Haven't had time to blog much this rainy summer. I am now on a real schedule,working regular days. It's much kinder to me in terms of energy. My commute is short and relatively pleasant and I am still deriving new shortcuts. I do so love a shortcut. My latest circumvents the local school system completely and hopefully will minimize crawling behind a bus. The main one involves driving past two ponds rather than a main road. No brainer.
The negative side is the total lack of organization, demanding and unrealistic customers and major personnel problems at this workplace. I like the group as individuals, but I cannot abide the DRAMA. A few of them can't help it, the drama imposes itself on their lives but the rest aspire to create it. I have spent a lot of energy imposing order, logic and routine into the environment. Yeah that's right-me, the Queen of Chaos, wielding order. Lots of effort but seeing results already. Lots of OT, due to a building remodel. I have banked enough time for a short vacation for the upcoming wedding and racked up some nice extrabucks.
The ability to keep to a schedule, and the need to unwind mindlessly has led to two new hobbies; television watching and jewelry making. The increase in income has enabled me to upgrade my cable. It helped that I got a flat screen in a flurry of mass consumption and had tech help to get it going. Now I have bright and clear picture coupled with a gazillion channels and for the first time, there is always something on. I am discovering indie channels, nat geo, history, sundance and HBO. No more HGTV most evenings. I started keeping a record of movies I watched. I still watch very little mainstream tv, but there's a whole new world out there.
The jewelry thing is going astoundingly well. I have made some really incredible pieces. It's a bit amusing the types of stone I have affinity for and keep gravitating towards. I have a good eye, and have been able to afford to indulge in good materials. For the first time in my life, I am letting myself spend some money to have fun. I don't drink, I don't go out much, I don't buy a lot of stuff for myself, so I indulge a bit on my hobby. It's working for me.
Fall is shaping up to be an incredibly busy time, so I am enjoying the every end of summer. It rained so much I never minded working a lot, but I did get to the beach once. I didn't get much down time, but then, when do I ever?
Showing posts with label beach. Show all posts
Showing posts with label beach. Show all posts
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Monday, May 28, 2007
Perfect Beach Day
Friday I had a dentist appointment, so I arranged that I would not work (I had done four longer days instead of 5 regular days). I had my apointment, did a few errands, walked 2.5 miles, then after I got home, I totally crashed and needed a nap. My sister called and my daughter answered. "Beach?" she asked me.
For the past four years, it has been August before I got to the beach. Having grown up on Carson Beach, I had to pretend it was not summer just to survive this emotionally. The entire time I was in school, one weekend at the Cape was the extent of my relationship with the sea. Now I am done. I had a lot of plans for the weekend (had to work the Monday holiday)- cleaning the house, some computer work, organizing notes for my board exam. Split second decision: "Beach". Hawaii Girl seconded the motion.
We got up at 5:30 am and made a quick lunch. Out the door at 6:09 and off to Arlington to meet my sis and hub. There by 7:10; load the car/lunch/sleepy selves with coffee into her Avalon for the ride to Parker River wildllife refuge. The piping plover is currently nesting so only two lots are open: we chose the first (a first for me) and parked. Hauled out chairs, cooler, beach bags; hiked the boardwalk to the sea. Staked out turf. Eight am tide; 78 degrees & not a cloud in the sky. We walked a long way up the island as per our early morning ritual, then back to the beach chairs to read, chat, snooze as we so desired. The water was about 55 degrees so out futile attempts at swimming died with the lack of circulation above our ankles. The sun was hot and renewing; the breeze steady and cool. I found my first sea glass of the season within ten minutes of getting there: Kate found the first sand dollar.
The entire time my kids were young, we performed this ritual many times in the course of the summer. Some of our rituals have become memories: the annual huge sandcastle and the ritual burying of Ted in the sand replete with large clamshell-adorned gynecomastia. Now my kids are in their twenties and content to sit and read the sports page or just veg. Fine by me.
This was a perfect beach day- we did all our usual activities, people-watched (the guy in the thong was interesting in an icky way, as the college kids behind us observed) and read. Sometimes we chatted and sometimes we didn't. Sometimes I lay on the towel and sometimes I sat alone with my feet in a puddle of cool sea water. All in all, it was restful and renewing, and exactly what I needed. I did not get sunburnt or bitten by sandfleas or greenhead flies. I did get good color and my hair smelled salty. I did get a sliver in my foot which Sue removed. We did sit on Sue's beautiful Victorian porch with the great breeze and crackers and cheese. And when we got home we hosed the salt off, ate well and slept so deeply.
All of this is my criteria for a perfect beach day.
For the past four years, it has been August before I got to the beach. Having grown up on Carson Beach, I had to pretend it was not summer just to survive this emotionally. The entire time I was in school, one weekend at the Cape was the extent of my relationship with the sea. Now I am done. I had a lot of plans for the weekend (had to work the Monday holiday)- cleaning the house, some computer work, organizing notes for my board exam. Split second decision: "Beach". Hawaii Girl seconded the motion.
We got up at 5:30 am and made a quick lunch. Out the door at 6:09 and off to Arlington to meet my sis and hub. There by 7:10; load the car/lunch/sleepy selves with coffee into her Avalon for the ride to Parker River wildllife refuge. The piping plover is currently nesting so only two lots are open: we chose the first (a first for me) and parked. Hauled out chairs, cooler, beach bags; hiked the boardwalk to the sea. Staked out turf. Eight am tide; 78 degrees & not a cloud in the sky. We walked a long way up the island as per our early morning ritual, then back to the beach chairs to read, chat, snooze as we so desired. The water was about 55 degrees so out futile attempts at swimming died with the lack of circulation above our ankles. The sun was hot and renewing; the breeze steady and cool. I found my first sea glass of the season within ten minutes of getting there: Kate found the first sand dollar.
The entire time my kids were young, we performed this ritual many times in the course of the summer. Some of our rituals have become memories: the annual huge sandcastle and the ritual burying of Ted in the sand replete with large clamshell-adorned gynecomastia. Now my kids are in their twenties and content to sit and read the sports page or just veg. Fine by me.
This was a perfect beach day- we did all our usual activities, people-watched (the guy in the thong was interesting in an icky way, as the college kids behind us observed) and read. Sometimes we chatted and sometimes we didn't. Sometimes I lay on the towel and sometimes I sat alone with my feet in a puddle of cool sea water. All in all, it was restful and renewing, and exactly what I needed. I did not get sunburnt or bitten by sandfleas or greenhead flies. I did get good color and my hair smelled salty. I did get a sliver in my foot which Sue removed. We did sit on Sue's beautiful Victorian porch with the great breeze and crackers and cheese. And when we got home we hosed the salt off, ate well and slept so deeply.
All of this is my criteria for a perfect beach day.
Saturday, August 19, 2006
Spouting, Seals and Three Perfect Beach Days
Three beauties in a row! What more can a vacationer ask for? All with temps about 78 degrees F, water temp of 63-65F and mild ocean breezes. Day one and two- not a cloud above us, but we could see clouds over Boston on the horizon from the beach. Day 3 was hazy but sun broke thru continuously, and Mother Nature put on a show.
We happened to be on the Cape. I would never recommend it as a vacation place- it's way too far , there's no garbage pickup, the water pressure sucks and it's way too expensive. Sand in the bathing suit sucks, and all you can eat is fish. We call it Fifi-land for reasons I shall not disclose. Go somewhere else. Really. I hear California is nice. Disney gets good reviews.
Anyhow- we go there sometimes. And when we are there, we force ourselves to go to the beach. (Driving in traffic is much more fun than sitting in the sun listening to other people's kids scream and throw rocks at each other. Take a drive. You'll be glad you listened to me and did not visit the beach.) This time, for a miracle, there were clear skies, perfect tides, and regular breezes, which I understand only happens every hundred years. Usually in August on the Cape, people are shovelling their driveways.
So we're sitting on the sand swiping at sand fleas and enjoying the Jim Jones mass suicide of thousands of little silver fish that committed mass suicide the night before just to see how many sand flies they could attract. The balmy breezes are punctuated by the whistles of exasperated lifeguards trying to corral morons who choose to wear swim noodles and bubbles so the rip tides can take them out even further, and watching the yahoos drive boats right up on the sand (yes, we DO think it must be bad for the boat, but after a twelve-pack it must seem like a REALLY good idea. One group of yahoos was actually throwing rocks at each other for sport, but they all survived this Darwinian pasttime, much to our chagrin). Anyhow, we're reading the books we've put off all year when Sue says "is that a spout?"
Yeah, sure, Sue, Moby Dick came by to finish off the little silver fish the terns have missed. Then right in front of me, whoosh, up goes the kind of spout I have only ever seen on the National Geographic or the Discovery Channel. Thar she blows!
This whale with a huge sense of humor and impecable dramatic timing then cavorted for over an hour right in front of us. Since we were the geeks with the telescope AND binoculars, the whole group of us was up like a shot, and this whale played with us visually. People around us began to stop and watch as well. When I had my turn with the binocs, I saw it spout, then roll on its side and slowly, idly roll across my line of vision and then down beneath the waves. I never saw it fluke its tail, but this critter played the crowd. A boat would go near and stop- nothing. Ten minutes would go by and the disappointed yahoos would head away, then it would spout again. It was pretty entertaining- endangered species messing with the heads of yahoos with too much money. You didn't need binocs, but I am glad I got a really good look at my first whale. It was the most amazing thing I have ever seen. (I hear Disney is nicer, especially the Hall of Presidents.)
In the lulls between spouts, a seal mom with a couple of pups would surface further down the beach and give us something else to amuse ourselves with. It's pup season, and they will land periodically to rest, so people are supposed to stay away and not stress them out (they get stressed, they get sick, then they die, and it's all your fault, damn yahoos). It was really nice to watch them but sad to see the yahoos eyeing them and thinking about coats.
We watched the whales and seals for over an hour- our friends stayed with the binocs for another hour after we left and the show continued- they saw TWO whales (we suspected there were 2).
Just to rack up the wildlife, over the three days we saw a common loon (eating a big fish), red-necked loon, all kinds of terns and gulls, and a peregrine falcon winging in from over the ocean. Ted says the peregrine is such a strong flier it doesn't depend on thermals, so unlike other hawks, you will see it come in from over the sea.
The feeder was frequented by goldfinches, cardinals, the occasional jay, chickadees, tufted titmice and house finches, along with a few straggling mourning doves. I stepped out on Day 2 and a juvenile fledgling cardinal was hopping right by the steps- he seemed to have a limp, and when he tried to fly up on the feeder, he fell off because he couldn't grip with his feet properly. We felt sorry for him so Ted threw some seed under the feeder, and he set to. When we got home from the beach, he was gone and either he encountered a miracle or he ended up as redtail dessert. Survival of the fittest.
Anyhow, the beach was just what I needed after the past year. I may go back down for a few days, but then again, I may shake the sand out of my bathing suit and head off to Disney. I hear it's the best vacation spot in the world. Really. Wanna go?
We happened to be on the Cape. I would never recommend it as a vacation place- it's way too far , there's no garbage pickup, the water pressure sucks and it's way too expensive. Sand in the bathing suit sucks, and all you can eat is fish. We call it Fifi-land for reasons I shall not disclose. Go somewhere else. Really. I hear California is nice. Disney gets good reviews.
Anyhow- we go there sometimes. And when we are there, we force ourselves to go to the beach. (Driving in traffic is much more fun than sitting in the sun listening to other people's kids scream and throw rocks at each other. Take a drive. You'll be glad you listened to me and did not visit the beach.) This time, for a miracle, there were clear skies, perfect tides, and regular breezes, which I understand only happens every hundred years. Usually in August on the Cape, people are shovelling their driveways.
So we're sitting on the sand swiping at sand fleas and enjoying the Jim Jones mass suicide of thousands of little silver fish that committed mass suicide the night before just to see how many sand flies they could attract. The balmy breezes are punctuated by the whistles of exasperated lifeguards trying to corral morons who choose to wear swim noodles and bubbles so the rip tides can take them out even further, and watching the yahoos drive boats right up on the sand (yes, we DO think it must be bad for the boat, but after a twelve-pack it must seem like a REALLY good idea. One group of yahoos was actually throwing rocks at each other for sport, but they all survived this Darwinian pasttime, much to our chagrin). Anyhow, we're reading the books we've put off all year when Sue says "is that a spout?"
Yeah, sure, Sue, Moby Dick came by to finish off the little silver fish the terns have missed. Then right in front of me, whoosh, up goes the kind of spout I have only ever seen on the National Geographic or the Discovery Channel. Thar she blows!
This whale with a huge sense of humor and impecable dramatic timing then cavorted for over an hour right in front of us. Since we were the geeks with the telescope AND binoculars, the whole group of us was up like a shot, and this whale played with us visually. People around us began to stop and watch as well. When I had my turn with the binocs, I saw it spout, then roll on its side and slowly, idly roll across my line of vision and then down beneath the waves. I never saw it fluke its tail, but this critter played the crowd. A boat would go near and stop- nothing. Ten minutes would go by and the disappointed yahoos would head away, then it would spout again. It was pretty entertaining- endangered species messing with the heads of yahoos with too much money. You didn't need binocs, but I am glad I got a really good look at my first whale. It was the most amazing thing I have ever seen. (I hear Disney is nicer, especially the Hall of Presidents.)
In the lulls between spouts, a seal mom with a couple of pups would surface further down the beach and give us something else to amuse ourselves with. It's pup season, and they will land periodically to rest, so people are supposed to stay away and not stress them out (they get stressed, they get sick, then they die, and it's all your fault, damn yahoos). It was really nice to watch them but sad to see the yahoos eyeing them and thinking about coats.
We watched the whales and seals for over an hour- our friends stayed with the binocs for another hour after we left and the show continued- they saw TWO whales (we suspected there were 2).
Just to rack up the wildlife, over the three days we saw a common loon (eating a big fish), red-necked loon, all kinds of terns and gulls, and a peregrine falcon winging in from over the ocean. Ted says the peregrine is such a strong flier it doesn't depend on thermals, so unlike other hawks, you will see it come in from over the sea.
The feeder was frequented by goldfinches, cardinals, the occasional jay, chickadees, tufted titmice and house finches, along with a few straggling mourning doves. I stepped out on Day 2 and a juvenile fledgling cardinal was hopping right by the steps- he seemed to have a limp, and when he tried to fly up on the feeder, he fell off because he couldn't grip with his feet properly. We felt sorry for him so Ted threw some seed under the feeder, and he set to. When we got home from the beach, he was gone and either he encountered a miracle or he ended up as redtail dessert. Survival of the fittest.
Anyhow, the beach was just what I needed after the past year. I may go back down for a few days, but then again, I may shake the sand out of my bathing suit and head off to Disney. I hear it's the best vacation spot in the world. Really. Wanna go?
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