a.k.a. Jose Ruiz, a.k.a. George Milewski

Today was a beach day! But before I got there, I had to deal with the US Postal Service. I'm having my mail forwarded to Vineyard Haven from New York with the "premium" forwarding service that allows forwarding without going back to the sender with a note that you've moved. I haven't been getting the volume I expected here, so I had to stop by the Post Office to check into that and to pick up a package from Macy's containing one large, white, super-duper fluffy robe. I've been using "General Delivery" for the last couple of weeks, but I took this opportunity to open my P.O. box (the mailman doesn't deliver to addresses in Vineyard Haven, so it must have some power that hail, sleet, and dark of night do not possess). As you can imagine with a town where you have to go to the Post Office to get your mail every day, it is often packed. I finally got my white, fluffy Macy's package and the keys to my new P.O. box. When I opened the box, not only was my envelope of forwarded mail there, so were pieces of mail addressed to that box number in the names of Jose Ruiz and George Milewski, names I would not have chosen for myself, but I suppose now I'll forever be Jose or George in addition to Mary.

Packages in hand, I set out to make the 11:10 a.m. bus to Edgartown. I wanted to try the state beach between Oak Bluffs and Edgartown which, David tells me, is known mostly for having been the setting for the filming of the movie "Jaws." I could have taken my packages home, but by this time the weather was so gorgeous I couldn't face wasting another minute that I could be spending lying and listening to the waves. In order to fit my packages in my bag, I had to remove my folding blue stripe sunshine blanket tote with carrying strap, waterproof backing, and 100% lifetime warranty. I sat the blanket neatly beside me on the #13 bus, and there it sits still unless I'm lucky and some kind soul has turned it in to the lost and found.

I got off the bus just before the Edgartown bridge and didn't notice that I was missing my blue stripe blanket until I was on the beach. After cursing my bad memory and grieving over the loss of my blanket tote purchased specifically for this trip, I cheered up and improvised. My jacket tied around my waist became my blanket and my fluffy Macy's package became my pillow. I suppose if a police officer had come by, he would have thought I was a homeless person since it looked like I had everything I owned there on the beach. The only giveaway may have been my little Michael Kors flats (which I feel certain weren't designed for the beach), but I don't know if while being ticketed for vagrancy, I could have convinced the officer to look at the designer label in my shoes.

In any case, it was a glorious day -- 63 degrees and bright sun. I read and slept, and wrote and ate, and took some photos to share and to remember how lovely Indian Summer on Martha's Vineyard feels.