Dayenu, the fact that I'm getting old, and tenacious tanlines.

Excerpts of the art booklet (brochure? booklet?) that I designed for Margaret. I think I'm getting old, I can't handle late night designing like I used to. Mama needs to sleep. On the upside, I got to stare at lovely earth & water tones for a few hours. That's pleasant. Not as pleasant as actual beach time, but hey, I'll take what I can get. 

Speaking of beach time

This photo was taken at Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, sometime last May. We arrived around six in the morning, staked our claim on the beach, exclaimed about a dolphin sighting, and found a Starbucks for croissants and coffee. I made a half-hearted attempt at reading before falling asleep on the beach for a few hours. We rented an umbrella and, no matter what he tells you, Justin hogged it because I woke up in blazing heat with the first sunburn I'd had in over ten years. I STILL have the tanline on my back. 

Beach time needs to happen soon. Staring at Margaret's textured sintra plates placates for only so long. 

dolphins, croissants, and sunburns

 

 

 

 

This was the day that we drove to Delaware at three in the morning. We drove through a blanket of fog and I kept waiting for aliens or ghosts to appear in front of the car. A pod of dolphins swam by right when we stepped onto the beach. I didn't even know there were dolphins in Delaware. I fell asleep on an empty beach and woke up surrounded by hundreds of people. There were Bulgarian teenagers to our left and a family of drunken parents and Children of the Corn blonde children on our right. I was in the sun for twelve hours and got a small sunburn on my back, my first in over ten years. The French bakery with the cute boys and the buttery pastries happened to be closed that day. I brought three books, read one chapter of one of Anthony Bourdain's books, and promptly fell asleep. The beach umbrella was blue and you can now renew your parking via telephone. How thoughtful of them. Beach food is not vegetarian friendly. We ate dinner, actually our only legitimate meal of the day, at a place called Cilantro that featured fish tacos with a purple cabbage slaw and a waiter with a slight Spanish accent and long, dyed, and slightly curly hair. His name was Carlos but I like to think his drag name is Chi-Chi. 

Beach times equal fun times. Let's do it again. 

more photos on Flickr. 

breakfasts, the bay, and the beach

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spending a few days in Jersey with the Rossmeissl | Full flickr set
Post my summer vacation photos in September? Hell yeah.

Look at that packing for the beach organization hotness.

That shit never looks the same when it's time to go home. 

Swimming with Dolphins

Justin: I never told you this story? So, I went to the beach by myself since no one could come with me so I was like "Fuck you bitches, I'll go by myself." I'm in the water, having a good time or whatever, when a wave comes — bam! — knocks me down. It was a pretty heavy duty wave so, you know,  it knocked the wind out of me. 

I try to stand up and realize that I can't. I'm like "shit" since I'm there by myself. I'm in the water by myself so I have to scoot myself up on the beach on my elbows. I get myself out of the water, look down and my right foot is flopping and dislocated. (me: Ew, like in Harry Potter?) Yes, just like that! I look down and my first thought, no joke, was "You have got to be kidding me." 

I don't know what to do so two or three minutes go by before I see a woman playing with her son on the beach. I say, "Ma'am? Ma'am, could you please get the lifeguard?" She says to me, word for word, "Oh, I thought you were just resting." This bitch. She goes and she comes back with a ziploc bag of ice. I mean, I appreciate the thought and all but it's a little late for that. 

And, as the lifeguards are walking up, I see dolphins in the water. The stretcher, the ambulance, three hours in the waiting room, surgery, eight pins in my ankle, and the rest is history. 

Moral of the story: Don't go swimming with dolphins.

Healthy food at the beach? Surely you jest.

+ Adriana's happy ocean dance
+ post-ocean naps. Amazing.
+ the sheer trashy goodness that is the Ocean City boardwalk
+ 97.1 plays some damn good 90s music at four in the morning.

Chincoteague

Beach towns sure do love their pizza parlors, liquor stores, and Candy Kitchens

+ Hey, remember that time we got lost in the Twilight Zone that is Bridgeville? All for some McDonald's fries, man.
+ Waking up to an overcast/slightly rainy day and still being excited about going to the beach. Rain ain't gonna break-a my stride.
+ “Rehoboth is kind of sleepy. Let's go to Ocean City. It's only fifty miles.”
+ Tools. Douchebags. Jersey Shore-wannabe teenyboppers. Gross.
+ Spending a day with my sister. “Hey Pa, I love you, you know.” “I knowwwwww.”  

Tomorrow

photos from the thinking tank, flickr, and forever is today

I need the beach NOW

me: are there any good beaches worth daytripping to?
liz: not that I know of, most are at least 3 hours away which makes them not daytrips in my mind
me: yeah, true.     
 nah three hours isn't too bad
 I'll drive six hours for the beach
  
Wheatley: haha, what beach is day trip distance away from here?
me: Delaware? Some parts of MD? 
Wheatley: Delaware is like 4 hours away. I know, I looked.

photo via blue hour

Ah, sweet irony.

In a curious twist of fate, this arrived today.

I saw these breathtaking photos via the Cloud Society.
"Photos to take" list is moot now.

Spread the Good Word's A Bloody Summer Mix '09!
Guess I didn't need to compile that "Four Hour Car Drive!" mix, womp womp.

Brunch and Beach via Cupcakes and Cashmere.
I suppose I didn't have to plan that meal, haha. That frittata looks damn yummy.

I'm fine, really. A little bitter but tomorrow is a new day.
Eff yoo, Bates. "Thinly-veiled emoness", my ass. I call it like it is.

Yellow umbrellas and sad french songs.

"Il vous aime, c'est secret, lui dites pas que j'vous l'ai dit"

Quelqu'un m'a dit | Carla Bruni

Loving the new photos by Camilla Åkrans.

Ocean of Lust