#47 Stars & Stripes and Friendship @ the Y

It was awesome and fitting that the Westport Family YMCA worked its way into the closing days of this journey.

This is the pool where roughly 13 years ago my passion for swimming and some would say swim fashion was rekindled. When we moved from Chicago to Westport I joined the Y and donned the classic Mark Spitz speedo for my first workout. The pic below is the modern version of the suit from Budgy Smuggler. A classic!

Little did I know that when I started swimming at the Y I would meet some guys (Andy, Mike, Mark, Paul, Clay, etc) that would become great friends and have such an impact on the way I start my mornings. Because of them I started actively swim as regular exercise in the pool, in the open water (Long Island Sound), to biking and to running. Eventually, it morphed into combining all three into triathlons of all distances. While triathlon doesn't play the role it once (replaced by swimming) did I learned from them; the importance of exercise, having fun, acting like boys, and most importantly building great guy friendships.

While it had been a good number of years since I had been at the Y it hadn't changed on the outside let alone on the inside. It seemed all the "regulars" from many years past were still showing up in the morning.

Not all the guys were there for our morning swim but Andy and I had a great swim in the very warm Y pool water. Good memories!

There were a lot of great things about living in Westport for five years but clearly one highlight was the friendships that were created at the Westport Family YMCA.  Pool #47 is a special pool.

#46 One Is Silver The Other Is Gold

Pool #46 at the Mercer Island Country Club was a small by product of an awesome few days with my college friends in Seattle.

After nearly 30 years of a long over due reunion we had a reunion of our Sigma Chi pledge class that coincided with our collective 50th birthday celebrations.  I flew to Seattle on Thursday and spent the night at the Seifert's and had a wonderful dinner and memorable visit with Anne, Matt and Katherine. Before dinner and I went to the club with Anne. She went to play tennis and I went for a swim. It was a 25 yard bubble pool (my third in the journey). Like all bubble pools at night the lighting was dim and the water seemed a bit warm. While I didn't swim particularly well or long (2000yds) it was good to get some exercise after a long day of travel. 

After seeing the Seif kids off to school and a catch up with Anne I went up to Shoreline for a short visit Bette Mae and Tom. They looked well and I heard the stories of their cross-country train trip. I was then off to quick lunch with Glen Biely (Sweet B). A short but sweet visit. 

Phew...by this time I was a bit pooped but after a short nap at the Residence Inn Lake Union I was ready to see "the guys".  While a small handful of our pledge class may catch up occasionally via phone, email or an occasional visit it had been a very, very  long time since we had gone to a Husky game and seen a majority of the class. In fact, in many cases we hadn't seen each other since we graduated 28 years ago.

We kicked off the night with drinks and apps at Cactus. It was such a blast laughing, hugging and telling stories and catching up. Unbelievable!

It's was then off at a much too late hour to Fado's and Irish bar near Pioneer Square where we proceeded to tell more stories of our glory days and our current lives. As the dj began to play 80's music the dance floor ended up being a bunch of 50 year old guys dancing with each other and requesting songs we use to dance with at exchanges. We closed the bar at 2:15. Very fun and funny!

Thankfully, the Husky game was a night game so we could sleep in and rebound. Eventually, we made it to Pagliaci's Pizza on The Ave for nourishment before we went to the Sigma Chi Annex for a party with the college kids and the off for a tour of the house. While we knew that a house with 80+ guys living in it can look a little rough. I am not sue we were prepared for how trashed it appeared. Better them living in it vs us.

It was then off to the game in the newly built stadium to watch the Huskies play Colorado. The stadium looked great and while not ideal, I guess appropriate for being back in Seattle-it rained throughout the game. Late in the third quarter when we established that it was going to be a blow out we left the game for the College Inn Pub. It was a muted celebration after the night before but a few pitchers of beer and some food capped the night well. Some of us went back to the hotel to watch tv and handful went out. 

It was one of the most fun weekends that I have had in a long time. As I sit here exhausted on the plane flying back to Boston I can't help but think of the old adage "make new friends but keep the old one is silver the other is gold!" Great times, great old friends and I know we won't wait another 30 years before we do this again.

#46 pool will be memorable for many other reasons than just another pool in the count down.