While at the shore, AJ and I went para sailing. Now, as is clear from my ramblings, I am a weenie. Dad teases me that it's analysis paralysis, P says others do the same thing and it's because she's so intelligent that she thinks through all the options and sometimes hesitates. Yep, works for me. I'm a weenie because I am just so very smart :)
But, we watched the boat go up and down the shoreline all week, everyone seemed in fine form, small children do it and really you just sit there, no skill involved so ok.
We get to the dock and sign all the release forms (which state that you understand you may come into contact with large sea life - that means SHARK) and the girl can see that we're freaking out ever so slightly so she tries to calm us by saying she was up with her three year old the day before. AJ asks about the relative safety of the whole thing and she's all 'well, it's like anything else, there is risk'. Way wrong answer, lady.
We get on the boat and head away from the harbor. We get sorted out to be the second group to go (yay! get it over with early but still have people to watch to see how they do it) and get our harnesses. As we're getting laced up, AJ asks the mate where the good dancing places are and he says he doesn't know because he's not 21 yet. Then he resumes flirting with the teenage girls flicking their hair in the group next to us. FOCUS ON THE OLD PEOPLE YOUNG ONE.
First group land and we shuffle up the boat and get clipped in. Now, when people carry their water bottles I see them using big, jumbo carabiner clips. The two clips holding me 600 feet above the water? Maybe one size above wee little baby. As the boat is speeding up and we're beginning to lift off the mate tosses off to hold on below the clips, and zoooom up we go. And AJ and I proceed to go bat shit crazy. We were kind of starting to calm into the hysteria/hysterical laughter portion when I look over and see her holding ONTO the clips and then I begin to shriek at her DON'T DO THAT, BELOW BELOW BELOW!!! Heart rates started to come down from 250 when they started shaking the cord on the boat 'just to say hi'. DO NOT TOUCH THE CORD FOR THE LOVE OF GOD. We had brought up a disposable camera with us and AJ had it in her life vest and pulled it out and was taking pictures and told me to take a picture of her and hand to God, I could not let go of the cord. I tried to take my hand off and forces beyond my control kept it clamped on. Not that my pitiful arm strength would have held me should the harness give way but some portion of my brain refused to listen to that. Plus my hands were shaking so much and were so slick with sweat that I would have dropped the camera into the ocean. So she's trying to take a self portrait of herself while I remain locked. After a few minutes I was looking at the straps and realize that there's no safety guard on the clips and I can push them in and out with my finger as one does when bored. This does not seem smart to me. I suppose body weight keep the harness from being anywhere near the clip opening but still. Then the boat turns and the straps and parachute make this thwacking noise and we both seize up and look at each other all didyoufeelthatomg But we got lowered and dipped out feet in (no sharks in sight yay!) and landed on deck with no problems.
Am such an adventurer!
(Course I was scoffing at myself the rest of the time as para sailing is about the babiest of water sports there is and I was telling people at work about it and A was all oh man, is so dangerous, people die all the time doing that. Good to know.)
It actually was kind of mellow up there if you can get over the fact that the harness is around your legs and waist so you are keenly aware the entire time that there is nothing beneath you. Thanks gravity!
Our adopted holy crap positions on the way up. AJ stick straight, legs locked in case she falls into the ocean, me coiled in the fetal position as if being 6 inches higher will somehow will the parachute to not deflate or blow out to sea.
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