Polar Bear Swim 2009

Ever had that moment of enlightenment hit you when you see something and something in your mind clicks and you have that "Doh!" moment? It is kind of like when Helen Keller finally put together the meaning of the word with the word and finally was able to make meaning of the world. My "Ah," moment was when I saw this sign.



This sign also prepared you for the craziness that you were about to witness.


















My first clue that this was no ordinary event was when I first noticed that people were wearing funny hats.

The incomparable Sandy Feet created yet another beautiful masterpiece for this event.

Many people were there...

but not everyone was all there...

the scratching of the fake butt is my favorite photo

The founders got together for a photo.

in front of many, many, many participants.

I wanted to see what it would look like when these people first got into the freezing water.

Yet to get the picture, I had to stand in the cold water for 15 minutes in order to stake out a spot while they counted down.

The water was so cold my feet hurt, actually hurt from the coldness.

You had a right to be proud if you dipped yourself in that ice-cold water.

With this, we bid 2008 a fond farewell...


and hope that this new year full of hope and promise is YOUR BEST YEAR YET!