The Watery Dreams of The Poconos 127
Originally uploaded by lorenzodom.
Yesterday was one of those days that I was really unhappy with my neighborhood. It was hot (Africa hot, as Eugene Morris Jerome would say – that’s Matthew Broderick’s character in Biloxi Blues for those of you who don’t know). We have lots of hills. I had to walk home from work in the heat. School is starting soon so the keg parties are beginning which means bad music and even worse beer (why does being in college inevitably equal drinking bad beer?). And I knew that when I walked into my house – sans central air – I would be crabby. And to top it all off, my exceedingly crazy neighbor was sitting on the porch. Just the site of her makes my stomach turn. So, suffice it to say, I was in a bad, bad mood.
I got home just in time to help get Amy into her bathing suit. We were going down the street to our first ever “Family Swim” at a pool in the neighborhood. I was not excited. I wanted a martini, a comfy chair and a fan. But my girls were excited, even squealy, about going to a pool with friends, so I had no choice but to help hubby get the girls together and we then started out.
How quickly a day can turn.
I (gasp) really enjoyed myself. A number of friends from the neighborhood were there – and it was quite a nice sized pool. We swam and swam. Katie was practically giddy. Amy insisted on getting out of her inflatable seat and kicking around in the water a bit. It was super.
I am not a fan of summer but I am a fan of pools. Pools practically wash your cares away, which sounds corny, I’ll admit, but it’s true. When is the last time you were actually in a pool (not by a pool) and worried about anything other than whether your kids were okay? You don’t have time to worry about other things.
And the constant laughter and shrieks of joy? Fabulous sounds of summer. I don’t get those in spring or autumn (sometimes in winter, but only when it snows!). Madeline commented that the pool across the street from our office often sounds like an amusement park and it totally does.
It was just what I needed. Practically pruny, we got out of the pool, played on the playground for a bit and went home. It was a really nice way to end the day.
