Posts by recordari
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That is just absolutely lovely Emma. We are currently going through a family illness, with a possible terminal outcome, and while I'm not the one sitting doing crosswords, the scenario you described really struck a chord (and started the water works). A secret chord even.
The fourth, the fifth
The minor fall, the major lift
The baffled king composing HallelujahArohanui.
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Hard News: A few (more) words on The Hobbit, in reply to BenWilson,
I'd prefer to end up as ashes and carbon emissions.
As long as you don't end up like this. Dog bites man?
The 80's the era of the long lunch, people living "high on the hog". (I think we should give them name the NZStay-at -homes?).
I heard all about it, caught the tail end, private jets and ....well.And paid the hired help with boxes of Bollinger. True story.
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She's a mod, yeah... right!
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Hard News: Floating the idea, in reply to Christopher Dempsey,
Fortunately I've only ever been caught once, and that was after I learnt to go with the flow of the rip, then swim diagonally across it towards the shore. Wound up a couple of hundred metres up the beach, but safe.
I've only been caught once also, on a boogie board off Papamoa beach. My naivety of such things at the time had me determined to catch every wave I could closer to the shore, while each time drifting equal distance, or even further, out to sea.
After 30 minutes of strenuous paddling (luckily I don't think it was a major rip) I collapsed on the beach, blacked out momentarily, and decided relying on a 4 foot flotation device in water several metres over my head was a mugs game, and now don't go beyond standing depth. I should say my children are generally more confident, and competent, swimmers than I ever was.
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Hard News: Floating the idea, in reply to Russell Brown,
Nah, really? We were at Palm Beach early afternoon on Saturday, after the market.
Seriously? We were at the same market, same beach, but stayed another night, having fish and chips from the Palm Beach store. Where the playlist had me on a nostalgic trip;
The English Beat - Mirror in the Bathroom
The Pretenders - Brass in pocket
The Cure - A ForestI was like 'dude you stole my iPod'. Nice Scallops, I might add.
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Hard News: Floating the idea, in reply to BenWilson,
It means they have learned perseverance, not something that seems to be greatly valued these days.
True dat. The one with a broken arm recently learnt how to ride a ripstik, which she got for $1 in a garage sale. Not even sure the laws of physics allow for that possibility, so it is pure perseverance.
Man, I wish I knew you were going there, we were probably on the same beach on the same day, could have met up.
Was this last weekend, and we mainly swam at Palm Beach, with one swim at Onetangi on Sunday before coming home. Still a fantastic place to holiday, and so close to town.
I really must do some work. Can you all stop being so interesting. ;-)
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Hard News: Floating the idea, in reply to BenWilson,
These are very advanced swimming skills.
Hope this doesn't come across as smug, but one of the most joyous memories this summer, which has otherwise been a bastard, all things being treacle, was catching a wave alongside my child and body surfing into the beach. This was on Waiheke and more benign, but it was still fantastic. If what you say is true, then seems those lessons have really paid off already.
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Hard News: Floating the idea, in reply to Jackie Clark,
So many important skills are not being learned by children today because their parents are afraid to let them do what’s completely natural for children – explore, discover, and scare themselves a little.
Yes, having been guilty of this in other areas myself, I shouldn't complain too much. Unfortunately the swimming is over for this summer for our bravest of swimmers as she broke an arm after falling off a bloody swing in a perfectly innocuous play park. There is not enough cotton wool in the world to mollycoddle your kids to complete safety.
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Hard News: Floating the idea, in reply to Jackie Clark,
Hmm, Jackie, I suspect you now think I'm completely insane. In my defence, our girls have all had regular lessons, and are strong swimmers.
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Hard News: Floating the idea, in reply to BenWilson,
We’ve taken ours to Piha, but not for some time, and you have to pick your days if you want to go in the water.
A few days after Christmas we went with a few others to Muriwai, and it was surprising to me that the beach was open for swimming at all, with a real surging tide, and rips running in and out as the waves broke and receded.
There were a few Darwinian rock fisherman, with waves lapping menacingly at their feet, and one seemed almost like he was taunting both the ocean and the many people lined up shaking their heads.
The patrolled area of the beach between the ‘flags’ was about 30 metres, with one lifeguard on the beach frantically blowing a whistle every time someone ventured out of the zone. Our kids were eager to get in the waves, so my wife went swimming with them, while I stood with other parents doing constant head counts and ready to scream at the lifeguard should anything happen. Futility personified. At one time I was standing about thigh deep and one of ours came past in the surge. I had my feet buried in the sand and tried to grab her, but there was no way I could, so I watched as she travelled in, and then was dragged out again, all the time squealing with joy.
They were never out of their depth, and there were 100 other people around them (making the head counting quite tricky), but the element of danger was real, and it was quite pleasing that the youngest decided it wasn’t for her and went to build sand castles.
What I would like is for them to develop both confidence in, and respect for water, waves and the ocean, and to be able to understand rips, and how to float in the water while waiting for help, if needed. That will take a lot of lessons, but if it saves their lives, then it’s worth every penny, whether the council pays for it, or it comes out of my own pocket.
It certainly seems like a socially responsible thing to afford lessons for those who are unable to cover these costs themselves, or whose schools have closed their pools, no doubt due to falling Government funding.