The continuation...

We weren't glued together at the hips the entire time. For example, on Saturday I drove over to Rogue Brewing Company on the south side of Newport. I wanted to see if they were having a tour. Sadly, they weren't, but they were having a sale on over-stocked beer (I didn't buy any). It's a pretty large brewery, installed in a giant warehouse on the wharf. There's a sort of labrynthine passageway leading upstairs to the brewpub and restaurant. Since I was there, I had to sit down for a taste of a few of their beers. I ordered a sampler tray of four 4-ounce beers each slightly more dark, bitter, and strong than the other. Rogue is known for their highly hoppy beers, so by the end of that tray, my mouth was quite puckered.

Another thing I did on my own, though I had an audience, was to revitalize my impromptu membership in the Polar Bear Club (i.e.- people who jump into really cold water just to say they did it). It all started when Kristen and I were walking on the beach one afternoon. Looking out at the coldwater, I said, "Tomorrow morning, I think I'm going to jump in." After we got back to the condo and Kristen mentioned this, they convinced me to do it right away so as to provide some "birthday celebration entertainment" for Jenna. So, I did. We all walked back down to the beach. I was carrying a towel, they were carrying cameras. After standing at the edge of the water for about 5 minutes (to get in the zone), I took off my fleece and sprinted into the water. When I got out far enough, I dove under. I should have stayed down for at least 10 seconds, but I jumped back out as quickly as I had gone in. After being dunked in 35 deg F (or less) water, the wind seemed like a balmy island breeze.

At this point, I'd like to take the time to announce a tradition that I hope to uphold for the rest of my life: To keep my membership in the Polar Bear Club current, I will take a dip anytime I am staying near a body of famously cold water. The rules are simple, I must do it without a wet-suit and I must stay in the water for at least 10 seconds. Preferrably, someone will photograph or videotape the event.

This evening, Kristen will finish telling the tale of our vacation at the coast.

--RP--