Reading this reminds me that cartoonists finish their strips weeks in advance. It’s the middle of January and there’s not a drop of snow in sight here in SE Michigan. Too many above-40 degree days.
Well, in New York, there hasn’t been a real snow yet. I think there was one light one that lasted for about 15 minutes and didn’t even frost the grass. So throwing a snowball now would be very much like trying to manipulate a cloud.
Is “Frazzdecky” his “real” last name, or is that just the kid making it up on the spot? These things don’t come up often; I remember that Donald Duck and his nephews were located in “Duckburg, Calisota.” They used Duckburg frequently, but Calisota almost never.
The masters team I swim with is a subset of a huge competitive youth swim program, so I get the same updates, news flashes and e-mails as the kids and their families. This includes the swim-meet literature called “psych sheets,” which is a roster of all the competitors and their best times going into each event. I was foolish enough to check one of them out and discover that in my best events, which is to say anything freestyle*, my best times would put me perhaps half to two-thirds of the way down … in the 10 and under division.
Swimming is NOT the sport to take up as an adult. Well, not for your ego. For any other reason, the only reason not to take it up as an adult is if you already took it up as a kid, or if you’re not yet an adult. If you’re one of those 10-year-olds kicking my butt.
I cling to my belief that, at some point, there’s a feel for the water that’s going to kick in and my world will change. The same way that you struggle and struggle to skate backward, until one day you just can. And you can do it almost as fast as you skate forward. Like one day the struggle switch flips and you can ride a bicycle, or a unicycle. Or do a water start on a Windsurfer. Or throw a snowball that’s mostly air.
I bet Katie Ledecky can pack an orb of January powder and whip it like a missile. Although, maybe not. I take some solace in that elite swimmers can be pretty specialized. Extremely specialized. One of my best friends has coached a lot of elite swimmers, and he said of perhaps his best, “if you throw him a ball, he not only will not catch the ball, he will fall down.” Whereas I will either catch the ball and fall down or miss the ball and remain upright. Most times. But boy, can I draw people swimming and skating backward and catching balls. There’s that.____________________*When I was watching videos for my lifeguard certification, I was struck by the similarity between the dramatization of a panicking swimmer and my own best version of backs
mddshubby2005 over 5 years ago
I’d be honored to be teased with Katie Ledecky’s name, Caulfield. She’s one heck of a swimmer!
asrialfeeple over 5 years ago
There seems to be decoration snow and pack snow.
DLF3275 over 5 years ago
Reading this reminds me that cartoonists finish their strips weeks in advance. It’s the middle of January and there’s not a drop of snow in sight here in SE Michigan. Too many above-40 degree days.
Ignatz Premium Member over 5 years ago
Well, in New York, there hasn’t been a real snow yet. I think there was one light one that lasted for about 15 minutes and didn’t even frost the grass. So throwing a snowball now would be very much like trying to manipulate a cloud.
candomarty Premium Member over 5 years ago
Is “Frazzdecky” his “real” last name, or is that just the kid making it up on the spot? These things don’t come up often; I remember that Donald Duck and his nephews were located in “Duckburg, Calisota.” They used Duckburg frequently, but Calisota almost never.
rlaker22j over 5 years ago
And you’re complaining you love hearing cars slide into cars not a noise I’m favorite of
Al Nala over 5 years ago
What? Only dry snow in January? Who woulda thunk it?
Night-Gaunt49[Bozo is Boffo] over 5 years ago
Frazz11 hrs ·
The masters team I swim with is a subset of a huge competitive youth swim program, so I get the same updates, news flashes and e-mails as the kids and their families. This includes the swim-meet literature called “psych sheets,” which is a roster of all the competitors and their best times going into each event. I was foolish enough to check one of them out and discover that in my best events, which is to say anything freestyle*, my best times would put me perhaps half to two-thirds of the way down … in the 10 and under division.
Swimming is NOT the sport to take up as an adult. Well, not for your ego. For any other reason, the only reason not to take it up as an adult is if you already took it up as a kid, or if you’re not yet an adult. If you’re one of those 10-year-olds kicking my butt.
I cling to my belief that, at some point, there’s a feel for the water that’s going to kick in and my world will change. The same way that you struggle and struggle to skate backward, until one day you just can. And you can do it almost as fast as you skate forward. Like one day the struggle switch flips and you can ride a bicycle, or a unicycle. Or do a water start on a Windsurfer. Or throw a snowball that’s mostly air.
I bet Katie Ledecky can pack an orb of January powder and whip it like a missile. Although, maybe not. I take some solace in that elite swimmers can be pretty specialized. Extremely specialized. One of my best friends has coached a lot of elite swimmers, and he said of perhaps his best, “if you throw him a ball, he not only will not catch the ball, he will fall down.” Whereas I will either catch the ball and fall down or miss the ball and remain upright. Most times. But boy, can I draw people swimming and skating backward and catching balls. There’s that.____________________*When I was watching videos for my lifeguard certification, I was struck by the similarity between the dramatization of a panicking swimmer and my own best version of backs