Sack of Chum

Today looks a whole lot like yesterday. It’s what we call June gloom here on the Southern California coast: overcast skies in the morning that we hope will give way to sunshine by late morning or early afternoon. That’s not always guaranteed.

I don’t have any morning meetings so I get a little preliminary work out of the way and I’m out the door a little before 8:00. As I drive down Palisades I am filled with a bittersweet feeling knowing this will be the last time I take this route to the beach for the foreseeable future. Almost exactly 6 months ago, I separated from my ex-wife and moved into a studio apartment near Pines Park. That apartment has been a true sanctuary and will always hold a special place in my memories. Today I am moving out. I move back into my house near Sunset Park (just 5 minutes away) and getting it ready to put on the market. I’ve actually been doing that for the past few weeks but now it’s completely cleared out and cleaned and there is no sense paying rent for this studio anymore.

I am so going to miss this studio. It has been perfect in so many ways. I love the minimalism of it. It is just enough space for me and my dog. Unfortunately, it is not enough space when my kids want to visit and my oldest son wants to move back down with me. I love my house and I’m looking forward to live in it for the next few months. I wish I could keep it but its just not practical right now and I’m totally ok with being a renter for a while. Most of all I am looking forward to moving forward and into a new life and this move will bring me one step (maybe a few) further into that transition.

So I get to the parking lot at the Strand. The water is nice and smooth. Surfline says there is a 7 knot northwest wind but it sure doesn’t look like it. They are putting in pullup bars adjacent to the bathrooms up here on the bluff. Somehow that just seems odd to me. There was a good few years where pullups were part of my daily exercise regimen and I may have taken advantage of these. It just seems like they are going through a lot of trouble to put these in and surely there are other things they could be doing instead that might provide more value. However, I’m not disturbed by it. If people want public pullup bars, let them have pullup bars!

As I am walking down the stairs I am noticing a lot of kelp floating on the water - more than usual. Then when I see the shore there are large clumps of the stuff washed up on the sand. Also, even though the tide is just a mid level 3 feet, the water dominates the shore. It seems like there is plenty of sand on the beach. However, quickly after walking into the water, the bottom drops quite a bit. There are just so many variables here with the surf and tide and sand that make this place such a dynamically changing environment.

After I step onto the beach and dip my feet in the water, I am noticing that the water feels a touch warmer than yesterday. As I am pondering this lovely fact, I slam my toes onto a rock and oh my god does that hurt. I can’t believe I just did that. Surpisingly I think that is the first time I have stubbed my toe on a beach swim. Well I guess I’m due after 5 years.

The surf is slightly smaller today and as I swim out and under the breaking waves, it is a gentler ride than yesterday. Also, the water is much more smooth and calm even past the breaking waves. All of this coupled with the fact that the water temperature is definitely up a degree makes for a very pleasant swim. Another one of those days where things look so cold but feel so not cold.

I make my way north today and just before I reach the point at the Ritz, a flock of pelicans passes me low to the water on my left. They must be gliding slowly or at an angle because I stop and grab my camera and they are still right here like time (or the pelicans) have become suspended. Often when the pelicans swoosh by, they are single file but this is a larger group in ‘V’ formation. It is cool to look at.

Just pass the point I stop and notice how close the surfers are. Everything seems so calm here now and it is hard to imagine waves breaking so close. Ha! I’ve definitely been proved wrong by waves breaking right on top of me while I lazily swim looking towards shore.

Just as I observed from the stairs, there is lots and lots of loose kelp floating on the surface all throughout my swim. I have to ease up on the kicking as I pass through these kelp-dense patches because it aggravates my sore toe. Oh man my stupid toe.

Well other than the toe, it is a darn nice swim. I find myself thinking a lot about my house and what it will be like to live in again. I feel like the bad energy has cleared and it will be a good place to be. I’m also looking forward to being with my son. Feel’s like it has been a long time since I have had human companions.

I eventually finish up the swim and as I am walking back to the stairs, my toe is still killing me. I look down and it is bleeding profusely. Oh great. Good thing I remembered my shark anklet today. I’m like a live sack of chum out there. After rinsing it at the showers it doesn’t look nearly so bad. Fortunately I have band-aids in my house where I am moving to later.