Paddleboarding

     Last May, while the guys were on road trips, Allyson and I went to the beach... a lot. We live about 5 kilometers or 2 miles from many beaches so it was never too much of a hassle to go.  Now, I have two criteria for actually going in the ocean: the water has to be clear and it has to be warm. Like, warm enough where it doesn't take your breath away...I'm talking to you San Diego. This criteria works two-fold. First, it eliminates most places since there are a handful of places like that and secondly, if I do find somewhere like that, it will keep me in my comfort zone.  ( I realize there are more than a handful of places like that exist but for story purposes... you get the picture.) 

{ Clear waters}

     The water here is clear, glass clear. Check. And I had a sneaking feeling that since it had been beach weather since late March, the water was warm enough to actually swim in.  My feeling was confirmed when I stuck my toe in and my first reaction wasn't to pee. Check again. So in the water it was. In all seriousness, it was so hot that I welcomed a refreshing dip in the water.  Come to find out Allyson had the same criteria as me.....must be a girl thing. I know that if I see a shark, I at least want to have the opportunity to do my best Phelps impression and haul ass out of there. So, we decided not only to go in the water but to also rent paddle boards. It was great AND I would like to add that neither one of us fell.  We kind of stuck somewhat close to shore, about 100 yards out, for fear that if we did fall, we were close enough to land for some one to don their best red Baywatch swimsuit, cue the music, start the slow motion run and rescue us. It was the most relaxing afternoon. There was little to no breeze which allowed us to see straight to the ocean's floor. Like discovering hidden gems on our bikes, we vowed to return with the guys and fortunately we met a kind man who had many paddle boards that he offered to us for use when they returned from the road. Which we took him up on....

{Cruisin'}

{The point where we realized we were going to run into each other}

     For the guys, it wasn't as smooth sailing as it was for us. I don't know whether it was their size or what, but something was off. In the beginning, they both spent most of the time in the water. The funny thing was when one fell, the other fell soon after. I chalk that up to mimicking the other person when you are watching them do something. (We've all seen that soccer coach on the sidelines looking like an idiot kicking that imaginary ball)  I soon figured out I couldn't be any where near them, not just the jerking around and try to balance themselves, but the splash and little wave that the fall sent my way. After 10 minutes or so, it seemed they got the hang of it and could relax a bit. There was the occasional fall followed by many giggles from shore (not the most graceful of falls), but for the most part, we all enjoyed the afternoon in the sun. We haven't been yet this year but when the water warms back up, you bet we will be back out there and I'm expecting big things from Shaun this time since he is no longer a newbie.

{Shaky start...keeping my distance}

{Feelin' really good about himself}