Something different for a change

Saturday morning, 5:00 am, time to go for a usual run or ride.

Since I'm planning on a long ride tomorrow, the run looks like a winner, but actually I'm a bit bored with the weekend routine and chose to go for a paddle on my kayak in the mouth of the Tallebudgeera Creek instead. This had some potential fun built in, as you can battle the surf at the very entrance to the ocean. So off we went.

As I'm paddling towards the ocean I realise that the car keys I have with me will no doubt get wet and since they have an electronic chip in them these days, it would be better to leave them ashore. On the other side of the river I saw a blue plastic bag and decided to bury the keys (in a zip locked bag) next to it. The beach was totally empty, not a soul.

I'm back on the boat heading towards the ocean.

After battling the surf for a while the current was dragging the boat out too much and paddling in the river seemed like a better idea. As I paddled back to get the keys I saw a young couple laying a blanket down exactly where I thought I burried the keys! Naturally, as awkward as it was, I still needed the car keys so 5 min later we are all looking for the blue bag! It took half an hour at least of walking back and forth with no result and just when I was at the point of crying or praying, the girl announced she found a blue bag! She put her hand in it to get the keys only to discover that the bag had some old dog crap in it and nothing else... Obviousle she missed that part about the keys being burried NEXT to the bag, not IN it. Anyway, at that point I'm not looking so good in their eyes... On top of that she didn't realise that by moving the bag, the location of the keys was now really lost. Shit!

Now 3 of us are digging through the sand on our knees. I can't believe it. Another half an hour passes and finally a victory - the girl found the keys! Yipee. I bowed down, thanked them both and sat in the kayak again to quickly get the heck out of there and at least do some paddling up and down the creek. Having those keys in the bag felt really good now.

At the turning point up the creek I got a bit philosophical as I realised how different things look as you turn around. The wind feels different, the sun feels different, all the details look different. And you certainly may miss the blue bag that was so visible before.

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(Polish short version)

Sobota, 5:00 rano, czas sie przebiec albo przejechac na rowerze. Jutro dluga jazda rowerowa sie zapowiada i dlatego wole sie przebiec, ale tak szczerze mowioac to ostatnio te biegi robia sie monotonne i dla odmiany wole sie przeplynac na kajaku.

No to plyniemy. Tak sobie wiosluje w strone oceanu i pomyslalem ze te klucze do samochodu ktore mam w kieszeni na pewno beda mokre w tej slonej wodzie i trzeba by je schowac na plazy zanim mnie fale uderza. Zobaczylem jakas niebieska plastikowa torbe i zakopalem klucze obok nej.

Po paru minutach wojowania z falami zdecydowalem wrocic do rzeki bo prad mnie za bardzo znosil i zaczalem wypatrywac tej torby... Zauwazylem tez, ze jakas mloda para polozyla kocyk dokladnie gdzie te klucze powinny byc. Oczywiscie sytuacja zrobila sie bardzo niezreczna, ale klucze trzeba znalesc... Po 5 minutach ja z mloda para szukam tych cholernych kluczy. Minelo jakies pol godziny i dziewczyna znalazla torbe! Swietnie! Niestety po wlozeniu reki do niej (bo myslala ze tam sa klucze) okazalo sie ze w torbie bylo jakies stare psie gowno. W tym momencie, co bylo do przewidzenia, stracilem w ich oczach sporo punktow. Na dodatek jak wziela ta torbe to teraz tych kluczy naprawde nie znajdziemy, bo byly obok torby!!!

Przez nastepne pol godziny wszyscy jestesmy znowu na kolanach i kopiemy ten piach... Wreszcie dziewczyna znalazla klucze! Bogu dzieki, bo juz bylem bliski placzu albo modlitwy.

Wsiadlem na ten kajak i poplynalem w gore rzeki, gdzie po zawroceniu spostrzeglem ze wszystko wyglada inaczj jak zawrocimy. Brzeg, fale, wiatr, slonce. A na pewno mozna przegapic jakac niebieska torbe...