Random Musings

The weather finally turned nice today after almost a week of very cool temps. And on a Saturday no less! However, I can't say that it's helping business much, at least not yet. Lots of people are at the beach, no doubt. The pic above is of the town beach right across the street from me. Not the nicest beach in town by any means, but nice enough to look at from my shop window. Being fair-skinned and rather heat intolerant I've never been much of a beach goer, but I do find looking at the ocean and ocean breezes to be quite tranquil. I guess my ideal situation would be to go to the beach on a warm evening, when the sun isn't too hot and there aren't many people there. Or maybe no one. Kind of like that closing scene from Planet of the Apes, but without the remnants of the Statue of Liberty. And without Charlton Heston, who's way too gun-happy and conservative for me. It's really kind of sad that I've lived here at Beach Central for over a year and only went to the beach once - and that in the off-season. It's almost like I need to be on vacation to allow myself the luxury of going. Plus I think it would make me too sad to go. Not sure what that's all about. I'm sure I could figure it out with a few years of therapy, but it'd be cheaper to just go to the beach and stop giving in to my avoidant tendencies.

I'm keeping sane these days in three ways - doing Crostic puzzles, which can calm my sometimes anxious thoughts, watching movies or comedy shows on TV (South Park, Frasier, Will & Grace mainly), and reading (currently "Mysticism and the New Physics"). That is my usual nightly routine, while others prefer to carouse and go out and party. I've gotten too old for that, not that I ever liked it much to begin with. I'm proud to say that I have never in my life tried, or even been tempted to try, drugs, which are quite popular here. No doubt it's largely a function of fear, both of losing control and of getting sick, but I also like to think it's just good judgment (South Park's school counselor, Mr Mackie comes to mind: "Drugs are bad, mkay?"). Even my alcohol drinking has been extremely moderate, with the heaviest being the Chocolate Martinis I used to consume on vacation in - Provincetown. I think I've had one since I moved here. Alcohol, like many things I injest, often throws my nervous and digestive systems into a frenzy. While I must say it can be fun to feel a little woozy, the price I pay afterwards is often not worth it. I've never been quite sure if my body is trying to wisely protect me with its many allergies and sensitivities, or if it's just generally hyper-reactive. It's quite possible that were I able to eat and drink whatever I wanted, I'd be a fat drunk (I'd sure be eating lots of pizza). Instead I'm just miserable. Ha!

Big plans tonight to watch either "Little Miss Sunshine" or "Sleepy Hollow," both of which I've rented. I've decided that I haven't watched nearly enough movies in my lifetime, so I'm making up for lost time. Watched a hilarious spoof movie called "Mars Attacks!" the other night, which I thoroughly enjoyed. The kind of movie you want to watch again right after seeing it. The late evening has always been my favorite time of day. Thank god there's one every night (Neil Diamond wrote a great song called "Thank the Lord for the Nighttime," one of the many reasons I relate to this man's music so).

I'd like to leave you today with a quote from my page-a-day Tropical Paradise desk calendar, a great collection of beautiful, full-color beach (!) pictures and inspiring quotes, which I love to collect and reflect on. In fact, maybe I'll end my blog entries with a quote every day, so consider this the start of a tradition:

"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are." - Teddy Roosevelt

P.S. Had to share this solution from the Crostic puzzle I just spent the last hour doing, as it is such good advice: "All of your feelings affect your actions. How you feel about your job, your mate, your family, your money, your health, your self, your success, will determine how you behave in each of these areas. If your feelings are positive and productive, your actions will follow.'' (Shad Helmstetter, What to Say When You Talk to Yourself). Sounds like a book worth reading..........