Lifeguarding, the universe and everything

I went by the pool today to help one of my co-workers re-cert (she needed victims). So we cover most of the hard stuff like deep-end back boarding, and are doing a shallow-end face-down passive possible spinal scenario (meaning I’m face down and she has to turn me over without moving my neck) so she positions her arms and is loosely holding the back of my skull and my chin… and asking our boss questions about the positioning. And I’m just there chilling face down in the water listening to their conversation. After a while, the other girl there says, “Aren’t you going to let her breathe?” This is followed by, “Oh, oh… yeah… breathe!”

Summer League swim team has started up, and this year we’re having water polo again. Ah, it’s good seeing those yellow volleyballs being used properly again. It all makes me feel nostalgic… I vaguely miss being on swim team. The swimming part that is – I really miss the swimming part, but never missed the drama. Water polo I truly miss. It’s a great sport, and summer league’s the way to go – it’s so completely different from the school game. I like guarding the practices, because I get to see the different coaching styles in an impersonal way. Yoakum’s the coach this year, and he’s a pretty good guy. He was assistant coach when I was 12 or so, and I’d see him from time to time as he coached other teams (Brook) and in the halls when he came to teach science at my high school. His team played a little dirtier than our team, but nothing vicious and the girls were still nice about it, which speaks well for the coach. And he still remembers my name and talks to me, which is nice.

I’m looking for a way to change up canoeing class a little this year at pre-teen camp to make it a bit more interesting for those who have been to camp for the past 4 or 5 years already know the tip of the paddle from the grip – and yet at the same time, make it fun for those who’ve never been in a canoe before – I don’t know if any of the older girls haven’t been to camp before, so maybe I can do something with them. For the younger kids, covering the basics and letting them play around would probably work, and we only have a few classes besides the trip (and I’m way excited about the trip… I really hope the lily pads are still there, otherwise we’ll have to find a different route to the campsite to make the trip long enough to be interesting). At teen camp, we have slaloms, but I don’t know if the sterning skills are up to that - again, some of the older girls could handle that - and then there’s the usual set of skills tests and races… from experience I know that swamping races are rather fun, but also just a tad dangerous. Last time, we only did it with one dorm, and both Diana and I ended up with minor injuries and decided better us than the campers, but next time it might be them. I discovered a new sport on-line that sounds amazing – Canoe Polo… like Water Polo, but with canoes. How great is that? It’s combining my two favorite water sports into one. But… would it be too complicated to start up in just two classes (and most of that time is needed for covering swamping and the strokes and the like) and from the pictures, it looks like what’s used is little one-man canoes, and we’d be putting at least 3 in each of our canoes… plus the possible added injury of people swinging their paddles around *sigh* so… anyone have any better ideas? I’m open to suggestions.

Le monde est grand quand on est vraiment seul

The world is huge when one is truly alone. That comes from a French song I heard a while ago. Everyone else thought it was depressing, but I found it sweet in a wistful sort of way. It reminds me of laying out on the gravel beach of Govt. Island in Michigan late at night after all the campers had gone to bed and staring up at all the stars. The entire sky opening up above you and water extending out around you, hedged in only by the dark silhouettes of branches from the trees behind you, and you can’t help but feel alone in the vast darkness. It’s beautiful. I loved sitting out on the shore and watching the lights from the houses and radio towers across the lake and on the boats as they came past reflect off the water and ripple on the waves. I went for a walk tonight out around a local park and its that same sort of whole world opening up around you kind of feeling, though not as pronounced. But the night is cool and humid with the hum of crickets, and the streetlights are reflecting yellow off the trees. And it’s just… it lifts up my heart and makes me feel like dancing… a quiet bubbling happiness. The only time I can relate to that desolate loneliness everyone else found so depressing is on Sundays, when I wake up and know that I’m not going to see anyone all day. I can last until around two doing homework and chores before the silence of my apartment closes in around me in such an oppressive manner I can hardly stand it. But, I have faced my last Sunday like that for a while now, and I wasn’t sad to see it go. Next Sunday I’ll be home again. Oh, and I still haven't gotten used to eating dinner alone, but again, I'll be home on Sunday.
I received my acceptance to the Tetons trip today, and I’m pretty excited. I was beginning to worry that it wouldn’t come at all. Looking at the list of supplies, I realize that I have none of it, but I have time to shop beforehand, so no worries on that account. I may have to take up running this summer to get into shape for it, though. Running …*shudder*… I like it more than I used to, that is for sure, and at home I have the pup to come with me to keep me company (and she’s wimpier than I am when it comes to distance running, so we can build up stamina together).