Fab 5 Summer Finds

1. Ramen! I just realized that my great big bowl of sodium from my college days has undergone a makeover. Ramen is in Vogue all over the country. Ramen restaurants have become a new destination for a big, healthy bowl of deliciousness. An incredible meal in a bowl, this is not your daughter's Ramen! Now I'm hungry...

2. Nothing says summer like a gorgeous pair of wedge sandals. Simple, chic and comfortable wedges elongate the leg in summer shorts and give you a sexy addition to any outfit. Jeans, shorts, skirts and maxi dresses-the options are endless. Owning even one pair of neutral wedges can take you through an entire summer of fashions! Of course I can never have just one pair..

3. Hot dogs-what is it about a hot dog fresh off the grill on a hot summer night? It just makes me happy. We all know the bad rap that hot dogs have gotten in the past, as far as fillers and ingredients, but there are lots of hot dog brands out there that are made up of good ingredients. Pearl is my favorite. I like my dog old school. Mustard only. Maybe, if I'm feeling adventurous, I'll add some diced onion. Couple that with a Corona and a lime and I can die happy. 

4. This is a new development. I've become concerned about exposing certain parts of my body to the sun without an SPF 50. In the past few years I've always armed myself with SPF 30 for my face, but after a discussion with my doctor this month, we both decided that a woman of my *ahem* age should protect the decollete (chest and neck) and the face with at least an SPF 50. Eve Lom's Daily Protection SPF 50, is my favorite weapon against damaging sun rays and the aging process.It's a 2 in 1 daily product. A powerful anti-aging moisturizer and a SPF protector. Available at The Candy Bar: BUY NOW 

5. I just finished this book and I have to tell you that I may re-read it all over again! Sophia Amoruso is the founder and creator of NastyGal.com, a fast growing multi-million dollar company. I love this girl! She happened upon her success by doing something she was passionate about. She created her FREE advertising buzz on social media that directed her shoppers to her eBay sales. Her concept was simple: BUY LOW/SELL HIGH. Or sell a bit higher. With her eye for style and photography, she built her brand by utilizing social media to create a cult following with her 90,000 devoted My Space followers. Even if you are not a retailer(like I am) this book is a quick and inspirational read for any #GIRLBOSS.

Monday Minutia

• First things first Bloggers! I am going to NYC with Frick today-to return tomorrow night-so I will be away from the Bloggersphere tomorrow, Tuesday July 22, 2014. I thought you'd like to know rather than me say nothing....Considering I was with Frack last Monday and Tuesday in High Point, NC, I'd like to think I am one lucky mama to be able to spend some one-on-one time, alone with each of my kids! Frick's NYC visit is strictly business too! My kids are killing me-becoming adults so fast...

• Interesting things going on here in Beantown-Market Basket, one of the most successfully run, independently owned supermarket chains in the country, is seeing an unprecedented stand of unity for it's former CEO. The company, run by the Demoulas family, operates 71 stores in two states. Long time CEO Arthur T. Demoulas was ousted last fall by the Board of Directors in favor of his cousin and chief rival, Arthur S Demoulas. The two have clashed over how to operate the business started by their grandfather.  The employees are not happy about this. They have staged a strike and  walked out on the job until Arthur T Demoulas is restored to CEO. Get this: On Friday over 2000 employees gathered at the company headquarters in Tewksbury, MA to demand the return of Arthur T Demoulas as CEO. As of today, 8 long time employees have been fired from the company. Talk about loyalty. This is fascinating to me. Market Basket must be one hell of an employer.

• Rory McIlroy wins the British Open at the age of 25! A great story. This his third Major victory on his quest for a Grand Slam title. The elusive Masters in April is the only victory he needs to secure the title and join Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus in the Grand Slam club. The victory was especially poignant for his father, who reportedly placed a bet on McIlroy while he was still a teen on winning the prestigious tournament. 

"His father, Gerry, and some of his father’s friends, who reportedly made a wager when McIlroy was still a teenager that he would win the Open within 10 years. Ladbrokes, a British-based gambling company, confirmed in a Twitter post that it would be paying out 180,000 pounds (about $310,000) to them." 

Nice work Rory! It's nice to see a talented, young golfer do well!

• Why does it already feel like the summer is slipping away? July 21, and its seems like we are rounding third on the summer thing. Am I right?  I dunno bloggers. BBQ's aren't tasting so great anymore and the weather lately has been undecided on summer. It's like it's not quite sure of what it wants. Maybe it's just me. What do you think?

Caped Crusader

Happy Fourth of July Bloggers!

I'm off for the rest of the week. Going to enjoy the southern tip of my great state and spend it on Cape Cod!
I wish you many happy sunsets, fireworks displays, and great summertime BBQ's with the people you love. This is the best time of the year and for me, the weather is looking mighty fine. High 80's with no rain in sight. My wish is the same for you, wherever you may be.

Enjoy your independence Bloggers!
See you on Monday, July 8th.
xoxo

Hot Diggety Dog!

It's the second word in the old classic advertising campaign for American car maker Chevrolet,

"Baseball, hot dogs, apple pie and Chevrolet."

Hot dogs are as American as all of those beloved things, and a summertime staple on everybody's grill. How you like your hot dog can be compared to how you like your coffee, right?  Mustard, onions, ketchup (must be Heinz) and relish are the classics, but there is a new wave of foodies that are challenging and old American classic. 

Celebrity Chef Rachel Ray showed us how to dress up the hot diggedy dog in new and exciting ways on GMA this morning! She prepared 7-Layer Hot Dogs with such ease, and set my stomach churning and yearning for this delightful  take on-what?- designer hot dogs?

Rachel Ray's 7-Layer Hot Dogs

Ingredients

1 cup canned spicy vegetarian refried beans

Half palmful ground cumin

4 Jumbo hot dogs (butterflied open only if crisping on griddle)

(Cooking Spray, if crisping)

4 good quality hot dog buns

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 cup shredded pepper jack cheese

1 cup corn chips, such as Fritos, lightly crushed

1 cup crema

Guacamole

1/2 small red onion, finely chopped

Juice of 1 lemon

Juice of 1 lime

Salt

2 avocados

1 large jalapeño chile, seeded and finely chopped

Small handful of cilantro leaves, finely chopped

1 large or 2 medium cloves garlic, pasted or grated

Pico de Gallo

2 to 3 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced

1/2 small red onion, finely chopped

1/2 jalapeno chile, minced

A couple tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped

1 lime, zested and juiced

Salt and pepper

Cooking Directions

For the Guacamole

In a medium bowl, douse the onion with the citrus juices. Salt liberally and let stand 10 minutes. Scoop the avocado flesh into the bowl. Add the jalapeño, cilantro, and garlic and mash with a fork until fairly smooth. Adjust the salt.

For the Pico de Gallo

In a small bowl, add the plum tomatoes, onion, chile,cilantro, lime juice and zest and season with salt andpepper.

For the Hot Dogs

Place a medium pot of water over high heat and bring to a simmer. Turn heat to low, add hot dogs and cook until heated through. This will only take a few minutes. If crisping the dogs, place a griddle or skillet over medium high heat and spray with cooking spray. Add the hot dogs cut side down first to the pan and cook until crisp, about 1 to 2 minutes. Turn over and crisp the other side for another minute.

To assemble:

Slather some refried beans on the inside of the bun and add a sprinkling of the cheddar and pepper jack cheeses. Place a hot dog in the bun and top with some crushed fritos, guacamole, pico de gallo and dot with crema.

Holy guacamole! I know what's for dinner tonight. Rachel the great, also served up several other options for creating a hot dog smorgasbord. Check these out:

Seattle Dog

Spread the hot dog with cream cheese, then top it with grilled onions and sliced jalapenos.

Pastrami Reuben Dog

Wrap the hot dog in pastrami, layer on a slice of Swiss cheese, melt. Top with sauerkraut and Thousand Island dressing.

In a Pickle Dog

Top the hot dog with pickle relish, cucumber wedges and dill pickle wedges. Sprinkle with celery salt.

Pimento Cheese Dog

Spread the hot dog with store-bought pimento cheese, then sprinkle with crushed buttery crackers, such as Ritz.

It looks and sounds soooo fun! I'm serving 7 layer and Pastrami Ruben Dogs tonite!

I'll let you know how they come out...

Summer Break

Hey Bloggers! That long awaited summer vacation time is finally here!

Time to pack it up and take off to a fabulous destination for some much needed rest and relaxation. The Daily Dandy will be out of office from today, Monday July 2, 2012 to Monday, July 9th, 2012. 


Until then, you'll just have to trudge on in the bloggersphere without me. Be well bloggers, and take care of each other while I'm gone. I'll catch you on the flip side.

Make sure to wear plenty of sunscreen! Peace!

I Was Just Thinking....

• Real men don't cry. Real men don't lie either. Roger Clemens was acquitted yesterday of all charges that he lied to Congress when he denied using performance enhancing drugs to extend his baseball career. What the? I can't believe it. We all know he lied about using so how could the jury not know? His friends, his trainer, those closest to him all took the heat to protect The Rocket and his good name. They admitted, under oath, to being injected with steroids, but we are expected to believe that Roger wouldn't? And for that matter, what good name? Clemens has tarnished, torched and blew up that name so that he can pretend that he never used steroids.  And that's the thing with liars, their lies become truths in their own minds. And now those blurred lines have a verdict to fuel their fire. Still won't get him into Cooperstown.  
• It's five o'clock somewhere. Actually, it's 4 o'clock in the afternoon in Uganda where Frack is now spending day one of his three week mission. They arrived early this morning about 12:40 am EST and are halfway through day one of the expedition. I pray he takes good care of himself and the group, as he was voted Team Leader. Wouldn't it be great if I could get him to "Team Lead" his homework this fall? I miss that kid so much already and it's only day one. One day at a time, mom.
• Long live Rock! So I'm watching TV last night and I see this Pet Smart commercial about the new Brett Michaels Pet's Rock collection for your pets. It's an exclusive line designed by the rocker that offers, bowls, beds, toys, leashes and apparel for that Rock Star pet in your life. Brett Michaels? Isn't that the guy that won the Celebrity Apprentice a while back? Is this what that trophy gets you? Somewhere the Gods of Rock and Roll are having a good, hearty laugh about this one. And speaking of Rock and Roll, I'm thinking I'd like to go and see the "Rock of Ages" movie this weekend. The theater geek in me will not be denied, but the Tom Cruise fan, even though I think he's a douche, wants to watch Cruise make history. Rumor has it there are some stellar performances from Cruise, Russell Brand and Alec Baldwin. Worth the take, I say. 
• Forever a Townie. I watched "The Town" last night. I had never seen it and dang, if that wasn't a great movie. Jeremy Renner was fabulous but Ben Affleck??(be still my heart) was HAWT! Who knew a Boston accent could be so sexy? This guy could steal my heart any day, and I didn't even know I liked him. The movie, based on the novel, "The Prince of Thieves" is set in Charlestown, MA and Affleck and his group of thugs are major bank thieves. This one never stops delivering from start to finish and if you haven't seen it, like me, I highly recommend it. Two Daily Dandy thumbs way up!

The Sleepers

When Frick and Frack were babies, they were good sleepers. Well, Frick was better than Frack and now that I think of it, Frack was not a great sleeper at all. Never napped and had a hard time going down at night. But he's certainly making up for it now.

When they were little, 6am was not uncommon for them to rise and face the day with a cute, peppy smile on their precious little faces. Now that they are teens, they have transformed themselves into what we refer to as, "The Sleepers". Making up for lost time, most days.

And dang, if sleeping were an academic, my kids would be National Honor Society sleepers. The funny thing is that no matter what time they go to bed; early, late, whatever, they never seem to be able to rise earlier than 10 am. All of my research on this topic confirms the fact that teens need more sleep, but my goodness, if I didn't wake them who knows when they would rise? Noon? 1PM? And the day is shot to hell by then, according to me.

So this being the first full week of no school, I figured I'd give them a break. You know, let them sleep in before the summer schedule really kicks in, and they have been shattering the all time sleep records around here. Frack is a golfer, and a pretty good "waker upper", but lately it is getting harder and harder to get him to move out of his bed in the morning. Especially when he has an early tee time in some far off locale that I need to take him to. At the tender age of 15, he is a grumpy mizzer the entire ride there. Oh what a joy for me!!

And Frick? Oh the drama! All she wants lately is a "break" from her grueling school schedule, and I agree, a break is due, but she's got a job and her own wheels and yes you have to get up and go to work. I can't write you a note because you slept in today. The gas does not magically flow from a private, free gas pump. Alarm clock you say? Both have em but why use it when mom is much better at getting us up at least 10 times every morning?

I know this is a phase, and they are no different from any other teens, but for the love of God, can someone please get their own sh*t together and get the hell up when they are supposed to? I don't know how much more of this I can take. It's like sleepy hollow around here.

How many more days till school starts again?

No Sh*t?

So I'm having a conversation yesterday with a woman about dogs. The conversation inevitably lead to dog droppings in the yard, which in my house, are lovingly referred to as "land mines". She told me about a service that will actually come to your house to pick up your dog poop.

What? Really?

I have 3 dogs and I don't know about this? A company from Quincy, MA called, DoodyCalls has been "keeping Massachusetts clean since 2003".

No sh*t.

DoodyCalls offers it's pooper scooper services to most of Massachusetts and they take pride in scooping that poop. These guys are serious. A quick check on their website assures clients that they will receive the most thorough poop removal services with a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee.

I wonder if they will they pay for my new Manolo Blahnik stilettos if I step in dog poop after they leave?

This is great, I think! DoodyCalls provides affordable services from friendly, uniformed "technician's" who drive branded DoodyCalls trucks. All scooping tools are disinfected between pooper scoopings so animal parasites and disease will not spread and DoodyCall will customize your waste removal services for weekly calls or monthly maintenance plans.

Wow, I never knew poop was big business. I think for a minute about the possibility of this for my yard and then I remember. While a "professional" pooper scooper service, for the owner of 3 dogs and a nice yard, is tempting, I already have 2 DoodyCalls technicians that live in this house. Yeah, and those technitians will be out of school sooner rather than later.

Maybe I will do some research of what the going rate is to scoop some poop and how much to pay per "land mine". Then the kitchen table negotiations can begin. This deal could provide fruitful for all parties involved. I'm beginning to like this idea more and more.

The tough part is going to be convincing them to do it. If money does not motivate them, I don't know what will.

They may think the whole idea just stinks.

Spring Fever

I got it bad.

It's that fever that makes you want to run outside and play in the grass like you were a kid. When the weather is good and the temperatures get hot, the fever is quick to follow. All of a sudden I don't want to go to work, I don't want to cook, I just want to get outside and enjoy the day.

My kids have it too. They are SO done with school. Books and pencils, at this point, been beaten to death and boys and girls and summer fun is all they can concentrate on. But finals are fast approaching.

I can't say I blame them as I myself am having a hard time concentrating. And the experts believe it too. Some say that after a winter of near-hibernation (not really) your body stops producing high levels of melatonin, which govern your sleep-wake cycles. Longer periods of daylight cause the body to produce less melatonin and more serotonin which elevates your mood.

Try explaining that to a bunch of "all done with school" teens. I bet none of you feel much like blogging these days. Not when the beach is calling.

Either way, there's still work to be done and none of us feel like doing it.

We got the fever.

Summer Has Arrived!

And it's about freakin' time.

Well, well, well, our good friend summer had decided to make an appearance after it's long hibernation. What will this summer bring us? I hope long glorious days spent enjoying the beauty of the great outdoors.


We here at the Daily Dandy are kicking off the festivities tonight with a BBQ with some friends and their kids. We are rolling old school too. Burgers, hot dogs, some steak tips and chicken. We'll have potato salad and corn on the cob, our good friend Budweiser, Carona (for those with a taste for cervesa) and I got me some Skinny Girl Margarita's.

There is nothing like the smell of the food cooking on the grill to put you in that summer mode. I hope the mosquitoes don't show up, but I will be prepared. Tonight we will christen our lovely fire pit and roast marshmallows and make smores and hopefully someone will come equip with some funny jokes. Joke and liquor are just like peas and carrots.

No room for winter tonight. No siree, it's all summer all weekend long.


BUT WAIT...there is but one lonely remnant of winter poking itself into my summer celebration plans. A reason to still root for winter's last hurrah. Our Boston Bruins will be home tonight to take on the Tampa Bay Lightning with the winner advancing to the Stanley Cup Finals against Vancouver.

We haven't been there since 1990.

Wouldn't it be the icing on the cake tonight to see our boys advance? With some good friends and some good food and booze? It could possibly be a "where where you?" moment and we are set to make history. So if you happen to be a hockey fan watching the game tonight, say a little prayer for the boys in black and gold.

Have a great weekend bloggers! Happy summer kickoff!

The Loss Of My Good Friend $Bill

I went to the beach yesterday. We had a great time. I took my daughter, (my son is away at camp) and we met my cousin and her children at Nantasket Beach in Hull, MA. It was an awesome beach day. The sun was shining, the temps were in the 80's and all was well. My cousin expertly packed a cooler full of good stuff; sandwich meats, bread, fresh fruit, Doritos, Fritos, soda, water, juice bags and other assorted snacks. We had lunch and spent the afternoon fighting the rising tide. You would think that we had everything we needed for a perfect day right at our finger tips. Almost everything.

Across the street from the beach parking lot there is a board walk with lots of ice cream stands, gift shops and clam shacks. So what's a trip to Nantasket beach without an ice cream cone to complete the day? And I always say,"When in Rome...". We decided the time for ice cream had come, so I wrapped a towel around my waist, put on my flip-flops and went up to the car to grab some money. I took a $20 dollar bill from my wallet, and since I was wearing a bathing suit, flip flops and towel, I folded the $20 and put it into the bra of my bathing suit for safe keeping.

Yes I did. This is something I have done a thousand times before.

I stooped at the bath house to go to the bathroom, washed my hands and as I was staring into the mirror, I noticed the money just barely peeking out of the top of my bathing suit, securely. I came out, met the group and off we went to get the summer treat. We walked a mere 1/4 of a mile to the ice cream stand and when I got there I reached down for the $20 dollar bill and it was GONE!!!!!!
I know it wasn't lost in the top of my bathing suit because there was no hiding anywhere in that suit, so I un-wrapped my towel to see if it had somehow fallen in between, but there was no such luck. It was then that I realized that it must have fallen out somewhere between the bath house and the ice cream shack and that with all the people walking around I could be more than sure that someone had picked it up in the few minutes since I made the walk over.

Now I know what you're thinking, no big deal, right? Yeah, there were a few moments of the "no big deal" thinking going through my head, but those were quickly replaced with feelings of complete loss. I was pissed. I was more pissed at myself for being so irresponsible. What a dumb-ass!! Granted, I had more money in the car, and that on the walk back to the car the lost money was no where to be found, but I couldn't help feel bad about it. What would I tell my daughter? What kind of example am I as a mother??? Most of all I missed my friend, Mr. $20 dollar bill.

We got the ice cream, but somehow it wasn't as good as should have been and I couldn't get my mind off my good friend $Bill. I though about $Bill while I swam with the kids in the big waves and rode the surf, laughing. I thought about $Bill as we watched an awesome Tall Ship (they were in Boston over the weekend) sail by on the horizon. I thought about $Bill as we sunbathed and my cousin and I told funny stories to our kids about our childhood. I thought about $Bill as I watched an old man in dirty, tattered clothing retrieving bottles and cans from the trash bin and I suddenly realized that $Bill was probably in a better place.

I decided that I didn't need to beat myself up over my irresponsibility any longer. Maybe $Bill became someone else's good friend. It's possible $Bill helped someone through a tough time or provided them with an essential they needed. Maybe $Bill fed a hungry child or made someone happy. I can live with that. I wont think about the other possibilities. I'll just think about my good friend $Bill doing Gods work, helping someone in need. It's the best way to deal with the loss of such a good friend.

Im F*cked!

"No more pencils

No more books

No more teacher's dirty looks

School's out forever
School's out for summer

School's out with fever

School's out completely"

From Alice Cooper's , "School's out for the Summer "

Today's the day! Yahoo, my kids will say.

Sleeping late and being lazy.

Oh my goodness! Let's drive mom crazy.

Mom, I ain't reading. Mom, I ain't writing.

Mom, in this summer break, I am delighting.

Would you look away from my mess on the floor?

I'm on vacation, and could you please shut my door?

The freedom is limitless, the possibilities, no end.

Mom, can you spare a few 20's to spend?

A job, this summer? Surely, you jest.

For it's your money spending, that I do the best.

Drive me here, then pick me up too.

And make it snappy, cuz I got things to do.

Yes, mom I'll read and write this summer, on that you can rely.

Texting meets all those requirements, so I'll keep a steady supply.

Can I go to the beach?

I'm going to the mall.

We are just at Dana's house.

Do I really have to call?

Golf is life, so get me to the course on time.

Drop me off here, mom really, I'm fine.

I'll spend the day getting my game on track,

then I'll call you when I'm done...(Now get off my back).

Empty coke cans litter the once clean family room.

Dirty dishes in the sink and the cups, they are strewn.

Filthy socks on the floor, next to towels still wet.

Yes, mom I'll pick it up, but I haven't just yet.

The mall, some cash, eighteen holes and a cart.

The fleecing of mom and her guy, we've got down to an art.

Enjoying the freedom, just being a kid.

How can we blame them? It's just what we did.

I don't begrudge them the freedom. I'm glad they, from school, have a break.

I'm just kind of worried about how much of them I can take.

"I want to be lazy" they exlaimed, citing the hard work in school which they said really sucked.

So you can see, like I said, Holy s*it, now I'm f*ucked!

I'm Doing Flips For My Flops

It's that wonderful time of year when the shivers of winter are but a mere memory and the warmth of the season casts it's alluring spell on us all. And from this day forward, rain or shine, I will be wearing my flip flops, exclusively. Flip flops make me happy and nothing is more freeing than the prospect of existing in a climate where flip flops are a pre-requisite. No summer footwear is more adored or coveted than the versatile flip flop but, as with any thing that is truly pleasurable, they come with a bit of controversy.

The nay sayers (experts) warn that wearing these innocent little rubber soles with a thong can be dangerous. They are said to offer "no support" and can put a significant strain on the lower back, the achilles tendon, and result in shin splints and/or twisted ankles. I have even heard horror stories about the perils of descending a flight of stairs while wearing flip flops. Experts warn that flip flops are best worn on sandy beaches and for short stints only.

I say, NO WAY! Let's look at the flip side of these flops. (see what I did there?)A one time personal trainer, Marcia Kilgore, designed a flip flop that is said to help women and men to tone and trim the legs just by wearing them while running every day errands. The result; The FitFlop. Medical research has proven that wearing FitFlops can actually eliminate the strain and stress on the lower back by realigning the force of the body while while walking and testimonials repeatedly show that FitFlop wearers have seen a reduction in foot and back pain, some by as much as 50 percent.

Sign me up! They retail, starting at $50-$60, and come in many styles and colors for both men and women. I will admit to seeing them on people whilst out and about and can report that FitFlop wearers are FitFlop lovers. Not the most fashion forward looking shoe, but it does have an athletic appeal and I'm thinking I will take the plunge into the world of floppy fitness!

For today, the temps will be nearing 90 degrees (what happened to Spring?) and rest assured, my feet will be well "flipped" out with the newest addition to my flip flop family.

Can you blame me? What's a little back pain between friends?

VACATION: Over and out!!

It's back to school time and summer vacation is over and out. Time to get up early every day, get dressed, brush your teeth and trudge off to school. My kids are like every other kid whom is heading back to school with a mixture of excited anticipation and dread; bummed out. The reality is that summer vacation is really over. The easy, lazy days of summer spent on a beach or at a pool, wearing flip flops and making smores on an open fire are gone. The pictures, put into a folder marked Summer 2008, have already joined the ranks in the memories of my mind. We still have the good weather to remind us that the transition from summer vacation to school schedule will be gentle as the seasons change, but the cold mornings waiting for the bus warn us of what is coming.
The good thing is that there is a certain feeling of renewal that accompanies going back to school. It is a time of new beginnings. My kids set goals for their academic aspirations and we start anew. New clothes, new books, binders, backpacks, shoes, and friends. Fall sports begin along with new sports seasons and the promise of what is to come is refreshing. Fashions change and fashionistas follow with their new looks. The weather changes from hot and humid to cool and crisp and some begin to think about wiping the slate clean. For the kids, homework is inevitable. Like death and taxes, homework is the only constant. The kids are good about it even though there are about 20 million other things that they would rather be doing, they know in my house it is a prerequisite for life. I also feel the renewal of back to school, a definite push to get my ducklings in a row and begin the next chapter in my life. This feeling of renewal breeds hope and leads me to believe that anything is possible. I guess in a way, back to school is about taking a journey. The people and the roads they take are always different but the journey that takes us to self realization is the same. Life is a great educator that way.

Beachin' it

I went to Nantasket beach in Hull yesterday with all the good intentions of a relaxing summer outing. And it was..My friend Lisa, her daughter Alex and myself piled the beach chairs into the back of her loaner Volvo station wagon and off we went. The ride was pleasant, going thru historic Hingham and its mix of new and old sprawling architecture with perfectly manicured landscapes containing summer's color blooms abound. It was a bright and happy feeling. I hadn't been to Nantasket since I was a kid and the anticipation of what I would find once there was intriguing. Once we reached the seaside town of Hull, we immediately felt the presence of the beach. Its not something that I could smell or see, it was more of a feeling that I had made it. This was it. We turned the corner onto Nantasket Ave., the boardwalk of sorts on the beach shore and immediately parked at the first parking lot, lured by the cheap $3.00 parking fee. Parking spaces were abundant and we pulled into a space near a small bath house and the ramp to the beach. Lisa and I spent the pleasant car ride discussing one of our favorite topics, food. By the time we reached the beach it was not summer beach squatting were interested in. No, we had begun the beach foreplay with discussions of food and now we were ravenous. Alex went directly to the beach equip with only her towel and her ipod and no interest in food, while Lisa and I set out on our hunt for lunch. Nantasket beach, the one of my childhood, used to be sprawling mecca of action with a big amusement park, (Paragon Park) penny arcades, ice cream shops and clam shacks aligning the coast line to bring in the tourists. What I saw yesterday was a bit eye opening. With Paragon Park long gone to make way for what was at one time brand new beach side housing, I saw most buildings in disrepair and abandoned shops boarded up almost as if in shame. There were two or three trendy restaurants that looked oddly out of place among the chipped paint and boarded up shops that just didn't make it along the boardwalk. There were a few arcades open, ice cream shops, convienience stores and a pizza joint all with walk up service. We immediately headed for the sign reading PIZZA. The glass case holding scrumptious large pizza pies to view proved to be too much to resist so Lisa and I ordered a slice of pepperoni each and complained to each other about the three to four minute wait for the slice to be re-heated. Once we piled on the accoutrement's for the enormous slice, we crossed the street and sat on the closest picnic table on the boardwalk-lest we would have to wait a second longer to eat- in full view of the ocean. The summer sun was warm and relaxing and we enjoyed our pizza and the local sights. Then, in plain view for all to see, a older man, probably in his early 70's in pretty good shape, god bless him, wearing super short, tight candy apple red running shorts and not much else, rolled down dangerously low to reveal his tan line and quite prominently the crack of his BUTT. Lisa commented it was enough to make you loose your appetite, although judging by the empty paper plates in front of us it held no effect on ours. Once we made it to the beach, chairs and beach bags in hand, we were ready to sit and enjoy the rest of the day. The relaxing breeze and the hush of the waves provided the perfect backdrop for the book I was reading. Occasionally I would glance up to observe the children crying and playing, the seagulls, the brightly colored beach toys on the hard matted down sand and the people who had all come to enjoy a day at the beach. The tide was out and the blue water calm only for the white crest of a few waves coming into the shore. I was content and although I was disappointed at the changes that had occurred around the beach, sitting on the the sand looking out at the water was what the trip was all about. There is a soul renewing that takes place when you sit on a beach, humbled by the splendor of the ocean. All life's problems and earlier observations become insignificant and the lure of the water takes over, a baptism of sorts. It is renewal in the simplest of forms. Chicken soup for all the souls and I left my beach odyssey full of hope and a renewed spirt. I had experienced a wonder of the world that day and been part of it just by sitting on my beach chair. It was so simple. Most of the good things in life are.