I've been in a tussle this past week with the weather, the lawn and my distracted self. The weather, I can't control. It's rained and rained, then rained some more. But this is the Pacific Northwest, known for its temperate rainforest — it's only to be expected.

The sun warms my face while shallow waves lap the shore. The bottle of cold beer I reach for is sweating small beads of condensation as it sits on a table under the dappled shade of a palm tree.