Transandentalism

Read an interesting phrase recently.  Au milieu de l'hiver, j'ai découvert en moi un invincible été.  Actually, I read it on a back tattoo.  Which got me thinking.  All this "end of times" talk had gotten me down.  Damn the Mayan prophecy and their catchy flute music - or is that the Incas.  Anyway,  I was going through withdrawals.  I needed some spiritual replenishment.  So, I took my female child to my secret beach.  And had a picnic.  She had two thermoses of chicken noodle soup and I had a bagel.  It was a brisk 73 degrees, but in the sun, it felt like a balmy 74.  There were even plenty of surfers to entertain.  The beach's beachiness was full of beachitude.  If you have the means, I highly recommend it.  It was a perfectly, rejuvenating afternoon.  Oh yeah, and that phrase from above translates as:  In the depths of winter I finally learned there was in me an invincible summer.  Thanks Camus.  And thanks girl child for going with me.

Not an ashtray.

Oh, the inhumanity....

Left work early (no loss), to head to the beach with the family during the 1 of 3 warm days we've actually had this summer.  We procured picnic supplies from Bay Cities Deli (yay, The Godmother - what a hero), and proceeded to freeze while eating along the beach.  Needless to say the water was a wee bit chilly.  The kids, finally, rose to the occasion and put their MB boogie boarding skills to work.  We did see a porpoise feeding frenzy (and didn't have to pay for a boat ride), a sea lion surfing the breakers, and a sand crab (no,not my wife, ba dum bum).

List Monday - Favorite Beaches that i've been to

1. St. John's - idyllic north shore
2. Santorini - black sand beach
3. Cabo - luxury at Esperanza
4. Paradise Island, Bahamas - something for everyong
5. Laguna Beach - OC baby

Today, I became my father...

So, I went out and bought myself an anniversary/father's day present:  a hammock.  A fabric slung between two points.  Sounds so geometrical.  That's a big word for a hammock.

I've been wanting one, because it's finally hammock season.  After the morning June gloom burns off, of course.  Nothing like coming home from a hard day at my secret beach (which apparently isn't much of a secret on a Sunday), playing many rounds of smash ball with Josh, and laying in a new hammock.

There was some trial and error initially.  My first attempt at mounting the slinged one found my butt solidly on terra firma.  I had to tighten up the links.  Now, we're good.

Hammock.  From the latin for lazy man lying outdoors.  Actually, it's from an Arawakan (Haitian) word for fish net.  Apparently the native Indians were fetishists.

Anyway, it's going to be difficult to keep my Dad out of it when he visits next month.

Update:  Jillybean has already done a 360.  But, thankfully, she's all good.  Cubby, too, likes chillin' in the sling.

List Monday

Top 10 Things about being in the Bahamas

1. 
   
   Soft sandy beaches with crystal clear turquoise waters
2. 
   
   Pools with crazy slides
3. 
   
   Fruity drinks
4. 
   
   Bahama breezes
5. 
   
   kiddos having a blast
6. 
   
   playing with dolphins
7. 
   
   Fried Conch
8. 
   
   Lazy river ride with rapids...
9. 
   
   ....and waves
10. 
    
    Not being in an earthquake.
    
    

    

    
    

5 Corpulent Porpoises

Josh has been spending his vacay memorizing Groucho Marx's radio announcer memorization game list.

Kids were pretty brave and pysched to swim with the dolphins today.  Our's was named Isis, who was a bit moody, yet kissable......hmm, who does that remind me of?

Atlantis Squarepantis

It's like a screensaver here.

Dusk in the sunshine state

Enjoyed a nice bbq'd briscuit sandwich during our Austin layover. Arrived in FL just in time for a Shake n Steak dinner, just like back in the college days. And back to our zebra themed room at the Sheraton Safari. Could Florida ( or Flo Rid A, as Josh calls it) be any flatter?

Genealogy Wednesday - Invasion of the Malinowitz's

So, my Mother heard from my second cousin, once removed Ruth.  She is my Mother's father's mother's brother's daughter's daughter.  She's 82.  My Great Grandmother (Bubbe Belzie Sternberg) had about 8 brothers and sisters.  We have been able to trace back/down 3 of those siblings.  And surprisingly, they mosty lead to relatives in Israel.  Most likely, the other Sternberg's perished in the holocaust.  Anyway, Ruth was enthusiastic about our Tree-in-progress.  Suddenly, I have about 22 additional third cousins.  It helps when one couple has 13 kids on their own.  A baker's dozen.

I was driving along the continent's edge yesterday.  The hue of the sea and sky were both this smoky gray/blue so you couldn't tell where the water ended and the atmosphere began.  There was no horizon.  Eerily beautiful.  Wish I had a good picture.


Starting work today.  Will keep you posted.

A day at the beach

Today I renewed my job search with a higher sense of urgency (plus, the kids went back to school today -- freedom, at last).  I am a former stock options market maker, so basically, I am qualified at yelling and waving my arms like a banshee.  Actually, I have an mba, a varied career in commercial banking, trading, and most recently, a stint at helping people with their financial needs while working for Vanguard mutual funds.  Quite frankly, I'm a catch.

Despite this fact, I've already been rejected by the Apple store-after an interview, turned down for a Chik-fil-A franchise, and have not received a single response from PIMCO, a large southern California mutual fund company to which I have applied for multiple jobs.

My only promising lead remaining is at the local Wells Fargo branch, as a personal banker.  So today I sent apps to Chase and Citi.  I sent inquiries to a dessert franchise and to a chicken finger restaurant, which I was rejected from before my email was sent.  Chuck Schwab didn't like me either.

So to celebrate my prospects, I took my wife back to yesterday's beach for a picnic of cold fast food.  It's my new happy place.

And now, a short story by Jillian:  Once upon a time, there was an ugly barnacle.  The end.

Winter break recap

It has been a fun-filled Winter break, over way too quickly.  We took the kids, and Cubby, skiing and sledding for the first time.  Jilly took to it like a fish out of snow - a real natural ski bunny.  There's some mixed metaphors.  Josh didn't like hitting the bumps while sledding.  Both realized sledding is only cool until you have climb back up the hill.  And that's a real life metaphor.  Cubby had his Ugg boots on.

We took a trip to Vegas to visit some AZ friends and my old friend...The Strip.  It was surprisingly cold and windy, which hindered our pre-scheduled outdoor activities.  Circus Circus had a cool indoor amusement park for the kiddies.  Missed seeing City Center.  But the craps table was so money.  Oh, and never, ever stay at the Luxor.  As they said in Up in the Air, "Luxor.  That place is a piece of crap.  Nobody stays there."  Funny but true.

We also traveled back to AZ.  Stayed with my folks (nice hanging with the p's)  and the Westin Kierland, also so money.  Saw some old friends, visited some old haunts:  Over Easy, the new LoLo's Chicken & Waffles, North, and Chik-fil-A.  Was weird seeing our old house with renters living there.

Took Jilly to see Alvin and the Chipmunks today.  She gave it a 10.  Her laugh is priceless, but that's 2 hours of my life I won't get back.  Took Josh to the beach today.  Found my new, new favorite SC beach haunt, subject to change.  The Riv.  Easy access, nice neighborhood, clean, remote, not crowded, free parking, nice little break.