SOL1: California Dreaming

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            This morning I lived out a fantasy of California life: a hot tub in the woods. Well, not actually in the woods. It was outdoors, surrounded by trees, bushes, yellow oxcalis rampant among the grasses.

            The air was cool, in the 50s, so I was a little nervous about taking off the robe over my retro ’50s swimsuit. You know how the water stings when you jump into a hot shower in a cold bathroom? That's how it was stepping into the hot tub, the sting, then the pleasant warmth spreading over my skin as I sank into the tub up to my neck. The sun was bright and I no longer felt cold.

            The hot tub belongs to my friend Heidi, who lives on a third of an acre sloping down to a lakeshore. The front of the house at street level is a second story at the back, where a porch overlooks the lake. From the porch we take a winding metal staircase down to the ground level, where the hot tub sits. Nearby is a tall magnolia tree, with a couple of pots of succulents hanging beneath the thick leaves. Over my shoulder is this view of the lake.

            We sit in the hot tub for 15-20 minutes and then, went down to the “bunk house” to take a shower. (We’re temporarily out of hot water in the house.) You can see the roof of the bunk house through the railing from the porch here.

I had thought that taking a shower “outside” would be too cold, but after the hot tub, it was perfect. My California dream.

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 It's March 1 and the beginning of the 2017 Slice of Life writing challenge, in which those of us crazy enough to do this write a slice of life story every day this March. It's also the 10th anniversary for this Daily Slice of Life Writing Challenge. It's my third year attempting this, and sometimes I've even succeeded. More than 350 are starting out this year and you can click over here to check out some of their stories.