January 8, 2004

Congrats to Luke for yet again correctly guessing the reflection in yesterday's Image of the Day! Of course, it's the Seattle Space Needle. Not bad for a Canadian... ;-)

And in some respect, many Canadians have a point when they call the Americans "nuts". An outstanding example of such behaviour can be observed every year, on January 1st, in Olympia, Washington. That's when the annual Freezing Man swim (sponsored by the Polar Bear Swim Club) in Capitol Lake takes place.

It so happened that I was in town that day, and despite the prospect of 34 degrees temperatures and getting drenched with freezing rain and sleet, I decided to follow the warm recommendations of a friend and went to watch the spectacle.

And what a spectacle it was! It will probably forever elude me why some people, who lead rational lives most of the year, decide to jump into near-freezing water on that one day out of the year, dressed only in thin bathing suits, and mostly adorned with either a touch of body paint here, or a little bit of costume there. Temporary insanity maybe?

Try adrenaline instead. Before taking the plunge, the air of excitement among participants was so thick, you could almost cut it with a knife. And, bouncing from one shivering leg to another, one swimmer proudly pronounced: "It's good for my heart!".

Most participants though restricted themselves to running into the water up to their chests - and then bolting back with increased speed into the waiting dry towel or robe. A lone tough guy swam a couple of rounds before leisurely heading back to shore.

The moral of the story? There aren't too many days of the year when you're allowed to act a little nuts. January 1st and the Freezing Man are exceptions. So by all means - Carpe Diem!