Snot that cold in the Bay

"You swim how long?" Anatoli, the old Russian man, asked me. He was sitting on the bench next to me, drying off. I was pulling on my wetsuit.

"Since I was small, maybe five or six," I said.

"Why you wear this?" he asked, pointing to my wetsuit.

"The water's too damn cold," I said.

"I teach you swim without," he said.

"No, thanks," I said, shaking my head. "I don't think I'm ready for that."

"Oh, but cold water so good for health," he said. There was a piece of snot hanging down past his chin. I looked away without making a face.

"Yeah, it's too cold for me," I said as he turned his back to me, plugged one nostril, and honked out his snot.

We chatted for a bit longer, and he told me he has always wanted to do the infamous Alcatraz crossing. I gave him the URL for the company that puts on some of the Alcatraz swims.

"Thank you so much," he gushed. "This has been a dream of mine for so many years."

"Good luck to you."