Riderdrauggrim - Rider DraugGrim

We had mandatory swimming lessons in grade 4. I was never comfortable if I couldn't touch bottom. So they try and wean you off that by dragging you over to the deep and and making you tread water. It only made me more terrified. I'd had some bad ear infections at younger ages that had hampered my summer freedom and progression of water skills. My confidence was low, accordingly.

Final test day was swim one lap, do some exercises, tread for a minute, play beach ball water polo in the shallow end, and then, when you've burned out the last of your energy, swim another lap. I didn't want to. I could tell I was burned out. I stalled. I pleaded. The instructors were patiently stern. It wasn't that big a deal. Just get in and it'll be done with. About 1/3 of the way from the deep end wall all my strength gave out. I remember gasping and pawing at the surface and then slipping under with a terrified dismay, and also possibly a little "I told them so!" and then a very panicked life guard was in beside me and pulling me out. So I sat on the edge of the pool and cried, and choked, and coughed, and sputtered, and cried some more, and then they told me... If I didn't finish the lap I couldn't pass, and they needed me to pass.

If I had known how to swear at that age I would have used it to full effect. As it was, I dumbly submitted to 'adult authority' and walked back to the deep end in a daze. THIS time they had the life saver swim next to me the entire distance, offering words of encouragement I was too numb to register. In arms reach, just in case. Just in case I started drowning -again-. That strikes me now as a bit fucked up.

So I made that final lap and climbed out the shallow end ladder and looked over at my classmates sitting on the edge, only to realize this was a whole new group of students. They had sent my class off to get changed, meaning TWO entire classes of children got to watch me nearly drown and then do a lap of shame. The word 'humiliated' isn't strong enough.

Despite all that -

I love swimming? It's just that pesky 'needing to breathe' that ruins everything. So now my default 'near water' pack includes goggles and snorkle. Flippers are amazing because they give me more confidence to go out where I don't know how far away the bottom is, but also bulky.

Garwik and I were camping interior Algonquin Park some years back, we always go at least one portage in. We wanted to swim but I was anxious, so I grabbed a life jacket and tethered it to my waist with a rope, so I had the confidence there was always something I could grab nearby. That proved awkward so I ended up just putting the damn thing on. Garwik thought it looked fun and grabbed his. Next thing we knew we'd dog paddled the entire width of the lake, could rest whenever we needed. Probably looked uncool as hell. And life vests want to flip you in your back so that took some finangleing. But oh well. It was fun!

I guess my point is, there's nothing wrong with recognizing your limitations and having fun within them, or looking like a dork while doing it, especially when the alternative is drowning?

According to the CDC, in 10 percent of those drownings, the adult will actually watch the child do it, having no idea it is happening. Drowning does not look like drowning—Dr. Pia, in an article in the Coast Guard’s On Scene magazine, described the Instinctive Drowning Response like this:

“Except in rare circumstances, drowning people are physiologically unable to call out for help. The respiratory system was designed for breathing. Speech is the secondary or overlaid function. Breathing must be fulfilled before speech occurs.

Drowning people’s mouths alternately sink below and reappear above the surface of the water. The mouths of drowning people are not above the surface of the water long enough for them to exhale, inhale, and call out for help. When the drowning people’s mouths are above the surface, they exhale and inhale quickly as their mouths start to sink below the surface of the water.

Drowning people cannot wave for help. Nature instinctively forces them to extend their arms laterally and press down on the water’s surface. Pressing down on the surface of the water permits drowning people to leverage their bodies so they can lift their mouths out of the water to breathe.

Throughout the Instinctive Drowning Response, drowning people cannot voluntarily control their arm movements. Physiologically, drowning people who are struggling on the surface of the water cannot stop drowning and perform voluntary movements such as waving for help, moving toward a rescuer, or reaching out for a piece of rescue equipment.

From beginning to end of the Instinctive Drowning Response people’s bodies remain upright in the water, with no evidence of a supporting kick. Unless rescued by a trained lifeguard, these drowning people can only struggle on the surface of the water from 20 to 60 seconds before submersion occurs.”

This doesn’t mean that a person that is yelling for help and thrashing isn’t in real trouble—they are experiencing aquatic distress. Not always present before the Instinctive Drowning Response, aquatic distress doesn’t last long—but unlike true drowning, these victims can still assist in their own rescue. They can grab lifelines, throw rings, etc.

Look for these other signs of drowning when persons are in the water:

Head low in the water, mouth at water level

Head tilted back with mouth open

Eyes glassy and empty, unable to focus

Eyes closed

Hair over forehead or eyes

Not using legs—vertical

Hyperventilating or gasping

Trying to swim in a particular direction but not making headway

Trying to roll over on the back

Appear to be climbing an invisible ladder

So if a crew member falls overboard and everything looks OK—don’t be too sure. Sometimes the most common indication that someone is drowning is that they don’t look like they’re drowning. They may just look like they are treading water and looking up at the deck. One way to be sure? Ask them, “Are you all right?” If they can answer at all—they probably are. If they return a blank stare, you may have less than 30 seconds to get to them. And parents—children playing in the water make noise. When they get quiet, you get to them and find out why.

Source/article: [x]

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Umbrella Academy, Hamilton, Part 3

Episode 3 and ten seconds in.

Guys. Come on. This means they closed King Street downtown Hamilton. During the daytime.

Imagine if your town only had one real way to get east to west. And it bottlenecks in the middle.

And then someone closed the bottleneck.

So Ellen Page could walk across the street.

Also I love that they turned the Starspark Computer Store into a Pawn Shop because there are LITERALLY five ACTUAL pawn shops within six blocks of this shot.

Yay Hamilton!

Fri March 8, 2019 - Amherst, New York

Hopped the border to grab a Nintendo Switch Gamecube Controller for Garwik's birthday at a nearby Best Buy. Sky was doing a majestical vista when I got there.

I would like to thank the three (3) separate and individual white men who, within the space of five minutes while I gassed up at the Sunoco, pointed out that I "must be cold." I hadn't noticed. You are all very astute.

Honestly? It's not that bad. I have heated grips, and gloves. My helmet has winter inserts for breath control. I wear layers. I have covers for my feet, and a windscreen, and I rode a bicycle in the winter before I got my licence so I have experiance watching for salt piles and buckled ashphault.

People ride snowmobiles. Practically the same. If anything, they WANT snow. So colder? Do they get people pointing out they "must be cold"? What about skiing? Sledding? Hockey? Winter sports in general?

Meh.

The first guy I elaborated on how it wasn't bad, actually, and why.

The second guy I briefly explained my heated components.

The third guy I just said "I'm Canadian" and he nodded like that made everything clear.