The Last Two Days
22 & 23 August 2005
I'm very happy to say that for the next three and a half weeks I will be employed, a nice assignment not too far from home and in my field. Life is too good! I feel great about it. It gives me hope and makes me feel that I am valuable. And every experience adds to my knowledge and marketability.
Yesterday I was up around 08:00, and showered and dressed around
09:30. My best friend The Phantom Who Knows All and Publishes (hereafter referred to as Phantom) showed up and we stopped to check on my very pregnant friend Quilt-Queen. She has been having some mild gestational hypertension and I have been checking her between once and twice a day to track her blood pressure. It is a little high, but holding steady. I know she's really struggling with it, but she is working hard to keep herself healthy for herself, the baby and our best friend, Flyboy.
After that, Phantom and I headed down to Seaside Heights, about 1.5 hours from here. I love - love more than anything - the ocean. I just cannot imagine living inland like in Ohio or any landlocked state. I could not do it. I told Luis that we will retire in Palm Springs, California - I love the desert - but it is only an hour away from the Pacific Ocean. An ocean is a neccesity for me!
We lucked out, too. We stopped at the Perkins to eat, got to the beach at 13:00, got our badges (an orange sticker that attaches securely to wrist or ankle), and checked the little info chalkboard - the water was 73 degrees Farenheit, with high tide at 10:03 and low time at 16:34. I love low tide, so our timing was excellent - just another three hours to low tide! We set up our chairs and towels and went right into the water. It does feel cold at first, but it really took little time to become accustomed to it. We ended up swimming in it for about an hour or so and then surfed in and sat in the shallows like when I was a little kid.
What I do recall with great chagrin as a little kid was ending up with the crotch of my ill-fitting swimsuit filled with sand. It looked funny - like there was something more in my suit, and felt about as appealing. I hated that. And the bottom of the suit always wore out fast than anything. Sitting in the shallows of the Atlantic yesterday I wondered if that would happen and I am pleased to admit that it did not. However, the force of the waves was such that I was unceremoniuosly tossed about even in six to ten inches of seawater and ended up scouring a fair amount of my hide off and some of the suit got rather rough... Still, it was entirely worth it.
We spent some time sitting in the chairs and chatting and then we took a walk to the boardwalk. The boardwalk is the tackiest of places. It mostly runs rampant with food (overpriced and undernourishing), clothing that would be in dubious taste at best and outright disgusting at worst) and games that one has little to no hope of winning. In between that there were the occasional body piercing palaces and psychics. There had been a wonderful shop with seashells that was a must-shop at place for me. However, somewhere in the last two years, it disappeared to be replaced by yet another dreadful clothing place.
We each got something to drink. I had some strange concoction called a lime something-or-other that was green shading to red and not something I would get again, but not so bad that it was not potable.
I did, however, find this very heavy, very gorgeous coral piece that is about 12" x 12" and white and weighs a good 6 or 7 pounds. I had to ask how much, and the kids running the place had no idea (it was not marked). They called the owner, who informed them that it was not marked, however, she would sell it for $24.99. SOLD! This is a piece of coral that could easily go for $200 and she wanted $25! Ha! I was absolutely delighted to take that off her hands!
We took it back to the car and then moved the car to a metered space closer to the beach. It is now 25 cents for 15 minutes - a little ridiculous, but there it is. We loaded it up with quarters and headed to the ocean to go for another hour-long swim. Then we headed back onto the boardwalk. We each had a soft ice cream and wandered about, looking at the various tacky items. One plce was selling a plethora of pipes and bongs, something I always find both amusing and distasteful. I am not a supporter of recreational drug use, really, and they are quite ugly for the most part. However, a lot of effort goes into the design of these things and some are well-decorated and designed. What amuses me is that they clearly have but one use and are legal to sell. It is not as though you see next to it a dime bag of marijuana to purchase with it. But what else is a bong for? You would not smoke normal tobacco through it!
The kid selling these really looked the part, though. Right down to the half-mast eyes.
After that we returned to the car, dumped in 3 more quarters and then went for a quick dip. Well, that was the plan. There is no such thing as a "quick dip" in the ocean, so we were in it for another hour, then a solid fifteen minutes packing up and when we returned to my car, there it was - a $35 parking ticket. Sigh. It is not due for payment until 20 September, so I will pay it in two weeks or so. The sad thing is that they got me 10 minutes after the time expired! But no regrets. The day was wonderful!
We stopped at a Wa-Was on the way home where they had Nantucket Nectars, a very favourite fruit juice maker. I bought three bottles and I am enjoying them thoroughly.
We left around 1800 and got to the house at 1940. Not bad at all! Phantom headed home right away and I took a shower. I had to. I peeled off my bathing suit to find half of the beach in it and my skin was an admixture of salt and sand. And my hair... it felt like plastic. It was disgusting! It was 20:30 when I went over to the Quilt-Queen (so named for the amazing quilts she makes) and checked her bp. We chatted a bit and then I stopped at the Rite Aid on my way home to get swimmer's ear stuff. I got in and then went out for a bit to hang out with the Chief (so named for being the chief of one of the squads I associate with).
I got in just after 22:00 and Luis and I watched the latest episode of "Monk" - we love that show - and then another show, but by 23:00 I was dead with exhaustion - all that swimming just took everything out of me. It was off to bed and I slept like the dead!
This morning I awoke at 08:00 and left to go to my parents' house at 08:40. The traffic was not bad. I got there at 09:05 and helped my father open his existing UI claim. He had gotten a three-week electrical job right in Wayne but the job ended on Friday, so he was only there a week and a half. He hated the boss on it anyway, but he is #107 on the list of guys on the bench awaiting work, so it may be another 6 to 8 weeks before he goes out. We shall see. Anyway, we went out for breakfast and then went to Costco, where I gave Ray half the cost of renewal and got a sack of paper towels (we were getting low) and the first two seasons of "Sex and the City" on DVD. We then returned home to unload Ray's stuff and then went to my house where he was supposed to hang up pictures. That never happened. Instead, we hung up two of my three Sky chairs, put in the two pot/pot lid organisers and put up the shower dispensers, one in each bathroom. We got a lot done. I guess next time he can put up the pictures.
At 14:45 I stopped at Quilt-Queen to check on her and she was a bit high but still holding fairly steady. She'll be stopping by tonight to get another reading between 21:00 and 22:00.
There will not be too much else happening today. I need to do some general straightening up and then I will get ready for work tomorrow. The rest of the week should fly by! Work through Friday; CPR renewal and on call on Thursday and then Ren this weekend.
More will follow soon!
I'm very happy to say that for the next three and a half weeks I will be employed, a nice assignment not too far from home and in my field. Life is too good! I feel great about it. It gives me hope and makes me feel that I am valuable. And every experience adds to my knowledge and marketability.
Yesterday I was up around 08:00, and showered and dressed around
09:30. My best friend The Phantom Who Knows All and Publishes (hereafter referred to as Phantom) showed up and we stopped to check on my very pregnant friend Quilt-Queen. She has been having some mild gestational hypertension and I have been checking her between once and twice a day to track her blood pressure. It is a little high, but holding steady. I know she's really struggling with it, but she is working hard to keep herself healthy for herself, the baby and our best friend, Flyboy.After that, Phantom and I headed down to Seaside Heights, about 1.5 hours from here. I love - love more than anything - the ocean. I just cannot imagine living inland like in Ohio or any landlocked state. I could not do it. I told Luis that we will retire in Palm Springs, California - I love the desert - but it is only an hour away from the Pacific Ocean. An ocean is a neccesity for me!
We lucked out, too. We stopped at the Perkins to eat, got to the beach at 13:00, got our badges (an orange sticker that attaches securely to wrist or ankle), and checked the little info chalkboard - the water was 73 degrees Farenheit, with high tide at 10:03 and low time at 16:34. I love low tide, so our timing was excellent - just another three hours to low tide! We set up our chairs and towels and went right into the water. It does feel cold at first, but it really took little time to become accustomed to it. We ended up swimming in it for about an hour or so and then surfed in and sat in the shallows like when I was a little kid.
What I do recall with great chagrin as a little kid was ending up with the crotch of my ill-fitting swimsuit filled with sand. It looked funny - like there was something more in my suit, and felt about as appealing. I hated that. And the bottom of the suit always wore out fast than anything. Sitting in the shallows of the Atlantic yesterday I wondered if that would happen and I am pleased to admit that it did not. However, the force of the waves was such that I was unceremoniuosly tossed about even in six to ten inches of seawater and ended up scouring a fair amount of my hide off and some of the suit got rather rough... Still, it was entirely worth it.
We spent some time sitting in the chairs and chatting and then we took a walk to the boardwalk. The boardwalk is the tackiest of places. It mostly runs rampant with food (overpriced and undernourishing), clothing that would be in dubious taste at best and outright disgusting at worst) and games that one has little to no hope of winning. In between that there were the occasional body piercing palaces and psychics. There had been a wonderful shop with seashells that was a must-shop at place for me. However, somewhere in the last two years, it disappeared to be replaced by yet another dreadful clothing place.
We each got something to drink. I had some strange concoction called a lime something-or-other that was green shading to red and not something I would get again, but not so bad that it was not potable.
I did, however, find this very heavy, very gorgeous coral piece that is about 12" x 12" and white and weighs a good 6 or 7 pounds. I had to ask how much, and the kids running the place had no idea (it was not marked). They called the owner, who informed them that it was not marked, however, she would sell it for $24.99. SOLD! This is a piece of coral that could easily go for $200 and she wanted $25! Ha! I was absolutely delighted to take that off her hands!
We took it back to the car and then moved the car to a metered space closer to the beach. It is now 25 cents for 15 minutes - a little ridiculous, but there it is. We loaded it up with quarters and headed to the ocean to go for another hour-long swim. Then we headed back onto the boardwalk. We each had a soft ice cream and wandered about, looking at the various tacky items. One plce was selling a plethora of pipes and bongs, something I always find both amusing and distasteful. I am not a supporter of recreational drug use, really, and they are quite ugly for the most part. However, a lot of effort goes into the design of these things and some are well-decorated and designed. What amuses me is that they clearly have but one use and are legal to sell. It is not as though you see next to it a dime bag of marijuana to purchase with it. But what else is a bong for? You would not smoke normal tobacco through it!
The kid selling these really looked the part, though. Right down to the half-mast eyes.
After that we returned to the car, dumped in 3 more quarters and then went for a quick dip. Well, that was the plan. There is no such thing as a "quick dip" in the ocean, so we were in it for another hour, then a solid fifteen minutes packing up and when we returned to my car, there it was - a $35 parking ticket. Sigh. It is not due for payment until 20 September, so I will pay it in two weeks or so. The sad thing is that they got me 10 minutes after the time expired! But no regrets. The day was wonderful!
We stopped at a Wa-Was on the way home where they had Nantucket Nectars, a very favourite fruit juice maker. I bought three bottles and I am enjoying them thoroughly.
We left around 1800 and got to the house at 1940. Not bad at all! Phantom headed home right away and I took a shower. I had to. I peeled off my bathing suit to find half of the beach in it and my skin was an admixture of salt and sand. And my hair... it felt like plastic. It was disgusting! It was 20:30 when I went over to the Quilt-Queen (so named for the amazing quilts she makes) and checked her bp. We chatted a bit and then I stopped at the Rite Aid on my way home to get swimmer's ear stuff. I got in and then went out for a bit to hang out with the Chief (so named for being the chief of one of the squads I associate with).
I got in just after 22:00 and Luis and I watched the latest episode of "Monk" - we love that show - and then another show, but by 23:00 I was dead with exhaustion - all that swimming just took everything out of me. It was off to bed and I slept like the dead!
This morning I awoke at 08:00 and left to go to my parents' house at 08:40. The traffic was not bad. I got there at 09:05 and helped my father open his existing UI claim. He had gotten a three-week electrical job right in Wayne but the job ended on Friday, so he was only there a week and a half. He hated the boss on it anyway, but he is #107 on the list of guys on the bench awaiting work, so it may be another 6 to 8 weeks before he goes out. We shall see. Anyway, we went out for breakfast and then went to Costco, where I gave Ray half the cost of renewal and got a sack of paper towels (we were getting low) and the first two seasons of "Sex and the City" on DVD. We then returned home to unload Ray's stuff and then went to my house where he was supposed to hang up pictures. That never happened. Instead, we hung up two of my three Sky chairs, put in the two pot/pot lid organisers and put up the shower dispensers, one in each bathroom. We got a lot done. I guess next time he can put up the pictures.
At 14:45 I stopped at Quilt-Queen to check on her and she was a bit high but still holding fairly steady. She'll be stopping by tonight to get another reading between 21:00 and 22:00.
There will not be too much else happening today. I need to do some general straightening up and then I will get ready for work tomorrow. The rest of the week should fly by! Work through Friday; CPR renewal and on call on Thursday and then Ren this weekend.
More will follow soon!
Comments