holiday? what’s a holiday?

[mizkit]

We went by the Mardyke Arena, which is the University College Cork’s gym facility, to find out if they allow day passes to the swimming pool, which I suspect is the only pool in Cork worth swimming in*. They don’t, or rather, they do, but only if you come as the guest of someone with a regular pass and who won’t leave your side for the duration of

Comments

[drivingblind]

Your schedule reminds me of why I made a NOTHING NEW DAMMIT proclamation a bit back.

[mizkit]

This is my version of NOTHING NEW DAMMIT. Or I'm trying very hard for it to be. The whole thing may be reiterated repeatedly over the next few months. I hain't too bright sometimes, ya see...

[green_knight]

Talk to autopope about the first rule of being a successful writer: don't die.

Honestly, you sound a lot like Charlie in his frantic phase, and nobody can keep running at that speed forever. Better you learn to slow down now than on an enforced break.

As for pools, the UK ones usually have a lane reserved for fast swimmers, and unlike German pools, they use far less chlorine, so they're actually bearable. For me, 'long enough' is a sticking point. I am using to 50m lanes in open air pools. My workout - long and slow, at least by your standards - is based on that. I miss them.

[mizkit]

Yeah, I've often thought of Charlie during this insanity.

I'm used to 25 *yard* pools, so 25 meter ones throw me off. I've only ever swum in a 50m once, and wow, that's a different experience. I can see why it'd be hard to adapt to the shorter lengths.

Sadly, at the pools I've swum at here, "reserved for fast swimmers" is either totally ignored or ... they're just not fast swimmers compared to me. So it's frustrating. Grr. :)

The less chlorine, though, is a *total* win. I noticed that right away when I got into an Irish pool. Yay!

[mylescorcoran]

A co-worker is a regular at the Mardyke pool in the 8am slot, and sometimes grumbles about the fast lane swimmers, so I'm not sure they'd always be fast enough for you.

There usually seems to be two lanes reserved for lane-swimmers, so maybe there's a fast and slow lane as well as the more general up and downy part for the less motivated.

[mizkit]

I'd turn up and get in as his guest, except I get a lot more work done if I write in the mornings. damn. :)

[childlight]

Competitive swimmer...wow that is really cool.
I am a picky about pools in my own way too. I grew up with a nice size above ground pool in my parents back yard. It is a good walk from the house and surrounded by trees on three sides. The pool is 23 years old and I hold my breath every year that we will get another year from it. I love to float in that pool alone with a good book listening to the birds and watching the dragonflies land on my toes.
I just can not relax in any other pool.

[mizkit]

I wasn't especially fast, but even so, my idea of being a fast swimmer is based on people who were *really* fast, and so as I said once, sort of idiotically, "I'm only fast compared to most people," and meant that as "I'm not really all that fast," somehow. :)

[kristine_smith]

*gah*

But, we just discussed this.

I've been at this since 1999--ok, a few years before--and I have five count-em FIVE books on the shelves. And given the time lag, esp between books 4 and 5, they are not all on the shelves of your neighborhood bookstore at the same time. I'm lucky they're all still in print.

I feel like such a slacker because so many folks who started well after me have blown past me, production-wise. But I think that's something I am just going to have to learn to accept. If writers were kitchen gear, I think I'd be a crockpot. Just shovel in the ingredients and leave it alone for as long as it takes. But I'm surrounded by microwave ovens. And griddles. And broilers. And the ever-popular gas grills.

[mizkit]

Indeed, our discussion was part of what prompted me to write this, in an effort to club it into my head that really, it's okay to not kill myself with business.

I love the kitchen gear analogy. :) Especially since I recently re-discovered how *awesome* crockpots really are. :)

[suricattus]

I think I'm an old-fashioned wok. Really good at making things fast once the ingredients are prepped, but only one meal at a time....

[ellenmillion]

I do not have to fill every damned moment of my time with New! Exciting! Projects!

Wait. You don't? This concept is foreign to me.

[mizkit]

I know. I want you to print that out in big letters and post it to ... your forehead, possibly. :)