Monday August 8, 2011
I am so proud of Nick Fener. He is absolutely amazing in so many ways. I see his progress everyday and am still in awe of his headway. I am also extremely thrilled to announce that Nick’s phantom pains have virtually gone away since he had that hypnosis session last Thursday. Yeaaahhhh!!!!!!! And since phantom pain is all in the mind, it only makes sense to use the subconscious mind to tackle it. I am unbelievably grateful that we decided to try it, and that we found the right woman for the job. Nick’s still listening to the CD each day, to help cement the results.
We came to the beach yesterday to clear our heads and heal our hearts. A wonderful young woman whom Nick took on two tandem jumps in the past year hooked us up with an ocean view room in Hermosa Beach. This place is gorgeous! The idea was mine. I was getting cabin fever, so here we are. Now that we are here, I think Nick is getting more out of being here than I am. We took two strolls along the beach today. Combining the fresh atmosphere with being active really made us feel alive. I could easily live here. Or at any one of these beaches around here. The people are fit. They’re always moving. And it’s too beautiful not to.
Last night we watched an electrifying sunset. The red sun looked like a fireball sinking beneath the ocean’s surface. It moved slowly, and lit the sky in an orange fluorescent hue. We had tapas for dinner while sitting outside under a heat lamp, enjoying the beach air. Lamb, prawns, proschutto wrapped asparagus, baked brie, garlic spinach, nutella ice cream. Thank you Paul and Amanda for an insanely perfect dining experience. This morning was free hotel breakfast outside along the beach pathway. Hundreds of people passed by while running, skating, biking, and walking their dogs or kids. It’s Monday morning, don’t these people have jobs? The emphasis on fitness around here is inspiring. So we rolled around for a bit, along the strand, then out on the pier. The sun didn’t come out until we were almost done. Since it’s so hot where we live, we were just fine with a mild overcast day. But that isn’t what we got. The warm sun chased away the clouds, summoning more people to come play at the beach. It also spent a little too much of it’s solar energy resting on Nicks bare shoulders. He’ll probably look like a footless lobster tomorrow.
The random volleyball games going on around here are so entertaining. Our eyes were glued to an intense game while we had juicy bacon and avocado cheeseburgers for lunch. These guys were diving into the sand to save the ball as if they had huge wagers on the game. I know they didn’t, they were just playing very hard. It could have been very easy to sit and sulk while watching everybody else do things that Nick is physically incapable of doing, or joining me in. But no way! That’s not our style. We’re here to live and enjoy our precious time too, just at a different level, in a different capacity. We enjoyed every moment of just being present in such a thriving place. We did a lot of people watching, day dreaming, house scoping, wave gazing and just wandering around. We rested in our room the remainder of the time, staring out onto the boardwalk. This afternoon, just before sunset, I left Nick napping in the room and took a quiet, contemplative walk on the sand, at the waters edge. I found myself hyper aware of the feeling of the mist from the waves spraying on my calves, and the moist sand sliding between my toes with every step. I am grateful for experiencing this wonderfully subtle, very unique sensation. I also mourn Nick’s loss of ever experiencing this again.
We leave early tomorrow morning. I know we will return to “real life” with a fresh perspective, and a clean palette to begin this good work with again.
Nick Fener 