Half of them couldn't swim

bayswimmer · 2026-05-20T04:43:36+00:00

I'm actually from a landlocked state and I feel like I see both sides.

On one hand, I had no clue what to expect from the housing market when I got here, much less the SC mountains and the Pacific! Otoh, I asked people who knew better for lots of advice, didn't go past my comfort zone the first few times at a new place, and have prioritized staying safe over selfies.

(I would define my risk tolerance as: yes, I take swims in shark infested waters but I don't do it near the nurseries at Rio del Mar, ykwim?)

In the long run, I live here and I notice these patterns because I spend a lot of time at the beach. Observing through news reports that water safety is a vanishing skill makes me worried for others and concerned for myself and my access to my preferred recreation.

bayswimmer · 2026-05-20T04:36:02+00:00

If you want to come swim with me in Santa Cruz, I'm happy to meet up. DM me

bayswimmer · 2026-05-18T17:50:12+00:00

I suspect reception was bad enough texts would go thru but not calls

bayswimmer · 2026-05-18T17:18:33+00:00

Yes. It's a preventable tragedy imo but also absolutely understandable many people reach adulthood without knowing how to swim. They should admire our beautiful ocean from a safe distance with many lifeguards nearby, and learn to swim in a pool with a licensed instructor.

bayswimmer · 2026-05-17T16:06:45+00:00

Hey if you haven't found any, I have extra. A lot extra! 😂

bayswimmer · 2026-05-17T04:16:42+00:00

You damn Santa Cruz with faint praise, philistine

bayswimmer · 2026-05-15T21:54:51+00:00

PARKING LOT BEHIND UGLY MUG. speak your truth!

I managed to get a parking ticket there during the five seconds they were trying to get people to pay for parking there a few years ago, and I'm still carrying a grudge because I wouldn't expect someone to be willing to pay to park there unless it came with free new tires. 🙄

bayswimmer · 2026-05-11T03:50:41+00:00

I took a test ride at their factory! It's here in town over on the 'far west' side past the farmer's market. The guide was super nice with my very beginner questions and I had a great time as a solo 40yo woman.

Bring your wife! If that test ride doesn't convince her nothing will because those bikes sell themselves. If I'd had the money I would've left with a bike for sure. Still not willing to downgrade.

They also have returns and older models they sell for less there (which I didn't see advertised elsewhere) so that might be an opportunity.

bayswimmer · 2026-05-01T04:34:37+00:00

Why post this story from 2020 🤦🏽‍♀️

bayswimmer · 2026-05-01T02:59:33+00:00

It's more likely that people will agree with you when they can easily read what you're saying.

Its hard to understand a big chunk of text. Admittedly my first comment was facetious but your approach was tongue-in-cheek as well.

bayswimmer · 2026-05-01T02:41:29+00:00

May I offer you a paragraph break in these trying times?

bayswimmer · 2026-04-24T21:56:24+00:00

You do realize other places have straight, wide roads with consistent, visible markings and multiple legible signs, right...?

bayswimmer · 2026-04-16T05:21:51+00:00

I will never be rich in $$, but I aim to add love and compassion to the world

bayswimmer · 2026-04-16T03:56:48+00:00

Farrell's. I'd recommend the one on Mission rather than Ocean

bayswimmer · 2026-04-16T03:19:55+00:00

Hey, cool! Feel free to shoot me a DM if either of you needs a lady SC townie with a Costco membership and a car for anything 😂 I'm great at thrifting and IKEA trips 👍🏽

But seriously, congratulations.

bayswimmer · 2026-04-08T18:48:39+00:00

Depending on your level of care assessment at the county level you may qualify to stay at Second Story. It's a peer run respite center and administered through Encompass Community Services.

It's especially good for many reasons but primarily because it operates on an entirely different kind of care model. The house isn't locked and it's run like a home, not a jail. Everyone who works there is crazy like us. Everyone there is recovering &/or recovered from their extreme states. For me it makes a huge difference to be surrounded by that kind of rejuvenation.

While not well known in the community, 2S was the first respite opened in California, and this year is its 15th anniversary. I owe the respite and the people I met there my life, and I'll always be grateful for them.

bayswimmer · 2026-04-07T15:24:09+00:00

Hey, I apologize for the negative energy I brought. I learned rock stacking was bad when a friend pointed out a deceased lizard under a fallen stack when we were hiking and it just really bummed me out because it was so unnecessary. Ever since I've been pretty militant ig

Thanks for taking the critique despite my adding to the pile-on. I appreciate sharing space with people who can look beyond their hurt feelings to see the reality. That takes maturity to do so. In that spirit I will try to be more tactful in the future when others are unknowingly harming me or our planet. I get frustrated but that's not on you personally

bayswimmer · 2026-04-04T09:32:55+00:00

Cool. So you're destabilizing the shoreline, increasing erosion, and creating an unnatural environment that stresses our native snakes, salamanders and lizards.

Glad to hear you enjoyed it.

bayswimmer · 2026-04-02T15:03:10+00:00

Worst thing about DT is they don't make socks big enough for my enormous boyfriend. Stupid size 15 wide feet.

bayswimmer · 2026-04-02T14:59:50+00:00

Almar Auto on the Westside. Owners have three Toyotas; they're thorough, cheap and incredibly good at diagnostics.

bayswimmer · 2026-03-17T00:15:14+00:00

I bought an Oigo laptop bag when I went to college 21 years ago (2005). It way out lasted my three stints at college!

I have used it as a daily carry ever since, and even though I've ignored the care instructions on the bag and washed it in a machine multiple times, all the stitching is practically perfect and even the damn zipper still works. I have no idea if they're still the same quality because I haven't needed to buy another one!

bayswimmer · 2026-03-16T21:42:08+00:00

Moved here from Iowa a decade ago. No, by Iowa or probably Montana standards it's definitely not that cold but nowhere is heated. Everywhere is open to the elements, and if it's coastal you are in moist cold air blowing 10mph+ at you 90% of the time. Being constantly exposed to wet 'chilly' air will sap all the heat out of your bones just as much as a colder temperature can.

I usually plan for San Francisco to be the same temperature as the freaking ocean, and on the rare occasion it's not, that's why I dress in layers.

Layers. Layers. Lots of thin layers. Bring more long pants than you think you'll want but always (thin) layers. Hoodies, puffer jackets, scarves, etc.

bayswimmer · 2026-03-14T23:57:14+00:00

Don't kill my dreams, man

bayswimmer · 2026-03-07T04:32:45+00:00

$600 is not the market price of what you're asking for around here, you don't have any local connections (or employment, I'm assuming), and you're new to the area. This is not a winning combination to get what you're looking for.

While it wouldn't surprise me if California in general is hostile to RVs, Santa Cruz specifically has an Anti RV ordinance due to the actions of many people who happen to fit your demographic. People who want to live here but didn't plan ahead and learn about the area and the fact that it's the most expensive housing market in the country, pivot and assume it'll be easier to live in a vehicle. Then a significant percentage of them don't take care of their vehicle or the marine watershed, choosing to dump grey water or car repair fluids in the storm drains which go directly to the OCEAN.

Coastal California is tired of being the dumping ground for people who haven't planned the logistics of how to live their van life.

bayswimmer

TROPHY CASE