Swimming Memories

I was adding a picture to my post about lifeguarding when I came across this picture:

...there's a story with this! :)

When I was a little girl I swam competitively for a number of years. Michael Reilly, a boy who was a year younger than me, became a best friend. He and his dear mother, Jane, had these two HUGE Newfoundland dogs, the one in the picture is the exact likeness of Blue. It must be understood that Newfoundland dogs originate from Newfoundland, Canada where they were taken out on fishing boats and used as living life-preservers. If a fisherman were to go overboard in those treacherous and freezing waters, the dog would jump overboard and swim out to the victim and bring him back.

Apparently, this life-saving swimming is an instinct that I got to experience for myself in the canal behind Michael's house. Mike and I would swim out to the middle of the canal and the dogs would swim out after us and "save" us as they would have us grab onto them and then proceed to swim us to the shore...only to begin all over again! :)

Other amazing memories and random memories from the swimming days in no particular order: Rita's Gelati's; Igloo's Italian Ices; Carvel Ice Cream, (yes...I know what your saying: THESE GUYS CAN EAT! And we did!!); Jane's Red Bug; Grandpa W. and Jane Reilly's famous friendship; long philosophical talks with Jane on the way back from swimming (Jane always called me an old soul); Mike and I taking turns with front seats; Mike thinking I had RED hair when it was wet--I was HIGHLY indignant; Michael Reilly constantly arising my indignation; swim meets which began at 5am; smelling always of chlorine; Michael and I always racing each other and being competitive...there might have been a time when I could beat Mike, but that passed LOOOONG AGO; touch football in the front yard; tackle football in the front yard; Cat being IN LOVE with Mike; me being in love with Mike and refusing to acknowledge it; John Del Gaizo "Del" being his delightful and polite self when he would carpool with us...Mike and I ALWAYS got the biggest sizes when we went to Rita's or Carvel while Del would get the smallest and would be full of delightful conversation in the car; spending weekends at Mike's manor house; Mike and Jane staying at the Smith Avenue house; Coach Kropp who was strict yet kind, white hair and a cropped haircut, a wife who coached the diving team, and a guy who knew how to get rid of a charlie-horse; Coach Tom who was passionate with flaming red hair and a soul full of goodness; starting blocks; sprints; butterfly, backstroke, breastroke, freestyle, IM's; Eisenhower Olympic training center with the most AMAZING diving pool and all sorts of AMAZINGNESS; Speedo swimsuits; guys who would shave or wax their ENTIRE bodies; my first event ever at a meet being backstroke and I swam in circles because the ceiling was circular...I think I was eight; waiting for hours to be picked up from swim meets or practices; Jeanette, my mom's co-worker, picking me up in her AMAZING open-door, bright yellow JEEP; goggles, swim caps; girls locker room; Sayville high school; Britney and her older sister Christine, Jenna, Mary-Beth; annual Islip Aquatics pasta dinners; when first trying out for the team I was asked to swim the butterfly, which I had never been taught, but as I had watched the '96 Olympics...I was able to do it, it might have been my best stroke; all the amazing swimming suits, accessories, and other aquatic paraphernalia that was sold in the hallways...oh, and there was food too! :); bagels and cream cheese, gold fish, candy...I supplied the team well with energy; GATORADE; the day I graduated to the fastest lane in the pool; team pictures; junior olympics; McDonalds' Big Macs; the dark-haired, five or six years older than me Michael...so CUTE!; Michael's dad pointing out my over-use of filler words such as "like"...a habit which I have yet to overcome to this day; Michael's dad's big red pick-up (yes...the Reilly's liked RED); Michael's dad smelling always of cigarette's and cigar's; Jane's divorce; Jane and Michael moving to Scotland; Mike going off to boarding school; Michael's dad passing away; Jane and Michael Reilly becoming members of the Wanlass family because of Islip Aquatics! Thanks! :)