The ultimate open-water swim mantra:
Also, a call for advice: What’s a girl to DO the day before she swims across the Bay? I know I’m supposed to avoid frolicking in the sun, tiring myself out and eating a bunch of weird stuff. But without college football on television (my go-to race-day-eve activity before autumn distance runs), I’m not sure what I *should* do. Is a barbecue OK if I avoid unfamiliar foods and find a shady spot? Or should I hit up a triple-feature at the movies? Thoughts?
Amy Reinink 
I quote Finding Nemo ad nauseum. It really has something for every situation. Good luck in your swim!!!
Here are some ideas from one natural blue to another:
* Cook. You won’t feel like cooking next week (assuming you can lift your arms). A supply of leftovers will help.
* Movie marathon. D— and I were discussing “Go” recently. We might be able to work something out there.
* Write a letter. When was the last time you did that? Write a real letter to somebody, longhand? It takes longer than you think.
* Read a completely worthless book. It’s summer, time to let your brain rot. Nora Roberts is on line two.
* Visit the Baltimore Museum of Industry. You will especially like the printing press area. They have everything from Gutenberg area printing up to a working linotype machine. On the weekends there’s a linotype operator there running it! Newspaper geeks unite! http://thebmi.org/
BRILLIANT. Especially the movie marathon. To be discussed soon …
hmm, I usually swim the day before a running race, so maybe run?
you can come hang out with me! want to have brunch?
Lounge.
Nap.
Perhaps both on a boat?
And I love the cooking idea. Try something you’ve had on the list so it’s extra interesting/involved?
Love, love, love all of these ideas! (Keep ’em coming if you’re just stopping by!) I’m so in love with the cooking idea, I’m posting the simple-but-time-consuming recipe I’ve been meaning to tackle for months:
Greek Pita Bread
Ingredients:
• 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
• 1 tablespoon of sugar
• 1/2 cup of warm water
• 4 cups of bread flour
• 2 teaspoons of salt
• 1 cup of warm water
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
Preparation:
Dissolve in the yeast and sugar in 1/2 cup of warm water and set aside, covered, for 15 minutes. Dissolve salt in the remaining 1 cup of warm water.
In a large mixing bowl, add flour and make a well in the center. Add yeast mixure and salt water. Knead with hands for 10 minutes in the bowl. Add olive oil and continue to knead until all oil is absorbed. Shape into a ball in the bowl, cover, and place in a warm area to rise until doubled in volume, approximately 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
Punch down the dough and knead for 5 minutes more.
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C), and lightly oil baking sheets.
Take pieces of dough slightly larger than an egg and roll out on a floured surface to a thickness of 3/8 to 1/4 inch. (For larger or smaller pita bread pieces, take more or less dough). Prick the bread with a fork in several places.
Place on baking sheets and bake at 350°F (175°C) on the lowest oven rack for 2-3 minutes, then turn the pitas over and bake for another 2-3 minutes. Remove from oven and place on a tray covered with a clean dishtowel, with another clean towel on top. When thoroughly cooled, pitas can be stored in plastic bags in the refrigerator, or frozen.
Before using, brown in a lightly oiled frying pan for a few minutes until browned on both sides. You can also just spray it with cooking spray and put it in the pan or you can warm it in the toaster oven (a bit crustier that way).
some good ideas above! i’m thinking cooking/baking and movie/tv show marathons. 🙂
found your blog through twitter. 🙂
my plan: drive a lot, panic a medium amount, freak out that I forgot something but find it in the bottom of my bag later, obsess about whether or not to wear my wetsuit, fight with my husband about stupid things, and drive around to random stores to find sunscreen, which I keep forgetting to buy.
your plan sounds better.
Yep! That all sounds about right to me! Hilarious …
Your post reminded me how much I love that movie 🙂 I like all the above ideas too – especially the cooking idea. Bake lots of breads or meals to freeze & keep on hand when you’re in a bind & don’t have time to cook…Find a farm & go cherry or strawberry picking – then make homemade jam. Go to a museum you haven’t visited yet. Sleep in (if you can). ..That’s all I got! GOOD LUCK!
Good luck on Sunday! If it were me I’d probably end up watching movies or reading. But I think the cooking idea is brillant! You can carbo load at the same time as you make sure you have plenty of leftovers for the upcoming week. 🙂