Random thoughts from the beach.
Posted: August 22, 2006 Filed under: Uncategorized 6 Comments »So we took the kids out for dinner after a tiring, exhilirating wonderful day at the beach. To The Hacienda. What a huge disappointment. We’ve never spent so much for so little. I, personally enjoyed the pitcher of margaritas, but Andrew thought they were weak. I guess all the tequila ended up in my glass. Lucky for me. Or for him, depending on your point of view. Now we’re co-blogging back in our kitchy, but oh so spacious condo. Drinking SOL and listening to the boys watching the first season of Survivor in the other room. We’d be there too, but who needs to see Richard Hatch’s butt a second time around? But I digress.
The beach and the waves. It was awesome watching the boys find their bravery in the waves today. They were awesome. And yes, Mom, they were careful. (yeah right.) They body surfed every wave in. You would not believe the amount of sand they retained. We found sand in every nook and cranny. And then some. There is even some sand rash issue that we would be better off not discussing here. (But I should tell you that sand friction can make some little body parts swell a bit. And hence, make some little boys freak out.)
Andrew says that it’s a good thing that the fashion police were not out today. Otherwise there would be a flurry of tickets issued. Shall we begin with the 40-something “blonde” in the pale blue see-through bikini (hence the quotation marks) whose breasts were a bit out of proportion. We suspect surgery. (Not a tough call)
Where is a good strong wireless network when you need one? I had to park in several lots before getting a good connection. In fact, I didn’t get a great one until I paid the $2.95 at McDonald’s (along with the $1.59 for the Diet Coke – YIKES no Pepsi). Admittedly, it was a great and powerful oz. I mean network.
Andrew says when did American youth get so lazy that they were willing to forgo a modest salary and a summer at the beach for what? Today, as you may have noticed, the working class at the beach is from Eastern Europe. Not that he begrudges a working person who is willing to travel over 6,000 miles to better themselves, but he says when he was a kid (a long, long time ago) he’d have given a lot to have been able to work at the beach and meet hot chicks. Wendy chiming in here….It’s not as if these beautiful Russian girls were all faring so well. We saw a few simply reducing themselves to barely more than posessions with overbearing Russian, American, and Latino men. We were horrified. If these girls’ mothers knew what they were doing here, they’d be sick. Truly sick. Maybe these mothers aren’t as overprotective as American mothers, but I can’t believe they’d condone this behavior. These girls are not doing themselves any favors.
Anyway, back to our lovely trip to the beach. Fortunately, the boys have become old enough and wise enough to understand the double entendres of beach names to “get” the jokes. Such as “BIG PECKERS” or “MOTHER CLUCKERS” or “BIG JOHNSON” but I don’t think they get “HOOTERS” yet. Not sure actually. I’m so pleased to see them grow up and develop additional insight into fratboy mentality. Yikes.
Here’s the funny part of this post. I am typing (Wendy here) and Andrew is hoping there. Hoping that I’ll stop typing and start paying attention to him instead. Tough call, as I haven’t posted in days. PLUS the fact that I’m reading this great book about a writer and can’t stop thinking about writing. So sorry Andrew. You are SOL and I don’t mean the beer.
When I was in high school it was a big thing to live at the beach and work for the summer.
We spent some time in Wildwood NJ this summer and while at ‘Morey’s Piers’ Amusement Parks I noticed a similar thing. Most of the staff were from other countries…particularly Ireland.
At first I had the same conclusion as you….and I’m still not completely sure it’s incorrect, but I’ve had another idea.
I worked at an Amusement Park for 3 years and there was quite abit of turnover in employees from week to week. Some got tired of the job, some wanted to sleep in, or couldnt get a reliable source of transporation. Some kids just wanted a few weeks off here and there to enjoy their summer. Either way, a lot of money was wasted training and hiring employees who just didnt work out.
If Morey’s were to hire a batch of Foreign workers, they could house them dorm stlye nearby. Essentially creating ‘captive employees’. There would significantly less turnover, as the only social network the workers would have would be the other employees. They wouldnt need cars. I imagine their work visa would be specifically for Moreys, so they wouldnt have to worry about them getting a different job. Plus they can probably charge them for the dorm room.
So it’s more of a people management thing…..
SB,
I don’t have a problem with the employers preferring foreign workers. I just don’t understand (getting on the grumpy old man sopbox) why teens in this country don’t value summer jobs anymore. I worked in high school, during college, and every summer in college, including three months in the Revlon factory in Edison NJ. But today, its much more common for kids to not work. Some of those employers would hire locals if they were available, but they don’t seem to be.
I agree with you. I had a job since I was 14, and in High School I’d have 2.
I was really troubled when I saw it, and the new theroy didnt arrise until I read your post. I guess I’m trying to be hopeful for our kids future.
Coincidently, I worked at that same factory over XMas break as a temp for ManPower one year in college. Filling orders on the assembly line. The old spanish ladies hated me because they thought I wanted to take their job.
Funny you worked at the same place as Andrew, SB! I agree with you re: strategy of business owners.
I’d like to add that we saw lots of American college students selling scopes (photos on the beach in little telescopes)…so the work ethic isn’t totally dead!
Yeah, that is pretty funny. The job was shockingly dull, and I endured most of it hung over. Cardboard boxes would come down the conveyor belt and I’d have to find the different makeup and drop it in the box to match what was ordered.
I cant imagine 3 summers there, although I did spent 2 summers as a ‘Fire-Watch’ for an oil refinery. That job consists of standing on a piece of hot concrete for 8 hours watching welders work on those enourmous chemical tanks. I always thought it was pretty funny because everything was made out of concrete and steal and couldnt possibly burn….and if anything did catch fire we would be really really dead.