365 Challenge: Day 160 – Beach « This Is My Truth Now

365 Challenge: Day 160 – Beach

Posted on August 19, 2017

Beach: a pebbly or sandy shore, especially by the ocean between high- and low-water marks

If you’ve read any of my posts before, you know that I am not a fan of the heat. I’m also not really a fan of the beach, which makes it a bit unusual for today’s 365 Daily Challenge word of the day to be ‘beach.’ As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, Fire Island is a kaleidoscope of many things, including my life. Many years ago, I went out on a date with someone to Fire Island, where we had a few drinks, danced and walked around on the beach. It was a fun little trip, but it is a lot of effort to get there. Fast-forward to about six years ago, when my new significant other tells me all about the share he has on Fire Island. And such began my life of making the trek out to the beach every summer.

For the first few years, we rented a house every other week for the whole summer, making about 12 trips from NYC each season. We’d usually stay Friday through Sunday, but sometimes we’d take off a few extra days to make use of the whole summer share. It’s expensive, but not any more than a really nice summer vacation for a few weeks. The houses are usually well kept, with AC and a pool. There are anywhere from 2 to 5 bedrooms depending on what you choose to rent. And often, you have a group of friends that all pool together to purchase the summer lease so you can sort it out yourselves and choose the weekends that work best for your lifestyle and priorities. Two years ago, the group we went with all started doing their own thing rather than go to Fire Island every other weekend, so we dropped our share to a 2 bedroom and invited out different friends. We didn’t get a rental this summer, but some friends did and invited us out to their place.

Fire Island is a bit of heaven in so many different ways. You’re less than a 5 minute walk to the beach from any house. You can rent on the north or the south shore, as well as in anyone of the 6 or 7 different communities depending on the type of crowd you’re looking to be around. There are no cars. There are only 10 to 12 stores at the dock, otherwise, it’s just houses and a few small hotels. It’s about slowing down and relaxing. Not running all over the place every minute of the day. Our trip began this Thursday and will end tomorrow evening, just a 3-day stay as a mini-getaway this summer. I’m not one for the beach, but every once in a while, I don’t mind the experience. We’ll hang around the house for a few hours, take a trip to the sandy shores, and see a comedy or music show, as there’s usually one every Saturday evening. The greatest part is all the cooking… we take turns with who prepares meals so it’s never too consuming, but it’s always an opportunity to show off your culinary skills among your friends and any guests that stop over.

Tonight, W and I are cooking. Just got back from a trip to “The Pantry” to purchase everything we needed and will be prepping for a bit this afternoon. Pork tenderloins in an Asian sauce grilled on the barbecue. English Pea Salad. Garlic bread. And a berry and whipped cream torte with fruit salad. Over the course of the afternoon, we’ll lounge at the pool, take a trip to the beach and head out for a performance by Margaret Cho. We’ll get back home around 9 tonight and begin cooking dinner. Meals are always late here, it’s very European. And by 11, you’re either part of the “in-crowd” who head back out to the bars or you’re the “mature” crowd who play a few rousing board or card games. I’m sure you can guess which one I would most likely fall under!

I’ve put together a brief collection of some photos I took yesterday and today upon arriving on the ferry, the walk across the beach, and the house we’re staying at. I may go for a walk and take more of all the nature around here… deer, pine trees, beautiful homes and landscaping. For now, hopefully these give you a sense of my little respite this weekend. Ah the beach weekend where I will enjoy perhaps getting a little tan (no sun burn please!), an entire bottle of Jack Daniels with a mild helping of ginger ale and a break from the gym!

Looking out while on the ferry ride over to Fire Island.

The ferry arriving at the dock the next morning.

A view from the beach of a few houses along the walk this morning.

Another view on the way back from the grocery store.

The waves rolling in.

The entrance to the house.

The pool in the backyard.

The outdoor seating area.

The kitchen and dining room.

The living room.

The bedrooms are small as you’re rarely in them! Queen size bed with dressers in the closet. Each bedroom gets its own bathroom. There’s an outdoor shower with hot water, which I absolutely love. I hate cold showers. It’s a great place and we may rent a few weeks again for next summer. But for now, it’s time to turn off the computer and take a dip in the pool. And if anyone remember my struggle to find a bathing suit, I’ll tell you now… I was NOT successful. So I will be wearing my old one which is fine, as I hardly ever use it given I don’t like the beach! Wait… why I am here again? Just kidding. Happy Saturday, Friends… oh and there will be no pictures of me since I’m the one operating the phone camera for these shots!

About Me & the “365 Daily Challenge”

I’m Jay and I live in NYC. By profession, I work in technology. By passion, I work in writing. I’ve always been a reader. And now I’m a daily blogger. I decided to start my own version of the “365 Daily Challenge” where since March 13, 2017, I’ve posted a characteristic either I currently embody or one I’d like to embody in the future. 365 days of reflection to discover who I am and what I want out of life.

The goal: Knowledge. Acceptance. Understanding. Optimization. Happiness. Help. For myself. For others. And if all else fails, humor. When I’m finished in one year, I hope to have more answers about the future and what I will do with the remainder of my life. All aspects to be considered. It’s not just about a career, hobbies, residence, activities, efforts, et al. It’s meant to be a comprehensive study and reflection from an ordinary man. Not a doctor. Not a therapist. Not a friend. Not an encyclopedia full of prior research. Just pure thought, a blogged journal with true honesty.

Join the fun and read a new post each day, or check out my book reviews, TV/Film reviews or favorite vacation spots. And feel free to like, rate, comment or take the poll for each post. Note: All written content is my original creation and copyrighted to me, but the graphics and images were linked from other sites and belong to them. Many thanks to their original creators.

80 thoughts on “365 Challenge: Day 160 – Beach”

Roda said:
August 19, 2017 at 10:52 AM

Have you ever heard of the word “selfie”? Come on!😉

LikeLiked by 3 people

James J. Cudney IV responded:
August 19, 2017 at 11:23 AM

No comprendo! Lo siento.

LikeLiked by 2 people

Roda said:
August 19, 2017 at 11:40 AM

Blah…blah…blah…

August 2017
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365 Challenge: Day 160 – Beach

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80 thoughts on “365 Challenge: Day 160 – Beach”

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