Daydreaming of Someplace Warm

On cold winter days, I like to daydream that I'm somewhere else. Don't get me wrong - I love the beauty of the new snow. As long as I don't have to shovel it, I don't even mind driving in it. I did however, shovel snow today, so I feel that I'm entitled to this daydream.

I'm at the beach. I'm laying in the sand, close enough to the water that the waves are washing up over my feet. I've got a novel and a cooler full of bottles of ice-cold water. Even though I'm at the beach, no sand ever gets in my bottle of water or caked around the lid of it. I have liberally applied sunscreen, so no worries. Plus, in my daydreams the sun is wonderfully warm but not hot enough to burn. And the water is right around 80 degrees. Hey - it's a dream, right? And while we're dreaming, my kids are somewhere else and I'm the only one on the beach. And I look fabulous; maybe I'm even wearing a bikini. Maybe not. ;) And my hair is straight and it moves around when I toss my head. You know, like on those ridiculous shampoo commercials.

I wile away the day reading and swimming and tanning (with lots of sunscreen and no worries about skin health.) I put on snorkeling gear and spend hours exploring on and under the water, marveling at the abundance of life in the ocean. Coming out of the water, I lay back on the sand and feel the warm sun dry my skin. There are no sand fleas, no annoying sea gulls; there is only me. And that motorboat.

Wait, motorboat? What? Wait, where am I? That's not a motorboat - That's the neighbor's snowblower. Dang. Back to reality.