pyr8queen, trekhead, faekeeper, geekstress and Rob, we were being nerdy and gaming on the boat. I'd made some burgers and sausages, pie had been shared out, along with beer. It was chilly but the water was so glassy it was kind of cozy.Until I dropped the gas regulator from the Magma grill over the side. I was just trying to unscrew it, but it detached on a different part of the mechanism than where I thought, and over it went. Decapitation was imminent, because who knows how hard it would be to replace that part.
So I stripped down to my skivvies and jumped in to get it. I probably should have just stripped and jumped without thinking about it, but then I realized I had no way to get back up on to the dock. So we got a swim mask and the ladder, and in I went. Honsstly, I almost talked myself out of it, but then I realized that "the day I jumped in to the Winter ocean" made a much better story than "the day I dropped something and had to replace it." Sploosh.
It was...cold. I mean, it was the Pacific in February, it's gonna be cold, right? The first shock was so harsh it was like getting punched in the kidneys. I had a strong and immediate instinct to get the heck out, but I pushed it down into my innards (where hopefully it would keep them warm) and swam down. And there it was! I grabbed the thingy, swam up and pitched it over the side. I struggled with the ladder a bit getting over the side - a combination of blubber (protective, warm, protective, wonderful blubber!) and lack of flexibility post-injury. But eventually I flopped aboard like unto a gaffed fish. Then there was towel and beer and and a fixed grill.
So that was the day I jumped into the ocean.
