Had a nice day yesterday though I didn't think I would. It was my sister's birthday and my mom called me a couple days before to ask if I wanted to get together with them for a lunch. My sister ended up deciding she wanted to spend the day outside since she really enjoys being out and doesn't get to often. So, she picks the location of a small little county park/beach. This is exactly the kind of thing I don't like to do normally - I am hyper sun sensitive and have suffered 2nd degree burns from 20 minutes in the sun here - and, a day like yesterday when I was full-out with cramps and backpain, hanging out at a beach seemed like hell.

Well, first, the weather turned out to be really nice. It was in the upper 70's and we stayed under a pavilion the whole time and was cool enough in the shade that I put on a long-sleeved shirt over my tee and shorts. Second, the two Alieve and two Motrin (which I took a couple hours apart) kept me relatively pain-free. Third, the ladies room was surprisingly clean and close by. Fourth, we just had a nice time. My mom picked up me up, we ran to her place to get the food and cake and met them there like 3pm. (We were over an hour late.) We had sandwiches and then cake and my sister opened her presents. I took a bunch of pictures and my mom pulled out her video camera. My mom, my sister, my mom's mom (who we call "Nanny" instead of grandmother), my sister's best friend and I made up the group. We laughed and talked and just generally had a nice afternoon.

Before we left, my mom took us to this boardwalk which runs along the non-beachy area of the little key and across the natural preserve area. It was really quite pretty. At the end of the walk is a little covered look-out which oversees the water. My mom took this picture of me standing leaning against the railing:

click pic for larger version

The rest of the shots I took of the scenery - which was actually really pretty - can be found here: A Day at the Beach (page1) and here: A Day at the Beach (page2).

After we left the beach, my sister opted to drive me back home so I got to ride in her new Miata (which is so cute) and even though the sun was setting and the air was really nippy, we drove with the top down anyway. We stopped at her house first and she gave me like a dozen lipsticks and lipstick liners (she sells Avon stuff on the side and had ordered tons of things over the last couple months that just didn't look in person like they did in the catalogue, and she hadn't used them and wasn't going to, so I made out!) and then we headed back in time for her to give a quick visit with Kush-ka, then head out in time for my Love and I to watch the new episode of West Wing.

It was a pretty nice day. :)

~ flowers bloom near Memory and Dream at 4/3/2003 02:13:58 PM ~ ~