Another Florida Morning

Well, it was 8:30 in the morning and we didn’t have any plans for the day so we went to the beach… again. The tide was out so there was this really great tidal pool. It was a foot and a half deep at its deepest and fifty meters from the rest of the ocean. This was the perfect balance between safety and fun for the baby girl and me. She was able to play and get wet, and I didn’t have to worry about her getting swept away to Bermuda. The Atlantic got closer every minute but it was gradual and the changing shore line kept everything fresh. We all sat on the edge of the pool and let little fish nibble our feet, which was freaky. It happens all the time whenever we’re in the ocean but watching it and thinking about it was strange and creepy. The only possible downside was that the nearly constant rain is keeping the ocean cold. Normally at this time of year the water feels like a bathtub, but on the other hand there haven’t been any violent storms. I like to think the monsoons we’ve been having are releasing the energy that has been turning into hurricanes for the past fifteen years. I hope so anyway. But I digress. We got used to the water and had the marine exfoliation. We saw lots of dolphins. The very first one we saw wasn’t more than fifty meters off shore. He was so close that I wanted to swim after him. If I’d had my goggles I don’t think I would have been able to resist. I wouldn’t have been able to catch him. Dolphins swim better than humans. It’s science. But wild dolphins are the coolest things in the world. I was beginning to think that I was just a big geek, but the last couple of times we’ve seen dolphins I’ve watched the lifeguards on duty and they get jacked up about them too. I feel like this is a boring post because my writing about our beach trips is becoming repetitive, but when I read these posts years from now I know it will make my happy. Nobody has ever been on their deathbed and wished they hadn’t spent so much time at the beach or wished they hadn’t seen so many dolphins.

Working Hard at Having Fun.

I don’t understand how weekends got to be so exhausting. It’s Friday morning, I blink, it’s Sunday night. We went to the beach this morning to see friends at their condo. We got a late start so we had to think creatively to find a parking spot. The late start also meant the beach was a little bit more crowded than we like, but that’s usually unavoidable since crowded for us is anybody we don’t know and like within sight. LMJ wanted to sit on the steps leading to the beach. We drove a half hour, loaded up her stroller with beach stuff, walked down to the shore, and her favorite part was the wooden steps. We and our friend, ME, had matching beach tents set up so we looked like Cuban refugees in Miami in the early 80’s. We moved from the beach to the pool because it was less crowded and a little bit safer. There’s no undertow in the pool. This is where I had the most fun. We got a chance to put what LMJ learned in yesterday’s swim class to good use. One really crappy swim lesson made her a little afraid of the water. One really good swim lesson made her a dolphin again. I forgot to mention that as soon as we got to our spot on the beach the nice lifeguard pointed out a pod of dolphins in the ocean. Seeing wild dolphins, along with beer, sex, pizza, and money, is one of the few things in this world that is not subject to the law of diminishing returns. It’s one of the “that’s why!” reasons I’ll never live more than forty-five minutes from the ocean. After swimming in the pool, we headed home, loving the mini-van the whole way. LMJ slept on the trip back and was awake and ready to go when her grandparents showed up to play with her. Everyone loves her new star turtle, and we all had fun playing in the backyard, even if the weather and humidity is already reaching unbearable. Now it’s evening, we still have to get dinner, bathe a baby, set up coffee and the morning routine for tomorrow, and it’s the beginning of a new week with swimming and running. I don’t know if I was cut out to be busy.

I'm Just Lucky To Be Here

We went to the beach today. We didn’t want to get behind on our trips during Florida’s nine months of summer. Today is one of those days when I don’t understand why people live elsewhere. It was about 68 degrees when we got to the beach, and I’m pretty sure it’s physically impossible to have better weather. It wasn’t scorching hot but it was warm enough for people to go surfing. We saw our first dolphins of the season, and who doesn’t love dolphins? I’ve lived here for twenty-eight years and it’s still a huge thrill to see wild dolphins going about their business. After getting home from the beach I grilled some burgers and drank some beer. Ama and Granddad came over and basked in the greatness that is LMJ. I wonder if LMJ is going to understand how lucky she is to have three grandparents constantly spoiling her as she grows up. I can’t express how wonderful it is to have family close. March is also basketball season, and today is a banner day. Duke and UNC are playing today at the college level, and the Spurs and Suns are representing the pros. Basketball doesn’t get more exciting - at least until next week when the NCAA tournament starts. We should start a pool. Not only does everyone else have one; nothing says depression and financial desperation like gambling. What could be more fun than putting the fate of whether or not you keep your house on nineteen year old boys and how they play on a given day? Sorry, but nineteen year old Marines are men; nineteen year old college basketball players are boys. It’s science. I truly love the changing seasons, even though we only get one and a half here. I think that probably makes them mores special.