Vacation state of mind 2/22/12

• I have been stressing too much lately, trying to write full time and pack and clean and do all the prep to head back to MO.  Decided that was a crappy way to spend my last four beach days.  So, I've adopted a vacation state of mind, starting today.  Like it so far.
• Took a sunrise beachwalk, first time in a long time.  My coffee didn't stay hot for long, the wind was mighty chilly, but seeing the sun come up with my sneakers in the sand was worth it.  Saw my buddy Bob, another sunrise walker.  He's headed back to Pennsylvania soon to go on a Caribbean cruise to St. Thomas with his lady friend.  Doesn't hurt so bad to leave the beach when you're going cruising to an even more tropical beach, huh?
• Saw a flock of seagulls like I've never seen before, with black heads and feet.  They were grouped up and far away from the "regular" gulls.  Wonder if they crashed the beach without being invited?
• Had my first pedicure today since I've been here.  Got a "welcome to the neighborhood" $10 off coupon in the mail for Sue Ann's Nails, thought I'd try it.  Worst pedicure ever!  Turns out Sue Ann is an Asian man who runs his computer repair business out of the nail shop and does nails when he doesn't have a computer to fix, or maybe the Asian lady that was his girlfriend, sister, or wife.  I couldn't tell by how they interacted what the relationship was.  He did my pedi, and there was no massaging of feet or legs, just soak, clip, and then he scrubbed my feet with a purple Brillo-like pad just like he was scrubbing a pan of burned lasagna.  I told him it tickled, and he just scrubbed harder.  And, no, my feet were not hoof-like, either, if that's what you're thinking.  I do my own exfoliation on a regular basis.  His polishing skills were lousy, too.  Didn't even get the Purple With A Purpose on evenly and left smudges on my toes.  I do like the color, though.  Purple is my signature color.  And I shouldn't need any further exfoliation for a year, at least!
• Got in another beachwalk this afternoon.  I did go barefoot, but in capris, shirt and sweater.  And I was still chilled.  There were kids in the pool and on the beach in swimsuits.  Don't know how they could stand it, but they were whooping it up big time.
• My peeps back in MO are having sticker shock today that gas went up from $3.23 to $3.39.  I empathize, that's a stinger of a jump.  But it's been in the $3.40s to $3.50s here for a month or better, even up to $3.66 when I was roadtripping.  So it could be worse.
• Think it's time for wineing and hot-tubbing.  That's what vacationers do, right?!