April Swimmings Bring May (may bring) Head Colds ...

Today is Sunday. April 9, 2006. It's a few days after the beginning of spring. As has been previously discussed in these pages, our new house has a swimming pool.

We have lived in the new house since the beginning of February.

Today we went shopping at the mall. Our car was parked in the sun. When we got back to the car, it was quite hot inside. The digital thermometer in our 1999 Dodge Grand Caravan (sport model!) announced that the temperature outside was 78. I don't know what it was inside the minivan, but it was a lot more. It was hot enough inside and I was wearing a long sleeve shirt and blue jeans and it took the air conditioning long enough to bring the temperature down to something moderate that my judgment was mildly impaired. So I announced to my four year old daughter that we were going swimming when we got home.

She took me seriously, of course. I offered a nap as an alternative activity. She rejected that suggestion out of hand.

So we were stuck. Or at least I was. We went swimming. For over thirty minutes! It was not as cold as the water the guys pictured above experienced. But it was chillier than is comfortable for swimming.

I stick by my recommendation (previously un-voiced), to whit:

• If you're committed to going swimming and you know the water is going to be cold enough that if you tried to slowly immerse yourself inch by inch you would never do it and if you didn't do it you would mildly break the heart of your adorable and much adored four year old daughter, just jump in feet first into a part of the pool that is adequately deep you will be totally submerged without your having a practicable way to avoid it.

That's what I did. We captured it on video.

I can't wait to see my expression.