Those of you who know me will know that my usual arrival time at B&B Central is 7.01. Well, not this morning.
It’s just as well I arrived early, as there was a lot going on.
Janelle had turned up for only her second (or third?) swim. Last time she swam, she was pregnant with these two little guys. Partner Ray completes the picture.
Danny was looking happy. Maybe he’d seen the rugby result?
Karen was her usual ebullient self. She’s still over the moon about passing her civil celebrant exams. Well done, Karen!
Meanwhile, Michael had been evicted from the wall (WOW territory) under the old “there’s no room” excuse. I met Michael a few years ago through a non-swimming friend, and he seemed like a mature and sensitive soul. I’ve since got to know him better through swimming.
Then two ASIO agents turned up, insisting on remaining incognito while getting some well-deserved downtime from their stressful jobs. Welcome, Letitia and Percy Harris* (*not their real names).
Alan and Rob, the brains of the group.
Caption competition – insert suggestions below.
Georgina and Tracey getting ready for action.
Clare was spending today’s swim shadowing Mary as she wants to learn how to be a top swim buddy. Be patient, Mary.
Big crowd today, with a total of 24 newbies signing in. Rainer and Clare in the background showed these new swimmers just what regular exercise in the ocean can do to you.
Love these swimming cossies.
This lovely couple are celebrating seven years of being together today. I spent so long trying to remember Bergen’s name (tick) that I’ve totally forgotten the other name, but I know it begins with A. Sorry, Ms A, and congratulations both!
Rush hour at Shelly.
And in the biggest news of the day, we welcomed back Julie, founder of the B&B!! Fantastic to have you and Michael visit us!
Julie with support crew Rainer, Jo, Clare, Mary and Greg.
Ian, unperturbed by the the “Let’s Go” command.
Elizabeth with Dom and Greg, one (or both?) of whom travelled all the way from Liverpool to swim today. That’s dedication. Elizabeth was wearing a poppy for Remembrance Sunday.
And then it was back to Manly through a flat, clear ocean, with only a few jelly bubbles to disturb the meditative swimming conditions.
Back on land, I sought guidance from Michael and Rainer who, along with Lesley, are my blogging mentors. I asked them to spend a minute telling me everything they knew. We talked mainly about the weather.
Suzy, Greg and Lucy. Suzy told me about a couple of “swim rage” incidents she’s been unfortunate to be part of recently. Not sure what the answer is – I generally sight every sixth stroke, but even then I sometimes have people pass me that I haven’t seen. I suppose we all just need to be mindful of others around us – the ocean should be big enough for all of us.
Jo and I commute together every weekday. She’s a keen observer of and participant in life, so she always has something new to say – gas bills, lost barbecue covers etc. She has a real talent for making an 18-minute fast ferry journey feel eternal, which is just great.
Malibu
Benches action.
Sensing my inability to take underwater shots, Simon offered me this amazing image of a wobbegong, taken yesterday by Mauricio. Thanks Simon – gratefully received.
And finally, Hat Of The Week:
I love this tribe – thanks for letting me be part of it.
Stats:
420 swimmers
24 newbies
19.5 degrees (with yesterday’s cold patches gone)
Monthly Dinner – 13th November 2018 – Guest Speaker
The next B&B monthly dinner for the year will be held on Tuesday 13th November at 6.30 pm at Bluewater Restaurant. Our guest on the night will be one of our swimmers, Tony Stuart, who is the CEO of UNICEF Australia. Tony will talk about his work in Africa, including South Sudan and Senegal.
Please book early for this event as it is sure to be popular. The cost of the dinner is great value at only $25 a head, which includes shared entrees, and a selection of mains to choose from (including a vegetarian option). Glasses of beer or wine and desserts are also available at the special price of only $5 each. Numbers are limited, so bookings are essential: To avoid disappointment and secure your spot please book at www.boldandbeautifulmanly.com.au/bb-bluewater-monthly-dinner.html
19 comments
Thunderbird
November 11, 2018 at 1:18 pm
Sensational Gemma, you are a natural at blogging. Welcome to Team Sunday.
Lips
November 11, 2018 at 1:32 pm
Nice work Chunder Bird!*
Love the use of fancy words (‘ebullient’) and proper punctuation. Good photos too. Keep it up and we might offer you a semi-permanent back-up blogging position by the end of the year. I’ll put a word in for you with management.
*I know we hadn’t settled on your pen name yet, so consider this a placeholder. Try it on for size. Just for a few months..
LSA aka HKTQ
November 11, 2018 at 1:43 pm
Congratulations, Gemma! Star blog.
for the caption:
Jules: Wear your goggles how you like – upside down, strap under chin, back of the head – whatever! Not my responsibility anymore!
Mary
November 11, 2018 at 3:19 pm
Fantastic blog Gemma. You do put those other Sunday bloggers to shame.
I can report that Clare passed all the swim buddy trading milestones except for the hanging around at Shelly until everyone has left bit. More work, but she is a fast learner.
All up a tremendous morning for a swim.
Elizabeth
November 11, 2018 at 3:46 pm
Caption:
Julie says to the person behind., “yes that’s her. It’s Malyse. She is just hiding behind the goggles”
Elizabeth
November 11, 2018 at 3:47 pm
I wonder if you now need a new commuting buddy now
Anne
November 11, 2018 at 4:36 pm
Great blog, Gemma
Gemma
November 11, 2018 at 5:01 pm
Thank you, Sensei!
Gemma
November 11, 2018 at 5:03 pm
Thanks Rainer – as ever, your kind sentiments leave me dumbstruck. (Now how about that for a pen name?)
Gemma
November 11, 2018 at 5:04 pm
Nice one, Sarah! And well done on your Wedding Cake Island swim – great effort.
Gemma
November 11, 2018 at 5:05 pm
Thanks Mary. Don’t be too quick to let Clare move to her P plates though!
Lindsay
November 11, 2018 at 5:58 pm
Great blog Gemma!
Brightened up my Sunday morning before I go off for my somewhat colder (and much shorter) swim in the lake!
harrison edwina
November 11, 2018 at 6:14 pm
That was wonderful Gemma 😍👍
Lainey
November 11, 2018 at 9:01 pm
You make it look so easy Gemma, excellent blogging. Such a natural… and well done Basil on helping out with photo resizing. ( Basil is Gemma’s partner who sounds like Basil Brush when he laughs Boom Boom!)
Suzie P
November 11, 2018 at 9:26 pm
Well… I wasn’t mentioned (HRMMMPPPH) (And a whole paragraph dedicated to Jo???) But a great blog nonetheless. Love your work Gemma.
Clare
November 11, 2018 at 10:31 pm
Mary espouses the B&B supportive cameraderie so well don’t you think Gemma…? 😀
No wonder she’s such a sought after swim buddy.
JK
November 12, 2018 at 1:47 am
Noice Gem
Bold & Beautiful Swim Squad
November 13, 2018 at 8:27 am
Fantastic blog Gemma
it’s always fabulous to get back to see everyone, even if it is sometimes such a fleeting visit x
Lesbubs
November 14, 2018 at 10:28 am
wow you got Jules and JK AND Lindsay commenting – well don’t get used to it ..soon you’ll just get some lame-o comments from Lips and me …
usually about nothing to do with the blog itself ..
But welcome to the Blog Crew … and I agree with Lainey Loo you are a natural 😉