The First Stupid Thing of 2010

For the past five months or so, I’ve wanted to jump off of my co-workers roof and into her pool. The idea became public I believe on Labor Day of 2009, after an afternoon of drinking and an evening of driving around San Diego paying random, unannounced visits to people. For the record, no, I wasn’t driving. A little drunk, we showed up at Shari’s and were given a tour of the house. I saw the pool, saw the proximity to the roof, and immediately knew even in my drunken state that I could climb up on the roof, jump and land safely in the pool. For five months I was given every single piss poor excuse to not jump. You have to jump over the fence. You can’t stand on the patio covering. You won’t make it. The construction workers are working. I have a ladder you can jump off instead. My home owners insurance won’t cover you. Blah, blah, blah.

Then the El Nino rains arrived. A week of cold temps, heavy rains, thunder, lightning, flash flood warnings and high surf hit San Diego and most of California. Shari invites me over for s’mores. And I’m jumping. As it got later in the day, I was starting to think too much. I was mentally defeating myself before I had even begun. I started to feel cold, wondered about getting sick, and most of all driving in the bad weather. I put on my brand new L & L boardshorts that my sisters got me for Christmas. Those are so fucking sick! Stopped at Clem’s Bottle House and got myself a six pack and a beer and Michael some pond water and I was on my way.

Just before jump time we checked weatherbug and through the GPS reading the outside temperature was 47 degrees. The picture accompanying the weather was a cloud with a lightning bolt. Just before my arrival it poured rain and hail the size of marbles fell. There was thunder and lightning. As funny as the buildup was, even Shari tried to talk me out of jumping and told me not to do it.

Bringing back memories of being kicked out of Aquatics class in college by Dr. Silva, who was also my advisor and head of the PE department, here’s the video of my jump.