For the last few years, we’ve been taking one-week vacations in July in the mountains and the beach in September. Our beach vacations have always been active, pool twice a day, and swimming in the ocean, for me, at least once a day and often twice a day.
We have been less active the last couple of years. This year we didn’t go to the pool once. Aloma’s hip is bothering her and she didn’t venture out except for lunch at a couple of our favorite restaurants. I walked the beach a few times and went swimming in the ocean twice. In past years, I’ve had problems getting out of the ocean after a swim because of the wave action and soft sand. The surf was moderate this year and I didn’t expect any problems. Wrong. I fell and had to scoot back into deeper water so I could stand up again. I tried again and had the same problem but a man came over, grabbed my arm, and helped me to shore. I’m embarrassed.
Our main activity was sitting on our balcony, fifth-floor, oceanfront, and watching the ocean and the people. We saw a group of about 30 people holding hands and swaying to music (not exactly social distancing); a group of about 12 young women drinking and getting sillier and sillier until one couldn’t walk without falling; a tall, blond, female lifeguard with a drop-dead body that fogged my binoculars every time I looked at her; a young couple bringing their eight-month-old baby to the beach for the first time. Our best ocean scene was a school of fish that darkened the ocean as they swam south and would create ripples in the ocean when a bird would try to pick one off.
Maybe my best moment on our vacation was when a waitress called me a young man while taking my order. Later, when she brought our check, I asked her to repeat two words she said to me earlier. She said, “I’m glad you enjoyed your meal, young man.” She got a big tip.
We hope we have a few more years of mountain and beach vacations.
Seasoned Man
stevelem117@gmail.com
