I Hate Chlorine, but this might be an exception
This evening I was all settled in and cozy on top of my bed reading my Mineralogy textbook. My roommate walks in to say and invites me to go swimming at the new Olympic-size 50x25m pool. I just couldn't pass up the opportunity. Ratner Pool is so huge, so new, so nice. It was my first time there. We arrived at 8:20pm, but took seriously 20 minutes in the locker room trying to unlock our lock (for those of you out there who have never used the Ratner locks, the number on the bottom is not the last number, but rather the middle number in the combination. And after you do your combination and you hear a click, you have to pull real hard and turn the lock to the left a little bit before it springs open) --the only way we figured out how to do it was the help of a very very nice girl who was in the changing room with us and explained it to us three times (the first time she got stuck, she went up to the front desk and had to have a lesson from them). So, by the time we actually got to the pool we only had 15 minutes to swim before it closed.
On one end of the pool the water polo team was practising. On the other was lap swim. In the middle was the shallow section and we had a fairly big chunk of it all to ourselves. My roommate just learned to swim last spring and as she practiced a bit I lounged around the in water, floating and doing the backstroke beside her. I wasn't going to get my hair wet--I hate hate hate chlorine and usually never ever go in pools, but the water was just too inviting not to. I had fun doing somersaults underwater, and then teaching my roommate the basics to mastering the forward somersault. She almost got one fully around, but not quite.
I feel pretty fortunate for having swimming lessons at such a young age, even though I'm not super good or anything. I can tread water for extended periods of time, do different kinds of strokes, feel comfortable in deep water, and have really no fears besides getting that burning sensation from chlorine up your nose. ;o) I would like to improve though. Maybe even get lifeguard training. It seems like a good skill to have. Going to the pool this evening makes me want to follow in Ruthie's footsteps and take a swimming class. Maybe I will in the spring.
Three good things: 1.) Swim Caps are not required 2.) They have these cool free centrifuge machines that dry out your swimsuit in 5 seconds in the lockerrooms 3.) The sauna is scheduled to open up in late November! You'll see me back there soon.