annanotbob2's Diaryland Diary
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Brrrr
I'm half-watching the Dylan documentary No Direction Home. He's the ultimate unreliable narrator, which I like a lot. Every time anyone asks him where he was born he says something different - has a whole load of different 'origin stories'. Good on him. I loved that he didn't go and pick up his Nobel Prize. My older brother bought the first Dylan album when it came out and played it over and over - he had one of those old record players where you could play the same thing again and again till you decided to turn it over or off - I think you left an arm open instead of closed but I may be wrong - it was the 1960s which were a while ago.
The weather has suddenly turned into winter, freezing, even here. My temperature blanket, nearly finished, has a big pale stripe to represent all that. The sea swimming suddenly moves into a different reality. It's harder the first time when the air is almost at freezing - I would never have done it if I hadn't seen Daughter looking so gloriously healthy, back in the pandemic, but having done it all through last winter I still had to make an effort to get myself in 
on Friday. We - me and Daughter - went to Hove beach where there were loads of people walking along the prom, all wrapped up like fuck - big coats, hats, scarves, gloves, the works - we were dressed like that too, but now we were down on the stones about to strip down to our swimming costumes wondering if we were really insane. But we did it and walked into the sea, swearing and shrieking because it's cold, it's really fucking cold - it's not that you don't feel the cold, it's that you just keep going and after about 30 seconds you don't need to scream though you still know it's cold but it doesn't hurt in the same way. If you stay for about another 20 minutes it will start to feel warm, but that's the onset of hypothermia, so don't do that. I do a max of four minutes but having just seen some science saying you get all the benefits in the first 90 seconds, I'm not fussed so much. I have a waterproof watch for winter swimming just to be safe. Then you get out and quick quick quick get dry, get dressed, don't fuck about, and then you feel fucking GREAT. Really good, ALIVE, laughing, a bit proud that you can withstand the pain of the first bit, but just invigorated, buzzing - no wonder all the 12-steppers are in there, it's a proper buzz.
1:31 a.m. - 03.12.23
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