Hot, hurting, and Happy

Maybe some of you remember that it was hot last week.  HOT.  As in, really HOT.  I was in MN last week and it was really hot.  I couldn't believe it.  How in the world to people decide to live in a place that can be 50 degrees below zero and 100 degrees above zero?  I'm fairly sure my family is much happier with the 50 degrees below zero than they are with the 100 degrees.  I was freezing inside their air conditioned home.  I don't think the ac in my house can even reach the temperature they were keeping in their home.  It was certainly refreshing.  (brrrrr)

I don't like the heat.  But, I can take the heat if I don't have to do anything more strenuous than lay on a lounge chair.  I was awesome at laying on a lounge chair.  I made a valiant effort to read a book, but it was hot.  Super hot.  I looked up from my book and the lounge chair and I saw the lake.  Typically, I'm not a big fan of swimming in the lake.  There are weeds growing up from the bottom of the lake and they wrap around my legs and freak me out.  Worse, there are fish in that lake.  I know there are fish, because in other years, when it wasn't so hot, I'd go fishing.  One of the things either my dad or my brother (whoever was taking me fishing) enjoy more than anything is to see me catch a fish.  I, on the other hand, would be happy to listen to my music and drink beer.  But, my dad and my brother usually get what they want and as a result, I've caught fish.  I've even caught really big fish.  This does nothing for my desire to swim in the lake.  I've seen the teeth on those fish and I'm afraid of them.  Even though the worse that has ever happened to me while swimming in the lake is to have little sunnies or bluegills nibble at my mosquito bites, the thought of those big fish give me pause.  But, I went swimming.  And, I jumped three feet straight up when a bluegill nibbled on the mosquito bite on my leg.  And, I screamed.  This was all to the great amusement of my husband.  (yay.  so glad I could make his day)

Did I mention it was hot in MN?  Yeah, hot.  It was hotter in MN than it was in FL at the same time.  There is something wrong with this.  Doncha think?

I stayed in the lake for a very long time.  I think I was in the lake for an hour or maybe even two hours.  This was a world class record for me.  It was so pleasant to sit on a noodle floatie and bob in the water and just be cool.  It was entertaining to watch a two year old sit in a floatie and smile and repeat every word he heard.  It was relaxing.  Very relaxing.  But even relaxing can become tedious.  (I know, it surprised me, too)  Most of the family decided to go for a boat ride on the big pontoon party boat my parents have.  I believe it holds 13 people.  I believe they squeezed 13 people on the boat along with two big coolers of drinks and SNACKS.  For some reason the thought of squeezing on that boat with 13 other hot, sweaty bodies did not appeal to me.  I chose to stay behind.  As they were leaving, my other brother invited me to play around on one of the two wave runners he had towed up to the lake.  I think I've been on them once or twice.  I know I've only driven one once.  And, I drove it like an old lady.  And, when I drove it like an old lady I wasn't as old of a lady as I am now.  I didn't think I would be taking the wave runner out on the lake.

But, I did.

I decided, along with my husband, it would be fun to scoot around the lake on these contraptions.  So, we did.  I got on one and my husband got on the other and off we went.  I went FAST.  I wanted to go as fast as I dared.  I zipped back and forth behind other boats in the lake with the intent of "getting some air" as I flew over their wakes.  (I am quite sure I never "got air")  It was fun.  I went in a circle as fast as I could to try to jump over my own wake.  I had to hold on so tight.  The tighter I held the handlebars, the harder I turned the accelerator.  It felt like the wave runner would scoot out right from underneath me.  I held on so tight.  My husband stayed behind me.  I think he was anticipating a rescue situation rather than not being able to keep up with me.  I'm quite sure I wasn't going as fast as it felt I was going, but nonetheless, it was exhilarating.  I was thrilled and proud of myself for both, pushing myself to do something a little scary and not falling off the thing.  It was a fun, fun ride.

And then I paid.

I paid, in pain.  I woke up the next morning with arms and shoulders so sore you'da thought I'd chopped a cord of wood.  It took me until early afternoon to figure out why I hurt so bad.  At first I thought I was sick.  I thought I had a fever and my joints were aching.  Or maybe, it was from a HUGE mosquito bite I had on my elbow.  But then, I remembered.  I went jet skiing on the wave runner.  I paid for that half hour of fun for three days.  I remembered that hurt you feel when you've had a good workout.  Yeah, that one.  I haven't felt that hurt for a long time.  It felt good, after remembering why I was feeling it.  I need to start doing something to give me that feeling again.  Sometimes exercise is fun.  (so that's why thy change it up on the Biggest Loser)

411.  Beat juice
412.  Watermelon
413.  Anticipating tomatoes from the farm
414.  Good advice from my husband on dealing with a snippy co-worker
415.  Catching up on work
416.  Did I say watermelon?

Not me, but it coulda been.