brunobaby

It turned out that for the sail thing, I was supposed to have brought or worn a bathing suit. This is because the guy had to anchor the sailboat a few yards from the shore and then you wade or swim in.

I do not own a bathing suit, and haven't in years. Jim didn't like the beach or pools, and I started sleeping in on weekends. Then throughout the stress of the past few years, I put on a lot of weight and the bathing suits I had didn't fit anymore. I saw no need to replace them.

So I'd put on a tank top and shorts, which was more flesh than I'd exposed to the direct sun in years. The water where the sailboat was moored was supposed to have been a foot or so deep. But the tide was coming in and it was at shoulder-level.

What could I do? I had no choice. I jumped into the Great South Bay fully clothed. I did remember to take off my watch.

Fortunately, the weather was hot as hell and I dried off quickly. And as embarrassing as it was, it would have been more embarrassing to have jumped into the water fully unclothed. Also, I was with other people, so when we went into the snack bar for lunch, nobody thought I was some insane homeless person.

Note how the "insane homeless person" is becoming a motif for me.

There should be a few bathing suits left in the stores, which are having their Fourth of July sales this week. Meanwhile, I have to pat myself on my (sunburned) back for trying something new: Going out on a sailboat for the first time. I even steered for a while, keeping the Ocean Beach water tower as my point of reference. At least, I'd thought it was the Ocean Beach water tower, but it often turned out to be:

• Another sailboat;
• A white flag;
• The Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria.

Like I said, I've gotta give myself credit for trying.