​Ah, Memorial Day! I have many wonderful memories of picnics by the pool or sailing with my family. For many of us, there is water involved. This long weekend before school is out serves as a reminder that more water fun and lazy days are coming our way. But before you grab your towel and head out to the pool, please remember to stay safe.
 
General Safety Tips:
Always have an understanding of the rules at each destination where you swim.
 
Always swim with a buddy. Whether you are young or old, a beginner or a competitive swimmer, never swim alone.
 
Always stay hydrated by drinking water or eating hydrating snacks (popsicles, watermelon or other fruit), especially when outdoors.
 
Always use sun protection: hats, clothing, and lotions which are SPF 15+.
 
No lifeguard on duty:
Hotel pools are the best example of “Swim at your own risk.” Parents are the lifeguards at these pools. Please teach children that they must wait for parent’s permission before entering the pool area and before they enter the water. Be aware of all children in the water. Be vigilant!
 
Lifeguard on duty:
Lifeguards are employed for safety. Parents should be present and keep an eye on children. With a lifeguard on duty, you don’t have to watch them like a hawk, but be present to help with understanding and following of rules.
 
Lake/Beach:
Always swim in the designated area. If the area is not defined, be cognizant of how far you venture out because it’s difficult to determine depth in murky water.
 
Remove any objects that are unsafe. Let a lifeguard know if there is a dangerous object in the water. (Jellyfish, broken glass, large branches)
 
Boating:
In states where no life jacket law is in place, the US Coast Guard mandates that anyone under the age of 13 years wear a life vest. So the best rule is this: Always wear a life jacket when you are boating!
 
I’ll see you in the water!

​

Currently on Go Comics:
 
Ellen has caught Kurt in the tour guide charade, and Arnold still knows nothing of it. I will be updating the cartoon three times a week throughout the month of June and then every Tuesday and Friday in July. This way will make the seasonal cartoons fall in the summer, and make it easier to juggle life between creating new material, drawing and inking current material, being in a show while still getting to work on time!
 
http://www.gocomics.com/suits-and-guarders
 
Cartoonist in a Show about Cartoon Characters:
 
I’ll be participating with a local community theatre’s production of “L’il Abner” this summer. I grew up in this community theatre doing summer musicals and playing rascally characters every chance I was given. Surprised? No, I didn’t think you would be. While I am unfamiliar with “L’il Abner,” I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to be in a musical about cartoon characters. I’ll also be making some cartoon looking animals to be used as small set pieces….Oh, and dodging girls in the Sadie Hawkins Day race. Yeah! I think I’ve got this!
 
Lifeguard Times:
 
I was given another opportunity to present four more cartoon strips for Lifeguard Times’ Online Jobs Fair. I look forward to more opportunities to work with Lifeguard Times in the future. The “Meet Liz” cartoons are a comical representation of a lifeguard’s first day on the job. Here is the link:
 
http://lifeguardtimes.boards.net/board/4/usa-lifeguard-jobs
 
Next week, I’ll be posting some safety tips for the summer as we all head out to the beach, lake, or outdoor pool. It’s always important to be on guard for others and yourself.

​Currently I am working on a group of cartoons for “Suits and Guarders” that involve high school swim teams. High school swimming is a definite season in city pool calendars as most high schools do not have a swimming pool on site. The season begins in late October and ends in early February. It’s a very short season, but one with unending humor, hormones and hectic situations.
 
Meanwhile on Go Comics, Arnold unknowingly believes all the sarcasm that Kurt is throwing at him. Will Ellen arrive in time to set things straight?
 
Here is the link to gocomics where you can find "Suits and Guarders" and many other great comics:
 
http://gocomics.com/suits-and-guarders

This is Ellen, the Aquatics Supervisor. In many ways, she is like a mom to all the lifeguards. She is the voice of reason and like a mother often keeps the lifeguards from doing unsafe things. 

When not drawing cartoons or lifeguarding “on the deck”, “in the pool” is the place where you will find me. Saturday, I spent the day in Greensboro, NC at the 2016 Spring Nationals for US Masters Swimming (USMS). The Greensboro Aquatic Center (GAC) consists of a diving well, warm-up pool and a 50-Meter Pool with a bulkhead that transforms it into two, 10 lane, 25-yard pools. This swim meet was an amazing experience for me, as I had not done any competitive swimming in a number of years.
 
In the wonderful world of USMS swimming, where you are always competing with your last best time, you can meet swimmers from all over the US, see swimmers break national records and even qualify for the Olympics, not to mention witness a standing ovation for a 90 year old man who can still hold his own in the pool.  He showed all of us young whipper-snappers what it’s really about--longevity.  
 
Overall, it was a great day and I felt really good about the events I swam and was kicking myself that I wasn’t able to participate more days. Since NC was the host for Nationals this year, everyone was treated to Stamey’s local barbeque and peach cobbler, so I guess I can say they treated us right! Yum! NC barbeque is just heavenly after a swim meet.
 
A shout out to my Durham Area Masters swim coach, Dennis McGraw and teammate, John Mitzak. And to all the timers, judges, organizers, volunteers, coaches and officials, thank you for the excellent job in making the swim meet run smoothly.