"What have you eaten" Parallel Chat

[debs248]

How do they close a lake? Lakes are quite big, can nobody get close to the lake all winter?

It's on private land so presumably they just lock the access gates.

I bought a tow float when I started regular swims almost two years ago. I haven't used it for about a year now. Still happy I have one for visibility in case I want to swim where ships are, or in case I want to do a longer swim and I need to take some stuff for my diabetes with me.

If I knew I was going to use it more than once I wouldn't mind but this year is going to be very expensive as it is. Would be useful to put my phone in I suppose if nothing else.

Why is the hat required? I've never in my life wore a hat when swimming.

Insurance and safety I guess, so they can see your bobbing head more easily. I had to wear one for school swimming lessons but never since. I don't want to wear one but it may be the only way I get to swim at all.

And why wait for your birthday in february?

Might be easier to persuade someone to help if it's a birthday treat. Even that probably won't be enough. I never get to do something just for me the rest of the year. I'm still waiting for the thing I asked for last birthday (help making a special meal including chocolate mousse - before I was diagnosed...)

If you want to swim, do so!

Finances and disability make that impossible on my own, at least the first time. I haven't swum outdoors, or even left the house by myself, for over 5 years, I don't know if my resistance to cold is still good enough when I'm wet or in autumn/ winter weather. It's fine on dry land in summer (went up Cairngorm in shorts and a t-shirt last week), or indoors in winter, but immersion in cold water adds another layer of chill which may or may not be dangerous. Also it takes me hours to dress and undress which means a delay before rewarming. The lake has disabled toilets but only mentions male/ female changing rooms so I probably can't shower or dress in anything other than t shirt and shorts afterwards. There certainly won't be anywhere to lie down and rest other than the floor.

I don't want to be alone the first time, especially as I'm extremely short sighted and once I take my glasses off, can't focus on anything more than 10-15 cm from my face! Plus it's not an area with much public transport and I don't know if I could manage the journey myself. I certainly wouldn't be safe to drive, I'll probably need to sleep for a few hours as soon as possible afterwards.

If you need someone to go with you, ask a friend or a single family member to go with you tomorrow or next week, no need for them to get into the water if they don't want to.

I've asked my husband and daughter, and they're both trying very hard to pretend I didn't mention it. They're probably hoping I'll forget all about it. I don't have any friends who swim who live locally, and my parents are too ill/ disabled themselves now. My brother might want to but dealing with him is a total nightmare these days. It's his 50th birthday next week so I'll try to casually bring up the subject. I haven't given up on the idea but really can't see a way to make it happen yet.

Daughter goes back to uni next week so it'll be December before I can ask her again. She likes swimming but is a bit of a wuss with the cold and hates having to help me with anything - she's 19 and parents are a total embarrassment at that age anyway, let alone when they're loud, fat and flout fashion/ beauty conventions, use a wheelchair and need help carrying things or getting through doors. Also she doesn't drive. By Easter perhaps she'll be keener, it's warmer and she'll no longer be a teenager! She seems to be maturing gradually.

Today's food is the last of the holiday's butcher's meat (minted lamb ribs and stuffed pork fillet) along with a huge mixing bowl full of homemade Greek salad. Back to more mundane eating next week, after my dad's birthday tea on Monday.

Edit: the lake is reasonably well served by buses as it's near an A road. Still wary about attempting such an adventure solo, there are just so many things that could go wrong. I suppose if I get stuck I could ring hubby to pick me up, he can hardly refuse *that*. (I've not had success yet trying to book a wheelchair accessible taxi). Assuming we still have a working car, which isn't a given after next Saturday.

 

[Antje77]

Too bad you don't live closer @debs248 , I'd be happy to go swimming together.
If you can make it happen with someone at some point, what about not bothering with slowly getting dressed after the swim but wrapping yourself up in a warm blanket in the car, and get dressed at your leisure, at home?

Today I had a cheesy leek and celeriac soup on the bridge, with lots of little meatballs.



This morning I started my day with a magical swim, my swimming spot looked like a fairy tale!

 

[debs248]

Thank you @Antje77 I'm sure we'd have fun I've been a bit tearful today after WhatsApping an old friend from my teens and remembering my old life. I thought I was resigned to my new circumstances but I'm obviously still grieving deep down. Probably triggered by the holiday, I've had a taste of life outside these 4 walls and I'm greedy for more!

Can't believe how quickly the greek salad disappeared today - hubby and daughter ate about a quarter each which is unprecedented, I was expecting to have 2/3 of it for myself. Another sign she's maturing, she picked out the largest cubes of feta and ate the rest (previously I had to make a separate batch without it). She (and I) ate some celery on holiday instead of picking it out of a salad as well

Have just eaten some Wigmore cheese we brought back. Very like a Brie but it's made from sheep's milk so a bit sweeter and saltier. I wish I could get hold of some "squeaky cheese" (queso blanco from Southern Spain) that I used to love on childhood holidays in Gib but it doesn't travel as it's so soft and fresh.

 

[Antje77]

This picture should have gone with my previous post, and to be honest I thought nothing had posted before closing the laptop on the bridge.
It was beautiful, and hopefully it will be again tomorrow morning!

I almost missed my swim this morning. Right when I was in my bathing gown next to my car, ready to get in the water, a car parked next to mine.
I asked the young man if he was going for a walk or...
No, he was planning to go fishing right there.

So I asked him if he'd mind looking the other way while I got in and out of the water, I didn't have enough time to do the bathing suit thing before work.
He was all cool, so no problem.