Cleveland rendezvous, possible beer

This is what I know: Tall Paul and Cynthia both spend a lot of time in Arizona. Tall Paul and Cynthia had formative swimming experiences in Southern California. Tall Paul stopped posting as often when Cynthia got on the forum. Both Tall Paul and Cynthia are friendly, gregarious persons. Cynthia would really like to be like Paul, because he is *really* fast. Both Tall Paul and Cynthia make spelling mistakes. ;) OK, you all decide who is whos (whoms?) alias. (Cynthia - I am making a joke!)

Originally posted by Paul Smith Hey Gang, how was the turn out for the big beer event? Did most of the worlds (or swimmig worlds) problems get solved! By the way, I just spoke with a young lady who felt a little slighted that your big event was a bit sexist in that it everyone meet during the 400 free? ... Bill Volckening, Matt Shirley and Jim Matysek ducked it. In fairness to Jim, he did show up at the meeting place, but he had had to post daily results on the USMS web site, in addition to his swimming five individual events. Rich Abrahams -the sprinter- displayed an interest to see our faces when it was meeting time, at the end of the 50 meter free for both men and women, not at the end of the 400 meter free for men -which indeed would have been sexist, since the 400 meter free men was isolated early in the morning-. Karlene Trebesiner, Laura Val and Fritz Lehman -the backstroke star- did approach us in order to get to know us, during the meet. Laura Kessler was pleasantly interested to see us when we approached her. Now off to the doers: Ian Smith -a sprinter from Canada, originally from South Africa and with a Scottish background, who quit swimming at age 20, 41 years ago, then resumed swimming last year-, Jim Thornton -who swam competitively for Michigan for one year, got out of the Michigan swimming, but kept swimming-, Melissa Varlas -a 200 meter backstroker and butterflyer who is coaching kids-, Lorraine -Melissa's mother-, Diane -Ian's wife who "...must be obeyed."-, and myself -slowed down in the meet by a glitch in workouts a little before the meet-, we met. The meeting agenda included: 1. do I swim too much? Melissa -who said that she has slow twitch muscles like me (but look for her top times in the meet in women butterfly and backstroke)- says no; Ian and Jim -who have fast twitch muscles developed in age group swimming- say yes; 2. what can one do when dying in a race? Ian says, change the stroke style, therefore change the muscles being employed; 3. Jim and Ian say that when watching my 800 free, they see a catch up pause, like it is advocated in Total Immersion; I say that Grant Hackett (Aus) who has the world record for 1,500 free, and Ian Thorpe (Aus) who has world records in 200 and 400 free and is among world top in 100 free, swim like that; Ian said that my left arm is sometimes crossing the middle of my body; I have to watch this. 4. how come Diane is from Australia and not swimming? (good question). 5. Jim asks what made me choose swimming at age 25? I said that in France where I started, it seemd sexy in an Olympic club I was watching. 6. How much is Lorraine supervising Melissa? (good question). 6. Jim said that my thread from March 2001, 'How competitive one can get by starting to swim at age 25?' is great. 7. I say to Jim that his thread about asking people when they did experience an adrenaline rush, thread intended to inspire him for an article in National Geographic, was a good idea; I waited for someone to post in it, so that my imagination would get started. Recommendations: a. Jim to conect with us friends, so that life stress alleviates. b. Diane, to take up swimming. c. Melissa to keep overcoming slow twitch with distance training. d. Lorraine to keep supervising Melissa. e. me, to get a life. f. Ian, to slam less his fingers into the wall when finishing to sprint, otherwise injuries will keep piling; also, from now on, Ian is to swim more than 10 kilometers weekly. When leaving, Jim was being aggressively solicited for money by a local, and I made sure that Jim was not left alone one-on-one with him, thus I stood by. Originally posted by Paul Smith ... Sorry we couldn't make it, however Laura & I tossed back a few (with some pizza), debated whether Cynthia was one of Ion, Matt or Phils alias', and generally hammered on each other in recognition of these "first annual" forum get together! ... I see that Cynthia is herself, not somebody else: Cynthia's rankings in women ages 45 to 49, the experience in her postings, make Cynthia a distinguishable individual from anyone else. Also, when Cynthia writes "I get carried away and have fun with these posts too much.", people, be sensitive that this is an alarm that you are insulting the individuality of someone, for the second time now: tasteless posts in another thread wrongly made this claim for the first time, and it took painful rebuttal by Cynthia there.

I wish that I were Phil. He does an awesome butterfly at 1:04. If he were a woman, he would be the top butterfly over 40 years old, giving Pipes-Nelison a run for her money. Ion, I like his Popeye but he doesn't like breastroke. I'm really a fair breastroker at least for the 50 meter. You can look up that I swam 50 meter breastroke and 100 meter breastroke in the top times for women 45 to 49. Put the list for 100 women for both, I was listed at 24 for 50 meter and 44 for 100 meter breastroke. So, it proves that I exist. Matt, he could beat me a good distance in freestyle in the 200 meter, probably now by almost a minute. He and I like Hannibal and P Cornelius Scipio Afrancius. He is interested in them because he is in the military and I because I like Roman history. I get carried away and have fun with these posts too much.

It seems that much was resolved and unresolved in Cleveland. Wonder what Arizona and New Jersey will bring? By the way, will there be a quiz in 2003 concerning 2002's discussions? Just wonderin'. :D

Just referring to one of your favorite orators Mark, as Marcus Tullius Cicero stated in the 1st century before the common era. "O Morals and O the Times."

Hey Cynthia! Very true, true! Perhaps the battle/victory cry for the 2002 LC Nationals should have been Veni, Vidi, Vici as written by Caius Iulius Caesar? More useless Latin trivia: nato -are, to swim, float; to stream to flow natator -oris, m., swimmer natatio -onis, f., swimming Did you notice that the Latin word for swimmer is masculine gender? The Latin word for swimming is feminine gender. Now was there a little sexist attitude in Rome or did Roman men participate in a women's sport? :D (Yes, yes, I must have too much time on my hands to think of this.)

I pick up Million dollar Mermaid, one of the books about Esther Williams. Ion right it is an interesting book. But it seems Esther has it out for short men but some of the short men she met were jerks. Also, a little about the old Los Angeles Athletic club and her coach that prevented her from attending the PAN AM games in 1940. Los Angeles athletic club dominated LA swimming until the suburb clubs of the late 1960s like Lakewood and Long Beach and Mission Viejo in Orange County in the 1970's came about. Her disappointment about not going to the 1940 olympics similar to those in 1980. But there was better reason for not having an olympics in 1940- a war of course. Also, working with Johnny Weissmuller in the Aquacade, a swim show. Johnny Weissmuller like to expose himself to the ladies and show he was a man. He tried to grop Esther all the time in the water. And the old MGM movie factory system. That's where I'm at in the book now.

I had a good friend growing up who would always ask me if I had seen a certain movie or read a book. Then she would proceed to tell me the entire plot of either one, thus ruining my potential enjoyment of reading or seeing on the screen. I am not sure this is the best forum to give a book report, and I certainly don't appreciate being told the contents of a book that perhaps I would have enjoyed reading. Cinc, please keep your comments as to how you enjoyed the book (or didn't) and allow us to read on our own. Thank you.

Originally posted by IndyGirl ... ...would proceed to tell me the entire plot of either one, thus ruining my potential enjoyment of reading or seeing on the screen. ... It's bits of the book and an overview that are dicussed here, in line with debates.

Wonder if we are talking about two pools. From what I gathered, the pool of which I speak was an indoor movie set. So, we might be talking about two different facilities here or of course, the same thing. I trust that was a compliment to Carol Burnett! A mighty talented person she is, to be sure. Hooray for Hollywood!