Pool

Me and Mo hit the pool for the first time this summer. I finally got the membership bought. Now I wonder if I'll regret it.

I've been battling this heel spur, and I was almost pain free. I've found a combination of shoe and insert that really seems to work, and I thought I was all but heeled up.



All but.

Just walking from the lockers to the entrance to the Lazy River in bare feet turned out to be a mistake. In fact, just flexing my foot enough to push off from a wall on said Lazy River was painful, I aggravated it that much, that fast.



What are you supposed to do, stay in a wheelchair for a month to heal this shit up?

Thing is, if I stay out of the pool for a month, I'll lose half the value of the pool pass because when school starts in the alarmingly early middle of August, the pool will close for the season. Plus, Mo loves her some pool time, and I rely on it to beat the heat since I can't afford to turn the AC down where it belongs.



Still, we had fun. Some Lazy River, some sitting on the edge of the pool, some swimming proper. Then Mo declared she was 'Bored!'

I asked, You're bored?

'Diving board!'

Okay, so I get her in line for the diving board. Two years ago, she did great: jump in and swim to the ladder. Wait for the kid before you to get to the ladder, but then you do it, don't waste time.

A time or two last year she did this, and this year it seems I might as well cross the boards off the list of choices. She goes out to the end and enters her own private world. She won't go back, she won't jump in. She doesn't seem to hear me hollering, the life guard whistling and hollering, the kids behind her in a growing line groaning and hollering. She'll gesture like she's Mussolini addressing a crowd, she'll cover her ears, she'll pretend she's about to jump, but she doesn't get off the end of the board.



If it's not maddening, it'll do until maddening can get here.

So the consequence, and I spelled this out to her while she was out there holding forth for Mother Italy, was we had to leave the pool because she wouldn't listen and follow instructions.

Next time, I'll just tell her no, the diving boards are forbidden to wannabe dictators.