Sunbathing

The thing I hate about sunbathing is having to lie on my front.  I can never get comfortable.  Even if I use a towel under my head.  Invariably my arms and neck feel twisted. As dedicated as I am to the enterprise it is for only minutes that I can hold that intolerable position.

The way around this irritation - assuming one wants to get a tan - is to go bicycling.  Today for example my caculated maneuver was to cycle out (down the beach) at midday with the sun in my face then cycle back with the sun at my back.

Hang onto your hat!

Considering that for the past month and a half since our arrival on Daytona Beach Shores I've hardly stratched the surface of verifiable industry (assuming one doesn't count cycling on the beach or lounging by the pool) it must sound a stretch to suggest that I've had a hectic day. But that is precisely how I feel! From the moment of my awakening this morning before 6:30 am I've been going non-stop.  It is now almost 9:30 pm and I am just coming up for air. As usual I resort to the cathartic relief of a memorandum to get myself in line once again.

Off-beach

When we're in our southern winter habitat it isn't often I choose to spend the day doing anything other than cycling on the beach or lying in the sun. However we were expecting a delivery this morning between 9:45 - 11:45 am. Knowing this I resolved to sit tight for the morning to await its arrival.  As I prepared and ate my breakfast I pondered what I would do for the remainder of the day.  The weather was less than brilliant so that alone diluted my customary drive to be out-of-doors.  By degrees I was persuading myself to go for a drive in the car if for no other reason than to give my leg muscles a break from the routine of cycling. I find the repetitious exercise precipitates tightness in my lower limbs. Though I attempt moderate stretching it never really does the trick.  Parenthetically I am munching on turmeric every morning on the advise of my middle-aged hair stylist who assures me that it worked to eliminate her arthritis.  It is useless to canvass the supportive assurances which abound on the internet.  My stylist convinced me when she reiterated that she had tried everything from pain killers to glucosamine without improving results.  I figure, it's worth a try!

Among other things...

A cosmopolitan veneer is for some an ambition having as it does the gloss of suavity and polished urbanity.  It comes however at a price. What one gains in sophistication one loses in focus (or what others may stigmatize as parochialism). I rather style the insularity as manageable appreciation.  The plain fact of the matter is that if I spread myself too thin I threaten to dissolve into the ether.  By remaining local I am able to detect not just the lustre but also the substance of what I perceive.  It takes time and experience to insinuate the depths of one's environment. Forgive me but having an exciting and glamorous international character doesn't in my books translate into absorption. I am not convinced that multi-cultural or well-travelled people are of necessity more sophisticated or refined.  There can be lots going on but nothing happening.

Sunny Saturday Cycle

In the middle of the night I had checked the weather forecast.  Sunny skies were predicted.  Knowing this made me restive as the dawn began to break into my bedroom early this morning. Although we have an uninterrupted agenda of beachside living for the next 4½ months I nonetheless greedily embrace the alloted time for fear of missing an opportunity.  By degrees in my inert state I rationalized that I would get up soon, prepare myself for the day, have my usual breakfast of orange slices and protein then get on my bicycle.  I imagined that it could all be done by noon at the latest.

3703 S Atlantic Ave Daytona Beach Shores to 2727 N Atlantic Ave Daytona Beach FL USA

By entire coincidence I cycled today from our apartment at 3703 S Atlantic Ave in Daytona Beach Shores to 2727 N Atlantic Ave in Daytona Beach.  The coincidence is that the unintended destination was where  - ten months ago - we first met the real estate broker who consummated the contract for our rental apartment here.  I recognized the building as I approached it along Atalantic Avenue (A1A) which I maintained as my route throughout the journey, there and back, because the tide was so high and the beach was virtually impassable. According to Mr. Google the distance between the 2 points along that coastal route is 9.1 miles which is a far greater distance than I would have imagined traveling when I set out on my bike at eleven o'clock this morning.  Perhaps it was because yesterday I was rooted inside the apartment for the entire day preoccupied with a particular legal issue and - most importantly - it had been raining on and off throughout the day.  Besides the day before I had cycled about ten miles to and from Ponce Inlet and I felt it wouldn't hurt to take a day off so to speak.  Even though the weather was cloudy today - and there appeared to be a possibility of rain - I decided to bicycle in any event because I was in need of the expiation not to mention the exercise, rain or shine.  To be cautious I sported a shell I had bought last year on Hilton Head Island.  Even though it never rained the temperature was cool enough to merit the jacket in any event so I was glad to have had it.

Business as Usual

I have become embroiled in a potentially burgeoning controversy involving a former client of mine. I stress that I have been contacted as a friend, not consulted as a lawyer. When I was still working we both fell under the heading of friends and solicitor/client. Though I continue to be a member in good standing of the Law Society of Upper Canada I am prohibited to provide legal advice because I no longer maintain Errors and Omissions Insurance (other than so-called "run-off" insurance for retired lawyers) through the Lawyers' Professional Indemnity Company. Accordingly my participation in this matter is restricted to listening and a discussion of possible practical solutions which have no bearing on recondite legal rights or obligations.  By contrast I cannot deny my interest in the legal parameters.

En plein soleil

The skies were clear this morning. When I perched at the end of the long dining room table to sip my black coffee and eat my succulent Navel orange slices the sun was dazzling across the sea. I consulted the Tide Chart as usual.  And the weather.  The high tide was at 10:08 am and the wind was 6 mph from the northeast. For the next hour I preoccupied myself with perusal of email and the news on BBC and CNN in addition to preparing my customary conglomerate of protein (today it was ham, hamburger, bacon, eggs and American cheese slices).

Contract Day

It was a rainy and uninviting day on the beach here today.  Just as well as we had two preoccupying meetings - one in the morning to view a prospective rental unit for our hibernation next year; and another in the afternoon to sign a rental contract for another unit we had already seen several days ago and about which we were already determined.  Both meetings went well.  The morning meeting confirmed our prior expectations about the place; namely, that we would not be convinced to seek to secure its rental.  The building did not speak to us and the unit was smaller than we prefer (and less well maintained and outfitted). The owners (who are from West Virginia) were extremely pleasant, both professionals who fled from Communist Romania years ago and who have since successfully proven their compatability with capitalism.

In the works!

Lingering in Florida next to the Atlantic Ocean for the winter is for the most part a lethargic enterprise. Whenever I have anything to do other than bicycle on the beach or swim in the pool, I sense a moderate imposition. The obtrusion could be something bordering on work or drudgery like grocery shopping, getting my teeth cleaned or - as I did today - having my hair cut (something I confess I actually relish though it is still an obligation).  In fact the day started with a commercial bang at eight o'clock this morning when Bruno arrived to examine the oven and outdoor barbecue, both of which have been malfunctioning more or less. In view of my haircut appointment at 1:00 pm I decided to forgo any attempt at an early morning bike ride - in spite of the glorious sunshine - and chose instead to take the car to Sparkle-N-Shine Car Wash in Ormond Beach.  Washing the car is also something I enjoy if the truth be known. It's a good thing I set aside over an hour for that particular project because, aside from the fact that it takes about 25 minutes to get there, when I arrived there was a line-up and the attendant asked whether I could spare 30 minutes (which I said I could).