Lobster parade

After gymming and steaming on Saturday morning, I met a friend for a swim, part of my ongoing process: "lets learn how to breath out underwater and so overcome my fear of drowning long enough to get from one end of the pool to the other." The weather forecast wasn't fantastic so we were going to go to an indoor pool (laconically named in memory of the only Australian prime minister to drown, such is life) but changed our minds at the last minute and ended up at the Prahran Pool. It's an outdoor 50m pool - very lovely setting for somewhere so close to the hustle and bustle. Actually part of the attraction had been my friend's assertion that there'd be a bit of hustle and bustle at the pool - apparently two sides fill up with families and the other two sides with gay boys (someone else called it the Pansy Patch!). But there was practically no-one there! Not too much of a worry - I'm still a bit embarrassed by my lack of swimming ability and was able to struggle up and down several times only slightly self-consciously.

We sat on the grass for a little while before my last quick swim before showering and dressing. The pale sunlight was gently warming despite the slight cool breeze. The lapping sound of water and the swirling blue of the pool were mesmerising and time seemed to stand still. "We'd better be careful," I said to my friend, "this is probably misleading - the UV's probably high and if we stay too long we could get sunburnt." We didn't stay too long.

I woke up on Sunday morning with brilliant red shoulders, shining like an electric lobster. Ouch.