Reminder: Shipwreck Swim (by Klode Kru tradition) from Atwater Beach on Saturday, June 11 to be followed by Shorewood Men's cookout. See Kahuna for details.
Next Swims - 6 or 6:30 a.m. M-F and 5 pm weekdays?
Tomorrow looks iffy, weather-wise, a repeat of today.
Last AM Swim: 6-6:30 AM
Tuesday, June 7
Water Temp: 55 per Lydia the Tattooed Lady
Air Temp: 60-ish, cloudy, unfriendly chill northerly breeze
Water Conditions: Chop from the north
Clarity: Meh, many dead alewives
Kru: Showgirl, Tattooed Lady, Lt. MJ, Dragonfly, Mr. Anonymous
In 2017 writer Venkatesh Rao coined the phrase "premium mediocre" which he defined as "...the finest bottle of wine at Olive Garden...truffle oil on anything...extra leg-room seats in Economy." In other words, aspirational yet still accessible. He went on to describe the concept as "ultimately a rational adaptive response to the challenges of scoring a middle-class life lottery ticket in the new economy." The phrase was coopted and shortened to "premiocre" in (naturally) The Atlantic.
Thrilled with this shiny new (to me) piece of word play, I immediately began to examine where it might apply in my own life. My Humane Society cats with their possible Russian Blue heritage? My self-cut and styled hair layers? My husband's Carhartt shorts from Farm & Fleet? Or just quoting some intelligentsia from....five years ago?
Regardless. This morning was definitely Premiocre on the beach. I got pushback:
"But it's so cold."
"It's so choppy."
"So many dead fish."
"It stinks."
BUT. WE'RE ON THE BEACH. It is June, and we are swimming. Perhaps Mediocre compared with other swimming days, but still Premiocre as a day in Life.
Mr. Anonymous, ventures forth. Two women Wim Hofers to the north.
Showgirl expresses somewhat joyful ambivalence
at the general prospect.
Photos by Lt. MJ.
57 at 4:30 that afternoon
ReplyDeleteSo the weather forecast for Saturday morning looks acceptable. I have SMC BBQ Tickets. Send me an email or leave a comment here if you want one or two tixs. I'm selling them at a slightly discounted price compared to what you would pay "day of" from the ticket booth. I have ten tixs left for 1/2 Chicken Dinners (each $14 each) and three tixs left for the scrumptious 1/2 Rack of Ribs Dinner (cost $18/tix).
ReplyDeleteWhat time do people want to do the Shipwreck Swim on Saturday morning? Nine or ten?
ReplyDeleteEither works for me!
ReplyDeleteI like 10:00 for the swim on Saturday.
ReplyDeleteYou can pay for SMC BBQ tixs either with cash (correct change appreciated) or check made payable to "Shorewood Men's Club."
ReplyDeleteWe can give you the check I assume? 10 sounds good.
ReplyDeleteLOL! "the finest bottle of wine at Olive Garden" - perfect example
ReplyDeleteand what serious scholarship...referencing The Atlantic even
there must be something psychoactive in that rotting alewives odor, or maybe it's psychotropic instead of psychoactive.
I'm in for 10 am Saturday