New shoes

these are NOT new shoes

Finally, I understand.

A little voice inside my head, the rational bit, is nagging, saying I probably shouldn't feel so excited about it. But I've just bought myself a new Gul Code Zero drysuit. It's to replace the old Gill drysuit I bought at the Dinghy Show some eight or nine years ago and that served me well through many cold winters. But the Gill had started to weep through the back of the legs, and there is nothing worse than a drysuit that isn't dry.

In a few weeks time, weather and chance permitting, I'm sailing to Lundy Island with Steve, a friend from Lydney Yacht Club, aboard his sailing canoe "Green Bean". Big waves, not much more than a hands-breadth of freeboard, and a good day's sail there followed by a good day's sail back. I figured I'd welcome a drysuit I could trust.

I probably should've thought ahead and bought it six weeks ago; it would've made running the capsize drills during the sail training at Frampton decidedly more comfortable and less toe-numbingly cold. But never mind. I'm sure there'll be plenty of opportunities to put it to good use in the year to come.

In any case, although I'm not normally the type to get any kind of buzz out of shopping, I do feel inexplicably excited. I might even head down the lake for a sail tonight, just for an excuse to wear it.

I suppose it is the first time in a long time I've bought anything to wear for myself. I'm not normally trusted to dress myself, let alone shop unsupervised. That's my wife Nikki's department.

This must be how she feels when she's bought new shoes. Never could understand it. Until now.