Lots of things on my mind today. I’m still kind of trying to comprehend the person across that street that shot herself. The police were there all day yesterday. One investigators car was there for 24 hours. I am guessing that there were some serious drugs involved. We went into town in the afternoon, and when we got back around 4, they were taking someone away by ambulance, on a chair not a stretcher. Dan remarked that sometimes when someone is busted for drugs they will try to get taken to the hospital instead of jail. Could be. This morning it seems quiet. I guess I’ll have to let the incident go. It’s just too hard to try to fathom that kind of pain.

I’ve decided I need to get a hat. A big floppy sun hat. The sun is so direct here, that going to the beach for an hour usually results in a scalp that’s slightly burned under my hair. Dan, who has a thick head of hair, found the same problem. When we were at my sisters, we were at the beach only about an hour, maybe an hour and 15 minutes. He put some sunscreen on because he didn’t really have a base tan, and forgot to do his feet, and the tops of his feet are beet red from that short time in the sun. I didn’t put any on, because I knew we weren’t going to be at the beach that long and I have a pretty gooe sd base tan. I still got a slight burn, just the kind that tingles enough to know it was too much sun. And, my scalp got a bit too much. Granted, we were in the sun again, when we were in my sister’s pool, but that’s partly in the shade.

So anyway, a sun hat is probably what I need to protect my face and my scalp. Thing is, I don’t wear hats. Everyone down here has been telling me I need a hat. My response has always been “I didn’t wear a hat in CT when it was 10° out, unless I was blowing the snow in the driveway. I’m not wearing one here.” It seems ridiculous when the weather is nice. I have also found that hats make me hot.

I once dated a guy who was balding on top and had a little beret. He asked me how I liked his hat, wasn’t it cool? This was a first date…. I said, “Yes, it’s cool if you like hats.” He said, so surprised, “You don’t like hats?” I gave him the same answer, that I’d never worn a hat.

Now that I think of it, in college I had a floppy wide-brimmed suede hat I used to wear in the winter, with my suede jacket with fringe down the arms. Thinking I was so cool, lol. But it was friggin freezing out in Iowa. The wind gets really rolling across the plains out there, and it’s cold. I didn’t have a car either, so was walking everywhere. I needed a hat. Trouble was, it didn’t cover my ears so I froze anyway.

I hate to become one of those old ladies on the beach in a hat. But I guess I’m going to have to. Sunscreen on the head looks worse than a hat. I guess I’ll have to break down.

The Veterans Art Center is having a reception today for Kristin Beck, who is a transgendered navy seal. She was Christian Beck. There was a movie made about her life, called Lady Valor, which had a showing yesterday, but I didn’t go to that. Apparently she has political aspirations, so has gone very public. At any rate, I need to get going to get showered and dressed for it. Dan’s going with me, which will be nice. He’ll be able to see the art center.

Love and light.