Remember ... summer of EXCESS

Yesterday I went to the beach -- not to the balmy waters of Nantucket -- but the searing cold waters of the N.H. coast. OHMYGOD. It was hot out (excessively so!) and there was no sea breeze. So really the only option was to go into the water to cool off. The problem with that is one step into the water and your body started to freeze. Go numb. How delightful. There were also no waves, so the only way to actually get completely wet was to wade through the water until you got to your waist and then you just had to duck under. Torture. True water torture.

I did it exactly five times. Five times I grit my teeth and ignored the pain of brutally cold water upon my skin ... all in the name of cooling off. Around 6:00 something happened and there was suddenly a breeze off the water. Thank you.

Then once the sun sank behind a house (the unfortunate problem when the sun is not setting in the ocean!) we went for dinner. We had a lovely table overlooking the beach and ocean, and it was a spectacular night. It was a barely waning moon that was twinkling upon the sea ... just lovely. My ride home in the open Jeep was a little ... FRICKING FREEZING! Geesh. When I left Exeter it was 72 degrees ... and that is quite bearable. I had put on a jacket and the heat was on, but it was windy out and my head was getting battered. I put on a hat, but that left a small gap between the middle of my ears to the top of my neck where the wind was hitting! Seriously, it was cold! By the time I drove into my driveway near midnight, it was 63 degrees, and let me tell you, with the wind howling that is just plain EXCESSIVELY cold. What did you say? Put the top up? yeah, right.

I was really tired and anxious to go to bed, so I did. Except, I couldn't sleep. The moon was blaring EXCESSIVELY into my window and suddenly my exhaustion had turned into can't sleep. I tossed, I turned, I fell asleep only to wake up again. Totally sucked. And I had to be up before 7 to be at my CSA (community supported agriculture) farm by 8 to work. Fortunately I didn't have to pick beans or blueberries -- but flowers. Which was a piece of cake -- I didn't have to bend over or squat or anything horrific, other than tussle with bees for the flowers. But it was hot and I was dripping and it sucked the life right out of me. By the time I got home, I was drained. Completely. EXCESSIVELY so!

I hate to be tired ... in fact, I despise it. But it's really because I am tired, so I can't do much to combat it! I spent a few hours laying about reading (I am not a napper, I WISH I was, but I am not.) But I still feel like a used up dishrag. Lovely, huh?

I have to pack as I am leaving for the Vineyard for two weeks in two days. I hate packing. I should make a list so that I can figure out what I need to do. Or not.

So that's that story. An excessive bitching session, right?!!!