The Polar Bear Plunge 2009

I didn’t think it was going to happen this year for yours truly. After all, there is a member down from the EC-5, as well as, 2 out of 3 Chicks down with the sniffles. “It’s just not in the cards.” I told myself. “There’s always next year.”

Then I checked the SJG boards – then my watch – then the boards – then my watch – then I got a call. It was from Print Shop, friend, Geocacher and Mastermind of our Polar Bear Plunge expeditions. He was calling to ask how Mother Hen was doing. I told him that she was doing well and that she was sitting at the computer hacking away at some project. I asked how he was feeling. He told me that he was on the way to Sea Isle City to register. I asked him when the Polar Bear Plunge was going to happen. “2:00 PM”, he said. I wished him well, told him that I would tell Mother Hen that he said Hello, and that if anything changed on our status about NOT GOING that I would let him know.

There’s always next year.

I looked at my watch. I found myself pacing. I started walking back and forth and it didn’t take too long for Mother Hen to take notice.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“Huh?”

“You’re pacing.”

“Am I?”

“Yes. Knock it off.”

“Sure.” I said. On some level I guess I meant it but my feet did not get that message and soon I was walking the path between the kitchen and the dining room once more. We (as a team, the EC-5) had pulled out at the last minute due to certain circumstances beyond our control. We said that we would take the year off. Mother Hen was out and, as previously stated, 2 of the 3 Chicks were out due to having colds – that left yours truly stewing in his own juices; and friends, that’s a lot of juice.

“What do you want to do?” Mother Hen asked with a gleam in her eye [NOTE: not THAT gleam. Gentle Reader, I’m surprised at you]. She had the Polar Bear Plunge gleam in her eye.

“How about a day at the beach?”

And so it came to pass that Mother Hen and I traversed to Sea Isle City for the 2009 Polar Bear Plunge! We agreed that Mother Hen would not go in and that I would be the only plunger from the EC-5 this time out. She would photograph the event and be support on the beach for our peeps from South Jersey Geocaching. We text’d Print Shop so that he knew to look for us, met up with some of the finest people I’ve ever want to jump into freezing ocean water with and, as they say, the rest is history.

As I type this I’m unsure of all the stats but I’d say there was at least a million-bajillion people there. The outside temperature was in the mid forties and the ocean temp was about 38 degrees. This difference in temp was noticeable. Last year it was an even 38 degrees so you did not feel the difference in the temperature. This year you did. But that was all right, we had a BLAST.

Thank you to SJG Plungers. It is a JOY and an HONOR to share this particular bit of insanity with you. Mother Hen got some great shots, which will I’m sure be posted in the appropriate areas.

...And Doug is still THE MAN.