Monday, March 26, 2012
Kayaking LSU Lakes!
I've been biking around LSU lakes off and on for about 25 years. I often see people kayaking and thought to myself, "boy I would love to do that". My first time to kayak was in the Pacific Ocean in La Jolla, California at the age of 46. The entire story is published in my memoir, the whole story about me not wearing anything under my wetsuit because it made me look fat is pretty much the sum of that story. This story is again me, by myself, instead of the ocean, I am in a 4ft murky swampy lake. I was ridding my bike yesterday when I spotted the sign RIDE ME... As I got closer to the sign I realized it read RENT ME... I got off my bike to inquire about the Kayaks. $10.00 for 30 minutes I thought, that ain't bad and preceded to sign up my family for the following day on a Sunday. Well Sunday rolls around, nobody in my family is interested kayaking in a ft swampy lake, my husband is tall & thin and has never had to fight his weight like I have for over 28 years..... Two of my daughters are in college and doing there own thing and the two remaining daughters at home are pretty much doing there own thing too. I cannot lie, I love my FREEDDOM, I pushed those baby strollers long enough. I actually look forward to the TOTAL Empty Nest Syndrome.... Are you kidding me?... Not having to worry about chaufeuring, cooking, laundery that I kinda slacked off after having cancer in 2005, but when they all finally leave home, I won't feel guilty about NOT doing all of that anymore. So I head off to the LSU lakes in a breezy 74 degree weather. My bike is in the back of my Suburban which I hate to say I drive, but it is paid for and I can't afford another vehicle until I'm deceased. I gather all my things, IPOD, phone, camera, and water and I lock my Suburban with my keys still in the ignition. "Oh, Sh@#!!!", I said to myself, I'm not about to call home and say I locked my keys in the car. Thank God I left my sun roof barely opened. My Surburban was next to a railing that I climb onto, I then slivered up to the roof where I looked like Lucille Ball with my legs dangleling on the outside, my arms inside, trying to swipe and get my keys. I was 2 inches two short, but damn determinded to get those keys, and I GOT THEM! I then proceded to sign in for kayaking. What I like most about this adventure is I didn't have to wear a life jacket, I just had too have one stored in the kayak. They pushed me off and I started paddeling. I thought, "OMG this is so easy and fun". I paddle across the lake not really afraid until I got under the I 10 Interstate bridge where it was dark and loud from the sound of cars & trucks driving probably 60 mph on steel. I looked up, and I see something dangleing from the bridge. I don't know if it's part of the bridge that I am under, or what I find out later was a small EMPTY SUITCASE. I finally paddle away from the GHOST BRIDGE when it's time to turn around. Guess What?... Paddling was easy BECAUSE I WAS GOING WITH THE CURRENT. It never dawned on me that was why paddeling was so easy. Now I had to go agaisnt the current with a small breeze. I thought how am I going to get back within my one hour time limit? Will they come get me if I lost strength?.... All I could do what up the music on my IPOD and start a paddeling. It was like paddeling through MUD. I made it back with 10 minutes to spare, because I am one Crazy, Driven, Independent Kayaking MAD DOG!~~~~ The end.
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