THE BEACH

I am not much of a beach guy. 

I enjoy sipping coffee on an empty beach as the sun rises, but for the rest of the day - when people are shoulder to shoulder in beach chairs or head to toe on towels in the sand - I can easily pass.

Melissa and Sarah and Grandma Trudy, on the other hand, can spend all day on the beach, doing very little beyond reading, napping, or looking for shells, and be perfectly excited at the prospect of doing the same the following day. 

I get bored. 

After a few minutes, the beach makes me want to go inside and read or go for a long run.

I heard someone recently say that one of the differences between men and women is that men have the ability to think about nothing - to shut off their brains - and women do not.

I don't know if there is scientific data for that or not, but it sounds true to me.

So here's my theory - these women in my life enjoy the beach because it's the chance to shut off their brains for a little while.

And I guess the beach doesn't impress me much because I don't need to drive 11 hours to shut off my brain.

Happens every day. Frequently.