Here it is, a weekend in sunny southern California, it is 88 degrees outside low humidity and the sky is blue.  The pool is very inviting.The water looks sparkling clean and refreshing.  

I am back home. Physically and emotionally. No more rainy gloomy London days alternating with sticky humidity with no air conditioning. This is  God's country not the Queen's.  

Before I jump into that pool, I just want to dip my glass into the deep end and chug down a refreshing mug of that good ole California water and enjoy this beautiful day. 

But hold on.

 

I'm told if I follow that instinct I will need to have at the ready a Blue Cross card and a stomach pump.

The pool man has recently adjusted the chemicals in the water for summer time. This is done once a year like clock work. The Pool company tells me this procedure is included in the weekly service ... at an extra charge. Before I realize that "comes with the service" and "extra charge" are mutually exclusive they explain the process in detail to confuse me.  Pool boy says this has to be done so that the hot weather and afternoon shade won't encourage the growth of algae, slime, wild bacteria or any other naturally occurring life form. 

As far as I can tell this pool liquid currently has absolutely no physical properties associated with real water.  Without constant care from a pool professional this liquid will evaporate into a solid chemical mountain of lethal toxic waste.  We sure don't what that to happen.  We want to keep it in a liquid form so we can jump in and immerse ourselves in it. The thought comes to me that if these chemicals are keeping any life form from existing in this water, what am I doing in it?  

I hate it when your instinct to survive gets in the way of a good time in the pool.

As you were,

Jay