Sand in My Shoes

A Miami friend once told me that it is unnatural for a Miami boy to be long away from the ocean. He said, "Once you have sand in your shoes, you never get it out", r words to that effect. The sand in your shoes part I know is verbatim. All the other words may be off. The point is there.

It is somewhat true. I've lived long periods away from the ocean, but always managed to get my sea fix at intervals. Today was one of those times. Just get over there to hear the surf and breath the air. I was not set to go in the water. CA water is not warm like it is in South Florida. But the waves are better and most beaches here are better; not little skinny strips of sand like a lot of FL beaches.

I like the quiet and remoteness away from the crowd, but if money were no object, I think living by the sea would be hard for me to resist. Fortunately, where I live, I can get to mountains and to the ocean easily. Not something that takes all day.

Maybe I should set as a goal the ability to secure adequate digs in an ocean area and in mountains. I'm still partial to semi tropical islands, but so are half the gazillionaires of the world, and they tend to cause prices to go way up in those areas. Their influence in the keys means those who work in the Florida Keys can rarely afford to live there. They bus in workers from the mainland every day. Nuts. So, how can I become a gazillionaire without having to rub shoulders with too many of them?

Maybe that is too big a quest. You never know, and it doesn't pay to believe it is impossible. It is not the money, but what the money can do. Every once in awhile a gig shows up which puts once into situations and lifestyles he could never swing with his own limited resources. All the perks, none of the responsibility and headaches of ownership and schmooz politics.

I like the coastal scene, particularly in warm climates. But, I also like this scene in the low mountains where you can see hawks flying at eye level off the back deck.

Maybe it is just because I am thirsty all the time lately, and large bodies of water are attractive as a result. I feel like I'm drinking gallons of water. I'm a wateroholic. You can get good purified water for .25 /gal. and it tastes great. Water doesn't really have flavor. Not pure water. Supposedly not. I like the way it tastes anyway, and the way it feels going down my throat.

I don't think most people have that desire for water. Not in the quantities I crave. It's been awhile since I was this consistently thirsty. I was like that as a kid, then I learned about alcohol, and tried to somehow transfer the thirst. The consequences of water and alcohol consumption in large quantities are far different. Who knew?

OK, so it must be a primal urge that causes me to be drawn to the ocean and prepared to drink it up if it weren't so salty. One day it will all make sense. Probably not today.