Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Water Wars

by Cassondra Murray

I am not a pool person. Never have been one.

Maybe it's because I didn't learn to swim until I was in my 20s. Growing up in a small, landlocked Kentucky town doesn't exactly turn you into a water baby.


Now I think it has more to do with vanity. When I get invited to a pool party and I cringe, I think maybe it's because my body, like the rest of me, is no longer 20, and the annual "try on the swimsuit and get ready for the pool" ritual has turned into the self-worth equivalent of having my toenails ripped off with tweezers.

Nothing like that moment when you put on the suit, turn your back to the mirror and look over your shoulder. Nothing like the involuntary "OH, MY GOD!" that follows when you see the effect one more year of gravity has had on your body.

Fun.

Not.

Don't misunderstand. I like water. I love the energy of water. I have a fountain in my bedroom. I like strolling down riverwalks by the running water.


I love to sit beside water. When I go to the beach I sit in the surf for hours and catch seashells like a little kid. But I don't go out into the ocean. When I go in up to my knees and feel the undertow pulling at me I get this eerie feeling that "it wants me," and I retreat to the safety of the "feet-wet" edge.

This Disney pool is awesome, don't you think? But still...if I were there, I'd be more likely to sip a drink out of a coconut, while sitting in the shade of an umbrella, than to get in the water.

There is one exception to this rule. A water connection which I cannot resist. Never could resist it. Probably never will.


A couple of weeks ago we were invited to a friend's house for a gathering. They have a pool. It's not a fancy in-ground pool. It's not even a rigid, above-ground pool. It's a giant, inflatable pool, kind of like the one on the left. Four-and-a-half-feet deep, and probably 15 feet across, they bought it at a discount store for under $200. And can I just say, it's WAY more than $200 worth of fun.


But I'm getting ahead of myself.

I usually beg off of invitations to pool-centric events. But I REALLY wanted to be with these people. So I spent the stupid amount of time required for careful shaving and exfoliating and buffing and polishing, and I showed up. I showed up in shorts and a tank top. With my swimsuit and towel in a bag. Which I purposely left in the car. I had no plans to get wet at this party.


Usually, this works. I can usually get by with a "I just don't feel like getting in," excuse.


Let's get real here. It was 98 degrees in the shade. And humid. I dipped my fingers into the perfect water and I was a goner. Bag out of car. Quick change in the bathroom, and into the pool.

And that's when I saw it. Floating right there in front of me.


Yeah, the water was cool and wonderful. Yes, they had floaties galore. But they had something else in that pool, which I hadn't anticipated.

They had water guns.


High-power water guns.


Yeeeeeee-Haaaa!!!!


I am a reasonably sane person. But put a water gun in my hands, and I turn into a monster. I cannot explain this. But it has been this way since I was born.


When I was a little kid, I had water pistols. Squirt guns, they were called then. And "squirt" is about all they would do. They cost about two dollars each then. The trigger always leaked. The little stopper that held the water in was attached to the pistol by a puny little plastic Y-shaped thingy, poked into the water-fill hole. The Y-thingy broke off about the third time you filled up the gun (which you had to do WAY too often for real combat) which meant that in the trenches, you always lost your water fill cover, rendering your weapon nearly useless. And it took about 30 pounds of force to the trigger to pump that sucker. I built up some serious finger muscles, lemme tell ya.


By the time I was in high school, the need for heavy water-munitions was clear, but the technology...it had not caught up. We had a ritual at our school. The day before graduation, AFTER the final grades had already been turned in and you could NOT fail for any reason, the seniors would bring water guns to school. Okay, the truth is that the senior BOYS would bring water guns to school. But that little factoid went right by me.


I was the first--and the lone--female in the vo-ag program at my high school. Yup. Me and 140 boys, and I'd endured that torture for four long years. By that time I'd built up a reasonably thick skin, a complete loss of sensitivity to being the only female in a room full of men, and by the time the last day of senior year rolled around, I was primed. I'd been the good little girl for four freakin' years, and I'm not sure I realized how much pent-up frustration I had. What I did realize was that a stinkin' little squirt gun was not gonna cut it. I needed serious firepower. Firepower that did not, as yet, exist.

I dumped out my mom's bottle of dishwashing liquid into a quart jar and I had my weapon.

But I swear, I never planned to attack the teacher.

Honest.


Mr. Grant had taught me hard-core parliamentary procedures. He'd done me the favor of letting me fight my own battles when I'd dug in my heels and gone toe-to-toe with the guys who were giving me hell. He'd forced me to kick ass and take names for myself, without having to run to anybody else to get it done. That's a lesson that's served me well ever since. He'd taught me to weld, for cryin' out loud.

And on the last day of school he came armed with a puny little squirt gun he'd confiscated from another student. Big mistake.

I hid behind the door and waited. He came around the corner from the shop, armed with his weenie weapon, and became a casualty.

The good little girl of Small-Town Kentucky High School died that day, in an erruption of spewing water and a loud Ppppffffflllllllllltttttttttttttt sound that could only be compared to a Godzilla fart. I emptied that Joy bottle all over Mr. Grant. He stood there, stunned, mouth hanging open. All the guys stopped and stared. And there, in that moment, I understood the addictive quality of superior firepower.

Weapons technology has come a long way since then.

Check out this SuperSoaker. This thing shoots a stream of water 50 feet. Where was this when I was a kid?

Nowadays water guns come in all kinds of configurations and color schemes. This one looks like some kind of Klingon space blaster.


This one, below, is the equivalent of a double-barreled mini-gun. It even has it's own bi-pod to hold up the front end. This thing makes me feel like I grew up in the stone age of water fights. Where was this technology when I needed it?












To add a little drama to the fight, this one, on the left, fires water-soaked foam pellets.





This one, below, might be the ultimate weapon. This thing attaches to a hose so it never runs out of ammo. Check out the long-range scope on this water cannon.









This tricycle-style armored vehicle has built-in water canons and a reservoir of spare ammo on the back.



And when the proverbial sh*t hits the fan and the enemy is gaining ground, you can call in artillery if you have this water balloon mortar launcher.







They did NOT have SuperSoakers in that pool at my friends' house two weeks ago, but they did have three serious pump-action water machine pistols. The host of the party walked by to adjust the settings on the pool pumps, and it was not possible to resist. He was six-feet, four inches of bare-chested male target. I looked at the other lady in the pool with me, she looked at me, and we each grabbed a weapon.

He was a sitting duck, out in the open, unprotected, until my husband yelled, "Over the side! Over the side!" (Wouldn't you know, the division of allegiance would fall straight down gender-based lines?) He rolled over the side of the pool and grabbed the remaining weapon.


That's another cool advance in technology, y'all. These babies FLOAT! Even full of water, these blasters float!

I cannot explain what, precisely, happens to normal adults when you put water guns into their hands, but some force takes over. Hand an adult a water gun, and that adult turns into a kid again. Who among us doesn't need a few minutes of pure, unadulterated, blow-out fun?


There we were. Two untrained women in an inflatable pool, armed to the teeth and hiding behind a dinosaur floatie, holding off one former-special-ops soldier. He was expert at fire, duck and cover. We were experts at screaming and giggling. We did have the advantage of a partnership. I could lay cover fire while she reloaded, and vice-versa.

I knew, eventually, outgunned as he was, he'd have to make a bold move. He'd dive and swim underwater. Sure enough, that's what he did. Came up right in front of us and it was over. We were toast.


Clearly, I need more training.

Even so, I grinned for about threee days just from that few minutes of crazy fun.



This little guy on the left might have a bit more gun than he can handle, ya think?
So what about you?
What's your favorite hot-weather activity?
Are you a "pool person?"
Do you like to play in the water? Or are you more of a beach chair, umbrella-drink type?
What does it take to coax you into the water? Are you ready and willing to jump in? Will the heat of summer do it? Or does it take more incentive than that?
Have you ever been in a water fight? Did you like it?
Obviously, I've never outgrown my need for superior firepower. Did you have water pistols as a kid?
Is it just me? What is it about a water gun that brings out the kid in a normal, serious adult?

101 comments:

Barbara Monajem said...

Sploosh!

Cassondra said...

Woohoo Barbara!

The chicken is goin home with you!

Cassondra said...

It's 3 in the morning here. I'm goin' to bed to sleep a bit. Back in a few hours. Y'all keep the bar stocked, will ya?

Barbara Monajem said...

You mean I really get the GR? I thought he might be shopping for a new wardrobe for National. Does HE like water? Do I have to entertain him? Hmm... Or does he have to entertain me?

Unfortunately, my pool died suddenly several years ago in a great big whooosh! in the night. I loved skimming the leaves off and testing the water and adding shock and stuff. Just being by a body of water, even a small one, is soooo soothing. I love lakes--the water tasting of algae and fishies nibbling on my toes. I love the ocean, whether it's the warm one on the Gulf Coast or the deep green cooooold water in the Pacific NW. I love boats. I love drinking water. I love humidity and lots of vegetation (but not mildew and mosquitoes, alas).

And now I am soooo in the mood for a water fight. The GR and I are going to have some fun today. Anybody want to join us?

'Night, Cassondra. It's 4 in the morning here and I'm going to bed, too...

Jane said...

Congrats on the GR, Barbara.

Hi Cassondra,
I'm not a pool person, but one of my best friends is. She's always spending time at the pool or the beach. I don't swim and don't like to splash around in the water. I played with water guns when I was kid. At first I had the cheap plastic ones that barely squirted any water. I later upgraded to battery operated one that look like a black machine gun. It probably wasn't a good idea to shoot that thing in the streets. It could have easily been mistaken for a real gun.

hrdwrkdmom aka Dianna said...

I am not a beach or a pool person, this body does not go into a bathing suit at any time. I love being around water, I just don't want to be in it, at least not with a gazillion other people. I am however deadly with a squirt bottle, just ask my son, his friends and two cats. Mess with me you get squirted. Repeatedly.

Helen said...

Congrats Barbara have fun with him

Cassondra I loved the post. I didn't grow up near the water either but Mum would take us on holidays every year to the beach and I loved the water then and I do still own a swim suit but very rarely go swimming anymore If I do get into someones pool it is usually in board shorts and a big T shirt.

We have friends that have a pool actualy they are my grandchildren Jayden and Hayleys other grandparents and boy do they have fun in the pool with some of those water guns Jayden loves them and is forever chasing me and the rest of the adults with them we always have so much fun even if I don't get in the pool I end up soaked thanks to my grandson and my kids I am sure the adults enjoy them more than the kids do LOL.

As for me at my age I love sitting in a chair by the pool or beach with a book and a nice cool drink in my hands.

Have Fun
Helen

Caren Crane said...

Barbara! Congrats on winning the dubious company of the GR today. Not sure if he's a pool chicken...

My BFF is a total pool freak. She loves to sunbathe, splash in the pool, float on those lounger things. I like to sit BY the pool (or any body of water) in the shade and read a book. Water is incredibly soothing, but I usually feel no need to get in it.

I have spent many long, dry days in a swimsuit keeping my kids company next to our pool. Likewise, the BFF likes to come over and we sit by the pool. But I only get in if the kids beg or it's insanely hot in the shade. Even then, I like to wait until after 2:00 pm, when the trees next door shade the deep end of the pool and then hang out there.

Part of it is having incredibly fair skin that burns in minutes, even with #50 sunblock. The other part is, I really don't like having swimming hair. Vanity gets me again! *g*

Even growing up in landlocked TN, we spent LOTS of time on the water. Lakes, rivers and creeks mostly, though my parents took us to Panama City Beach a few times. Love the panhandle of FL! I don't remember not swimming and we were out on boats or up to our knees fishing in creeks and rivers often.

So, I have an affinity for water, but don't need to submerge myself, necessarily. I enjoy it when I do, though, despite the requisite wearing of swimwear! Man, it's depressing even to think about putting a swimsuit on...

Beth Andrews said...

As a kid, I spent most every day at my town's local swimming pool. Even now, I still love the water but I rarely get into our pool unless it's really hot outside. As I've gotten older, my tolerance for cold water has waned ;-)

My family prefers water balloons over squirt guns. Not sure why but I think it has something to do with the element of surprise mixed in with the bigger splash :-)

Joan said...

Weeine weapon?

ROFLMAO....

Dear Lord, C! You've done it again!

This was a freaking fantastic post!

Ok, first things first. I do like the water...but only as an accessorie. I never learned to swim despite my mother's diligent efforts in taking us for lessons at the local high school. Oh, I could swim about 3 feet UNDER water...not too handy a skill if my boat sinks FOUR feet from land!

Heck, several years ago I went to a Disney water park. Got on one of those intertubes to float down the "lazy river" and...got caught in a logjam right UNDER a gushing waterfall. I couldn't get my a** up out of the think and almost DROWNED!

Nope, now I'm content to hang onto a noodle and just float around.


And yeah, Barbara...I'm feeling the urge for a water pistol showdown myself...

Whadya say Banditas? Water...National....hidden nooks and crannies in the hotel lobby?

Joan said...

accessory

inner tube

thing

I CAN spell when I'm not half awake

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Yeeeehaw!!! Congrats Barbara!

Cassondra, wonderful post! There is nothing that says summer like water gun and water balloon fights. You brought back a ton of memories about water balloons, pool time and general all about fun.

I love the pictures too. We do go to a local neighborhood pool. I like to be IN the water, I don't necessarily like all the steps to get there. (a la your post) but water fights? I have two boys so that is a regluar occurance around here, 365 days a year. We've got yer pump action water guns, we got yer super soakers, we got yer basic straight up plastic jobbies, and best of all, we've got the hose! Mom LIKES the hose. I'll take on all comers if I've got the hose. Snork.

Then there's running through the sprinkler. Or thowing down a big blue tarp for an improvised slip-n-slide.

Then last year, my husband and I, in the spirit of fun and as homage to our wild, individual "inner child" energy, bought a water slide. You know, the blow-uppity things? You hook a hose to them, a blower and voila, instant fun ride. It's a blast.

Goes great with a cold beer, a cold glass of wine and a seat in the shade to sit for 5-6 hours letting your kids get worn out beyond their capacity to eat or think. Grins.

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Oh. Joanie T. *Stifled snicker* Stuck UNDER the waterfall? *Muffled laugh* I'm so sorry.

*offstage guffaws*

*whispers: oh, the visual*

Glad you didn't drown. We need you.

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Barbara, the GR can downright handle a water pistol. Watch out. My boys taught him well. (mother pride here)

Hey forgot to say we have this other water gun that shoots balls of water. No kidding. It shoots these ping-pong sized balls of water.

jo robertson said...

ROTFLMAO, Cassondra, what a hilarious post!

Yay, Barbara, too bad you can't take the rooster poolside today, but you can certainly have him serve you drinks and generally be at your beck and call.

I'm fascinated by water, too, Cassondra, especially the pull of the ocean. I could watch it for hours. But actually getting IN, uh, not so much.

Squirt gun fights were so much fun when I was a kid. Water fights seem to typify such innocent fun, hardly anyone gets hurt, and it's so refreshing.

Suzanne Ferrell said...

Cassondra, what a great post!!

And yes, I am a pool person. My mother never learned to swim and therefore has a healthy fear of swimming. But she was determined her children would not.

We started lessons when I was 6. From that moment on I've loved swimming. When we moved to Florida, we had a huge pool in the house we rented. I taught each of my kids how to swim.

Now, I'm not a petite woman, so bathing suit's are NOT my fashion friend! Haven't had a bikini since nursing school. BUT I adore my pool here in Texas. Swim in it nearly daily from May to Oct with Rocky-the-wonder-dog (who also loves the pool!). Anyone who wants to come over and swim can. Just be warned. There's a fat woman in a bathing suit in it!

Cybercliper said...

Hi Cassondra...loved the post. I love the water and spent most of my childhood in the creek - wadding. Therefore, you're not likely to get me into water over my head - can swim, just barely. We had ponds and rivers, but country kids knew to stay out of them, especially during dog days.

In eastern KY just about everybody had at least an hour or longer bus ride to and from school. The last day of school was always the best for us. Anybody could take water pistols to school and while we couldn't use them in the school, the bus drivers would let us go to all out war. They'd even stop for refills! My favorite driver, Preacher Buck, would even pull over in a parking lot and tell us not to do anything while he was gone. He'd go stand and have a smoke with other drivers while we went nuts. He'd get back on dry off his set as if nothing happened and go on with the day. Good time!

Nancy said...

Barbara, congrats on taking home the chook! Please see if you can make him very, very tired before he sneaks into DC next week.

Cassondra, what a hoot! I love your description of the pool party and of your high school tradition.

I had no idea squirt gun technology had advanced so far. I was a pool person as a kid, though I had a lot of trouble learning to swim due to a near-drowning in a motel pool when I was 4 or 5. After that, I was terrified of the water. I did eventually get over that, though, and loved it.

My dad grew up in Manila, PI, served in the Navy, and loved the ocean. Taught me to go out beyond the breakers and actually swim, not just body surf or splash around. As I get older, though, I'm more conscious of undertow and of underwater denizens. Especially with people fishing on the beach and landing things like, oh, small sharks. I can't help wondering how many friend sharks are out there.

When the boy was little, we had a wading pool (or "waving pool," as he called it), but the mosquito problem in our neighborhood puts a damper on outdoor activities. We don't way to spray the yard because that kills other things. Still, that pool sounds like a lot of fun.

Nancy said...

Suz, Herself is so incredibly jealous of Rocky getting to swim. We've always had retrievers and know they love the water. I sometimes think it'd be great to have a four-foot lap pool in the back yard, but the budget doesn't run to it. And considering we have trouble keeping the grass mowed, maintenance might be an issue.

Cassondra said...

Okay, I'm up. Gone to get coffee. REALLY STRONG COFFEE. Back in a minute.

Nancy said...

Jeanne, I'm amazed by your water arsenal. The dh's brother and his wife live on the edge of a cliff in Colorado, and they put a hot tub in the side yard. I do love sitting in it at night. They have a view of the mountain across the way silhouetted against a starry sky. And sometimes distant lightning (which I distrust on grounds it can come closer).

And summer nights are cold there, to someone from the Carolinas, so there's this fabulous contrast of chilly air and warm, bubbly water.

But no arsenal, alas.

Cassondra said...

Barbara, how's the GR doing? Have you gotten him wet yet?

Your pool "died in a big whoosh in the night?"!!!! What????!!! You mean it was blown away by a tornado or something?

I'm the same way about water. I want it all around me. I don't think that's good probably. The Feng Shui people would not like me having water everywhere. Gotta have your required amounts of wood, fire, air and metal in the right spots too.

Barbara do you go out INTO the ocean? Doesn't it pull you out? I want to get over this fear.

Cassondra said...

Jane said:

At first I had the cheap plastic ones that barely squirted any water. I later upgraded to battery operated one that look like a black machine gun. It probably wasn't a good idea to shoot that thing in the streets. It could have easily been mistaken for a real gun.


Oooo...BATTERIES???!!! I cannot see how that would work in the pool! And yeah..black plastic firearms are no longer a good idea. Nowadays they do that red end on the barrel. We always used our water pistols outside in the yard and stuff. Never in the pool. Maybe that's why being in the pool with those blasters was such a riot. Being IN water, prepared to get wet, with mondo water blasters that got you wetter. Now I'm thinkin I missed out as a kid.

Cassondra said...

Okay y'all. This is testament to how NOT a morning person I am. I didn't rest well. Went in there to get coffee, opened the microwave, and just stared in, like the microwave was that thing in the star trek mess hall that would create something out of nothing. Coffee.

Took me a good three or four minutes of staring into the empty void for my brain to kick in..Brain to Cassondra: WHAT are you doing staring into the microwave? Cassondra: Looking for coffee. Brain: No coffee here. Look over on the counter. Cassondra: Oh.

Nancy said...

Cassondra, speaking of fascination with water--do you ever find that you get ideas around running water? In the shower? While washing your face or brushing your teeth in the morning or evening? Doing dishes?

Yeah, I know Barney says you should never let the water run, as the boy once informed me when he was little, but I let the hot run while I brush my teeth so it's actually lukewarm when I reach for the washcloth.

Cassondra said...

Dianna said:

this body does not go into a bathing suit at any time.

See? That was my stance up until a couple of weeks ago. The heat got to me. I gave in.

I am however deadly with a squirt bottle, just ask my son, his friends and two cats. Mess with me you get squirted. Repeatedly.

Ha! A woman after my own heart! You GO Dianna! Kick some little kid butt.

Cassondra said...

Helen said:

if I don't get in the pool I end up soaked thanks to my grandson and my kids I am sure the adults enjoy them more than the kids do LOL.


See? This is what I mean. When I was engaged in that firefight, I forgot everthing else. It was a total "in the moment" thing. I don't get a lot of those anymore. I tend to worry too much. Always have my mind on something else. A watergun brings me right here, right now. I think it's the adrenaline rush of combat--without the fear of actual casualties--maybe?

It does seem clear, doesn't it, that a lot of these water weapons were created with adults in mind? That little bitty boy with the great big blaster at the bottom of the blog post thinks that gun is for him. But I'm thinkin that's for the adults in the family. (grin)

Cassondra said...

Posh said:

I have spent many long, dry days in a swimsuit keeping my kids company next to our pool.

Oooooooo. You have a pool????

Do you have any water guns?

Man, it's depressing even to think about putting a swimsuit on...


Oh, yeah. I determined after this last event that I have to go and search out one of those miracle suits that has a built-in bra and a butt sculpter. Yup. Gotta get one.

Cassondra said...

Beth said:

As a kid, I spent most every day at my town's local swimming pool.

Ah, you grew up a water baby. That's cool. I bet you're a good swimmer too.

My family prefers water balloons over squirt guns. Not sure why but I think it has something to do with the element of surprise mixed in with the bigger splash :-)

Hmmm. I'm thinkin you need one of those water balloon mortarl launchers.

Ya know what I don't like about water balloons? Picking up the plastic balloon bits afterward.

Cassondra said...

Joanie said:

Nope, now I'm content to hang onto a noodle and just float around.


That's pretty much what I do in the pool now, on the rare occasions I'm in one. I lie on a floatie. Butt DOWN.

Poor Joanie, almost drowning under that waterfall! Okay everybody, if we go on a river tour of New York when the conference is there next, everybody surround Joanie. We'll make sure she gets that extra foot to shore. Joanie cannot end up sleepin wit da fishes.

Cassondra said...

Jeanne said:

We've got yer pump action water guns, we got yer super soakers, we got yer basic straight up plastic jobbies, and best of all, we've got the hose! Mom LIKES the hose. I'll take on all comers if I've got the hose. Snork.

Oh, yeah. The hose is the ultimate belt-fed machine water gun! Never runs out of ammo.

Then last year, my husband and I, in the spirit of fun and as homage to our wild, individual "inner child" energy, bought a water slide. You know, the blow-uppity things? You hook a hose to them, a blower and voila, instant fun ride. It's a blast.

Oh, man! I can't imagine how much fun your boys have with that thing. I also cannot imagine your water bill! (grin)

Cassondra said...

Jeanne said:

Hey forgot to say we have this other water gun that shoots balls of water. No kidding. It shoots these ping-pong sized balls of water.


Oh! Oh!

Want.

Cassondra said...

Jo said:

Water fights seem to typify such innocent fun, hardly anyone gets hurt, and it's so refreshing.


I think that's it for me too, Jo. Yaknow, I never want to get squirted or splashed that first time when I'm all dry. But after the first couple of squirts of water in the face, all bets are off and I dive right in.

Cassondra said...

Suz says:
I adore my pool here in Texas. Swim in it nearly daily from May to Oct with Rocky-the-wonder-dog (who also loves the pool!).

Oh, I bet that's FUN!

Ya know, now that you've brought it up (actually somebody else brought it up too, I think), I like a pool when there's a crowd. If I had a pool here, I'd have to have my dogs in it too. It's not a lot of fun for me getting in a pool by myself. Sure, I get cooled off, but hey, I can cool off by going into the air conditioning--and I don't have to re-dry my hair. But having somebody IN the pool with you...I don't think I ever recognized that if I'm gonna play in the water, I want somebody else there with me.

Hmmm....wonder why that is?

Cassondra said...

cybercliper said:

My favorite driver, Preacher Buck, would even pull over in a parking lot and tell us not to do anything while he was gone. He'd go stand and have a smoke with other drivers while we went nuts. He'd get back on dry off his set as if nothing happened and go on with the day. Good time!

Oh, that's a GREAT story! What a character! Our bus drivers weren't nearly that much fun. We did get to stop at Dairy Queen at the end of the year though. Can you imagine? A whole bus load of kids coming up to that walk-up window? You KNOW they hated to see us coming!

I grew up wading in creeks too. Maybe that's why I'm not an ocean swimmer. I can swim okay, but I'm not a strong swimmer, and creeks seem much more manageable.

Cassondra said...

Nancy said:

had no idea squirt gun technology had advanced so far

Yup. I dunno why it's taken it so long to get there. Ya know, when I was a kid, they walked on the moon, for cryin out loud. But we had to go through childhood with pansy little excuses for water weapons.

And WHOA, on almost drowning in that pool! I'm so proud of you for working hard to overcome that. And don't you have to be a really strong swimmer to get back in to land when you're out there in the ocean? That's the thing. I just don't understand how it works I think. Life beside the ocean is a whole nuther way of thinking and there are some skills involved for certain. I don't have those skills.

Cassondra said...

Nancy said:

The dh's brother and his wife live on the edge of a cliff in Colorado, and they put a hot tub in the side yard. I do love sitting in it at night. They have a view of the mountain across the way silhouetted against a starry sky.

Oh, now THAT, RIGHT THERE BABY, is my kind of evening. I've always said (despite the momentary desire for a pool created by the recent water war) that I would never spend the time and energy and money on a pool because I wouldn't use it. But a hot tub? Yup. We have plans for one with a dedicated screened porch off the side of the house when we build on. I love hot tubs. A glass of wine, low lights, a few candles, relax. Aaaaahhhhhh. A good view is nice too. I bet that is just awesome.

Cassondra said...

Nancy said:

Cassondra, speaking of fascination with water--do you ever find that you get ideas around running water? In the shower? While washing your face or brushing your teeth in the morning or evening? Doing dishes?


yeah, I do. Actually I think it's two different things going on. THey did this study out at UCLA years ago that explained what was happening with the right-brain, left-brain switch when you were doing something like dishes or taking a shower--something your brain doesn't have to think about, but it keeps the one side busy, so it basically turns off the internal editor. It was fascinating and I used it a lot when I was songwriting. I learned which activities to do for creativity, and which to do for problem-solving (these are opposite sides of the brain). I know a lOT of people, however, who, if they're stumped for an idea, go get in the bathtub and soak. And soaking in a bubble bath ABSOLUTELY puts me in a zone I can't get into any other way. Being IN water does something good to my energy system. BEing beside water also does, though it's different.

Cassondra said...

Nancy said:

And considering we have trouble keeping the grass mowed, maintenance might be an issue.


Snork! Yeah, we're right there with ya Nancy.

Tawny said...

Ooooh I love the water. I love floating in a pool, book in hand. I love swimming laps, no sweat required. I love lounging with my feet in the water. I love sitting on the river bank, watching the current.

Yeah, I love water. I'm not a huge fan of water guns though, only because I ALWAYS have lousy aim and ALWAYS get sprayed in the face. And that hurts *g*

Barbara - congrats on the slightly wet rooster :-)

Fedora said...

LOL!! Cassondra, what a fabulous post! We didn't have many water guns growing up, although my brother did eventually introduce us to the joys ;p And you're right--it's an addictive pleasure ;) Thanks for reminding me... might have to go shopping...

Congrats on the GR, Barbara!

Trish Milburn said...

Cassondra, I'm much like you in this respect. I, however, can't swim, so I don't like to be in the water too much. But I love going to the beach or sitting by a lake or walking along a mountain stream.

I'm so with you on wishing we'd had super soakers when we were kids. That would have been awesome! In fact, perhaps some of us should stock up for conference week. LOL!

Cassondra said...

Tawny said:

Yeah, I love water. I'm not a huge fan of water guns though, only because I ALWAYS have lousy aim and ALWAYS get sprayed in the face. And that hurts *g*


Oh, you must have been blasted with some kind of high-power weapon! Ya know, I was quite surprised that getting hit in the face by the water guns in the pool recently did not hurt at all. I remembered it being really unpleasant getting hit in the face. Like a sharp little stream. But this wasn't like that. I wonder if that's part of the technology? Hmmm....

Tawny, we'll just have to work on your aim. Or maybe we can make you the keeper of the water balloon mortar canon...Where "almost" is just as good. Your aim can be off a little and the enemy is still gonna get soaked. (grin)

Cassondra said...

flchen said:

Thanks for reminding me... might have to go shopping...



Oh yeah. And you have to let us know what you get. FWIW, that double-barreled mini gun with the bipod in the middle of the blog post? It didn't get very good reviews.

Cassondra said...

Trish Milburn said:

I'm so with you on wishing we'd had super soakers when we were kids. That would have been awesome! In fact, perhaps some of us should stock up for conference week. LOL!


Ha! Washington won't know what hit it! Bandits and Buddies armed to the teeth with a water arsenal!

Cassondra said...

Okay, y'all. I've gotta get food. Back in a few minutes.

Genella deGrey said...

I won't be getting into a bathing suit until the 1890's bathing costumes come back into fashion.

:D
G.

Becke Davis said...

I lived at the Lions Park Pool when I was a kid, which is why I was always covered in freckles. It's been awhile since I've felt comfortable in a swimsuit - if only I would stick to my exercise routines I might get back into one before I'm eighty.

My dad was an Olympic swimmer - won the Jr. Olympics for breast stroke. My daughter took lessons as a child, but my son taught himself in his best friend's pool. We never thought much of it until he recently decided to train for the Iron Man Triathalon (yes, he's insane). He is now concerned because he apparently didn't learn how to swim the right way, and so has bought himself a couple of books so he can re-learn correctly. (This is what happens when he starts a job in Chicago while the love of his life does an internship in Portland, OR.)

As to the water toys, our garage is still full of those. The kids had such a blast with them, but no one plays with them anymore.

I love the picture of the dog in the pool. My friend's dog LOVED water -- he would happily sit in a pool like the one in the picture and drink from the hose. M

y dog HATED water -- we had to get her bathed at the vet's, and they had to muzzle her first. She would cross the street to avoid sprinklers and was terrified of pools and hoses. She didn't mind the rain, though.

Pissenlit said...

Eee hee hee! Cassondra, you've made my day with this post. I can't get this stupid grin off my face. There might've also been giggling. :D Like you, I enjoy water and all but I'm not a pool person. I manage to beg off pool-related events by virtue of not owning a bathing suit that fits anymore...that and I refuse to borrow bathing suits 'cause that kinda weirds me out. I'm not a fan of finding/wearing a bathing suit, I'm not a fan of so much chlorine and well, I like to be able to see which I can't do without my glasses. Ha! But if you're having a water fight? Count me in! Water guns, water balloons, garden hose...actually, it wouldn't take much to persuade me to run through a sprinkler a few times. Bwa ha!

Oh and that whole staring into the microwave while looking for coffee? Been there, done that and many variations thereof. :D

Nancy said...

Cassondra, it was very hard for me to get over that fear and put my face in the water. A swimming instructor once threatened to drop me mid-pool if I didn't do it, and that was the end of those lessons. I don't really remember when I learned. I suspect my mom and dad taught me to float in motel pools when we went to Florida to see Daddy's brother's family in the summer and we worked up to submersion from there. I know Daddy taught me to dive, from a kneeling position off the edge of the pool and then from standing.

That UCLA study sounds fascinating. I love the bathtub. We have a deep, clawfoot one that's original to the house. I used to tell the dh I married him for his bathtub. *g* I like to read in there, though I'm hyper about protecting the book. And I've been known to soak until the water cools off, then run some more hot in.

And those hot tub evenings do feature wine, but no candles, alas. It's one of my favorite things to do when we go to CO. That and hit the Tattered Cover bookstore. And the Ann Taylor factory store. The dh's sister-in-law is very obliging in these respects.

Oh, and as long as we're having True Confessions, bathing suits are no longer flattering to me, either, and they can forget those ones with the legs cut up to the waist.

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Hey Becke, I loved the pic of the dog in the pool too. I just got back from a walk on the C&O canal with our Irish Water Spaniel. OMGosh. What a kick. Then came home and had to hose him down. The C&O's not exactly polluted, but it ain't exactly clean either!

All my dogs from the Dalmatians to the IWS love the baby wading pools. I buy a new one every year or two and fill it up on a nice hot day if I'm going to be working in the yard. They wallow in it. :>

Nancy said...

Cassondra, I've never stared into the microwave with nothing in it, but I've been known to insert a mug of coffee and then wait for it to magically heat without benefit of any buttons being pushed. And then am bewildered as to why it's taking so long.

Also not a morning person and so probably would not have been a great fit for the Navy. RWA conferences and the military seem to be run by morning people. DragonCon is run by night people. It's a whole different vibe. In many, many ways, not least being that it starts at 11 a.m.

I mean, really--10 or 11 a.m. is just an ideal start time. I dunno why so many people love 6:30 and 7. *g*

Nancy said...

Becke, we had a golden/Irish setter mix who hated baths so much that the dh had to chase her around the yard to bathe her. It was hysterical to see, him running after this soapy dog that stopped very few feet to shake off a spray of suds. (I did offer to help but was refused.)

Jeanne, we tried the wading pool with our first golden, but she didn't like it. We wondered if it was the slick bottom because she loved the water when we took her to the lake. Do you put sand or anything in yours?

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Nancy, I loved the sound of your hot tub experience. Isn't it amazing when you're someplace that you can see all those stars? And that hot water, cool night thing? LOVE that. My first experience in a hot tub was actually in CO as well - at a ski resort. Freezing cold outside, snow on the ground, practically boiling in the water. It was brilliant. :>

Cassondra, I love the sound of your new hot tub too. *wink*

Nancy said...

Genella, in my 1920s class, I talk about Gertrude Ederle swimming the English Channel in a very early two-piece bathing suit she designed herself. I also show pictures of women being arrested for indecent exposure, in tank suits that are very modest by today's standards, alongside photos of those old bathing costumes. The students are always agog at what people used to swim in.

But those old outfits had really great coverage!

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Nancy, we don't put sand in it, but now most of them have textured bottoms. Kids don't like that slick feel either, it seems, and they slip as well...so...mostly the bottoms are ridged or have raised fish patterns or something.

Nancy said...

Jeanne, it's just the part where we get out of the hot tub and break for the house that's not so very much fun.

I envy Cassondra her future hot tub. After one of our CO trips, the dh and I discussed getting one, but we decided (along with downside maintenance and budget issues) that the ambience wouldn't be as great. Our view would not be mountains but the neighbors' yard. And their view, alas for them, would be of us. *sigh*

Nancy said...

Cassondra wrote to Tawny: Or maybe we can make you the keeper of the water balloon mortar canon...Where "almost" is just as good. Your aim can be off a little and the enemy is still gonna get soaked. (grin)

When I was in college, a bunch of premed students discovered rubber tubing, tied it to the handles of a big funnel and used their "funnelator" to lay water balloon siege to opposing eating houses (we didn't have frats/sororities but self-selected, coed social clubs arranged around the inside of a huge traffic circle).

They definitely had superior firepower. Until the rubber tubing broke and the enemy overwhelmed them with conventional water guns.

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

OMGosh, Nancy, that sounds like a blast!

It seldom got hot enough during the school year at my alma mater (in the mountains) for water balloons. Snow ball fights, yes, water balloons, no.

However, I do remember a very long running, competitive watermelon toss....Snork.

Joan said...

Joanie cannot end up sleepin wit da fishes.


Awww...gee, its good to know you have friends that will rescue you from 2 inches of water.

Cassondra said...

Genella said:

I won't be getting into a bathing suit until the 1890's bathing costumes come back into fashion.


Oh, NOW you're talking!

Then again, if the point is to cool off, I'm thinkin that's not the way. Whew, those things had to be hot.

I have some Amish folks on my mail route and even when it's a hundred degrees they're in those heavy dresses. I keep thinking, Man, they've gotta be hot . Then again, a lot of it is what you're used to.

Cassondra said...

Becke said:

As to the water toys, our garage is still full of those. The kids had such a blast with them, but no one plays with them anymore.


Aw, what a shame! The cool thing though, will be if you have grandchildren. Then you can pass along the "vintage" water guns to them.

Wow, on the Iron Man. That is a serious athletic event. I admire those kinds of events because you truly do have to train the entire body. No fudging. And I'm in the same boat as you on the exercise. *sigh* Seems like there's always some excuse not to do it.

Cassondra said...

Pissenlit said:

if you're having a water fight? Count me in! Water guns, water balloons, garden hose...actually, it wouldn't take much to persuade me to run through a sprinkler a few times. Bwa ha!


Ha! My evil twin! Yes!

And thanks for the commiserations on the coffee/microwave fiasco. :0/ I do NOT do well before noon as a rule. Without coffee, it's hopeless.

Cassondra said...

Nancy said:

it was very hard for me to get over that fear and put my face in the water. A swimming instructor once threatened to drop me mid-pool if I didn't do it,

Okay NOW I'm just pissed. That is SO wrong. Like that's going to help somebody learn who's almost drowned before. I'm just...pissed. >:(

As to the UCLA study...it really did shift my songwriting to a whole nuther level. I can't remember the specifics now, and maybe I should revisit this to try to solve issues I'm having with the books. But what I do remember is that they broke it down into two different activities--for instance, if you wanted to stimulate a certain half of the brain, you went for a walk. If you wanted the other half, you'd roller skate. Certain activities--like mowing the lawn (a thoughtless, rote process for me), washing dishes, interstate driving (this was before I-65 got so crowded you took your life in your hands just getting on the thing), or taking a shower--all stuff you do with your brain but which does not require real "thought" would work. I can't remember the activities that were the opposites though. I mostly made use of this--the problem-solving one (which is what driving, washing dishes, etc, activates) because I never had any trouble with ideas. I just had trouble fixing the holes in the song (solving the rhyme scheme issues, coming up with a good rhyming line that made sense, POV, etc). Much like, I never run out of ideas for books, but I surely do have trouble with the freakin' suspense portion of the plots. The "WHY would they do that" part.

Okay, kicking myself in the fanny here for not having made use of my old tools for this.

Donna MacMeans said...

Cassondra - what a fun post!

About the second child I lost my sense of caring much about how I looked in a bathing suit. I'm the one that shows up at the pool party in the suit (covered with a caftan) wondering why everyone is lounging about in pool chairs and not IN THE WATER!!! I'm a fan of water volleyball. Start a game and I'm in. The water pistols sound like great fun. Your post makes me want to find a pool (smile).

Barbara- cool nab on the rooster!

Cassondra said...

Jeanne said:

All my dogs from the Dalmatians to the IWS love the baby wading pools. I buy a new one every year or two and fill it up on a nice hot day if I'm going to be working in the yard. They wallow in it. :>


This is apparantly a common thing for dogs. When I was looking for pics for the blog, I came across TONS of pics of cute dogs in kiddie pools.

Cassondra said...

Nancy said:

I mean, really--10 or 11 a.m. is just an ideal start time. I dunno why so many people love 6:30 and 7. *g*


Oh, me neither! When I carry mail, I have to get up at 5. It's awful. Oh and I have to start SERIOUSLY FUNCTIONING at 7 straight up.

That's just wrong.

I have discovered, however, that if you're doing outside work, getting an early start give you a lot more day to work in. But office jobs? Those people have artificial light. WHY does the whole world run on "morning person time?"

Cassondra said...

Nancy said:

I also show pictures of women being arrested for indecent exposure, in tank suits that are very modest by today's standards,

We've come a long way, ya know? That's a good thing. My fanny, however, does not need to be seen in those skimpy little suits. Does. Not. We're talking Shamu, the great white whale here....from the back anyway....

Cassondra said...

Joanie said:

Awww...gee, its good to know you have friends that will rescue you from 2 inches of water.


Hey, it's the East River! It's DEEP! We'll save you Joanie.

Cassondra said...

Donna said:

I'm the one that shows up at the pool party in the suit (covered with a caftan) wondering why everyone is lounging about in pool chairs and not IN THE WATER!!! I'm a fan of water volleyball.

Now see...your kind--we need more of you. Your kind is the kind that coaxes me into the water. I've never played water volleyball, but I always thought it looked like great fun!

Cassondra said...

Nancy said:

When I was in college, a bunch of premed students discovered rubber tubing, tied it to the handles of a big funnel and used their "funnelator" to lay water balloon siege

Hey, every developing technology has its high points and its setbacks, ya know? (grin)

Susan Sey said...

Cassondra! I should have known if there was a water gun post to be had, you'd be our girl. :-)

I do love a good water gun fight, but the weather has to cooperate. This means it has to be so stinkin' hot people expire without proper saturation. So unfortunately, there's been no water fighting around here this summer. We haven't even been to the beach yet. :-(

But I have hopes for August...

Cassondra said...

Susan Sey said:

do love a good water gun fight, but the weather has to cooperate. This means it has to be so stinkin' hot people expire without proper saturation. So unfortunately, there's been no water fighting around here this summer. We haven't even been to the beach yet. :-(


Susan, I just had this feeling that you'd like a water gun fight. I dunno. It's the little, quiet ones that are the most dangerous, ya know? ;0)

I can't BELIEVE it hasn't been hot enough for water games up there! That's just...wrong.

I'll cross my fingers for you. We've had only a couple of weeks of serious heat down here, but still...even if it's 90, that's plenty warm enough to drive people to the water. (It's humid down here).

It's just awful for a summer to go by without at least one water fight.

Joan said...

WHY does the whole world run on "morning person time?"

Amen, sister!

I work 7a-7p but am NOT a morning person. I tell the other nurses really? Don't talk to me till after 10 am.

And invariably...there is someone who just HAS to say "Morning Sunshine"

{squints at them} Come close to me...

Tawny said...

Tawny, we'll just have to work on your aim. Or maybe we can make you the keeper of the water balloon mortar canon...Where "almost" is just as good. Your aim can be off a little and the enemy is still gonna get soaked. (grin)

LOL -that works for me. Or I'm awesome with water balloons...

Cassondra said...

Joan said:

And invariably...there is someone who just HAS to say "Morning Sunshine"

{squints at them} Come close to me...


Snork. Yup. Hate chatty in the morning. My husband was in this habit for a while. I'd get up, stagger into the bathroom and close the door. CLOSED DOOR EQUALS LEAVE ME ALONE. He'd start talking to me through the door. I'd grunt out answers. Which of course he could not hear because he's half deaf from ordnance going off over his head in the 80s. So he'd say, "What?" And I'd be forced to grunt louder.

Finally I opened the door one morning, glared at him with my one contact in and one still out, and said, "Do NOT talk to me through the door unless you are bleeding and can't apply direct pressure yourself. I am NOT chatty in the mornings OKAYYYYYY?????"

His eyes got big. Now when I close the door, he leaves me alone.

Cassondra said...

Tawny said:

Or I'm awesome with water balloons...


Somehow I can see this.

And that is a very useful skill. ;0)

Nancy said...

Cassondra wrote: I have some Amish folks on my mail route and even when it's a hundred degrees they're in those heavy dresses. I keep thinking, Man, they've gotta be hot. Then again, a lot of it is what you're used to.

Yep. I dunno how soldiers run around in 130-degree heat in battle gear and don't just keel over except that they must become accustomed.

When we took the backstage tour at The Lost Colony (outdoor drama about the first English settlement in North America), we went into the wardrobe dept. and learned that those Elizabethan-era costumes are satin, silk, lace, wool, and linen, all very hard to clean but more prone to breathe than polyester. The guide said they have hidden pockets for cold packs--but--the show still runs, regardless of heat, unless the heat index is over 120. On the Outer Banks, that can happen, especially in August. I'm thinkin' 119 can't be a lot more comfortable in linen and wool than 121.

Nancy said...

Cassondra, I had to laugh at your morning habits. When the dh and I first got together, he tried being chatty in the morning. He and the sun tend to wake up together, both on a rapidly increasing energy curve. Finally, I had to tell him that I not only need to have coffee, I need time for the caffeine to cycle into my system and fire a few brain cylinders, which, in turn, have to fire the ones around them, which fire the ones around them, and so on, before I'm actually functional.

He now knows that I may respond to questions when in the bed with my head on a pillow and the lights off, but there's no guarantee I'll remember what I said. Or answer with complete accuracy.

pjpuppymom said...

Oh Cassondra, what a hilarious post! So glad I wasn't drinking while reading!

I love the water. We grew up on a lake and spent the entire summer in the water. Seriously, I'd be in the lake by 8am and my mom would have to drag us out at nightfall. Lived near the Gulf of Mexico for awhile, then the Atlantic and now I'm back on a lake again. We have a neighborhood pool and I'm in it at least once on most summer days. I don't have the swimsuit figure I had in my younger days but I've reached the age where I just don't give a flip and I must say, it feels great! :)

I've never been a huge fan of water guns (probably comes from being only girl of 5 children) but I love playing in the water.

Cassondra said...

Nancy said:

He now knows that I may respond to questions when in the bed with my head on a pillow and the lights off, but there's no guarantee I'll remember what I said. Or answer with complete accuracy.


Oh, yeah. Been through that. Mine would come in, ask me something like, "Cassondra, could you (insert requested action here)" I'd mutter something that he took to mean, "sure," and later, he'd say, "but you said you would." To which I'd respond, "hey, if you ask me something while I'm asleep, I am not responsible for following through."

Cassondra said...

PJ said:

I love the water. We grew up on a lake and spent the entire summer in the water. Seriously, I'd be in the lake by 8am and my mom would have to drag us out at nightfall. Lived near the Gulf of Mexico for awhile, then the Atlantic and now I'm back on a lake again.

Oh, PJ, I bet you're not scared to swim in the Ocean, are you?

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Nancy said: He now knows that I may respond to questions when in the bed with my head on a pillow and the lights off, but there's no guarantee I'll remember what I said. Or answer with complete accuracy.

OMGosh, you, Cassondra and I are cursed w/ the same type of husband - Morning People. URK. Mine's learned that a grunt is all he gets before 9 a.m. unless, of course, I've actually been up all night and not gone to bed. If I'm chatty in the morning, he now worries and gives me a squinty eyed look: "Did you stay up all night and finish that book?"
"Who? Me? No, no, I need more sleep than that, you know? yeah. And eggs, yeah. eggs for breakfast..."

In this scenario I either really HAVE been up all night and am not willing to admit I was stupid enough to go w/o sleep, or I'm high. Now you laugh, but when I had foot surgery they had me on these meds and they made me verrrrry chatty. Ralph was so relieved when I stopped taking them, I'd nearly yakked his ears off! Hahaha!

Otherwise? No talking in complete sentences or expecting coherent phrases prior to 9 a.m. and if its really serious decsion makinng? Better wait till 10.

Unknown said...

Congrats Barbara on nabbing that rooster!

I love the water! I haven't played in water for several years but I do like it on a hot summer day! You just can't beat a water gun!

Kate Carlisle said...

Oh Cassondra, you always make me smile! I love this post. It takes me back to the summer days when every kid on our block would jump into our Doughboy pool and have a complete blast. Invariably, one of the sides would eventually collapse and the entire contents of the pool would pour out into the street. We lived at the top of a hill and I'll never forget the sight of my BFF Edith Ann, clutching her Daffy Duck innertube, riding that river of water all the way down the block.

Good times, girl!!

And hey, I could've used one of those water cannons, growing up with my four brothers. :-)

Congrats, Barbara!! Hope the GR showed you a good time!

Cassondra said...

Virginia said:

I love the water! I haven't played in water for several years but I do like it on a hot summer day! You just can't beat a water gun!


We let it go too long without having serious fun, don't we, Virginia? I'm thinkin that's not a good thing.

Cassondra said...

Kate said:

I'll never forget the sight of my BFF Edith Ann, clutching her Daffy Duck innertube, riding that river of water all the way down the block.


OMG! That's a GREAT visual!

And yes, it is criminal that water gun technology was too late for our childhoods. I figure I just have to make up for it NOW. ;0)

Cassondra said...

Jeanne said:

Otherwise? No talking in complete sentences or expecting coherent phrases prior to 9 a.m. and if its really serious decsion makinng? Better wait till 10.


Yes, this is a good rule. I approve of this rule.

Barbara Monajem said...

Nancy, I tried to tire him out. At first, I took pity on the poor bird –- at 4 am, he was sleepy and so was I. But I poked him awake at about 9 (after I’d been up for an hour and eaten my breakfast eggs without snide comments) and dragged him all over town on pre-conference errands. We walked and walked (some in the hot Georgia sunshine) and ate and shopped, and now I’m broke and exhausted, and he’s just getting going! While I was on the couch for a nap, he charmed my unsociable cat, Jane, who HATES visitors, into grooming him. He got Nasty Cat, who hates EVERYONE, to let him groom HER. Now they’re cavorting up and down the corridor. I was hoping he might help the cats keep the palmetto bugs outdoors, but what if he invites them in to party, too? RoosterCon!!! I need some water weapons, stat!

Cassondra, my pool was a very old, creaky, secondhand above-ground pool. We had nursed it and mended it and replaced the liners and pumps for years. One late summer evening, it was there as usual. That night I had a dream it collapsed (or maybe I heard it in my sleep). Someone sleeping on the pool side of the house actually heard the whoosh when it gave up the ghost. In the morning, only a shell remained. I miss it, but my dh was happy not to have to deal with water pump problems anymore…

The ocean has never pulled me out, but definitely along… You think you’re swimming straight for shore, but you end up 100 yards along the beach. I never go much beyond my depth, though, and never swim alone. We used to go to Myrtle Beach every year when the kids were kids. Riding the waves into shore… whoopee!! I wonder if the rooster likes to surf? JellyfishCon!

hrdwrkdmom aka Dianna said...

Cassondra said: Ha! A woman after my own heart! You GO Dianna! Kick some little kid butt.


Not so little, he is 19, 6' 3", his buddy is 18, 6' 1", trust me, they FEAR me...LOL

Joan said...

RoosterCon!!! I need some water weapons, stat!

OMG! This is priceless, Barbara!

{chuckle} RoosterCon....

Hmmmm....RoosterCon...

Cassondra said...

Barbara said:

my pool was a very old, creaky, secondhand above-ground pool. We had nursed it and mended it and replaced the liners and pumps for years. One late summer evening, it was there as usual. That night I had a dream it collapsed (or maybe I heard it in my sleep). Someone sleeping on the pool side of the house actually heard the whoosh when it gave up the ghost. In the morning, only a shell remained.

:0(

RIP

Cassondra said...

Dianna said:

Not so little, he is 19, 6' 3", his buddy is 18, 6' 1", trust me, they FEAR me...LOL


Ha! Obviously you've done your work well.

Nancy said...

Jeanne and Cassondra, count me in on the no serious thinking before 10 rule.

Jeanne, I envy your being able to stay up all night and even pretend functionality. There was a time when I could do that, but no more, alas.

My roommates were usually morning people, even before the dh. My friend I usually room with at RWA is a morning person. I'm rooming with Posh at M&M, and I suspect her of morning person tendencies based on her early comments here on the blog.

What's up with that?

I can't remember the last time I roomed with a night person. Well, except when the dh was away and it was just me, the boy (also a night person), and the dog here. The dog, naturally, is morning-inclined.

The boy and I went out of town once, and I asked him in the car, "What do you think Daddy and the dogs will do while we're gone?"

He thought about it for a second or two, then said, "I believe everyone will go to bed much earlier."

He was right.

Nancy said...

Barbara, thanks for trying. He's devious, he is!

Cassondra said...

Nancy said:

He thought about it for a second or two, then said, "I believe everyone will go to bed much earlier."

He was right.


Snork!

The worst thing about living with morning people when you are not one is that they tend to not only function well in the early mornings, but they seem to actually ENJOY it. They're perky.

Perky in the morning is just...wrong.

Apologies to all of you who are perky morning people.

Becke Davis said...

Jeanne -- I'm not alone! Usually I'm talking to Anna C. in the wee hours of the morning, when she's up early and I'm the only one awake and on Facebook in the Northern Hemisphere!

I read fast, and that can be a curse. The book is 350 pages? I'm not opening it until midnight? No problema! Three, four hours max -- and, what, five hours sleep? Perfect!

Back in high school, when my mom would complain when I stayed up until 3 reading, writing (it was poetry in those days) and working on homework (ever the procrastinator), I would tell her I'd catch up on my sleep when I was old. I'm certainly not young now, and I'm still saying the same thing. I figure if you base your life on waking hours, I'm actually about 95 now.

Cassondra said...

Becke said:

I figure if you base your life on waking hours, I'm actually about 95 now.


LOL! This is GREAT!

I wish I could go on that little sleep. That's the trouble for me. I'm a night owl, but I need two rem cycles per night or I wear down fast. And a rem cycle for me is.....FOUR AND A HALF HOURS!

Yup. I need 9 solid hours of SLEEP, not counting going to sleep, to be at my best. That's a lot of sleep. And if you don't go to bed until 3 in the morning, half the day is gone.

Being a night person would not be so bad I think, if I were like you and didn't need but a few hours. *sigh* It is not to be.

Becke Davis said...

It's the books -- I'm a book vampire. The way a vampire sucks blood to re-energize, I suck up books. Who needs sleep?

I vant to suck your. . .words?

I swear to God, I have touched nothing stronger than tea tonight. I did read Christine Wells book in pretty much one sitting earlier today, and now I'm pretty deep into the second book of the day.

I should have been working on non-fiction, but the guy I had to interview couldn't do it today. So I had no alternative but to read - so I'm drunk on good books!

Cassondra said...

Becke said:

I should have been working on non-fiction, but the guy I had to interview couldn't do it today. So I had no alternative but to read -

Ah, Becke, there are far worse fates!

Thanks, everybody, for spending the day with me in the water!

Becke Davis said...

Cossondra - Thanks for bringing a little sunshine into my day!