The Time Sink

Well, it's like this... My M&Ms (if I had any, but bridge mix will do nicely, thank you very much) aren't melting in my hands any more; napping on the couch is no longer a 'tolerable' thing, rather a pleasant thing what with the sound of the waves on the beach providing a nice counterpoint to dueling siblings, and with the cold air making a comforter something useful instead of something to be packed away until mid-December; walks in the early morning or late evening drop your body temp instead of raising it, especially if you wander into the water from time to time "just because"; the sun is an accent point for lighting instead of the focus of your life; the fog is a very different reason for 'staying indoors' (with that comforter); hot food actually is a viable alternative (heck, "food" sounds good for a change); ice cream doesn't melt before you can get home from the store (and take out is still firm as you walk down the street); a cold drink is just that; Winter is something to look forward too (okay, that one is a bit 'out there'); your brain seems to have more than ten neurons communicating with each other, and those aren't concerned with hydration and cooling; life is to be lived instead of endured...

Vacations over here vary so much it's hard to get an advance feel for what we'll end up doing. This time it looks like we may not be in the water at all: the sea is almost placid; the tide graphs are showing barely a two foot differential between the extreme low and high tides. That translates to not much wave action at all. ...and the fog is keeping the sun from warming the beach so there won't be any 'recharging' of body temperatures in between sessions in the water.

This trip has evolved into travel into the other towns in the area; we hit San Luis Obispo on Monday and Morro Bay today. Cambria seems likely tomorrow and perhaps even Santa Maria later in the week. ...and reading hasn't been as big a thing as it sometimes has, but kicking back and working on things with the boys has been higher on the list.

In the interest of providing a counterpoint to my continuously obsessive (apparently) posts on the living conditions we're enduring over here at the cool, quiet beach, I give you this missive from my wonderful sister (she of the phone conversations with Shelley that keep both SBC and MCI in business):

My M&M's are melting
I can't sleep in this heat
While my poor brother's at the ocean
Walking the shoreline in bare feet

My M&M's are melting
It's just way too, too much sun,
I'm sweating where I don't even have glands
And my brother's having all the fun.

My M&M's are melting,
I'm putting up with all the "Daves",
And you think you have problems
oh boo hoo~! There are no waves.

My M&Ms are melting,
Darn! the ocean is very still
Be glad you're there and not here
As I would likely kill (you)

My M&M's are melting
I wish I had your troubles
So you see your life is pretty good
as you soak up those ocean bubbles.

A poem, by ann

We stayed in today and had guests over for lunch. ...and then we took yet another relaxing walk on the beach and the pier before settling in for another cool evening.

Oh, and my dear sister sent along another poem, but unfortunately it's really not suitable for a 'family friendly' space such as this <g>... However, I've added a portion of the photo she sent with today's diatribe to her missive from yesterday...

Today ended up as a bit of a day of rest, though one with a late start: Daniel's braces had a wire start poking his cheek Thursday night, and it was only through some rather nice coordination Shelley set up with our orthodontist at home and one about thirty miles down the road that we were able to get him in and seen and fixed up with only a short road trip rather than a major one.

Travel day...

Well, we made it home in one piece. ...and then we promptly turned around and headed over to my sister's place for her surprise birthday party. Yep, and it was a surprise and it was a wonderful party; her husband and kids did a great job...

...and today? ...mostly spent playing catch-up with the thousand and one things that need attention after vacation and before Summer's end.

Click image for larger version

"Any sufficiently advanced technology is
indistinguishable from magic."
Arthur C. Clarke, "Technology and the Future"

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