Tuesday, May 18, 2010

I'm a regular

For the last 7 weeks I have been working two jobs-- I work my regular full time job until 4:30, and then I head to the pool for 3.5 hours of coaching. While I am definitely worn thin, both of my jobs are rewarding and I enjoy what I do. But by the time I get to Friday I am done. I don't want to work anymore and that includes cooking, cleaning or anything at all.

So I convinced Brandon a few weeks ago to find a Mexican restaurant that was still serving dinner when I got home at 9:30. It was such a pleasant way to end the week that we have gone back every Friday since then.

Three weeks later, we are regulars.

I have always wanted to be a regular. Like Lorelai and Rory in the Gilmore Girls. Or the kids from Bayside when they went to the Max. Or how about the 90210 crew at the Peach Pit? When you walk in they know your face, your drink and your order. They don't know my name and we don't engage in small talk, but there is something nice about being recognized. I feel appreciated. I feel like I am somehow part of their Friday night.

So Brandon says we have to go back now. Every Friday night. Because we are regulars. And that is what regulars do.

Friday, May 14, 2010

NO RUNNING ON THE POOL DECK!

Why the heck don't we just let kids run on the pool deck?

You can't go to a pool without hearing a parent or lifeguard yelling "No running on the pool deck!" So the kid slows down to an Olympic-paced speed walk and still gets around the pool in record time. As a swim coach and certified lifeguard I have found myself saying it day after day.

Last week I started wondering why we care. We let kids run on basketball courts and sidewalks and streets. I am fairly certain that concrete is dangerous to elbows, knees and faces regardless if it is near water or not.

Case in point. This week while I was coaching there was a kid playing on the basketball court near the pool. He bit it and came running in with a bloody face. No one was out there yelling "No running on the basketball court!" It would be absurd if we said no running on the blacktop.

Now before you get all preachy about the extra dangers of water and drowning, I understand and I don't think we should let kids be unsafe. But I just think it is a little crazy that for some reason our society has deemed it unsafe to run around a pool but fine to run in other places. I don't plan on changing the no running rule at my pool and endangering the lives of 145 young swimmers.

But I can tell you one thing. When practice is over, I am going to start running sprints around the pool.