As Homer would exclaim, “D’oh!”
Note to self: When boarding a kayak from a boat swim platform early in the morning, make sure that you first have had your coffee. Then with senses fully activated, be certain to move deliberately, while at the same time maintaining a well-centered posture. This is no time for hesitation. No time for self-doubt.
On my way into the “drink”—for the brief microsecond after I realized my hapless miscalculation—it occurred to me that the water I was rolling towards (in an inadvertent Eskimo roll) was going to be very, very cold. Painfully cold. It was, after all, a chilly morning.
But it wasn’t painful, surprisingly. It was almost sort of warm—well in relationship to the surrounding air anyway.
Marlene woke up startled to a loud splash. The morning was otherwise quiet and calm. When she finally found the source of the splash, she looked down at me and shook her head. I am certain that I heard her mumble something under her breath too.
She denied it, but she said something.
