Crazy Brain Takes A Leave of Absence

I managed to go swimming tonight and I feel much better. Bally's pool is still broken, of course. Now they're saying Monday. But I was sitting at the dining room table feeling like I was going to burst into tears as I attempted to make my Civ Pro cards because it is so freaking boring and so meticulous and I felt desolate.

There's a community pool that my roommate Heidi and I had heard is right across the street from us, but after both of us walking around the school and park, we hadn't been able to find it. I could smell it one day, but I couldn't see where it was or where to go. So I looked them up online this evening and called to ask for very specific directions.

The locker room is very Bolshevik chic, but the pool is beautiful. 25 yards long, with lanes wide enough that when you share you don't run into each other. Frankly, the pool kicked my butt. Just a change like 5 extra yards so that my 100's are only 4 laps instead of 5 makes for a big difference in the way it feels. I couldn't do my set of 32, but I managed to do 80 laps and one long set of 20.

Also, and maybe I'm crazy, but I could swear that sometimes the water in pools feels different. I don't know if it's the temperature or different chemicals or what, but the community pool water felt thicker than the Bally's pool water. Even when I first started swimming it felt like I was exerting more effort to stroke and kick. And my thighs are hurting in a new way.

I feel so much better.