Monday, June 30, 2008
Peek-a-Boo!
I've wanted a pet for the longest time. I especially love puppies, but there is hardly a four-legged creature I don't love. Lately we've seen a couple of cats around the house. We haven't fed them, hoping they were just on vacation and would pack up and leave when they couldn't find anything to eat. The one I've seen the most is a beautiful calico with long fur and white feet. She's a little mangy, but I guess that's what happens when you live outdoors and have to fend for yourself if you want to eat. I've started calling her "Boots" because of her white hind quarters.
We've seen her casually hanging around the shed and under the Chinook since early May. Clearly she's come to realize that both of these places provide excellent shelter if you're under a foot tall. Gary unhappily mentioned the other day it would probably be no time before we had a litter of kittens around. Sure enough, look who came out to play today:
Here's all 4 of Boots' kittens! Two short hair grays, one short hair blonde, and one puff ball of gray, apricot and white feet like her Momma.
We've seen her casually hanging around the shed and under the Chinook since early May. Clearly she's come to realize that both of these places provide excellent shelter if you're under a foot tall. Gary unhappily mentioned the other day it would probably be no time before we had a litter of kittens around. Sure enough, look who came out to play today:
Here's all 4 of Boots' kittens! Two short hair grays, one short hair blonde, and one puff ball of gray, apricot and white feet like her Momma.
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Hurricane Survival Kit
To commemorate the milestone 50th post on my blog, I thought I'd post this very important public service message. It's a list of critical items that should be included in every coastal dweller's Hurricane Survival Kit.
Toilet Paper - check
Bud Light - check
Keystone Ice - check
Budweiser - check
Red Dog - check
Miscellaneous other bottles of alcohol - check
Piece of plywood to float your old lady and booze on - check
Good one, Julian!
Toilet Paper - check
Bud Light - check
Keystone Ice - check
Budweiser - check
Red Dog - check
Miscellaneous other bottles of alcohol - check
Piece of plywood to float your old lady and booze on - check
Good one, Julian!
Friday, June 27, 2008
Visitors!
My good friend Nicole, her husband Moral and their precious 18 month old Mia came to visit me today. I was so happy to see them and we had such a fun day! I want to give a little shout out of thanks for the sushi, the wine, and for introducing me to Honrsby's Crisp Apple Hard Cider -- my new favorite beer! Oh, and of course for getting me caught up on the latest and greatest going on in Charlotte in my absence.
We hung out on the boat for a little while, then headed over to the pool to splash around for a couple hours. Mia is very comfortable in the water and Nicole and Moral take turns with her seamlessly. She is one lucky little girl! Aren't they the most photogenic family ever??? The only thing missing from today was Gary. Moral and Gary have met a few times and share a love for all things motorized and could talk for hours about cars, boats, jetskis and RVs!
To see the rest of the pix from today, click here.
We hung out on the boat for a little while, then headed over to the pool to splash around for a couple hours. Mia is very comfortable in the water and Nicole and Moral take turns with her seamlessly. She is one lucky little girl! Aren't they the most photogenic family ever??? The only thing missing from today was Gary. Moral and Gary have met a few times and share a love for all things motorized and could talk for hours about cars, boats, jetskis and RVs!
To see the rest of the pix from today, click here.
Eau de Vie
There are times when all I want to do is be in the water. It's like I need to drink it in through all the cells of my body. Sometimes it's the only thing that will soothe my soul, cool me off and calm my mind. Pool, ocean, or bathtub - it doesn't matter. I'm drawn to the water, so much so that I think I may be part fish. When I'm falling asleep at night on the boat, I can sense the gentle movement of floating on the water. That would probably make some people feel sick. I look forward to it every night I'm here.
I wish we could swim in the water here at the marina, but you can't, er, shouldn't because it's "black water". That doesn't mean it's dirty or polluted, rather, it refers to the actual color of the water due to the high level of tannins (yes, like the tannins found in red wine) that come from plant life under the water. There's a whole other world down there and I'm fascinated by it -- especially in the more swampy mangrove-like areas along the Waccamaw, but I'm still not going to jump in, as much as I want to. Especially after what I saw in the water the other day while jet skiing.
You may recall the alligator I ran over? And I mentioned the Ospreys, right? Well, I didn't mention the one Osprey that swooped down next to us with a small rodent in its clutches, did I? Or the Water Moccasin I saw gliding through the water with its head just above the surface? - So close I could have jerked it up out of the water with my hand? No, I don't believe I mentioned those creatures. I'll stick to the pool and the ocean 'cause I'd like to keep all my toes, thanks. I'm still holding out for a Japanese soaking tub though!
Honey, can we puh-LEEZE get one of these?
I wish we could swim in the water here at the marina, but you can't, er, shouldn't because it's "black water". That doesn't mean it's dirty or polluted, rather, it refers to the actual color of the water due to the high level of tannins (yes, like the tannins found in red wine) that come from plant life under the water. There's a whole other world down there and I'm fascinated by it -- especially in the more swampy mangrove-like areas along the Waccamaw, but I'm still not going to jump in, as much as I want to. Especially after what I saw in the water the other day while jet skiing.
You may recall the alligator I ran over? And I mentioned the Ospreys, right? Well, I didn't mention the one Osprey that swooped down next to us with a small rodent in its clutches, did I? Or the Water Moccasin I saw gliding through the water with its head just above the surface? - So close I could have jerked it up out of the water with my hand? No, I don't believe I mentioned those creatures. I'll stick to the pool and the ocean 'cause I'd like to keep all my toes, thanks. I'm still holding out for a Japanese soaking tub though!
Honey, can we puh-LEEZE get one of these?
Thursday, June 26, 2008
My favorite pastime
My favorite pastime down here at the beach when there's nothing else to do, or even when there is stuff to do but I don't feel like doing it, is watching the Travel Channel. We don't get this channel in Charlotte for some reason, but we used to. I know because when I lived at Mom's on Choppy Wood (1996 - 2000) I was addicted to the Travel Channel then, too.
Back then my favorite show was Lonely Planet with Ian and Justine. I can easily recall the theme music that started all their shows - it made my heart leap with joy whenever it came on. They're not on anymore, so my favorite host now is Samantha Brown - and her shows "Passport to [fill in the blank].
She goes to the BEST places, and is keen on finding the non-touristy spots to soak up the local flavor of a place. And she's cute and wears great clothes. Today I went online to read her blog and there's a category "What's Samantha Wearing?" with pictures of certain outfits she has worn on episodes with credits to the stores the clothes came from. Great idea!
A close second favorite is host Anthony Bourdain and his show "No Reservations".
He REALLY likes to go off the beaten path and usually goes to visit the families of the guides he travels with to experience a traditional feast of some kind - I guess that's mainly because of his culinary background. I've loved that guy ever since I read his book several years ago called "Kitchen Confidential". That book was a sometimes hysterical, other times seething, look at the inside of restaurant kitchens. He's so dry and brash - he's one of my heroes.
So I've been thinking about how I can translate my love for the Travel Channel, that is to say, my love of travelling and storytelling and good pictures, combined with my love of writing about my daily adventures into an income. I've been doing some research on "how to become a travel writer" and I've ordered a couple of books off amazon. I'm going to look into this pretty seriously. If anyone out there knows anything about getting published in magazines I would love some personal insights.
Back then my favorite show was Lonely Planet with Ian and Justine. I can easily recall the theme music that started all their shows - it made my heart leap with joy whenever it came on. They're not on anymore, so my favorite host now is Samantha Brown - and her shows "Passport to [fill in the blank].
She goes to the BEST places, and is keen on finding the non-touristy spots to soak up the local flavor of a place. And she's cute and wears great clothes. Today I went online to read her blog and there's a category "What's Samantha Wearing?" with pictures of certain outfits she has worn on episodes with credits to the stores the clothes came from. Great idea!A close second favorite is host Anthony Bourdain and his show "No Reservations".
He REALLY likes to go off the beaten path and usually goes to visit the families of the guides he travels with to experience a traditional feast of some kind - I guess that's mainly because of his culinary background. I've loved that guy ever since I read his book several years ago called "Kitchen Confidential". That book was a sometimes hysterical, other times seething, look at the inside of restaurant kitchens. He's so dry and brash - he's one of my heroes.So I've been thinking about how I can translate my love for the Travel Channel, that is to say, my love of travelling and storytelling and good pictures, combined with my love of writing about my daily adventures into an income. I've been doing some research on "how to become a travel writer" and I've ordered a couple of books off amazon. I'm going to look into this pretty seriously. If anyone out there knows anything about getting published in magazines I would love some personal insights.
A question...
Why is it that I can sit on the back of the boat in my bathing suit all day long -- with as much skin showing as I want -- but I can't bring myself to sit out here in a T-shirt and underwear?
I was just wondering.
I was just wondering.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
My Favorite Pirate
Arrrgghhh!!!!!!!!
He beached our jet skis and soaked up the scenery...
...and only left a small trace he'd been there.
Water Fowl and Porpoises!
On Monday we took the jet skis out for a long journey north from the marina to just outside of Wilmington. Gary REALLY wanted to get all the way to Wilmington, but we decided to do about 10 miles in the ocean which slowed us down but was 10 times as hard as taking the inside route because you're constantly fighting huge waves and strong currents. Navigating the Cape Fear River was more difficult than we anticipated it would be, also. It was really choppy and my butt could only take so much. We turned around about 8 miles from downtown Wilmington on the Cape Fear and had lunch in Southport, NC, instead. It's really a trip for the boat, that route. Open ocean is one thing, but sharing the river with ferries and other seagoing vessels was intimidating, given the water conditions. We had lunch at a waterside cafe called Fishy Fishy. 
The place was quaint and the food was good, but I was so exhausted from the trip up I could barely enjoy it until the end when A Flock of Seagulls dropped in for lunch. 
You could say they are probably regulars at Fishy Fishy. The seem to know the routine quite well.
On the way back to the marina we stayed on the Intracoastal. Gary spotted some porpoises frolicking in the water and we stopped to watch them for several minutes. One of them came right up next to him, but it took me a minute to get my camera out -- and I have to say it's pretty tough to take pictures of multiple moving targets that are only visible when they jump out of the water for a split second - but you can see their fins and tails and whatnot on this video:
This was by far Gary's favorite moment of our two-day trip.
Just as we were turning away from the porpoises the skies clouded over and we high-tailed it back to the marina, but not before I snapped this shot of the front moving in. It was an incredible journey!
The place was quaint and the food was good, but I was so exhausted from the trip up I could barely enjoy it until the end when A Flock of Seagulls dropped in for lunch. 
You could say they are probably regulars at Fishy Fishy. The seem to know the routine quite well.
On the way back to the marina we stayed on the Intracoastal. Gary spotted some porpoises frolicking in the water and we stopped to watch them for several minutes. One of them came right up next to him, but it took me a minute to get my camera out -- and I have to say it's pretty tough to take pictures of multiple moving targets that are only visible when they jump out of the water for a split second - but you can see their fins and tails and whatnot on this video:
This was by far Gary's favorite moment of our two-day trip.
Just as we were turning away from the porpoises the skies clouded over and we high-tailed it back to the marina, but not before I snapped this shot of the front moving in. It was an incredible journey!
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Jet Ski Mania!!!
Newsflash: I LOVE TO JET SKI!!!!!!! Last year when Gary brought home a jet ski I was all, "that's cool." THEN, he brought home a second one and I was all, "have you lost your ever loving mind?!?!" But I have to say -- now that I know what I know about jet skiing -- I am sooooooooooo glad he did because there's nothing like it.
Jet skiing is like a cross between riding a motorcycle, a horse, and a fishing boat. This is the gear we generally take on a jet ski trip: GPS and water-depth finder, water-tight bags, a marine radio, a cooler, dry clothes, money, phones, camera, sun glasses, etc.
Jet skiing is like a cross between riding a motorcycle, a horse, and a fishing boat. This is the gear we generally take on a jet ski trip: GPS and water-depth finder, water-tight bags, a marine radio, a cooler, dry clothes, money, phones, camera, sun glasses, etc.
I still can't dock all that great, but I'm getting there (one hand on the transmission and one hand to steer -- again -- one hand on the transmission and one hand to steer). I don't know if I've admitted this publicly or not, but the truth is I'm a pretty slow learner... but once I've got it, I've got it. I think my body just takes a while to process what my brain already knows. On our jet skis "the transmission" is the key to slowing down and coming to a stop. A lever goes in "forward" "neutral" or "reverse". Between these three gears you have to manoeuvre the handle bars to one side or the other depending on which direction you're going, to slow down enough to stop at the place on the dock you intend to. Sounds simple. It's not. I did make it two full days of jet skiing this time without getting any splinters in my hands from trying to grab the dock while still moving. That's what I call progress. Besides, I can jump waves now like nobody's business!
Between yesterday and today -- according to the GPS -- Gary and I covered 250 miles from just north of Georgetown, SC to about 8 miles shy of Wilmington NC, partially in the Intracoastal Waterway, partially in the ocean, and partially up random creeks and rivers. It was exhilarating! It was exhausting! It was WONDERFUL!
Such a Bad Ass!!!!!
I can say that today I did one of the coolest things I've EVER DONE IN MY LIFE. One of those things that I'll look back on and tell and re-tell numerous times... it'll become one of my greatest adventure stories of all time. And it happened to me today.
After trekking off the beaten path of the Waccamaw River into a narrow creek, seeing an old boat wreck up close and running over an ALLIGATOR (I didn't hurt it - I promise - I just grazed it's back... besides, it was me or him!!!)- I was growing weary of aimlessly swerving, bend after bend, in and out of cypress tree islands, swamps and osprey nesting places -- I wanted to go back to the ocean!
I wasn't sure how I'd convince Gary that he would enjoy another jaunt through 3-8 foot swells with salt water blinding us and constantly stinging our eyes and getting completely soaked over and over again -- but I did. AND. IT. WAS. AWESOME.
After sitting in the waves for a few minutes, we just could not resist and HAD to go out to the buoy floating exactly one mile offshore. Sorry Mom. Sorry Dad. I know you're BOTH having a heart attack now.
Check it out:
To see the rest of this series, click here.
To see all our jet ski videos (they're cool -- and short, I promise!) click here for more on the ocean, click here and here for more on the river and here for a close up look at a barge coming down the waterway.
Dump
We took the boat over to the fuel dock Sunday afternoon because it was starting to, uh, stink - shall we say? The sensors for the poop tank seem to be a little off - it was reading "mid", not "full" but you know you've got to get a "pump out" when the boat starts to stink.
This is not a terribly complicated process -- but it's kind of an ordeal to move the boat to the other dock. Typically the marina will bring a pump boat over to the slip and pump out from there, but the guys said they wouldn't be able to do it until Monday if we didn't bring it over to them. Sheisters!
So this is what it looks like to get a pump -- there's a small window to see what you're pumping. For the weak-stomached, you may want to turn away...
Yeah, that runs clear when the tank is empty. Blechhhh!!!
Gary did an OUTSTANDING job docking -- old salt that he is!
Cousin Scott came along for the ride too. And brought beer. I've had more sweet tea this weekend than I care to think about. Thanks Scott!
This is not a terribly complicated process -- but it's kind of an ordeal to move the boat to the other dock. Typically the marina will bring a pump boat over to the slip and pump out from there, but the guys said they wouldn't be able to do it until Monday if we didn't bring it over to them. Sheisters!
So this is what it looks like to get a pump -- there's a small window to see what you're pumping. For the weak-stomached, you may want to turn away...
Yeah, that runs clear when the tank is empty. Blechhhh!!!
Gary did an OUTSTANDING job docking -- old salt that he is!
Cousin Scott came along for the ride too. And brought beer. I've had more sweet tea this weekend than I care to think about. Thanks Scott!
Water Babies
My sister has enrolled Finn in swimming lessons. Well, it's more like "introduction to water for babies 101" but still, I think it's great to get babies aclimated to water very early on.
Christina took Maitlyn for a dip in our pool at the marina, and I coudln't resist snapping some photos. Oh how we love the water!
Christina took Maitlyn for a dip in our pool at the marina, and I coudln't resist snapping some photos. Oh how we love the water!
Just add water
On Sunday Gary and Theron took off for a little jet ski adventure and the girls went to the pool. It was a gorgeous day!
Family Reunion Weekend
After a wonderful week back in Charlotte, where I managed to complete some major organizing and cleaning projects I've been needing to get to for, oh, I don't know - A YEAR maybe??? -- we came back to the beach for a Family Reunion Weekend with Gary's Mom Joyce's family in Georgetown, SC.
Joyce is 2nd on the left - pictured here with her brother and sisters and her Aunt Ruth - who is sharp as a tack at 80-something.
They had several albums avilable for browsing. This is a school picture of Joyce as a sweet little girl:
Here we are with Lydia & Alex, Gary's brother Theron and Christina with their new baby girl Maitlyn.
Lydia, Alex and I somehow ended up inadvertently color coordinated with our outfits. We had some great food and it was nice to be with Joyce's family for the afternoon.
Joyce is 2nd on the left - pictured here with her brother and sisters and her Aunt Ruth - who is sharp as a tack at 80-something.
They had several albums avilable for browsing. This is a school picture of Joyce as a sweet little girl:
Here we are with Lydia & Alex, Gary's brother Theron and Christina with their new baby girl Maitlyn.
Lydia, Alex and I somehow ended up inadvertently color coordinated with our outfits. We had some great food and it was nice to be with Joyce's family for the afternoon.
Ice Carving
Back in Charlotte, Gary took me & Lydia to the shop to play with some ice. We bundled up and went into the freezer to chip away at mini blocks. Lydia cut designs on all 4 sides of her block, and can be seen here posing next to it on the kitchen counter at home. 
I wanted to go for something a little more, er, challenging. My block is supposed to be Chichen-Itza, the famous Mayan Temple we visited on our trip to Mexico in May.
Here's the real Chichen-Itza...You be the judge:
Here's the real Chichen-Itza...You be the judge:
Monday, June 23, 2008
Bestest Baby On The Planet
F-F-F-Finn!!!!!!
Ele and Finn came to vist Aunt Abby & Grandmommie Fran about 2 weeks ago - these pics are WAY overdue. We had a great few days hanging out at the beach. I stayed at Mom's for 2 nights to maximize my Finn-time, but we took a little trip over to the boat so they could see where I've been living.
Click here to the rest of this series of pics.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Light and Fluffy
I got this off of Deb's blog -- Hi Deb -- I'm not sure if I've infringed on some copyright law here, so if I have, my apologies. If not -- this is fun: Fill in the blanks. The answers you see here are my answers.
1. YOUR ROCK STAR NAME:
(first pet & current car): Tasha Miata
2.YOUR GANGSTA NAME:
(fave ice cream flavor, favorite cookie): Strawberry Chocolate Chip
3. YOUR “FLY Guy/Girl” NAME:
(first initial of first name, first three letters of your last name):
A. Wel
4. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME:
(favorite color, favorite animal): Blue Horse
5. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME:
(middle name, city where you were born): Elizabeth Charlotte
6. YOUR STAR WARS NAME:
(the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first): Welab
7. SUPERHERO NAME: (”The” + 2nd favorite color, favorite drink):
The Green Cape Cod (that sounds stupid)...
8. NASCAR NAME:
(the first names of your grandfathers): C. R. Horrace
9. STRIPPER NAME:
(the name of your favorite perfume/cologne/scent, favorite candy):
Euporia Skor (haha - that's funny!!)
10.WITNESS PROTECTION NAME:
(mother’s & father’s middle names ): Loretta Richard
11. TV WEATHER ANCHOR NAME:
(Your 5th grade teacher’s last name, a major city that starts with the same letter): McClarty McLellanville
12. SPY NAME/BOND GIRL:
(your favorite season/holiday, flower): Winter Tulip
13. CARTOON NAME:
(favorite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing right now + “ie” or “y”): Peachy Tanktop
14. HIPPY NAME:
(What you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree): Ricecake Silverbirch
15. YOUR ROCKSTAR TOUR NAME:
(”The” + Your fave hobby/craft, fave weather element + “Tour”):
The Picture Taking Hurricanes Tour
Tell me your names!
1. YOUR ROCK STAR NAME:
(first pet & current car): Tasha Miata
2.YOUR GANGSTA NAME:
(fave ice cream flavor, favorite cookie): Strawberry Chocolate Chip
3. YOUR “FLY Guy/Girl” NAME:
(first initial of first name, first three letters of your last name):
A. Wel
4. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME:
(favorite color, favorite animal): Blue Horse
5. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME:
(middle name, city where you were born): Elizabeth Charlotte
6. YOUR STAR WARS NAME:
(the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first): Welab
7. SUPERHERO NAME: (”The” + 2nd favorite color, favorite drink):
The Green Cape Cod (that sounds stupid)...
8. NASCAR NAME:
(the first names of your grandfathers): C. R. Horrace
9. STRIPPER NAME:
(the name of your favorite perfume/cologne/scent, favorite candy):
Euporia Skor (haha - that's funny!!)
10.WITNESS PROTECTION NAME:
(mother’s & father’s middle names ): Loretta Richard
11. TV WEATHER ANCHOR NAME:
(Your 5th grade teacher’s last name, a major city that starts with the same letter): McClarty McLellanville
12. SPY NAME/BOND GIRL:
(your favorite season/holiday, flower): Winter Tulip
13. CARTOON NAME:
(favorite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing right now + “ie” or “y”): Peachy Tanktop
14. HIPPY NAME:
(What you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree): Ricecake Silverbirch
15. YOUR ROCKSTAR TOUR NAME:
(”The” + Your fave hobby/craft, fave weather element + “Tour”):
The Picture Taking Hurricanes Tour
Tell me your names!
Monday, June 9, 2008
Amy Takes to Boat Life!
My friend Amy came down to the beach from Charlotte to stay for a couple of days before a conference she's attending here this week - SOOOOOOOO FUN to have someone to enjoy the boat with me without having to GO! GO! GO! all the time. In this picture it looks like she has bizarre Pippy Longstocking style pigtails coming out of her head -- she doesn't. It's the windshield wipers on the boat. I took this picture with my new camera phone and couldn't really see that on the tiny screen. Regardless, the smile on her face says it all -- it was no time before she took to boat life!
We got here Friday afternoon - not before having to pull off the side of the road at one point to adjust my bike on the bike rack because it looked like it was about to take flight at any moment. And I really didn't want to kill Amy, who was following behind me in her car. I could just see the headline "Woman Killed By Flying Bike". No Bueno (as Amy would say).
Amy and I have determined that while our parents could not be more different in terms of the way the express themselves - and especially with their political affiliations, we basically had the same childhood.
For example, although her family had a 9 hour drive to get to the Myrtle Beach area every year for their summer vacation and it only took us, oh, what seemed like 9 but was probably more like 4 hours -- both families went through the exact same routine: car bingo and other non-electronic games and amusements for the trip, a road-side picnic of sandwiches (made at home) chips, drinks and special cookies made only once a year for the beach vacation. Then upon arrival at the beach there was a contest to see who could see the ocean (or as in Amy's family's case -- who could see "the Lotion") first. Then once at "the place" (condo or whatever) our Mothers would commence cleaning the entire unit from top to bottom (because that's how they were raised). Afterwards, the Mothers would go to the grocery store with a grocery list for a week's worth of pre-determined menus. The similarities were pretty amazing.
Despite Amy's Mom being a very soft spoken Republican and my Mom being a very outspoken Democrat -- they have TONS in common on how they raised their daughters. Likewise, we agreed that the VAST majority of our friends were also basically cut from the same fabric. That's pretty cool.
We didn't take many pictures, but we enjoyed much needed girl talk on the front of the boat and watched the sun set so beautifully over the Intracoastal. We had drinks and eats at the Marina -- both at the Anchor Cafe and the poolside bar, we went for a pedicure, sat on the beach and played in the water (Amy's very first time of being in the ocean without the watchful eyes of her Dad!) and had steaks on the grill with Mom and A.Vee. It was the perfect weekend!
We got here Friday afternoon - not before having to pull off the side of the road at one point to adjust my bike on the bike rack because it looked like it was about to take flight at any moment. And I really didn't want to kill Amy, who was following behind me in her car. I could just see the headline "Woman Killed By Flying Bike". No Bueno (as Amy would say).
Amy and I have determined that while our parents could not be more different in terms of the way the express themselves - and especially with their political affiliations, we basically had the same childhood.
For example, although her family had a 9 hour drive to get to the Myrtle Beach area every year for their summer vacation and it only took us, oh, what seemed like 9 but was probably more like 4 hours -- both families went through the exact same routine: car bingo and other non-electronic games and amusements for the trip, a road-side picnic of sandwiches (made at home) chips, drinks and special cookies made only once a year for the beach vacation. Then upon arrival at the beach there was a contest to see who could see the ocean (or as in Amy's family's case -- who could see "the Lotion") first. Then once at "the place" (condo or whatever) our Mothers would commence cleaning the entire unit from top to bottom (because that's how they were raised). Afterwards, the Mothers would go to the grocery store with a grocery list for a week's worth of pre-determined menus. The similarities were pretty amazing.
Despite Amy's Mom being a very soft spoken Republican and my Mom being a very outspoken Democrat -- they have TONS in common on how they raised their daughters. Likewise, we agreed that the VAST majority of our friends were also basically cut from the same fabric. That's pretty cool.
We didn't take many pictures, but we enjoyed much needed girl talk on the front of the boat and watched the sun set so beautifully over the Intracoastal. We had drinks and eats at the Marina -- both at the Anchor Cafe and the poolside bar, we went for a pedicure, sat on the beach and played in the water (Amy's very first time of being in the ocean without the watchful eyes of her Dad!) and had steaks on the grill with Mom and A.Vee. It was the perfect weekend!
Reader Beware: Brain Dump
I think I'm just now coming down from the past 2 weeks of total overload while back in Charlotte. The relative solitude I've experienced for the first two weeks after leaving my job allowed my imagination to get the best of me in preparing for jury duty -- the reason I had to go home to Charlotte -- which turned out to be a HUGE let down in a lot of ways.
Even though I dreaded the thought of it, I fully expected to be chosen for a "Law & Order" style murder trial. I just knew I'd be sequestered for 6 months. But the fact is I didn't even see the inside of a courtroom and got dismissed at 3:15 because they didn't need any jurors that day. A relief, but totally anti-climatic. Then I left immediately afterwards for Dad's and then to Robin's - where I had a GREAT time with all, but ended up bailing on my plans to visit my sister at the end of the week because I was so fried. The first week of June was quite the roller coaster.
So here's the dealio: I'm having a little trouble adjusting to the back and forth aspect of my new life, the total lack of routine, and its impact on my life with Gary - which pretty much sucks right now because we've seen each other maybe 7 out of 30 days and I TOTALLY miss our regular life together so I'm flipping out that everything has changed, and not necessarily for the better.
As many people know, the idea to take the year off was hatched as we bought this boat last year -- to "do the Great Loop". As that plan disintegrated over the course of the year due to uncontrollable and ridiculous amounts of delays with the move of Gary's business back to Charlotte, not to mention the wild increase in gas prices made it completely cost prohibitive... but I was still determined to stick to my plan of taking the year off anyway. I can be so stubborn, and yes, Mom, I still have a one-track mind.
Fast forward to now, and I'm already questioning the wisdom and feasibility of keeping this up, and I'm only one month into it. I'm not sure if it's all that healthy for me to be here alone so much. I have yet to set up a regular routine outside of my morning coffee and smoking way too many cigarettes and being a die-hard fan of Craig Ferguson's Late Late Show - which comes on AFTER Dave Letterman (and I don't have Tivo so yes, I'm watching it in real time at 12:30AM - 1:30AM).
I have become both lab rat and scientist in this little experiment I've concocted -- these are uncharted waters I'm in. Today I even looked at a few job search engines -- and found something REALLY interesting with the company I left a month ago. It surprised me too. That I did that. And that I sent my resume. WTF?
Even though I dreaded the thought of it, I fully expected to be chosen for a "Law & Order" style murder trial. I just knew I'd be sequestered for 6 months. But the fact is I didn't even see the inside of a courtroom and got dismissed at 3:15 because they didn't need any jurors that day. A relief, but totally anti-climatic. Then I left immediately afterwards for Dad's and then to Robin's - where I had a GREAT time with all, but ended up bailing on my plans to visit my sister at the end of the week because I was so fried. The first week of June was quite the roller coaster.
So here's the dealio: I'm having a little trouble adjusting to the back and forth aspect of my new life, the total lack of routine, and its impact on my life with Gary - which pretty much sucks right now because we've seen each other maybe 7 out of 30 days and I TOTALLY miss our regular life together so I'm flipping out that everything has changed, and not necessarily for the better.
As many people know, the idea to take the year off was hatched as we bought this boat last year -- to "do the Great Loop". As that plan disintegrated over the course of the year due to uncontrollable and ridiculous amounts of delays with the move of Gary's business back to Charlotte, not to mention the wild increase in gas prices made it completely cost prohibitive... but I was still determined to stick to my plan of taking the year off anyway. I can be so stubborn, and yes, Mom, I still have a one-track mind.
Fast forward to now, and I'm already questioning the wisdom and feasibility of keeping this up, and I'm only one month into it. I'm not sure if it's all that healthy for me to be here alone so much. I have yet to set up a regular routine outside of my morning coffee and smoking way too many cigarettes and being a die-hard fan of Craig Ferguson's Late Late Show - which comes on AFTER Dave Letterman (and I don't have Tivo so yes, I'm watching it in real time at 12:30AM - 1:30AM).
I have become both lab rat and scientist in this little experiment I've concocted -- these are uncharted waters I'm in. Today I even looked at a few job search engines -- and found something REALLY interesting with the company I left a month ago. It surprised me too. That I did that. And that I sent my resume. WTF?
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Something fishy at the boat
Call me crazy, possessive or plain territorial -- but this is for the birds!!!!!
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
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