One of my all time favorite things to do is go to the beach. Don't get to do it very often, so when I do it's a real treat. We, Piper and I, love to watch and listen to the waves. We like to watch for seals on otters playing just off shore. We love walking along the edge of the water looking for shells and sand dollars. One of my all time greatest aggravations is being stuck in the middle of too many people (crowds are acceptable for events like 4th of July fireworks or other concerts etc., not acceptable for leisure and relaxing). Two days ago, these list toppers unexpectedly and unpleasantly collided. I don't know why I was surprised, it is summer after all. Pip and I had been looking forward to our trip to the beach for weeks ever since we got the car. We haven't been able to make the trip in over two years. How many people is too many people? When you can't hear the sound of the waves over the throngs of humanity around you, that's too many. There were too many. We listened to two teenage girls who were sitting on blankets next to us, read a book out loud about the process of spiritual dating within God's plan. This was not what we came for. We wanted waves and serenity - like always before. After the girls left, a Latino family moved in and took over. Dad brought his music (he liked it loud), kids were at full volume and running back and forth between blankets and people to get to the water. Mom was on grill duty and they brought Grandma. Grandma was the most aggravating of all. Her voice was long time smoker gruff, meets megaphone and her language was harsh and occasionally foul. Especially when she was yelling at the children, which was her job apparently. We left early. We left at four. Normally we stay till nearly sun down.
I learned two things on this trip. First, with my gimpy foot, I can no longer balance when the waves rush around my legs. Standing your ground in rushing waves requires two good feet firmly planted and able to adjust quickly to the sand being swept from beneath your feet. This was the first time I've ever been knocked over - whoosh! Second wave and I'm down. Now, I don't have a problem with getting wet while at the ocean. I simply prefer to do it slowly a little bit at a time. Also,the good leg tires much faster in the waves than on land alone. I finally just sat right down on the sand in the surf. Which creates an interesting hazard for girls - you know, sand going places sand is not supposed to go.
The second thing I learned is that times have changed in the parking world. The parking meters are no longer equipped for coins, at least not in this well-known, beach-front town. The meters all have a bright green tag on the front with a phone number and instructions to call and set up an account to pay for your time using one of your credit cards. No kidding! What if you don't have a cell phone on you? What if you didn't want to take your phone or your credit cards to the beach? What if you don't want to sit and go through an automated registration (required) process? I'd rather poke myself in the eye ten times than deal with one more automated phone menu!! The answer is, you drive around looking for an all day parking lot and pay their outrageous fee. Which is what I did - $12.00 is what my stubbornness and hatred of automated phone menus cost me. Oh well. But why? Why do that to parking meters? Who is going to want to put fifty cents on a credit card? Just doesn't make sense to me. Who came up with this and WHY?! I mean parking meters have been serving mankind quite effectively for decades. Geez.
Oh, we'll go back. Just probably not during the summer.
I learned two things on this trip. First, with my gimpy foot, I can no longer balance when the waves rush around my legs. Standing your ground in rushing waves requires two good feet firmly planted and able to adjust quickly to the sand being swept from beneath your feet. This was the first time I've ever been knocked over - whoosh! Second wave and I'm down. Now, I don't have a problem with getting wet while at the ocean. I simply prefer to do it slowly a little bit at a time. Also,the good leg tires much faster in the waves than on land alone. I finally just sat right down on the sand in the surf. Which creates an interesting hazard for girls - you know, sand going places sand is not supposed to go.
The second thing I learned is that times have changed in the parking world. The parking meters are no longer equipped for coins, at least not in this well-known, beach-front town. The meters all have a bright green tag on the front with a phone number and instructions to call and set up an account to pay for your time using one of your credit cards. No kidding! What if you don't have a cell phone on you? What if you didn't want to take your phone or your credit cards to the beach? What if you don't want to sit and go through an automated registration (required) process? I'd rather poke myself in the eye ten times than deal with one more automated phone menu!! The answer is, you drive around looking for an all day parking lot and pay their outrageous fee. Which is what I did - $12.00 is what my stubbornness and hatred of automated phone menus cost me. Oh well. But why? Why do that to parking meters? Who is going to want to put fifty cents on a credit card? Just doesn't make sense to me. Who came up with this and WHY?! I mean parking meters have been serving mankind quite effectively for decades. Geez.
Oh, we'll go back. Just probably not during the summer.