swimming -- not just for plastic people

My legs have a soft dull aches. The muscle between my shoulder blades -- who knew I had muscles there? -- the are tense and strained.

I swam last night.

Let's quantify that shall we? I'm not a swimmer. I don't think I've been in water past my hips since I was in Havasupai, in Arizona in 1998. That's ten years.

Ten years since the fateful day I swam too close to Havasu Falls and the vacuum effect of the falls sucked me towards the center and bottom of the blue-green waters. I paddled and freaked out. My head rising and falling above the surface of the water, i sorta of talked of little bit of help.

Hey Brandon, I think I need a hand.

He looked at me as though I was joking. Trained as a lifeguard, he had seen people die from swimming accidents, but didn't see any major signs of struggle from me. Then he noticed my head go up and stay under for a while and come up struggling for breath.

I always credit him for saving my life, though I'm not sure I would have died. Much of it was fearl.

This didn't put me off water. I just knew I wasn't a strong swimmer and never really lived near any large bodies of water. My roommate is the opposite. She can swim two miles and still be ready to swim more. Eight years of water polo can do that to a person I suppose. Give me a bike, a trail, a gym or a mountain. Her? She wants a pool.

So we have a deal to trade off between gym and the community pool. Last night was the first time I've been in a pool since I was in junior high school. See, I wasn't kidding about not swimming much.

It was also the first time I have ever used goggles. What a godsend. Who knew the world could be so safe and not eye-stinging with goggles? Not me. Roommate did mention a few times that I looked really funny in the goggles before she loosened them. The slack didn't do much for my aesthetics.

Most of the 50-minute swim session was spent sharing a lane with a pregnant woman who passed me up quite a few times. She made it look easy. I told her as much.

You make this look easy

Aw. Ha ha. Are you just learning?

Learning not to drown, yes.

Hah. Well, great job. Keep it up. You're doing fine.

Here's where I flash to a friend who used to point out overweight people running walking. He'd make a head motion and say to whomever was with him, 'Aw. Good for them.' He said it in the most sarcastic, curt manner. It was funny, I laughed. I'm not laughing anymore. I'm fatty in the pool who needs to use a kick board for twenty minutes so he can breathe and still get a workout.

I have a graduation certificate in my never-put-together memory book -- the one my mom stopped putting things in when I was five -- showing how great of a swimmer I was. Problem is, I peaked way back in the '80s.

But last night, I got better. I'm getting better. Here's to life by the ocean. Here here.]]> http://www.chrisdaines.net/blog/2008/07/i_forgot_i_used_to_know_how_sw.html http://www.chrisdaines.net/blog/2008/07/i_forgot_i_used_to_know_how_sw.html Fri, 18 Jul 2008 16:58:07 -0700 It's a familiar argument. Altruism versus reality in advertisement supported journalism. Reporters are expected to garner 80,000 clicks a month. That isn't unique users. That is 80,000 clicks on anything with your name on it, be it photo, article or anything else.

Part of me wonders if all of my writing will only be judged by the number of times it is clicked on from here on out. I realize content that generates more interest will receive more clicks. At the same time, that important -- but dry -- city council meeting story may not get anyone reading it.

If journalists are expected to be watchdogs, can we judge our progress by clicks?

Six weeks of clicks has me at about 6,440 clicks. Nothing worth writing home about, but a number for comparison six weeks from now and on in to the future.
My clicks for June 1 - July 10, 2008.]]> http://www.chrisdaines.net/blog/2008/07/the_time_for_clicking.html http://www.chrisdaines.net/blog/2008/07/the_time_for_clicking.html Thu, 10 Jul 2008 16:25:58 -0700

Me = Metaphorical cow. Frightened girl = uninterested interpersonal relationships.
Bigger version here.

How can anyone survive summers in Arizona? Air conditioning? Nothing seemed to combat the ~110 degree days. Misters were a laugh. Luckily I could grab shade at certain hours near cacti and palm trees while wandering around on foot.

I survived three days. I think I only melted three times. It took a while to gather myself back together after the fact.

Arizona State University has lots of palm trees.

The abandoned mill, on Mill Street in Mesa.

The Lane 2 Fire burns on Friday, June 27, 90 miles outside Phoenix.

Goose butt.

The marina at man-made Saguaro Lake.

Tubers on Salt River. I'm told it is full of debauchery. I didn't see much.

I may have left part of my brain in a puddle near Salt River.]]> http://www.chrisdaines.net/blog/2008/07/summer_is_too_hot_in_arizona.html http://www.chrisdaines.net/blog/2008/07/summer_is_too_hot_in_arizona.html Thu, 03 Jul 2008 00:08:23 -0700 2008 Utah Society of Professional Journalists award for front page design. I won two. First, and second place in division B.

The official comment on the first place design was: "Great package on Cheney’s commencement speech—all elements placed in clean, logical fashion—simple yet very effective presentations."

The award-winners are listed here on my web site. Click on the image to see my page design section and see larger versions if you feel so inclined.

Dates: April 27, 2007, and April 12, 2007.

I have a retrospective of the last two years planned, but I'm not sure I'll have time to complete it before I leave for California. For now I'm cleaning the apartment to get my security deposit back and have enough money for the security deposit at the new apartment in Laguna Hills.

There are some things I'm going to miss about Utah. ]]> http://www.chrisdaines.net/blog/2008/05/dont_forget_to_drink.html http://www.chrisdaines.net/blog/2008/05/dont_forget_to_drink.html Tue, 27 May 2008 00:04:55 -0700 This is the first time I've had the chance to breathe this week. Has it been hectic? Yes. Monday I flew from Glasgow Prestwick to London Stanstead after waking up at 4:00 a.m. to catch the bus that was full because of a bank holiday. That night I saw wicked with Hayley. Tuesday I stayed in the posh Hoxton Hotel near the Old Street tube station. Tuesday night I was ever-so-fortunate enough to see BFI's screening of "The Shining" in a cinema right off the Thames River. A midnight walk through Trafalgar Square with warm hands, lesbians, no lion-sitting and a desire to pause time. Wednesday I spent 26 hours traveling, hooray for flying backwards in time. London to LAX. A quick pause in L.A. with my 10:00 p.m. arrival allowed me to spend some time with my dear friends. Back at LAX at 8 a.m. on Thursday morning flying back to SLC to start work at 2. And I've worked every day since. Never mind all of the walking around cities, riding tube trains and museums I did in between these notable events -- I couldn't stop. I managed to fit about three months worth of memories in to my 17 day vacation. It's so grandiose in my mind, it's almost disappointing to relive it through my pictures. I've promised to put up some galleries, and I will. London drips with culture. It oozes metropolitan. It pollutes your lungs and captures your soul. I could live in London ... if only I could do it legally. At first I thought it was just jet lag that made my heart yearn for the U.K. I'm not so sure of that anymore. Oh, and while on vacation I accepted a job offer as a reporter working for the Orange County Register. I'll be out of Utah by the end of the month. http://www.chrisdaines.net/blog/2008/05/knackered_a_consolidation_of_m.html http://www.chrisdaines.net/blog/2008/05/knackered_a_consolidation_of_m.html Sun, 11 May 2008 14:24:56 -0700

If i have time to blog in Europe it will likely be short updates, expect a large update with many photographs when I return. I've loaded the iPod up with Belle & Sebastian, Elliott Smith, Bonnie "Prince" Billy and Aloha. Oh, and a few episodes of South Park as well.

I'll have e-mail every few days if you want to get in to contact.

E-mail me your address if you want a postcard. chris[[[a.t]]]chrisdaines.net]]> http://www.chrisdaines.net/blog/2008/04/on_holiday.html http://www.chrisdaines.net/blog/2008/04/on_holiday.html Mon, 21 Apr 2008 02:48:33 -0700

Sometimes, anxious feelings are remedied by Cat Stevens -- other times, ice cream. But most often it is helped by friends and conversation. Even if that conversation is banal

Less than 4 days until I leave for London.

Our planned car trip in Scotland:
View Larger Map]]> http://www.chrisdaines.net/blog/2008/04/anxious_for_change.html http://www.chrisdaines.net/blog/2008/04/anxious_for_change.html Musing Photo Fri, 18 Apr 2008 01:41:33 -0700

There's still something sublimely satisfying about a well-written letter. Whether delivered via post office, e-mail or social networking site. They are sometimes a snapshot into my soul. I rarely receive one that I read with interested intent. But there is the occasional shocker that brightens my day. It rivals a new album that touches your very core on first listen and becomes a classic after one or two listens. ]]> http://www.chrisdaines.net/blog/2008/04/the_good_letter.html http://www.chrisdaines.net/blog/2008/04/the_good_letter.html Memories Sun, 13 Apr 2008 12:43:47 -0700 Jason and I will be traveling this spring. It's going to be amazing. It'll surely be epic. It might even be legendary. Here's what'll be happening:

• Depart LAX April 21, arrive London April 22
• 7 nights in hostels in London
• Depart London, arrive Glasgow April 29
• Staying with wonderful people in Glasgow
• Renting car: May 1 - 3
• Depart Glasgow, arrive London May 4
• 2 nights in London, 1 in a hotel.
• Depart London May 7, arrive LAX May 7
• 1 night in Los Angeles
• May 8 return to Salt Lake City

That list will be filled in with immense details and glorious photographs. I'm only taking a backpack with 5 days of clothes, my camera and my ipod. ]]> http://www.chrisdaines.net/blog/2008/04/uk_2008_1.html http://www.chrisdaines.net/blog/2008/04/uk_2008_1.html Vacation Fri, 11 Apr 2008 06:20:15 -0700 Some days I wake up with enough time to do laundry before I go to work and I feel like I have accomplished something. Then I remember that work doesn't usually begin until 2:30 p.m. and that sense of accomplishment fades away. http://www.chrisdaines.net/blog/2008/04/mornings.html http://www.chrisdaines.net/blog/2008/04/mornings.html Musing Thu, 10 Apr 2008 01:31:19 -0700

I have time to play video games again. More than play, I have the time and patience to enjoy them again. Throughout college I worked two jobs and went to school full time. Any relaxing time I had was spent sleeping, studying or being social.

Working in a full time salaried position provides a surprisingly unique opportunity for me to develop hobbies -- or lose old ones. I've taken up riding my bicycle, tinkering online, watching as many movies as I can and more. One purchase I made right at the end of 2007 was a reward for myself.

A PLAYSTATION 3. One coworker wondered why I would do such a thing, I wrote a 500 word essay on why I would dare make such a purpose -- the gist of which being that I could so I did.

It started out with Guitar Hero III. It took me back to old days of playing in bands and having fun. I missed out on much of the social interactions with the first two iterations of the game, and didn't pass up this chance. I beat the game quickly. I don't remember beating games very often when I used to play. Who really has the patience to finish a game all the way any how?

But I had it now -- the patience. Age has given me more patience, and determination to do the asinine timed puzzle with murderous consequences and pinpoint accuracy. Dodge bullets? Yes! Storm terrorists that have taken over Las Vegas, I love doing that in my spare time.

And the escaping. Video games provide an even bigger escape than movies and music. While movies and music allow your brain to be massaged and relax in an actively observant state, video games engage the senses. They challenge your brain, eyes and fingers in unison.

That is of course until you play multiplayer versions of some first-person shooter game online and some 12-year-old elite sniper curses about your mom while dancing on your grenade-riddled corpse. When that happens you laugh and quit because, really, who needs more things to feel down about?

I'm eating my Wheaties. Hear that Mr. potty mouth? I'll be ready to kick your trash one day. The silly artificial intelligence just doesn't quite have your pwning abilities for me to practice dying with more style in single player competition.

If only I could move my fingers faster.]]> http://www.chrisdaines.net/blog/2008/04/27_in_2008_part_2.html http://www.chrisdaines.net/blog/2008/04/27_in_2008_part_2.html 27 Sun, 06 Apr 2008 05:08:38 -0700