My brother and his wife have been visiting us for the past few days and despite the shitty weather, we've had a great time. Thanks to a borrowed TV and a half enclosed back porch we've been able to entertain ourselves and stay dry when dryness was preferred. In between downpours we've strolled La Quinta for gelato, discovered the next big Skynard cover band, and took a tour of the ancient Maya ruins at Coba. We even had to pleasure of meeting some of Quintana Roo's finest when they searched our car at a roadblock out in the middle of the jungle. I've enjoyed being able to bust out new personal commentary material as family are typically some of the only people on the planet who are able to understand that shit.
In all the time we've spent in the Yucatan I've never seen more than 2 or 3 hours of continual rain at one time. Until the past 4 days, that is, as it feels like we've been transported to England on a wet spring day. Christmas on the beach doing beach stuff became Christmas in the apartment with UNO. Some alliances were maintained and others were born. Much shit was talked and many laughs were had. Jess, my wife and almost supernatural representative of all things calm, cool, and collected, now wishes to be referred to as Flash the UNO ninja and won't hesitate to throw a reverse or a +4 new color card on anyone who gets in her way of game domination.
Fast forward to New Years Day. Feliz Anos, 2023!
I've been planning this day since the end of 2019 but if I'm being honest, I don't know exactly what I was doing on New Years Day 2020. I know I was at home in Wisconsin with my wife and not nursing a holiday hangover for the first time since high school but I'm not sure what we did. I imagine there was some laughing about the lack of a headache along with hopeful planning for the year ahead and most likely there were pancakes.
This year, this morning, I woke up just after sunrise to the sounds of parties still partying down the street and all across the neighborhood. But they weren't the drunken revelry kinds of parties that so often go along with New Years, they were the more tranquil kind; friends hanging out with friends and making the most of the time they've been given. Or so it seemed, though I know, judging by the mezcal bottles everywhere, it was a multi-sided night of partying. I walked through downtown to the beach where I had to maneuver around groups still howling at the moon and a few who had howled too hard. I met with a group of folks who had made different choices last night and this morning and together we took turns sitting in tubs of ice water measuring about 3 degrees celsius.
This was my 4th cold bath and I managed to get my hands in for about half of my time in the ice. It's getting better and my focus is starting to come into focus. The water is beginning to hurt in a more manageable way and my breath is becoming steady and easier to take. For 3 1/2 minutes I have one sole purpose: to get through 3 1/2 minutes submerged in almost freezing water.
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| I didn't have a photo of me in the ice, so here's one of Jess. She makes it look easy |
