Cherry popping

Hello hello. Well, FINALLY! I know you're going, 'what? finally what?'

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This is going to sound stupid. But FINALLY!... I remembered my account information. =D

HA!

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I had forgotten my account and also the password to my previous log, and goodness knows what's happened to it because now, it's gone. I suspect someone must have hacked into this email because it's empty!

But... I'm not *too* bothered because I never use this email anyway. It's always the Hotmail account because I also use it for Messenger. However you'll never catch me online.

What do you mean why? Actually that's a good question. I'm stumped. Hmmm... Maybe it's because I do not want to be disturbed randomly, like halfway through a game. It crashes my computer. Also this way, I can be selective in who I choose to chat with.

Anyway, this blog is about freediving and also about myself. As Jie once said, this is the only way she(and you) can know what's going on with me, since we don't meet up as often as we'd like. It's also a log of my activities(well, duh!), in case I forget.

So anyway... I didn't do much in the last couple of days. I've just been counting down the days till my new toy arrives. I still don't know when it touches home base, but hopefully in the next week or so.

Couple of memorable events. On Thursday I went over to Jade's place. For all you who don't know, Jade is my mentor/coach/friend. I'd like to put surrogate parent as well, but I might not come back from next practice alive.

So, Thursday. Jade did not come into the pool with me because she had a rash going. It appeared that morning quite mysteriously. But, being the lovely lady she is, she brought down her monofin for me to play/practice with.

We chatted on the deck chairs for awhile (trivia - Jade has a fancy name for those chairs) before I stripped rather unglamourously down to me Speedos (imagine that) and put on my, you guessed it, Speedo swim cap. On went my Sphera and I was ready for a session of monofin technique improvement.

I haven't been doing so well for the technique. I simply could not translate/duplicate the undulation I achieved on land into the water. I bend my knees too much, which is an awful technique, not too mention a complete waste of effeciency and total retarding of forward motion on the upstroke.

However, this session I got it right! It isn't perfect, but I know I've got it going. I was so pleased with myself, I remember. Jade was coaching from topside, and was/is the key to my success. I distinctively remember her sage advice, passed down to her by Peter Scott (Laminar). It was, be like a paintbrush...

Not with split-ends and all, but rather, like the motion. Up, down, up down of the waist. And no bending of the knees. Simple but profound advice.

Not a soul in the pool, I remember. Usually on our regular practice day, it'll be packed like a tin of sardines full of swimmers who swam all over the place. Not good if you're wearing monofins with the capability to reduce your do to nothing, or worse, make the pool red. I like red, but I have issues with blood.

After the session I went up to her place for a rinse. After I came out, we established that her rash was too severe and that she should stay home and out of the heat. Her internet was down, which sucked. So she decided to bake and invited me to join her. Who was I to refuse?

After a quick bite and trip to the supermarket for supplies, we were back in her kitchen ready for battle. She was all decked out in her Swiss apron and I was resigned to a fluffly one. Just lovely.

Prep took about 10 minutes and the mix was in the oven. ETA was 65 minutes, and during that time we washed up. We had also unplugged the modem and router in an attempt to reboot her connection, so when it was all put back together and worked, it didn't suck anymore.

Past 65 minutes and the cake was ready. 27cm by 15 by 10 of coffee and chocolate goodness. It wasn't perfect, but hey, chocolate solves all problems. I was presented a generous slice to bring home, which almost did not survive the journey. After gratitute was shown, we left the house. I was headed for the tube, and she the library.

After we parted ways I went downtown to an art supply store, known as Art Friends. I was in search for a suitable material for the replacement of my Paradisia nose pads. It seems that the FIT nose clip used felt, so I went along and got me a sheet of red felt.

I did not have time when I got back to complete my project, as I had a birthday party to attend. Memories from that event include being told by aunties that I had the features of a girl, excluding the frontal protrusions of fat. How nice.

I remember not if I finished my repairs to the Paradisia that day, but I got it done sometime before today. It is now a grey Paradisia with red nose pads and a yellow lanyard. People are going to talk when I unveil it to them. In contrast the FIT clip is a stern and serious looking piece of equipment.

In the last few days I've also been doing some research on sites for depth training. I think I've got a location that rivals the depths of the Blue Hole in Dahab, and probably with more to see. I also got several more for other purposes.

Now all I require is a counter ballast system which is portable that I have to build. It's going to need floats, (sailing) rope clutches, corrosion resistant struts and beams, rope and lots of solder. Preferably a fish finder as well. It's going to be time consuming, moolah depleting and thought provoking, but it has to be done.