21.07.2002
feeling kinda
she asked me at the last minute if i'd be willing to go to the Esplanade instead. she was right - i did sound disappointed. but the more important thing was getting to see her, and in the end, it didn't really matter where. and truly, asking her to drive an hour north before driving home (several hours +1) by herself just wasn't fair.
we had a perfectly lovely couple of hours hanging out on the grass, by Arthur Fiedler's head, soaking up sun, catching up, hanging out with another friend of hers, watching all the boats, and generally being indolent. yet somehow, actively watching the Buffy McPrepsters walking with their dogs (i don't think having PoochiePoo tucked under your arm counts as *walking* the dog), buff boys rollerblading by, and generally being entertained by the PeopleParade is inert. there's some energy put into watching and commenting. right?
sis loved her birthday present - blown glass chicken, sweet smelly French soap, and a packet of teacher goodies, like salt with which to take your students, gold stars, and a crown. i love my sis, and have the greatest respect for the fact that she teaches at a high school. god love her for going after her goals.
i wandered down Newbury Street after that, still hoping to find the perfect jelly cupboard for the kitchen. which i didn't. but i checked out Trident, read a Gorey book, and found a cute little basket for the bathroom over at Pottery Barn, as part of the ongoing redecoration. see, i keep a few spare rolls of TP in a basket next to the toilet. the one i've had, not so pretty, but useful. this one is pistachio green, lined with a pretty plaid fabric, and has a lid. i was all excited to find it, as i hadn't really been looking for it. i like shopping surprises.
i'd had some other plans for the evening, which in part keyed on me being on the North Shore. of course, i hadn't gotten any confirmation of said plans. (someone in my office said the other day it's an idea until people agree with you; then it's a plan.) so i'd pretty much made my peace with going home and doing some more work. then! lo and behold! i got The Call!
in an appropriate sort of happening, HimSelf called while i was calling other people and leaving messages. i haven't figured out the call waiting thingie on the cell yet. and when i tried to call back, my service dropped out. *grrr* i am just doomed to have stupid phone moments with Himself. at any rate, we made plans for the evening, and i was giddy happy.
ran home, threw together some things, and jumped back in the car. god, i love driving. i mean, what's better than being able to get yourself to wherever you want? plus, i really, really like my car. and it was sunny. and i had good tunes. of course, if i had thought about it much, i would have known where the statie was parked, and wouldn't have blown past him at 85 mph. fortunately, i was not the fastest person on the road.
ah... happy, happy. checked in with HimSelf, went off to stuff some food in my face, and then went down to the beach. okay, so it's not the greatest beach going. doesn't measure up to where i grew up. but it beats the hell out of what's in town, with a big stick. and i got just what i wanted. i had already started to perk up driving in, past marshes at high tide, smelling the salt and sea. i crave that every so often. missing it makes it all the nicer when you get it. walking down to the water, getting sand between my toes, rediscovering the sensation of soft squooshy sand near the top of the beach and then hitting the cement wet sand, standing knee deep in the ocean and feeling the sand wash away under my heels as the water drew back... bliss. sheer bliss. i stood there in the early evening sun, watching the waves. it may sound boring to you, watching waves. but try it for a bit. there's a whole lot going on. you can see where the waves start to crest as they hit the shallows. sometimes, the waves come in at cross purposes and crash into each other. depending on how the waves break, you might get a wash of foam, or a crash of energy at your feet. i got soaked pretty well by a few of those. and staring at the crest as it falls back into the water - sort of like cream while it's being whipped. or like a fountain, except the water isn't falling just one way. the little rivlets hit the water going back out, and bounce back up. it's mesmerizing. i could have stayed there all night, just watching the ocean.
i didn't, tho. i went back, was ridiculously spoiled, met some neat people, treated myself to a few beers, and had a fantabulous night with HimSelf. best part? i was smart enough to take tomorrow morning off, so i can drive back at my own pace. :)
