Insanity

Its insanity I tell ya.

Every year over a hundred zany people congregate together for the annual polar dip here in Sitka.

This year was no exception despite the ultra chilly air temperature of about 20 degrees Fahrenheit. Once you have charged full scale screaming intently into the sea you crawl dripping out of the salty bath and realize as your clothes first suction onto your drenched body, and then begin to freeze to your skin, that is when you think THIS IS INSANITY!!

Maybe staying in the water, a mere 37 degrees, is the better option. However waiting just up the boat ramp is Harry Race owners Dirk and Trish White have donated delicious hot chocolate to the event. They walk around with trays filled with the satisfying concoction handing them out to those who look in desperate need of some extra warmth and maybe even a smile or two.

As for myself I am a land lover. No dripping, cold, tough Alaskan rituals will do me justice, I find ways to prove myself in other (much drier)ways. This is my second year volunteering to help out with the hot chocolate. And that is where I belong, next to the chocolate. Yum.

And if that is not enough Sitka community hospital has set up a warming tent. Ahhhhh so much better! Now all of you silly people need to go home take a hot shower/tub and get some warm dry clothes!

But first dont forget to claim your complimentary Christmas ornament and most importantly your documentation signed and stated by a qualifying psychologist that you are certifiably insane. Not that you need any proof........ but really your mommy would love to hang something like that on that wall in the living room, remember Christmas is just around the corner.

Merry Christmas Everyone!!!