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BRAUNSLAW.COM 404-418-8244 From Motions to Oceans
How a Lawyer Unwinds With Saltwater Vacations Where we go on vacation, and how we spend our time there, depends on how much risk we are willing to take. My mom, for example, had a serious fear of heights; she hated driving over bridges and would not fly in an airplane. This meant that our family was effectively grounded, and all our vacations took place within 3–5 hours’ driving distance from my hometown of Baltimore. In fact, the first time I stepped onto an airplane was for my senior trip in high school. Our go-to vacation spot was Ocean City, Maryland, which, despite its name, featured unattractive beaches and water that was both brownish-green and painfully cold. As a Pisces, I have always been attracted to saltwater and the natural energy that comes from it. The level of risk I am willing to take has changed as I have gotten older, but my love for water is as strong as ever. Risky Waters when I was kayaking the Gauley River in West Virginia. I was in college at the time, and my roommates, who were raft guides, had taught me how to kayak. I could do Eskimo rolls — righting my kayak after it had flipped over — and hand rolls without a paddle. Those skills rely on being mentally focused and not allowing fear to creep in. However, nearly drowning made it next to impossible for me to keep that focus from then on. When you experience a crisis in the water, your first instinct is to panic. This is a deadly mistake, as the key to surviving in these situations is keeping a level head. If you can stay calm, time slows to a crawl, and you can focus on the flow and speed of the water around you. This skill has served me in and out of the water; the ability to really hone in on what you are doing is necessary when handling any disaster, on land or at sea.
While I enjoy relaxing near the shore as a break from my work life, I have firsthand experience in the water that was far from peaceful. Those experiences and my age have made me more hesitant to take risks. However, when I was in my 20s and 30s, before I had kids, I enjoyed snorkeling, sailing, kayaking, and surfing. I would take to the seas in a 32-foot sailboat and kayak expert-level rapids with harsh waters and rocky obstacles. Calm in a Crisis The change from taking risks in the water to relaxing in it was due to me nearly drowning — twice . One of these experiences was
Being at peace is a superpower but relies on not giving in to fear. While my close calls have made it too hard to safely stave off my worries in the water, I still enjoy my time at the beach and snorkeling amid the waves. So long as there isn’t too much risk involved, I enjoy the energy the water has provided me since childhood. This summer, you can likely find me on the shore, enjoying time away from the office with my family; I won’t be taking many risks, but I will be having a blast nonetheless.
“Our go-to vacation spot was Ocean City, Maryland, which, despite its name, featured unattractive beaches and water that was both brownish-green and painfully cold.”
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What Color Is the Sun? Shedding Light
What color is the sun? A star’s color — like fire — is based on its surface temperature and the wavelength of colors perceivable by the human eye. Like with fire on Earth, the coldest stars appear red, whereas the hottest stars appear blue. Our sun’s surface is around 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit — a median temperature as far as stars are concerned — and emits light across the entire visible color spectrum. However, our sun actually emits the greatest amount of light in a green wavelength, but not in great enough quantities for our eyes to perceive it. Because of this, if we were to look at our sun from space, the near-equal saturation of colors would cause us to perceive it as being white. Astronauts get the opportunity to witness the true color of the sun all the time — hopefully, they don’t stare for too long. We see filtered sunlight. The sun does not appear white from our perspective because of our atmosphere: When sunlight reaches Earth, our atmosphere filters out a greater proportion of blue light than red light, causing our sun to appear yellow. Likewise, when sunlight has to penetrate a greater proportion of our atmosphere — such as during sunrise and sunset — the sun takes on a red, vibrant appearance. Hopefully, this information helps you see the sun in a new light!
Did you know the color of fire is determined by its temperature? For example, blue and violet flames are hottest at a scorching 2,900 degrees Fahrenheit, while red flames are considerably cooler at around 1,100 degrees Fahrenheit. This may leave you wondering: If the hottest fire on Earth is blue, why is the sun yellow? For starters, it isn’t. The explanation is fascinating and may surprise you!
Need Help? Call Brauns “Brauns Law handled my car accident claim wonderfully! Once I retained them, they handled everything from the accident report and the doctor’s bills all the way through the settlement. Not once did I have to deal with the at fault’s insurance carrier or the doctor’s bills! Haley and her team were extremely polite and detailed throughout the entire process.
Definitely recommend!” –Zach W., April 24, 2024
“Everyone was really sweet and professional. They kept in contact, and I am overall very satisfied with my experience!” –Rebecca K., April 25, 2024
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How to Spot and Avoid Rip Currents Staying Safe in the Surf
If you are planning a beach vacation, you must understand the hazards and how best to handle them. One of the potentially deadliest dangers near the shoreline is a rip current. If you get caught in one without knowing how to get out of it, you may find yourself in a world of trouble. In 2003, beachgoers in Central Florida ignored posted warning signs cautioning against swimming due to rip currents; as a result, eight people lost their lives. Here are some tips on how best to navigate dangerous rip currents. Recognizing a Rip Current Often created by shoreward winds and gradual ocean swells, rip currents along the ocean’s surface near the shore are strong channels of water that can move as rapidly as 8 feet per second. They are most common during low tide and can occur anywhere near breaking waves,
whether along the beach or far from shore. Asking your beach’s lifeguard whether there are any rip currents and checking beach conditions ahead of time are great ways to learn if any of those hazards are near where you’ll be. However, if you can’t find a lifeguard or want to see them for yourself, they are easiest to see from high ground. Rip currents appear as flat spots in the middle of breaking waves, sometimes accompanied by foam or flowing sediment. If warning signs at the beach alert you to rip currents, it’s best to stay out of the water — better safe than sorry. How to Escape Them If you find yourself in a rip current, it is important not to panic. Panicked swimmers often swim straight back to the beach, which is both tiring and a waste of time. Instead, you want to swim
parallel to shore until you are outside the rip current while not wasting your energy. Once you are out of the current’s grasp, you can safely swim back to shore at an angle. Now that you know how best to detect and handle rip currents, you can enjoy your beach day safely!
Take a Break
Delightful Banana Bread
INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS
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2 cups all-purpose flour 1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp baking soda
1. Preheat oven to 350 F and grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan. 2. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. 3. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. 4. Add eggs and mashed bananas and mix until blended. 5. Gradually add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, stirring until blended. 6. Stir in walnuts. 7. Pour batter into prepared pan. 8. Bake for 65–70 minutes or until a
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1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, softened 1 cup granulated sugar
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2 large eggs
ADVENTURE CAMPING
HIKING JUNETEENTH PARK PICNIC
PRIDE SANDALS SUNBURN SWIMMING
2 cups mashed ripe bananas 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
FATHER GEMINI
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toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool before serving.
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Inside This Issue 1. 2.
Lawyer’s Summers by the Sea How Science Reveals Our Sun’s True Color Hear What Our Clients Have to Say Tips to Steer Clear of Rip Currents Delightful Banana Bread Up Your Salad Game With a Veggie Chopper
3. 4.
TURN VEGGIE PREP INTO A SNAP Salad Struggles Be Gone
Many health-conscious consumers like eating more salads but hate the time needed to prepare them. A registered dietitian offers this realistic nutrition tip: Understand and accept your limitations in preparing salad at home and find a kitchen gadget to close the gap. Instead of taking time to chop salad ingredients individually, add your veggies to a vegetable chopper that slices or dices each item and drops it into a plastic container, says Kylie Sakaida, a nutrition expert with a significant following on TikTok. A veggie chopper is a large plastic box with a cutting lid. Built-in blades on the lid slice or dice ingredients and drop them into the box for storage. With one simple stroke, entire tomatoes, carrots, and chunks of lettuce transform into a pile
of colorful, bite-sized salad ingredients without making a mess in your kitchen. “Don’t empty it along the way. Just make your entire salad in here,” says Sakaida, who has used her veggie chopper for over two years. “After topping the salad with a protein source, such as chicken, feta cheese, or sunflower seeds, and adding dressing, just give it a shake and eat from the box,” she says. Amazon sells a variety of veggie choppers, ranging from $18 for a basic model to $29 for an all-in-one gadget with nine inserts, including blades for julienne or crinkle-cut veggies. Other hacks to up your salad game include starting with the freshest greens you can find, keeping them very cold until
served, using tasty dressing, and adding lemon zest or a splash of orange juice to store-bought products. You can even add pickled, grilled, or marinated vegetables to enrich the flavor. With a veggie chopper and these other tips in your kitchen arsenal, you’ll be making salads like a pro in no time.
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