Skipping

With the exception of Senior Skip Day when our whole class went to the beach instead of to class, I never skipped class in high school. Senior Skip Day was really a terribly cheap imitation. I mean let's be serious, we had to wear shirts over our bikinis.

In high school I would hear that on the first beach day of the year all the Cox High School kids would skip school and head to the beach. I was never brave enough to actually ditch class, but I always thought this was a really cool beach kid thing to do.

Yesterday, I got to skip work. I ended up having to entertain an intern and his dad for the afternoon. I was a bit apprehensive about the father/son combo, but was exhilarated at the thought of getting out of work. With pure joy I shut down my computer and all but ran out of the office. The weather yesterday was absolutely perfect. Sunshine and blue skies, it was about 80 degrees. Clearly, the first thing that we needed to do was grab lunch at Chick's, sit on the covered deck and eat fish tacos. The serving of guacamole was particularly generous which added significantly to my enjoyment. I knew it was going to be a great day.

After lunch we changed into our bathing suits, me sans Senior Skip Day tank top, and headed down to the 47th street. It felt so illicit -- to be a big grown up working girl sneaking off to the beach with all of the college kids on summer break. Beach chairs in tow we set up our plot near the water and then ran into the ocean. The water was the perfect temperature - warm enough to stay in for hours, but cool enough to be refreshing. It was that temperature where if you are all the way in your toes can feel the cool water at the bottom but your arms are so warm in the sunshine that you feel absolutely content. Summer has certainly arrived.

After the beach, I dropped off the intern and his dad and drove back home on Shore Drive. I love everything about Shore Drive -- coming over the Lesner Bridge and then driving through the canopy of trees with the windows down. It was beginning to cool off and I felt just a little bit tired, but I love that feeling - the way the sun and sand and salt wear you out. I felt as if I had really used up the day in the most relaxing, summerish, make the most of skipping school sense.

I stayed in my bikini and sun dress for as long as I could, clinging to the sand and saltiness and trying to hang on to joy that I found in not being at the office. I am glad that I finally got to see what it feels like to skip.