Words to live by

That's right: Take your stupid sandy feet home and clog your own drain! We don't cotton to such shenanigans at Oak Bluffs beach!
This sign is in one of the bathrooms outside the Steamship Authority office in Oak Bluffs. I don't like to think of myself as the sort of person who goes around snapping pictures in public restrooms, but I could not resist getting a shot of this memorable message.
I spent a fair amount of time in Oak Bluffs today, looking at clothes for an article I'm doing on exotic fashions. Oak Bluffs has several shops that specialize in unusual attire from around the world, such as Glimpse of Tibet and Third World Trading Company.
But the real "news" came when I stopped to chat with a guy outside an Irish-themed bar not far from the beach. In the midst of our conversation, we were joined by an elderly couple who happened to be passing by and shared what the wife said was "inside information" about the rumored visit of the Obama family to Martha's Vineyard in August. She had talked to a friend who knows a family with whom the Obamas are friendly, and this contact assured her that the Obamas are not going to be coming. It seems the Secret Service checked out the island and decided it would be extremely difficult to secure, so they've advised against a visit.
This would be a heavy blow to the many merchants around the area who have prominently placed Obama-themed T-shirts, books and artwork in their storefront windows. But they may not have to weather the disappointment at all; it turns out the Obamas are not vacationing here -- unless they are.
"They still might show up," the woman said because there's always the chance they'll work out some sort of arrangements with security after all. So basically, nothing is set in stone, although she added that there has been so much speculation about the visit that it's apparently made Obama's people very nervous (and the island businesses very excited).
A little word of advice to the Obamas, in case they do decide to drop by: Please don't wash your feet in the bathroom sinks. Sand clogs drains, you know.