Exercising and indulgence

We're on the roof of a beach hotel that looks like a cruise ship, its angled bow jutting toward the Atlantic Ocean. Puffy clouds dot the sky, and a pleasant breeze cools the morning air. So serene.

''KICK! KICK! KICK!'' bellows our leader, thrusting her sneakered foot sideways and up to shoulder height, in time to the beat pulsing from an iPod. ``Hands up! Protect your face! Visualize someone you want to HIT!''

We're sweating. We're kicking. We're visualizing. Oh, yes, we are visualizing.

Moms get away on their own -- guilt free

Talk about a leap of faith.

Ali Bogner, a Brooklyn, N.Y., mom, left her husband and son for a rare girlfriends' getaway -- with a group of women she'd never met.

Yet, Bogner explained, she felt closer to some of these women than she did to her friends back in Brooklyn. They'd met and bonded as part of an online support group when they were pregnant and after their babies were born, ''the amazing mommies,'' as they dubbed themselves, decided they all wanted to meet. That first weekend in Dallas was such a success that the women now meet every year -- most recently in Colorado. ''For a lot of the girls, this is it. They don't do anything else without their families and they save all year,'' said Ali Bogner.

More memories from Woodstock

I was 17, and I went with my boyfriend. We drove up in his station wagon with a huge white peace sign painted on the hood. Although the distance was only 150 miles, it took us over 10 hours to get there. We were exhausted and very hungry and had no idea where we were going. We parked our car and took our camping equipment and started following the crowds. We walked for miles. The mountain was covered with more people than I had ever seen in my life. As we walked up the mountain the air reeked of pot, and we were amazed at the sight of so many insane things, from people being tossed in the air, people taking baths totally naked and many people on bad drug trips. There were no bathrooms, no food, no water and no lodging. You were on your own -- except for the other half a million people!

I was a girl from Long Island getting to experience her first taste of freedom. After a day of starvation, no water, going to the bathroom in the woods, being eaten by mosquitos and literally falling down a mountain of

Jorge L. Rios

Great story today. I came to the U.S. on the Freedom Flights on Dec. 7, 1967 and settled up north. Five years or so after arriving, my family and I down to Hollywood, Florida. I went to Cooper City High and in 1974 went to work for the City of Hollywood and retired as an Engineering Inspector in 2005 and moved to Vermont for a while. I wrote a letter to my US born half-sister a couple of years ago describing my memories of those pre and post flight days. I just started a letter and kept going, and going... I arrived Dec. 7, 1967 on the 7 a.m flight, Varadero to MIA.) Hey Rosie. This last December 7, 2006 was a different one. It was my "Happy America Anniversary" and it has come around about 4 times in 39 years again on a Thursday. For some weird reason, I noticed it more last year. Actually, t here's no weird reason; this time I'm back up north.

I remember that last week in El Diezmero. My parents allowed me to stay home from school for the last three days there. Who would care anyway? "Oliamos

Nonguests can make a splash at some local resorts

Relaxing at a resort pool doesn't have to be a covert operation involving fake names and room numbers or unfriendly interrogations by hotel staff. Some of the more laidback establishments turn a blind eye to locals chilling out poolside, as long as they start a tab or order an appetizer.

South Florida's pools paint a picturesque scene of a summer crowd enjoying what a genuine tropical weekend is all about: sun and sex appeal. Sure, there are miles of beaches all over, but pools mean no sand in your car, a quick trek to the bar or poolside service, and when it's time for a swim, no irrational paranoia derived from watching too much Shark Week on the Discovery Channel.

While a few establishments welcome all, others only open their doors on specific days or after you've purchased a pass or rented a cabana. To avoid the embarrassment of getting kicked out, we've provided the scoop on some the friendliest pool decks in the area.