One of the crosses I must bear in this life is to always forget to bring something important to the beach. Like my book on Tuesday? Or the towels last summer? Today I remembered book and towels but forgot camera! D'oh! And don't start telling me to make a list. I am the queen of lists. I was making lists before you knew the word list. But when it comes to following my lists, I always manage to outsmart myself. I see the word book, I pick up my book, and I march toward the beach bag. But halfway to the bag, I get distracted. I see my teacup with one last lukewarm swallow at the bottom, I notice that Julie doesn't have a ponytail yet, I remind myself to grab a handful of napkins. And the book? Gets left on the table. But today I did manage to put my book in the bag. I knew that all the important stuff was still in the bag from Tuesday, so I didn't stop to recall that I'd taken the camera out in order to upload the photos—and then left it next to the computer. So don't tell me about lists.
Meanwhile, someone please 'splain me this one: How come on Tuesday the water was cold but swimmable and the tide was way out by 2pm, but on Thursday the water was positively icy and the tide was still pretty high at 2pm? Same beach, same week. But the sun was out all day and we heard not one rumble of thunder all day, so that's a good thing. And we saw a crazy stunt plane doing scary dives and twirls over Route 128 on the way home. It was around Woburn Danvers at about 4pm—anyone know what that was all about?
Those are probably the planes that perform before the fireworks... they were at Danvers last night and they were definitely doing scary and twirly dives. Very daring!
Posted by: Alissa | July 04, 2008 at 05:51 AM
I know nothing about the planes, but camera or no, list or no, I would love to be y'all's kid. What a fun, full summer they are having.
When I was a kid, my single mother worked and we were left to our own, often not-exactly-productive devices during the summer.
I think that's part of what I love about your blog. I think I live slightly vicariously in a fantasy childhood; and slightly vicariously as a fantasy parent.
p.s.
Wind and wind temperature can have significant effect on tidal systems and water temperature. Surface weather has impact on near coastal waters. Fact.
Storm systems are often the result of disparate temperature in air, so a calmer day may result in significantly warmer or cooler air over all.
Thus, tidal changes and changes to near-coastal water temperature.
I just hope y'all had towels.
p.p.s.
I have to leave pretty much everything (keys, wallet, blackberry...) at the door. Literally. I have a table ("the landing strip"). If I don't almost trip over it before I leave, I leave without it.
p.p.p.s.
Boston still may happen. We're trying to get a P-Town trip planned. Friends just bought yet another house on the cape, and I intend to exercise my rights as "friend of the wealthy."
Posted by: Steve | July 04, 2008 at 11:05 AM
Ah Steve, yours words bring a smile to my face. Sometimes I get bored and frustrated by my main job (parenting), then I I am reminded that even the littlest things I do will have a lasting imprint on my kids' memories. Riding home from the beach, exhausted and happy, with ice cream dripping down our arms -- that's the real stuff! Thanks for the reminder/pep-talk!
Posted by: Karen | July 04, 2008 at 09:54 PM