The Happy Thread!

[Mermaid Alea]

I know I rarely post anything here, am more of a lurker, but I thought I should probably share this, I've been taking weekly swimming lessons since early January. Despite the timing this wasn't a new year resolution thing, was just how things worked out. I couldn't swim at all but had no fear of the water, way back in the day when I went on holiday with the parents I'd happily walk out into the sea until I was almost neck deep, seems stupid now but when you are a kid you feel almost indestructible right? So why did I never learn? Well never could find the incentive and my friends were more into gaming than going to the pool so I never saw the point. Fast forward a few decades and I find this community which I almost instantly fell in love with, and that's when I realised, if I'm to at least try swimming like a mer, I need to be able to swim as a human. So that's how I ended up taking these lessons, and how are they going? Rather well to be honest. I'm at the point where I do better without a float as I find it gets in the way. I'm definitely the fastest of the group and can do the entire length of the beginners pool (13 meters) on one breath. Began backstroke without floats at the end of the last lesson and again outpaced everyone else. However there is one thing I do need to work on, and it is a big one, breathing. Really having trouble synchronising everything when swimming face down, I get what I have to do, it's just doing it without becoming a unsynchronised mess. Pretty sure this is one of those things I'll suddenly get and everything will click into place. So am I liking being in the water, hell yeah, for now I want to get good enough to go goof about in the deep end of the main pool. Will I end up confident enough to try a mer tail, who knows, time will tell I guess. But for now, I probably wouldn't be at this point if I hadn't found this wonderful community.


*returns to lurking in the murky depths*

That is great news! I am glad it is going well for you! I am sure it helps to have a goal to work to such as being able to swim in a tail. That certainly would be a big incentive for me if I didn't know how to swim. I hope you can also find someone to swim with you. I love my friends, but mine are also gamers so it is hard convincing someone to swim with me.
------------
I am really happy because my boyfriend is going to take me swimming somewhere for Valentine's Day! My boyfriend has told me he supports me being a mermaid, but he isn't all that big on swimming, which is a problem for me because he is my best friend and really the only person I hang with, so I really want him to swim with me because I don't really have anyone else to swim with. All winter I keep telling him how badly I wanted to go swimming with him and now he is going to take me swimming! Yay! He told me to bring sunscreen so I am wondering if we are going to the beach. I really hope so.

[Mermaid Momo]

I just found out there's mermaids at the Arizona Renaissance Festival now. Is it anyone here? Because I'M COMING TO SEE YOU TOMORROW!

nope not anyone here, they're just hired actresses sadly

[LouLouBelle]

I know I rarely post anything here, am more of a lurker, but I thought I should probably share this, I've been taking weekly swimming lessons since early January. Despite the timing this wasn't a new year resolution thing, was just how things worked out. I couldn't swim at all but had no fear of the water, way back in the day when I went on holiday with the parents I'd happily walk out into the sea until I was almost neck deep, seems stupid now but when you are a kid you feel almost indestructible right? So why did I never learn? Well never could find the incentive and my friends were more into gaming than going to the pool so I never saw the point. Fast forward a few decades and I find this community which I almost instantly fell in love with, and that's when I realised, if I'm to at least try swimming like a mer, I need to be able to swim as a human. So that's how I ended up taking these lessons, and how are they going? Rather well to be honest. I'm at the point where I do better without a float as I find it gets in the way. I'm definitely the fastest of the group and can do the entire length of the beginners pool (13 meters) on one breath. Began backstroke without floats at the end of the last lesson and again outpaced everyone else. However there is one thing I do need to work on, and it is a big one, breathing. Really having trouble synchronising everything when swimming face down, I get what I have to do, it's just doing it without becoming a unsynchronised mess. Pretty sure this is one of those things I'll suddenly get and everything will click into place. So am I liking being in the water, hell yeah, for now I want to get good enough to go goof about in the deep end of the main pool. Will I end up confident enough to try a mer tail, who knows, time will tell I guess. But for now, I probably wouldn't be at this point if I hadn't found this wonderful community.


*returns to lurking in the murky depths*

I was in a similar sort of place around October last year. Admittedly I could swim, but I wasn't very confident and was convinced I'd never be able to float or tread water. I was fed up of not having the confidence to get into the sea on holiday (when you go on a boat trip and they stop to let you swim) and so decided to take lessons. I came across mermaiding around the same time and that was all the motivation I needed! I'm also slowly working on a silicone tail which is giving me the motivation to keep going.

Breathing can take a bit of time but you'll get there. I was really good at inhaling water when I started learning bilateral breathing with the front crawl... I still struggle there a bit, but it's definitely getting better!

I had my first swim in a mermaid tail yesterday, and it was also my first time in a diving pool. It was sooooooo amazing! If I've leaned one thing, it's that I'm VERY very floaty! I found it nearly impossible to sink at all! Seems stupid that I used to be convinced I'd never be able float...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Merman Storm]

The grand-kids came over and we went swimming!

[Sabrina the Selkie]

Cute!!

[Vrindavana Starfish]

nope not anyone here, they're just hired actresses sadly

Really? Well, they were very sweet. And I saw the FinFolks leafy sea-dragon and the new rainbow tail! I'll post a picture later. There mer in the tank wasn't just an actress, I don't believe.

* Update picture

[Kait]

Really? Well, they were very sweet. And I saw the FinFolks leafy sea-dragon and the new rainbow tail! I'll post a picture later. There mer in the tank wasn't just an actress, I don't believe.

* Update picture

This tail alone makes me happy, its so cute to look at!!

[LouLouBelle]

I saw that tail on their Instagram. It looks even more amazing in that photo! I really love the colours - very tropical!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Little_Orca]

I have a few reasons to be happy.

1- Markiplier has posted a video (well shared one) about the content issues with YouTube, similar to what Iona was dealing with and he is trying to assist in raising awareness of the issue to help it get fixed. With over 11 million subscribers to his channel, I am sure he will help in some way and hopefully that helps Iona and the rest of us, too.

2- I have started to develop my own mermaid crochet doll based on things that I wish the patterns for the dolls I already make had or attributes that I think would have worked better. So far, I have a fluke and part of a tail and it's going great. When I have the pattern written, polished, and a PDF put together of it, I,m going to start selling them on my Etsy.

3- I have been talking about how I needed to get a laptop so that I could work on my design work away from home and to have a computer on the go in general when I need it. My fiance found one that runs all my adobe software wonderfully for a steal at $206! This is after employee discount (since we got it at his store) and the current tech coupon they had out. I'm on it now. It's a lovely Asus.

[Vrindavana Starfish]

I saw that tail on their Instagram. It looks even more amazing in that photo! I really love the colours - very tropical!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yes. It photographs beautifully, as you can tell. This is the first time I'd actually seen a silicone tail in person, and the fact that it was a FinFolks was really cool! I was very, very impressed.

I have a few reasons to be happy.

1- Markiplier has posted a video (well shared one) about the content issues with YouTube, similar to what Iona was dealing with and he is trying to assist in raising awareness of the issue to help it get fixed. With over 11 million subscribers to his channel, I am sure he will help in some way and hopefully that helps Iona and the rest of us, too.

2- I have started to develop my own mermaid crochet doll based on things that I wish the patterns for the dolls I already make had or attributes that I think would have worked better. So far, I have a fluke and part of a tail and it's going great. When I have the pattern written, polished, and a PDF put together of it, I,m going to start selling them on my Etsy.

3- I have been talking about how I needed to get a laptop so that I could work on my design work away from home and to have a computer on the go in general when I need it. My fiance found one that runs all my adobe software wonderfully for a steal at $206! This is after employee discount (since we got it at his store) and the current tech coupon they had out. I'm on it now. It's a lovely Asus.

Yay new computers! And I'll be buying that pattern when you put it up!

[LouLouBelle]

Eeepp!! I had my 3rd monofin swim tonight - and couldn't believe the difference since last time! I know it seems obvious, but it really does get easier with practice! I so can't wait to be able to swim in my tail again!!! (I'm all hyper and excited... and knackered... think I should probably go to bed!)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Little_Orca]

Yay new computers! And I'll be buying that pattern when you put it up!

Enjoy a sneak peek! I am also working on patterns for different types of tails and a merman as well.

[Imogen Finnly]

My tail is being shipped as we speak! Yay!

Sent from my SM-N920P using Tapatalk

[Little_Orca]

Congrats!

[Vrindavana Starfish]

Enjoy a sneak peek! I am also working on patterns for different types of tails and a merman as well.

I love it.

[Sabrina the Selkie]

One of my high school's clubs decided to do an evening in the climbing gym for club bonding.

I'm in my schools advanced climbing class, so I was there to help the teachers troubleshoot. I spent two hours manning a platform 25 feet up in the air.

It was absolutely fantastic. I got so much more comfortable.

[Calizaire]

Had a hard day at work and was tempted to put this in the "Bitch it Out" thread, but for the sake of the positivism I'd *like* to feel about this situation I'll put it here.
The cliff notes; I'm a Counselor for International students at a University. Didn't even get to my office this morning before finding out a student of mine was a suicide risk and could not be found, (someone ran out to the parking garage to tell me when I arrived).
MANY hours of stress and worry and some disagreement with other administrators ensued.
The "HAPPY"? I found her! She is getting help and although angry with me, she is SAFE. So I consider this one a happy ending. Focusing on the happy.
*Letting out very deep breath I held all day*

[Sabrina the Selkie]

That's good, Calizaire! I'm glad she was found and is getting help.

[MermaidBrandie]

so I'm in Colorado at the Stanley hotel and room number 420's sign has been stolen. it's gone. it's just written on the wall

That sounds about normal for here haha.

The 420 road marker had to be switched to 419.1 or something because it was constantly getting stolen

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I537 using Tapatalk

[MermaidBrandie]

Really? Well, they were very sweet. And I saw the FinFolks leafy sea-dragon and the new rainbow tail! I'll post a picture later. There mer in the tank wasn't just an actress, I don't believe.

* Update picture

Holy shit that tail is amazing

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I537 using Tapatalk