a perfect swim

It was my sister-in-law's 40th last night so I wasn't sure whether I would be doing the Bay Swim this year. Priorities, my friends! I packed my swim bag before I went out, and decided that if I woke up by seven next morning, it would be on. After a bit of hmmm I'm not really awake yet am I? oh, I am... ok I'll look at the clock... it was 6.56. Fair enough. Fall out of bed, don the togs, slurp tea, drive to the beach and cough up the cash. It looked very promising when I got there - pretty flat and a little hazy cloud that would burn off later. The Spousal Unit and Noddie were away for the weekend; when I tried to ring them J's phone was off so I just left a message saying I was going for a swim and would try again when I was finished. As usual there were loads of tall wiry bronzed types in "I've been in harder swims than you" t-shirts, yapping on to each other about how soft Davo was only doing 11 hours at Busso. I just sat on the life saving club steps with my feet in the cool sand and waited for the start.
The water was warm, there was minimal swell or chop and the sun came out just as we started. Swimming in the sea makes me so happy - I just love that lovely bouyant feeling of being at one with the waves, way way off shore. The field rarely tops 200 so there's always a lot of room in this event. No kicking or argy-bargy (there could be some at the front; I have no knowledge of such matters): it's just a nice long swim that people who like to swim a long way like to do. Straight off the beach, turn right at the breakwater, cross the shipping channel and then head in through the marina so the nice people can help you up the ramp and unzip your wetsuit. Toooooo pleasant.
Except for the jellyfish. I had a moment of slightly unpleasant clarity at the party last night. I was explaining to a woman that jellyfish stings are pretty painful, but as long as you keep calm they're never really bad enough to stop you swimming. Then I noticed the look on her face, kind of horrified and repulsed....and I thought, I sound INSANE. That really shook me. What sort of lunatic must I be to deliberately swim out where there might be any sort of waves, it's 30m deep in places, and I know that I will be stung by jellyfish? What sort of person does that for fun? Don't answer that!
I didn't think about it this morning. I just thought about the waves and my stroke rate and how jellyfish sting like absolute #$%& and my catch and my kick and crap there are a lot of those little f#$%ers this year, ow ow ow and how pretty the sunshine was on the water and how lucky I was to be out there and how much jellyfish gave me the sh$ts and how nice it was to be feeling so strong all the way and oh, are we there already?
I didn't want it to be over. I think I did a pretty decent time, the first aid people had plenty of vinegar and ice, the fundraising* sausages were delicious and the t-shirt was nice. A perfect swim. Just perfect. Another golden bead on this summer's chain of memories-that-make-me-smile.
More anon, aquanauts!
*Otherwise I wouldn't have dreamt of having one no no no noooo

UPDATE: 3.2km (including jellyfish) - 1.02.28. GO ME!!