A day at the beach

It's my birthday and, so far, all I've done is spent the day at the beach.  I can't think of a better way to spend a birthday.  If I can put out of my mind that this birthday welcomes me to the senior discount at IHOP.  If I can put out of my mind that my body in a bathing suit on the beach frightens small children.  If I can put out of my mind that walking up and down the beach ain't as easy as it used to be.  And you know what?  I can put all that out of my mind and enjoy my day.  (thanks vodka)

I'm lovin' my birthday.  I left home on Friday and got down to Daytona Beach on Saturday afternoon.  Today was my first FULL day on the beach and it was a perfect day.  I've got a few pink spots where I went a bit too light on the spf to prove it.  What is it about the sand, surf, salty breeze and the smell of coconut suntan lotion to relax a body down to jello.

It was great to people watch on the beach.  Evidently everybody (and by everybody I mean every shape, age, gender and species) believes they look better with a tattoo (and by a tattoo I mean a BUNCH of tattoos).  It was fun to look at the young people on the beach and watch them walk their young, taut bodies up and down the beach.  It reminded me of Catherine Morland in Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey.  I imagine Catherine walking arm and arm with her friend, Isabella Thorpe around the ballroom a half-dozen times or more in the upper rooms in Bath as I watch the teenage girls parade up and down the beach in their bikinis.  Of course Catherine wouldn't have dared exposed an ankle, but those dresses in the Romantic era certainly enhanced a lady's northern-most charms.  Instead the 17 year-old girls parade up and down the beach in the most daring bikinis and as with Catherine and Isabella, the desired attention is attracted.  What?  Doesn't EVERYONE think about Jane Austen when they're at the beach?

Tonight my husband is treating me to dinner out on the town.  After watching a beach-full of lithe, athletic bodies all day long, I think I should give up eating altogether, but, of course, I won't.  I'll eat shrimp and fish and any seafood option I can find.  Seriously, who doesn't want to eat seafood when they are at the beach?  Maybe it would be a good idea to take a brisk walk before dinner to work up an appetite?  Maybe.

The best thing I can say about this birthday is that I'm on vacation (for TWO weeks) and the worst thing I can say about this birthday is that I don't have internet connection in my room.  (I have to go down to the bar to connect.  there are so many ways this is going to be dangerous.  if the blog sounds a little loopy, well, now you know why.)

I'm looking forward relaxing in a major way on this vacation.  I'm also hoping to teach my son how to cook pasta from 820 miles away.  And, maybe I'll give the beach a walk up and down more than a few times while I'm here.  I brought a camera with me.  I hope I use it.  :)

226.  The beach
227.  The sound of the surf on the beach
228.  The great way sand feels as you squish your toes into it
229.  Meeting nice people on the beach
230.  Sunshine and an umbrella on the beach
231.  Jumping into waves and not getting knocked over
232.  Falling asleep in a beach chair
233.  Wifi at the hotel bar

Photo source