Perfect summer day

I'm down to the wire with editing my book, and I hate that this is happening in the summer! It means saying no to sunny days on the beach and warm waves. I keep telling myself it's almost over. But summer, to me, is a sacrament and I've always felt like spending a beach day inside is a sin.

In a week I'll either get the book in and head straight for the nearest bar, or get an extension of three months and head straight for the nearest bar. I will drink more if it's the former.

Today was the kind of day I don't want to miss again. I took a stack of chapters out on the beach to proofread. It was too hot to sit for very long, though, so I had to keep cooling off in the water. Our water is not always beautiful, but today it was; clear enough to see the little fishes darting at your feet, blue like you were in the Caribbean somewhere.

The waves grew better hour by hour and by midafternoon I just had to go get my board. I've had a session or two lately I didn't even bother writing about, it was that bad. But today on these little waves I did great. I had friendly encouragement from F. in this almost all-guys line-up, and it really helped. He hasn't been surfing long, and sometimes he helps me figure it out. Sometimes a word or two is all it takes. I made my takeoffs, didn't pearl (maybe because of being further forward on the board) and got up earlier than usual. So I had the feeling like, Oh, that's how it's supposed to be, that I got in my surf lessons. And once I was up I could balance and at least try to steer the board.

As he pointed out, I'm still not doing the popup. Maybe I never will. I keep dragging my back foot and had quite a hole in the front of it to show for it. It took forever to heal and I can't rip it up again.

This turned into one of those fun sessions where you don't think cause you're just having fun. I had a few thoughts, but I just dismissed them. I didn't even want to get out of the water but finally the "I'm hungry" thought became overwhelming.

Still, I had to hang out on the boardwalk for a while because D. had seen me and had good things to say. I can't remember when I've had a performance that he saw that I was proud of, practically never, so that was very satisfying. He told me I should start working on my turns. Yeah, that's the point I was at a month ago, before I started going backwards. It's never forward linear movement with my surfing. It's get better, go back two years, then a month or two later work up to doing better again.

If there was any downside to today, it was L., who I saw in the water for the first time. Forgive me for sounding like an idiot and not someone old and wise enough to be a Grandma, but what is it with guys who are all over you one day and then the next time you see them they act like they never saw you before? I just don't get that, and I never will, but I can't worry about it.

Pretty much a perfect summer day. I want more.