Beach-Happy

Even in the midst of anxiety- and angst-inducing situation and activity, I am smiling and I feel like Champagne — little bubbles are starting at my toes and tickling their way upward.

Why? Because I'm beach-happy. It's kind of like being slap-happy, except that I've been "slapped" by being at the beach.

I took a walk today, longer and harder than any of the (extremely few lately) walks I've taken in Houston. There are no hills in Houston. I walked the seven-or-so-story stairway down the bluff to the beach, then walked along the soft sand wayyyy out to the firmer sand. Then I played tag with the waves because it was almost high tide and the water kept changing the edge of the firm sand. I took pictures of waves. I watched the people and dogs enjoying the sun and sand and waves. I watched the waves. And I just couldn't stop smiling. 

You might think that means I should really be living at the beach, and I couldn't say you're wrong. But note that I am ecstatic on a sunny day at the beach. I am emphatically not ecstatic on a gray, windy, wet day at the beach, except on occasion. 

If I could live anywhere I wanted and had the money/income/ situation to do so, I would live at the beach, but I would probably move further south. Supposedly it is warmer and less gloomy on the southern Oregon Coast ... I've never been there. And I've never been on the East Coast beaches.

I have things to do in Houston; I am not ready to leave there. However, I can easily see myself continuing to live and work in Houston, and visiting the Oregon Coast throughout the stormy parts of the year (the Autumn storms are amazing) and living here all summer, because summer is hell in Houston.

Being at the beach, in good weather or during torrential storms, makes me very, very happy. Which is why I feel like a cross between a grinning fool and a very fine bottle of Champagne.

Important Safety Tips

Apparently it's possible to get too much sun and too much heat down here in Houston-land. Who knew? Okay, I just forgot. I figured it out halfway thru my first summer here (after making myself ill several times), but last summer I was in much cooler climes and forgot I guess.

So today it hit triple digits and I went for a walk in my park. I was under the trees. I had 3/4 of a bottle of water.

Not enough. About 2/3 of the way thru my walk, I was feeling kind of ill and tired and like I didn't know if I could make it to the car but knew that I had no other options. And I felt silly. I'd drunk a lot of water — I could hear and feel it sloshing in my stomach as I walked. But it wasn't enough.

When I got into the car, my face was brilliantly red (about as red as my hair is currently) and I thought I had a world-class sunburn, despite my having sunscreen on and being under the trees. And no color on my non-sunscreened arms.

After about 10 minutes in a highly air-conditioned car, my face was almost back to normal and I was feeling a little better. A large iced tea helped. But I stayed queasy most of the evening, despite the tea and two or maybe three more bottles of water. Ugh.

My BFF chewed me out. So from now on: carry my sun hat in the car; carry a couple of extra bottles of water (I have a small cooler and can put blue ice in with the water); don't go for a walk in triple-digit weather.

Now that I've learned that lesson, I'm heading back to cooler climes for a couple of weeks. Of course. But I think I'll remember this time when I return. I really hate feeling that ill.

Semi-Random

I'm finally coming out of the fog of that shock and initial grief. I don't remember much from the first few days after Mom died, and I've spent most of the past three weeks kind of floating, unable to accomplish anything.

But on Thursday, I feel like I woke from a sound sleep. The sun was shining. I accomplished tasks. I went outside. Since then I have felt aware.

I feel desperate for a recent picture of my mom, and for the sound of her voice. I've dialed her phone number just to hear her message. Kind of pathetic, but who cares. I want to find a way to record it so I can listen when I need to.

Welcome the longest day of the year!

In the Northern Hemisphere, the Summer Solstice begins on June 21, 2009 at 1:45 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time. That would be 10:45 p.m. for the folks on the West coast, 12:45 p.m. in Houston.

Woo hoo!

Texas is Big, Fast, and Hot: Oh Baby!

You’ve heard the phrase “everything’s bigger in Texas,” right? Well, there are a lot of SUVs and pickups on the road; I find I am actually experiencing truck envy! At the Fort Davis national park the other day, there were seven cars other than mine: a pickup, a van, a jeep, and four SUVs. But I’ve also seen small imports too, even some with Texas license plates. So I guess it’s also legal to be small in Texas. And I have not seen excessive portion sizes in the food, for which I’m grateful. The meals I’ve had, here and in Las Cruces, which is just over the border in NM, have been reasonable. A bit more than I needed, but reasonable. But there is definitely a lot of land in Texas. And to cover all that land, you cannot just poke along.

In order to move quickly from one oasis to another, traffic moves quickly on Texas interstates, but so far not crazy-fast like they drive in California (I’ve heard that changes once you hit one of the cities). During today’s drive, I noticed that most people were simply driving the speed limit: 80 mph for autos and 70 for trucks and trailers. (It’s 65 at night for both—isn’t that intelligent? Why don’t more states have a lower speed limit after dark?) I have found that while my car shimmies a bit at 70 to 72 or so, it is smooth as cream at 80. And at 90, which I accidently hit a couple of times today. Oops. But the highway was so straight and long….

There is a lot of desert in Texas, which correlates to hot daytime temps for the most part. It did get pretty cold in Fort Davis yesterday when it was cloudy, which wasn’t so great for my cold; I stayed in during the afternoon and slept. The nights have been rather chilly; that may change as I get further into the state, or if I drive south. But mostly I have experienced sun and heat, my two prerequisites. And those warm, friendly people.

So far, Texas meets this girl’s needs!

Closer to the Sky

On my trip, I have been in several high-altitude places: Zion National Park (4000 to 8726 ft above sea level), Bryce Canyon (9115 ft!), Canyon de Chelly (5500 to 7000 ft), Monument Valley (5200 ft), and now Fort Davis (5274 ft). Actually, it’s McDonald Observatory (6800 ft) that is the high point near Fort Davis. And all of these places have had little light pollution, or at least much less than I am used to. Even with the hotel lights. They have also all been deserts.

I feel lucky that I have been in an area where I could see the Jupiter-Venus-moon conjunction. It was stunning. Unfortunately, I missed being in Fort Davis on Tuesday, when the moon was still a thin crescent. When I go to the Star Party on Friday, the moon will obscure some of the fainter stars. (I had to put off my travel Tuesday due to getting a nasty cold. Thanks to Zicam, I am doing decently.)

The stars look closer. The sun feels closer. The sky looks bigger, wider, bluer. I feel transported to a foreign land; I guess I am. Because the American Southwest is a very different land from the Pacific Northwest. The racial demographics and interactions are completely different. The biogeography is different. The air smells different.

It’s good, this difference. I like being closer to the sky. Maybe I am moving closer to the Skye, as well.