I don't think you're a fool, but what's my opinion compared to thousands of others'?

China has 20% of the world's population, over 1.3 billion people. This is what it looks like if a few of them decide to go swimming. Click to enlarge, but it's still ridiculous.

You gotta love the live images of Beijing that they're putting behind Bryan Williams as he does the NBC Nightly News. A gray screen with the stadium barely visible through the haze.

S & M are working toward a mini-triathlon sponsored by the Y across the street from their community. For both of them the swim (I think it's 200 meters in the Y's pool) will be the most challenging phase, so we've been comparing progress reports as we work on our aquatic skills. I use the term "progress" very loosely in describing my experience. I'm consistently getting wet. Beyond that...
Steve talked to a swimming instructor at the Y and he said using a kick board is the key to learning the breathing action. Use the board and eliminate the need for arm movement while you kick and practice rotating your head in and out of the water while breathing.
Makes sense. Except I learned today that kick boards aren't allowed in the Sun City pools. They're on a list of forbidden items. Why? I don't have a clue. Near as I can tell somebody took a dart board, put a list of things people sometimes take into a pool and threw darts to see if an item would be acceptable or forbidden.
To illustrate just how arbitrary things get when old people sit in a room with the task of setting pool rules, swim goggles are permitted but swim masks are not. Apparently that section over the bridge of your nose is critical to something.
In between the "allowed" and "forbidden" is "permission required." I'm not sure on what basis they give/withhold permission. The dart board again? Hey, I don't make 'em up, I just report 'em.
Turns out snorkels are on the "permission required" list. So tomorrow I'm going to get a snorkel at the sporting goods store up the street. Tomorrow morning I'll call HQ and inquire about permission. Stay tuned.

Sunday morning we're beginning a 4-week series I've titled "Hidden Heroes." We'll look at four relatively obscure biblical characters and the virtues they modeled. This week - Eleazar, son of Dodai the Ahohite. Good man, ol' Eleazar!

Things Women Should Know But Don't
1. Learn to work the toilet seat. If it's up, put it down.
2. If you ask a question you don't want the answer to, expect an answer you don't want to hear.
3. Do not ask us what we're thinking about unless you are prepared to discuss the shotgun formation, monster trucks or navel lint.
4. When we have to go somewhere, absolutely anything you wear is fine. Really.
5. Ask for what you want. Subtle hints do not work. Strong hints do not work. Obvious hints do not work. Just say it!
6. "Yes" and "No" are perfectly good answers to almost every question.
7. Come to us with a problem only if you want help solving it. That is what we do.
8. Check your oil.
9. If something we said can be interpreted in two ways, and one of the ways makes you angry or sad, we meant the other.
10. You can either ask us to do something, OR tell us how you want it done. Not both.

Thirty Seven years ago today we got married in Vegas. But that's not as bad as it sounds; Pam was raised in Vegas where her dad worked for what is now known as the EPA. And apparently what happens in Vegas doesn't stay in Vegas. Since getting married there we've lived in Grand Rapids, San Clemente, Prunedale, Riverside, Grand Rapids (again) and now Sun City. Highs and lows, two great sons who married better girls, and a couple of grandkids (one of whom turned 6 today). No really serious challenges - life-threatening disease, financial ruin, kids in jail. Just enough of life to force us to rely on each other and our heavenly Father.
We've decided to go for 38.
Deo Volente.