Well, Tropical Storm Fay isn’t finished with us yet. It stormed this morning and they put up the dreaded double red flag. No swimming for us. At least not until this afternoon when conditions are expected to improve.

We headed on down to the beach anyway.

Who you lookin’ at?

Many more pictures after the jump.
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Mei walking on the beach.

We are down at Sea Grove Beach, FL for a church retreat.

The older kids had to stay home because of school, but we brought Mei. Thanks Nana and Papa!

We took Mei to the beach a few minutes ago. This is her first time at the beach. The verdict? She seems to love it. We’ll see tomorrow when we really take her down to play in the sand and surf.

With Daddy

Hey, what’s that on my hand?

Uncle Jon playing with Mei

Can’t wait for tomorrow.

Wish you were here.

I read this in Chapter 15 of Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep and couldn’t pass up the opportunity:

“I thought as much, sir, when you mentioned rabbits. The thing about rabbits, sir, is that everybody has one. I’d like to see you step up to the goat-class where I feel you belong. Frankly you look more like a goat man to me.”

“What are the advantages to goats?”

The animal salesman said, “The distinct advantage of a goat is that it can be taught to butt anyone who tries to steal it.”

“Not if they shoot it with a hypno-dart and descend by rope ladder from a hovering hovercar,” Rick said.

The salesman, undaunted, continued, “A goat is loyal. And it has a free, natural soul which no cage can chain up. And there is one exceptional additional feature about goats, one which you may not be aware of. Often times when you invest in an animal and take it home you find, some morning, that it’s eaten something radioactive and died. A goat isn’t bothered by contaminated quasi-foodstuff; it can eat eclectically, even items that would fell a cow or a horse or most especially a cat. As a long term investment we feel that the goat-especially the female-offers unbeatable advantages to the serious animal-owner.”

“Is this goat a female?” He had noticed a big black goat standing squarely in the center of its cage; he moved that way and the salesman accompanied him. The goat, it seemed to Rick, was beautiful.

Bingley, did you help write this book?

I was running an errand to Wal-Mart just a few minutes ago when a song came on that I’d not heard in years.

Brace yourself, this is highbrow stuff: “Afternoon Delight”.

When I was a kid, I loved the song, especially the parts about “sky rockets in flight”. I had this mental picture of the 4th of July. Oddly enough, that proved to be an accurate picture.

It’s funny now, because I understand that song. When I was 5 or 6 I didn’t have a clue. Mom still let the song play when it came on the radio though.

Tonight I actually listened to the words. There isn’t any innuendo at all. It’s all right out there. Thankfully, I was a naive child. It took until I got to college to fully understand some things. Anyway, take this awesomely deep lyric:

Rubbin’ sticks and stones together makes the sparks ingite
and the thought of rubbin’ you is getting so exciting.

You don’t say… Hey Mom, what are they talking about?

BTW, it occurs to me that there is a very high probability that the lead singer was never fortunate enough to experience a little “afternoon delight” himself. Then again, it was the 70’s, an amazing time for ugly people. I’m just sayin’.