A Day at Singing Beach

V and I could no longer take the sterile air-conditioned environment of the lab. We needed to bust out into the outdoor world of sun and fun. Yesterday, we made a day of it. We came into work in the morning, set up a few things for later that evening, and then hopped on the train. It was over 90 degrees F with a dew point of 65. Heat waves could be seen radiating off the blacktop. A perfect day to go north to Manchester-by-the-Sea.

The commuter rail line train was a pleasant experience. V read her book Freakenomics, and I listened to my MP3 player drifting in and out of conscience. My legs were glued to vinyl seating, but at least it provided some friction so that I would not slide off the seat as I was napping.

We trudged our way to Singing Beach from the train stop. After an eternity, we made it. The soft sand was hot and squishy underneath my feet. I doused another layer of SPF 30 Kiss my Face organic sunblock on my body. We spread out our towels on the sand about 10 feet from the water's edge. V choose to sunbathe and nap. I read the Improper Bostonian and marked all the hot spots I needed to visit. Reading started to become too taxing so I put the magazine away and got some sun on my pasty tummy.

With my eyes closed, I could hear the waves crashing, children playing, and a seagull stealing an almond butter and jam sandwich out of my backpack. A couple of teen girls sat nearby and here are some memorable quotations:

"Oh my god. That's a great suit. You look so skinny. Don't you think we look skinnier when we're together?"

"Um... That skirt is interesting. It looks like shorts because it clings to your butt."

"Do you think other people will think it is weird that we coordinate our outfits with each other?"

"Don't worry my jean skirt is from Abecrombie. It's cute and not like yours."

"I don't think you can go to that yacht club party. I mean are you a member?"

"You don't have to be a member if you are invited."

The girls disappeared to get some frozen yogurt. V and I soaked our feet in the cold Atlantic water and had to pack up to head back to Boston. The walk back to the train station seemed so short. I was solar powered, reenergized to face the week and night of work.