Images of PinF

THIS YOU MAY NOT RECOGNIZE. IT'S PinF "light". AFTER A YEAR OF DIETARY CHANGES AND INCREASED EXERCISE PinF HAS TRIMMED DOWN A TAD , TO A CRUISER WEIGHT CLASS.

THIS IS THE MID DAY FLORIDA MOON SHOT. I KNOW KIND OF STUPID. HELL, IT'S A NEW CAMERA, YOU DO STUPID THINGS WITH THEM.

THIS HOWEVER IS RATHER COOL. THIS IS A (AND I SHOULD HAVE HAD A FOOT IN THE PICTURE TO GIVE IT PERSPECTIVE) A 3 FOOT LONG JELLY FISH THAT CAME WASHING UP ON MINE AND SOPHIA'S BEACH SOCCER GAME. SCARY, NO?

ANYONE WHO KNOW PinF WILL RECOGNIZE THIS. WHY IT'S THE OFFICE OF COURSE. PERFECT WORKING CONDITIONS AS YOU CAN PROBABLY TELL....

THIS, MY FRIENDS IS THE REASON FOR THE "F" IN PinF, MY SWEETY ON HER WAY TO CAMP.

And We're back.....

My blog has been absent any photos for some time. A dropped digital on the hard Mexican tile killed it. This all changed today after Sophia and I picked out a new one. Tomorrow's blog should seem a whole lot more illustrated.......

Summer Swirls of Melancholy

I'm sitting on my couch ruminating over the past year that was my daughter's fourth grade. As I ponder this and other thoughts, Sophia sits across from me in her still damp bathing suit strumming her six string accoustic, singing under her breath. The gravity of moment's like these hit when you consider how fast the past ten years have flown. My "little" girl will soon turn ten, and as happy as I am to see her flower into a wonderful person with interests as varied as her surroundings, another part of me is in total conflict and wants to slow it all down.

Yesterday I picked up a melancholic child from her last day of school, slightly saddened by the end of her school year. When you have a kid, you can see the moods of their being like the shades of a sunset....so I could tell. She said yes, that it was a little sad and how good her fourth grade year was for her. I agreed with her and let her get it out as she explained the highlights and accomplishments of her school year. And as she did I was thinking to myself how I don't ever want to forget this chat, this moment, and how vulnerable and innocently honest she is as a child of nine.

I had only just read Leonard's Pitt's column the gist of which had stayed with me as it supported what was already on my mind with regard to just how fast my time on this earth is with my daughter. Pitts' is such a good writer, and even better at striking the chords of life. Looking at Sophie's yearbook and all the many weel wishes scribbled throughout it made me think of just how much I remembered my fourth grade and Ms. Miele's class, and how so many of my friends seemed as if they would always be in my life--in as much you can even ponder "always" as a 1o year old. So in attempt to pull her out of doldrums I did what all dad's do--we went for pizza. And a gelato.

The next thing I suggested was a little soccer, as my little girl has discovered her Latin athletic roots in a big way this past spring falling in love with soccer....so off we went. We'd been playing here and there, at the beach, in the park, even at the house. So this time I decided to up her interest and took her to a local university where we had an entire collegiate field to ourselves, all under the swirling pastels of the setting sun's sky. There we were, all alone on a manicured sea of grass, running, laughing and totally in the moment. Again I was struck at the magical-ness of being so in the "moment" with just my daughter. I still can recall throwing the football or baseball with my dad, and how such small moments from my childhood still come to the forefront even now as a man in his 40's. I hope they would be remembered by her too in the same fond way.

By the time we got home Sophia was her usual bubbly self, and we were looking into the local School of Rock here in Palm Beach for her to pursure her rock 'n roll dreams. The slowly winding down day now filled with equal parts melancholy and warm moments that such milestone's have in my daughter's life, and indeed mine as well. If only I could try to be in the moment more, although I think I do a good job of it now, somehow the hours, days, and years have crept by either unnoticed or under appreciated. I'm getting better at recognizing this though, and I think she's a better kid for it. For the record, her grades were great too, all A's and B's, and honor roll too. I'm lucky, and I know it.

Got to get ready now. We're off to the daddy-daughter Hawaiian luau at the local pool----stay tuned for photos.....

PinF's search is continual. In my never ending quest for the seminal pieces of the ocean's jewels PinF is constantly on the look out for the coveted red and blue pieces. Last Saturday while enjoying a slow day of indulgence at the beach Sophia, a few paces away scanning for her's too, I found a coveted blue piece of beach glass. Considering the rarity of such a find I took it as a sign--of what I'm still not quite sure. Still as the art of beach glass combing goes, it's a rare accomplishment.