First Visit To Public Pool

July 17th, 2018

Just wanted to share a silly story that involved my Partner Dakota & I. At least one of you knows a bit about what happened yesterday morning, but I'm still laughing and decided to share it, even though it isn't a GSDC SV Inc. Meeting Brag.

Kalifornia Kota & I live in a nice gated Community with several very nice public amenities - including a huge pool of the MOST BIZARRE shape. My dear friend Veronica (w/Hessie), inspired me to go down to our Community Pool. I was sure there would be lots of kids and adults and I'd have to leave, so I'd never tried it in the 6 years I've been here. So after Veronica (she's got at least one Doctorate, and is the President of the PSDP - Psychiatric Service Dog Partners - a 501.(c) 3  <-- They're a charitable organization, I just forgot the dang code!) asked the PSDP List Serv for some positive vibes to help her go to a new swimming club, I said I wanted the same. She inspired me to go to the Pool here. It's only 4 blocks away, but I have to drive since I'm bringing Dakota & her huge blue crate. Everything that transpires below: both the very good and the very nasty sting is due to Veronica being my inspiration to get off my butt and go swimming for exercise too...

Had to walk a block or more from my parked SUV down to the big Community Pool, where it took forever to figure out how to use the fob to open the gate; where Dakota promptly went inside, while I'm fighting the over-the-shoulder leash and trying to cram the crate thru the skinny gate It was worse than trying to carry everything down to the ring when we were doing conformation training classes in Rocklin & Loomis. It was 9AM, opening time; but the assigned Security Guard wasn't there & never showed up, and we had the whole place to ourselves.

Taught Kota where the stairs SHOULD have been (this pool has NO STAIRS), using the word command "DOOR". If I continue to swim there, and repeat that command when we arrive and leave, then that word will eventually sink in as the place for her to jump in and save me from drowning and the place she should drag me to once i have her tail in hand. And yes, I taught her how to open the zippers on her crate door. (So far she's only come out for one perceived health problem, and once when she just HAD to get to Frank & Carolyn's little puppies that were climbing on the crate and into her duffel bag!) OH, if only she wouldn't choose to start her rescues by climbing onto my shoulders and face, as experienced in my Mom's pool previously :) Put her in her soft crate and dove in. [As an aside; NEVER dive into pool water that is clearly labeled as 6 inches deep - ouch] I can't swim worth crap - I always sink to the bottom, no matter what. I tried several strokes, but they were all REALLY hard on my chronic back problem. Even the back-stroke and the side stroke were a FUBAR as I sank after every single stroke, LOL!! Maybe I can find someone's used water flippers - those black things you put on your feet and they stick out with webbing and give your leg kicks so much more power? Then I could be on my back and relieve my back of all the pain as I paddle about with the flippers.

The deepest end of the pool is 6' and the lowest 6". It is a huge meandering-around pool; sort of like 2 kidneys connected with a really wide channel. There are grab rails on each side of the pool in the deep end. I tried and didn't have the strength to pull myself up & out. What a wuss! This old lady needs STEPS in the deep end! After 1 and 1/2 laps, I was exhausted so stayed in the shallow end by Kota and used my hands on the pool floor to "walk", dragging myself around for as long as I could take it. Looked everywhere when I was done, but couldn't find a shower to wash the chlorine off my body, suit & shorts. YES, I do wear shorts over my swim suit due to some pretty scary looking scars.

And to finish my day in the pool, I saw a large yellow-jacket - or wasp? - don't know the difference. He was floating on the top of the water and I clapped my hands on him & the water & he flew away. But Mr Yellow-Jacket or whomever, did not desire my applause, so he promptly slammed his sticker in me! How rude! Well, maybe not since I WAS trying to kill him... them he came back for another sting and I swatted him on my leg, which knocked his stinger out and into my leg by the inside of my right knee. The first aid kit with tweezers was clear up in the SUV, and I have no fingernails. Took a while and a lot of ouches but finally got a hold of it & think I have it all out. By the time we got home it had turned an angry red and swelled up. (This AM, it's still red, a big hole, but no swelling.) I promise not to applaud Yellow-Jackets or Wasps ever again...)

As I let Kota out of her crate, she immediately started to go down the spa steps; crate was in shade next to the spa. Had to stop THAT in a hurry before I got caught! The Management has already barred Dakota from the pool, and I must assume they meant the spa too. The windows of the main office look out over the pool, so I hope no one saw.

I was so exhausted and starting to hurt, that I had to lay down on the hot 'cool decking' and try to relax my back and the backs of my legs. THAT pissed Kota off; there's no reason why she can't come out of the crate and lie with me when I'm trying to relax my muscles and dry off a little bit. Finally I made myself get up, threw everything into that soft blue crate for my right hand, the keys I needed to get out of the pool area into my left hand where I had a death grip on Kota's vest's bridge handle to keep me from falling over AGAIN! Put the suicide leash on Kota, grabbed the crate and held on to Dakota, She knew exactly where to go, but first of all I couldn't get the crate thru the slender gate, and second I couldn't keep up with her pace, and she was really holding me tight.

I hurt so dang much, I thought I'd never get to the SUV. 4/5ths of the walk was all uphill, blech! And once everything was loaded (no, I didn't forget my Partner), I crawled into the front seat where Kota immediately Alerted on me. OK, fine, have it your way...got in the back seat with her, she laying across my lap, and stuck my nose in her ear, my left arm around her neck and feeling her heart pulse, her warm body, and the Tactile Stimulation of her warmth and weight while using my right hand to stroke her furries & fluffies and a couple minutes later she let me go. Back into the front seat and practically yelled every time I put pressure on any of the pedals.

When we got back home, we both collapsed on the floor right inside the front door. Dakota had gotten more than her daily allotted 2 x 10mins walks & I was just an out of shape old lady who went beyond her physical capacities. If anyone wants to come down to swim, we are allowed to have guests with us. Bring FLIPPERS - that's the word of what I want! There are plenty of chairs, plenty of those umbrella covers that stick out of tables, lots of tables, and because of the VERY ODD shape of the pool, there is some interesting landscaping. So you can sit in a chair in the sun, in the shade, or stretch out on the shady spots that have grass and flowers blooming.

OK, I do believe I have accomplished my mission: To bother and harass you. But you won't know that, nor that I sincerely apologize for typing so much, cause you probably haven't read the whole post - Tee-Hee-Hee!! So we both hope you all keep on keeping on...
Kalifornia Kota