Happy pool day in Adventures in paradise

I remember checking the weather forecast on Monday, to plan going to the pool on Thursday, as that day was forecast to be a beautiful day.
So that’s exactly what I did.

It’s been some time since I’d been to the Spring Hill pool, and it was a beautiful day for it. The weather guy got it right! Only a few wifts of cloud in the sky in the distance, but otherwise the sky was a beautiful blue. A light wind hit me on the walk there, but it actually felt really nice against me. The sun’s heat was already warming me up, and I hadn’t intended to apply sunscreen until I got to the pool, as I figured the walk there would be harmless, so the wind was doing a great job at cooling me down.

The pool had a few people there when I got there, so I just made myself comfortable on the concrete stairs and applied my sunscreen to myself, making sure to apply it to the spots that I clearly missed it two weeks ago on the Gold Coast, which was namely a spot on my neck and my belly button :) Got ya this time you bastards.

I soon moved from the concrete to one of the chairs. They used to have stretch lounges, but they’ve been replaced with these weird chairs that have a little bit of extra length on them, so I chose the end one that was free. I got out my book that I’d brought and began reading, soaking up the suns rays.

I’ve been trying to get rid of my Winter-whiteness for some time now. I figure there’s not much point in putting in this effort at the gym but still looking like an albino fox Alaskan fox. Which I do :P My Instagram photos are generally filtered to white-out how white I actually am, or feel like I am haha. Working nights and sleeping for a bit of the day will generally do that to you, so lately I’ve been wearing that gradual tanning cream after my showers and today I decided that I’d go and attempt the el-natural tan. Call it vanity. Call it keeping up with the gays. It is what it is :P

The book I’m reading is hilarious. It’s a book telling a story in two sections, 50 years apart from the same character, about what life was like back then, to what it is now, based on queer life in London. I often wonder if this is what it’s like for the people I currently know in London, such as my landlord and now my friend, Matt. It’s probably pretty close to it. Either way, I found myself laughing on every page. It’s starting to get a bit more serious now that I’m about half-way through. So I read a fair bit whilst at the pool today.

I had been reading for some-time when I realized. I didn’t apply any sunscreen to my face! I quickly threw down the book and applied some. I have so many assortments of sunscreens in my little duffle bag, including a face-one, which I’m sure is no different to the normal sunscreen but they jack up the price to sell it. Meh. I had it, I used it.
I think I got to it just in time though. My face doesn’t appear sunburned, nor does it feel it. It was a close call though I think. I could have been walking around in my own natural Halloween costume with the skin feeling off my face, had I kept on reading.

I kept reading for a while more, but the shade from the kiosk roof was creeping over my lounge gradually, so I ended up moving back to the concrete bleachers. It wasn’t so bad once I put my towel down underneath my ass, and I still had full access to the sun, even with the guard-rail there. The sun was high enough to get over it.

I was getting really warm after a while of sunbaking there, getting caught up in my book. There wasn’t really anyone that caught my eye at the pool. Just a couple of older guys, a hairy bear sunbaking flat-out on the concrete, his swimmers barely covering his junk. He got up and walked past me, the hair clearly visible on his back. Yuck. No thanks. I’m so thankful I’m naturally hairless, even at age 30. I have hair in the places it should be. No offence to anyone with back-hair reading this :P
There were a couple of women also.

I decided that since I was at the pool, I had to at least go in the water. I’d only brought cash with me, for the entry fee and maybe a drink if I needed one, so I didn’t really worry about security. The only thing people could make off with would be some sunscreen and my house keys, really.

I just leaped from the side of the pool into the water. I knew it would be amazing. It really was amazing. I swam to the end, then back to the other end. Then I walked back up the ramp out, and dried off a little before returning to reading.

See, if I worked a full-time job, I certainly probably wouldn’t be able to do things like this mid-week. My life really has been pretty sweet these past few years, so long as I remain sensible. I forced myself to put a measley $30 into my savings this week, even on a rent week. It’s not much, I know, but I figure it’s better than nothing. I’m not even being tempted this week by the ‘cash for christmas’ gift card that woolies is giving away over the next three weeks. They ask you to spent $150 every week for the next three weeks, which basically means you’ve spent $450 to gain a $45 gift card.
See, I usually do the $100 ones to gain a $30 gift card, but $150 a week is a bit much for me. It’s a bit out of my range too, really. I can usually spend under $100 a week on my groceries, depending on whether I need to buy phone credit or not.
Some would justify spending the amount, since you’re going to use the stuff you buy anyway, plus you’ll get a gift card for it.
I’m not sure it’s worth justifying this time around.
I am still keeping my eye out though. I would just hate to end up doing something I grow to hate. It’s one of my biggest fears. Not living, setting an alarm clock to wake to a sense of dread to be treated like garbage, to stress, to age ungracefully, paying 50% tax… and all just to try to own my own place one day. It’s seriously my only motivation. And one many people do.
I look at what I’ve got and where I am, and how happy I am. But I’m not fulfilled renting into my mid to late 30’s. In fact, I feel like it would become more difficult to, despite having an impressive rental history record. We live in an agist world sometimes, it seems. Only gotta look at the gay community. The young ones look at the old ones like lepers sometimes. It’s sad to see. We’ll all be like that one day.
I’m busting my arse in the gym trying to even out my 191cm frame and laying in the sun trying to get a normal skin tone to appear attractive to other attractive guys… and for what?
In an ideal world, I’d have a windfall. I think everyone thinks that. If I had money, I’d have everything. I could do anything, go anywhere.
Except a boyfriend of course. That’s a whoooooooole other kettle of fish haha.
I’m sure money would probably attract one of those as well though.
I wish people would give away their successful get-rich-quick schemes. Apparently they don’t exist. Shares and property are the way to go. Unfortunately with both of those, you need money to make money on them.
I remain positive though. I don’t think about money too often. It isn’t a big deal really.

I actually have a plan in place where I want to place small amounts of money into different areas. Like $40 a week (less on rent weeks when I don’t have enough) into a ‘leisure fund’ for outings with friends when they occur, $20 into a travel fund or something, so that it adds up you know. My Qantas Cash card is actually really cool because I can transfer money to it in a variety of currencies, so that long-planned trip to New Zealand could actually become a reality, even if I only save enough to go for a few days. I generally don’t earn much, but I don’t see how that means I can’t still be sensible with what I do have.

Anyway, I took a snappy at the pool haha. It didn’t turn out too bad I don’t think, especially for the front camera.

I leaped in the water again before I left. Ahhhh. I wanted to stay in the water forever. Unfortunately school was out and the squad training had started, so kids were piling in. I packed up my things and walked home, totally happy with how the day had turned out :)

Last updated October 23, 2014