Monday, April 16, 2012

Can I Wear Sunburn Before Memorial Day?



The sun rises after 7am over the beach, but shows little light before hand. I met a childhood friend for an early breakfast near downtown Miami on a balcony just as the sun rose.  Eggs, toast, coffee and tropical fruits were followed by a dousing of SPF 50.



We took a long boat ride (motor) with our families in her boat, sandwiches wrapped in foil, and plenty of extra water.  An extra VHF is always a safe bet as well and a pair of American Optics sunglasses (gift from a friend) surprisingly did not fall off into the ocean.

 

After a few hours, we saw a wave runner floating by itself, which always initiates concern.  When I looked closer, two small heads were bobbing in the water getting increasingly distant from their watercraft.  We sped over and saw two girls barely treading water and holding on to their life vests getting pulled away in the current.  We pulled them aboard, and my friend (a Coast Guard officer) began berating them in her expert Spanish for not wearing their vests (in favor of maximizing their tans).  With no medical issues apparent (nothing "beyond first aid") we released the two vapidas to their craft, both of them infuriatingly having  maintained their chewing gum throughout the ordeal, and both still pompously sassy with entitlement despite their exhaustion. If this is our future, it's hopeless.



Later that evening, cigars and rum that was good enough to drink only with ice.


The multi-bedroom spot we've been occupying is far different from the normal Northeastern aesthetic.  While I enjoy temporary stylistic differences, the bare post-deco stainless steel/glass/marble/white everything is an adjustment.  Simple household tasks require endless wiping of surfaces as every water droplet is accentuated.  Children's hand and fingerprints quickly cover every surface and are showcased with rays of sun.  The air temperature and low humidity can be described only as flawless, and the air conditioner has not been turned on at all, with nightlife's noise a small price to pay for open window sleeping.

My temporary office has seen little use, but I am on my third can of sunscreen with my pale Western European flesh barely keeping pace with the vitamin D assault.

Back in Boston, the city is likely clogged with the marathon runners and the legions of smug yuppies who spend hours each day training for these silly races instead of spending time on better things like their families, going out drinking, or hosting/attending parties (I sensibly gave up competitive running in college).

85f forecasted for Boston, and the same in Miami, but the only thing I'm running is a bar-tab.

9 comments:

  1. Barbancourt...the cognac of rums...one of my favorites!

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  2. Don't tell anyone, but I prefer Barbancourt to Mt. Gay, but no venues seem to stock it. I will be ostracized from the regatta community...

    Dark and Stormies in Marblehead seemed a fit way to avoid marathon-mania today...never been a fan of the even myself.

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  3. Excellent. Your Miami excursion sounds awfully fun. I like your descriptions of the inhabitants. However, I would have appreciated photographs of some of the indigenous beach fauna, including the two girls in question, just to get a better idea of the native costume.

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  4. Excellent. Your Miami excursion sounds awfully fun. I like your descriptions of the inhabitants. However, I would have appreciated photographs of some of the indigenous beach fauna, including the two girls in question, just to get a better idea of the native costume.

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  5. Sounds heavenly down there. I'm in full appreciation of your comments on marathons and other such extreme diversions. Sounding like the Titanic-era dinosaur I fear I'm becoming, I rant to people regularly about the times when sport was actually something people did for fun, in the spirit of play, rather than some grim achievement for the greater glory of "numbers."
    Glad I'm not the only one . . .

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  6. The Marathon, Patriot's Day, the start of April vacation week and a Red Sox home game....yesterday was a time that tried my soul.

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  7. Your [real] stories are better than the ones LBF makes up for his blog!

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  8. Hmm.. may I inquire as to the maker of that fine looking seersucker candy stripe button down?

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    Replies
    1. Ralph Lauren. Short sleeved. It has the pony of course (which I could have done without) and I paid no more than $5 at an outlet.

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Let's keep it clean... but if you DO have to get foul, at least give it a bit of wit. Also, advertising disguised as comments will be deleted, unless it is clever.