Playing Hooky with the wife and kids...

stike

Friday was the first day off in a while, and we hit the beach. Went to Revere, where they were having a sand castle competition. My boys and I have been known to make a couple sand castles. I had a pretty involved arch going that I'd spent maybe an hour on, and it literally fell down about ten seconds before I'd have said it was done. Had a tower on top of it, undercuts, and some real "frustrated-architect" stuff going on.

My youngest son had me build him a rough tower (about eight inches wide) that he was going to carve. It was easily three feet tall (no small achievement with regular old beach sand), and it immediately fell when I turned around to find him a razor clam shell to carve it with. We did another, but it didn't have the height of the first one. He put a ball on top, made of sand, which must have weighed about two pounds. ...the size of a candlepin bowling ball.



I let him carve the tower sides after he c-a-r-e-f-u-l-l-y put the ball on top. The ball took us both a few minutes' effort, and he just loves making them. You can roll these and toss them back and forth forever if you make them right. He dropped one we'd made later on, and it didn't come close to breaking. As for the tower, normally we'd go for thinness. Architects just live for a high slenderness ratio. But he made a few swipes to clean it up a bit and then ran for the water to play.

Kids today wig out if their chicken fingers look different than the last twenty times they had them. But for my two, the sight of a sand castle they'd been working on for a while suddenly collapsing into a pile seems to roll right off their shoulders. I think they have learned nothing lasts forever. Hopefully that will help they day they shove me into a box.

It's become a sport to see how long the sand castles will stand, or whether it will be a toddler that takes it down, or the rising tide.

We were surprised that the ones we did on Friday outlasted our stay at the beach, which included a mile long walk up and back to check out the work from the pros. I'd say these lasted four hours easily. The pros use special sand (almost a clay, really) and spray bottles filled with water and Elmer's glue.. Anyone can carve that stuff.

Let's see them work with the native stuff...

Fidel

I'm taking my kids to the beach for a week. Will you come down and entertain them so I can drink my face off?

stike

no problem. as long as you can cover my day rate

Fidel

Day rate? I know you're cheap....and easy.

I figure a cheap bottle of scotch and a cuban a day should just about cover it.

I'll even cook the paella.

stike

how old is the cuban? and is she pretty?

Gator Bait

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Looks like a great day for the beach stike. Better make the most of them while they are there. Summers are far to short up there. The weather reports I get out of New England from friends and family would make one think another ice age is coming.

Have you ever been to Bianchi's Pizza? Not far from where you were beaching. I hear they are very good.

Gator

Fidel

I figured I'd start you out with Fernando. I know how you like the young cabana boys in the tight short-shorts.

stike

don't knock it. those pool boys have soft yet firm hands.

(good lord, man)

hornhonk

Did you go to Kellys? Get some fried clams or a roast beef sandwich? Or a killer ice cream cone? Some of my cousins live on Mountain Ave. in Revere.

stike

no... we bailed around 4 after getting there around 9. loooong day in the sun.

pretty fragged.

got home and ginned myself into an even more relaxed state.

they were having a sandcastle contest and the place was packed. kids got some ice cream and we ate a lazy dinner at home.

if i hit kelly's i get the roast beef. clams (fried) we hit woodman's usually.

hornhonk

You are one lucky mutt!

Kokeman

Hey that second picture looks kinda familiar.
Very nice fun day.
We stopped at coco beach this year and it was a great day also.

stike

not many ways to make an arch.... once it goes up it's gotta go down again. kinda a one-trick pony