This year on the pre-vacation vacation, 6 learned many new
things. Since we are in the “getting ready” phase of our yearly pilgrimage to
paradise this lesson learned is extremely timely. It is lesson for the beach as
well as a life lesson.
Every day at about 1:00 while 4, 4A,6,7 and 8 were sitting
on the beach minding our own business, some lady (we could never figure out her
age) my guess was that she was old, other were thinking she was young and just
had an old husband. BTW that seemed to be the theme there this year old men
with young girls. Would pull her little cart down to the beach, stop right in
front of us, as if we did not exist, and begin to unload her house for the day.
This was an amazing site, first she pulled out an electric drill and proceeded
to drill a hole in the sand for the umbrella, they unfolded her umbrella and
placed it in the hole, filled two bags with sand using a small shovel (not a
plastic one mind you) and fastened them to the umbrella so that it would remain
stable for the day. Then she used that same shovel to level out the area so
that she could put a beach matt down. So now she had created a floor (the matt)
and a roof (the umbrella) and it was time to move in the furniture. First was a
standard old beach chair, then unfolded
her lounge chair, to this day I have never seen anyone bring a chair like that
to the beach! One would think that the setting up of the house would be
complete with the umbrella and the chairs but wait, not so fast, she continued
to pull some amazing things out of that cart. Next came a beach table, and on
that table she put a plate and a glass, if we were closer 6 is sure that she
probably had some silver cutlery. Next came some sort of hanger that she had
made with a Velcro strip that she put around the pool of her umbrella. (Now
that is a good idea!) She took off her shirt and pants then hung them on the
hooks keeping them from falling in the sand. Next as a typical person would do,
she took out a large can of sun block and proceeded to cover herself, as well
as anyone in a 10 block radius with sun screen. At this point we began to think
that she was done because no one could fit that much crap in one little cart.
Well 6 is here to tell you that if you thought that you would be wrong, next
came a towel for the char and yet another for the lounge chair, but wait she
also pulled out a pillow for the lounge chair! Next came the food, not sure
what she had, but he pulled the food out of another container and proceeds to
put it on her plate, followed by a thermos from which she filled her glass. Now
she was ready, she sat in the chair, ate her lunch and read her book. Soon a
flock of seagulls would surround her home, and at that point I think that she
decided to put her food away and move to the lounge chair for a well-deserved
nape. On around 4:00 her husband would show up, sit in the chair for about 5
minutes and then leave, soon after that she would reverse the process and pack
up and call it a day! It was truly an amazing site.
Now you all are by now wondering what this has to do with
anything…. Well let us look at our preparedness for a day at the beach. 10
people all gathering towels, books, iods, phones, sun block, shoes, shirts,
hats, water bottles, tea bottles, beer bottles, wine bottles, cheese, fruit,
samwiches, chairs, bags, shades, etc. We all come down to our spot, dump the
chairs, hang our shirts on the rusty stays of the umbrella, drink hot
water/tea/beer/wine eat sandy cheese, fruit and samwiches and hit the water.
What a difference. At the end of the day 9 people leave 6 with 5 chairs, 10
towels, empty wine bottles, sand filled glasses and a belly full of wine, and a
long lonely walk back to the condo! Oh if I only had a cart!
So on my text this morning, we all said that we are ready,
well I think the lady on the beach was ready, us well who knows.
Words of wisdom: There is no substitute for organization and
readiness.
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