Senior Moments
By Charles P. Eberson
A Senior’s Observations, Opinions and Rantings
My wife and I have been fortunate enough to live within walking distance to the beach and boardwalk for many years. With this comes the “obligation” to entertain friends and family from the landlocked regions in which they reside. We do have a designated guest room with a queen sized bed which we were pleased to offer in place of the usual sofa bed. However, it is our old bed which we replaced after many years of faithful service. We didn’t see the need to spend a few grand on a new state of the art mattress that may be used a couple times a year. Besides, it is immeasurably more comfortable than the sofa bed. In a couple weeks Bob, my rowing teammate from college is leaving his top of the line Tempur-Pedic mattress and coming to visit from Arizona. For a little background, Bob lived in Alaska for 26 years and had to endure winter months of -40 degree temperatures which left little opportunity for outdoor activities. After retiring a couple years ago, he relocated to Arizona where summertime temps reach well over 100 degrees, thus leaving little opportunity for outdoor activities…again. Bob also had a serious bout with skin cancer so on his last visit during the summer, he covered himself with a hat festooned with numerous flaps, a long sleeve thermal shirt, and long pants. Even with a tank top and shorts, I was suffering from the heat and humidity. So, herein lays my concerns about his visit, apart from the bed, of course. My wife and I enjoy the outdoors; sitting on the beach reading, listening to music or podcasts, swimming in the ocean or as they say, taking long walks. We also enjoy kayaking on the bay and sitting on Ventnor Pier. All of which involve some exposure to the sun, which he abhors except for the early morning or late afternoon hours. One could not ask for a better house guest. His neatness is military-like. He went to culinary school and loves to prepare dishes for us. He likes to ease into the day gradually, beginning with whatever book he brought with him. So, what to do with Bob? Are we going to be missing out on some of the best beach days the end of the season offers? The ocean is still warm, the crowds are gone and the parking is easy. I can’t help but feel I am being a little bit selfish exacerbated by the fact that two years ago, Bob flew in to help us move back into our house as well as help me paint its interior and exterior. Fortunately, this area has a lot of new and exciting attractions. We have yet to visit the Ocean Resort Casino and the Hard Rock, so they will be on our schedule, as well as Margaretville because, evidently we fit right into Jimmy Buffett’s demographics. Stockton University’s Atlantic City campus will be open and we are looking forward to touring that new facility. There are a myriad of distilleries, breweries, and vineyards for his discerning palette. The Atlantic City and Ocean City boardwalks are a great way to take in some interesting sights as well as sampling the usual boardwalk cuisine. Bob has always enjoyed Cape May with its backdrop of Victorian architecture and bountiful seafood restaurants. Who knows? It might turn out that our time off the beach during his stay may actually be some of the best days of the summer after all. I only hope he can get a good night’s sleep. Next year he will be hosting us as his guests. I sure hope he has an extra Tempur-Pedic.
