to be ridden...Iriquois...He's a trotter.  I love that horse.  Very sweet natured and kind.  Still having head and neck pain, which I am just going to have to ignore.  The docs want to give me an injection for the pain...corticosteroids..but I don't think I'm going to let them do that.  The last time I had one of those shots, I felt jittery for weeks. Awful feeling.
Tomorrow. 2PM. Lane 3 is where I'll be.

e-mail

Why isn't there an app for deleting most of the thousands of emails I get on a daily basis? I mean.  Keeping the ones that are from actual people...especially people I actually know...or WANT to know.  Also, I'll want to keep anything that is more than mildly entertaining, and/or informative.  I'll need to keep Facebook updates, of course.  WHAT is all the REST of this shit?!

Reflections at 5AM

I am drawn to quiet,  emotional people.

My children are my greatest joy,  and my greatest sorrow...because they are so far away. My love for them has no boundaries. It is unconditional.

Opera makes me weep.

My greatest inspiration is a very dear friend who is dying with ovarian cancer. Her strength knows no bounds. I am humbled by her spirit. She experiences more joy in every moment than anyone I have ever known.

The only place I feel truly alive and free is in the water. It is my safety net,  and my peace. I now no longer feel the need to count laps,  or to compete. I swim for hours now, alone in the silence of the water...weightless and free of worries and pain.

Every day when I walk Bree,  the Alaskan Malamute who owns me, I find myself grinning for no reason. She and I take great pleasure in the reactions of people of all ages to her gentle presence. She adores people, and everyone she meets is drawn to her.  She is my best friend and soul mate. And yes. We have conversations.

Everyone loves my paintings and drawings...except me. I can never seem to please myself. But nothing gives me greater pleasure than the smell of turpentine and oil paint.  Sitting alone in a room, sketching my surroundings is my simplest pleasure. Note that I always include my foot in my sketches...one of my many quirks.

People who don't know me well regard me as eccentric. That makes me smile, because they are right.

Injustice in any form disturbs me profoundly.  Whether it is racism,  poverty, or attitudes toward the LGBTQ community. I always feel like I need to act in some way, so I do what I can. I speak up. It's not much,  but bigotry and injustices to those of us who are "different" saddens me. It physically hurts.

It is critically important to me to take risks. It makes me feel alive. And I live moment to moment...I don't want to grow old regretting what I didn't do out of fear. That is one reason I am drawn to open water swimming. The risks are there, but the thrill of getting from point A to point B under my own power in risky waters is beyond description. My Mack Straits swim is one good example. Quite frankly, I am afraid...not of the water,  the cold, the distance, or the shipping lane. My fear is of not finishing. So I work toward this adventure. If I  am successful, make it from the UP to the LP and manage to raise a lot of money for Gleaners Community Food Bank in Detroit, I will be over-joyed, but ready to move on to the next chapter,  the Alcatraz swim. I am not super human. I recognize my limitations. But I WILL  continue to test myself within the limits of my age and the time I have left on the planet.

Now. Once again I find myself rambling.

Perhaps I should sleep.

Mack Straits Swim is a GO!

I finally found my kayakers! One is a rock star paddler, who also teaches sea kayaking, and has made this crossing before. He has his own marine radio, and knows how to use it, AND  He's a firefighter and EMT. He will be bringing along another paddler friend,  who will come in handy in case I need a tow. People are also putting out the message that I would like to have a power sailboat along for the ride.  This is going to be the adventure of a lifetime! We will be raising money for Gleaners Community Food Bank in Detroit, so I am looking for fundraisers. This swim should grab some attention, as I will be 64 when I swim it. The more publicity, the more money we raise for this very worthwhile charity. Now I  can concentrate on training, and purchase a wetsuit. I plan to make a trip or two  out to the lake,  to train with the wetsuit. So the fun begins!