Fire Island 2010, part three

Written on the Long Island Railroad between Babylon and Hicksville between 2 and 2:30 p.m.

Image truly matters on Fire Island. Who you wear, where you work out, who lives in your house, which neighborhood in the city you live and even what time you arrive at Tea (and with whom) are among the common questions and observations one will hear on the boards and walks. And while the fact I manage the Fire Island News affords me some notoriety (or fill in the blank) on the beach, the attention I received over the Memorial Day weekend because of my weight loss remains nothing short of fascinating.

Literally dozens of people in the Fire Island Pines, Cherry Grove and even Ocean Beach noted my "transformation" and even "half of me disappeared during the off-season"--queue the sound bites about pescaderianism, exercise, less alcohol consumption and the tailor here in Bushwick who has financially benefited from my many visits over the last few months. A chuckle and a humble thank you almost always followed these compliments, but one friend in the Grove offered a particularly poignant reminder as we chatted around 1 a.m. on Saturday: Remember the people who flirted with you before you lost weight.

To a fun, happy and healthy 2010!



Ocean Beach politics on full display.



Dawn breaks over Ocean Beach and Seaview on Sunday, May 30.



Approaching Watch Hill on Thursday, May 27.



Hanging out by the pool in the Pines on Sunday, May 30.



Low Tea in the Pines on Sunday, May 30.



Waiting for the 8:50 p.m. ferry to Sayville in Cherry Grove on Sunday, May 30.



Twilight from the Cherry Grove dock on Sunday, May 30.