Day 5/One step ahead...two steps behind

Today we woke up and I decided my hair was getting on my nerves.  I quickly called a local hair salon and planned on being there as soon as I could....one I had never gone to before but I figured "hey, it can always grow back!"  (It turned out well by the way.)  Hubby decided he was getting back on his road bike.....to ride 50 miles!!  Needless to say, I was done way ahead of him so I was going to get all of our laundry done....and after a few trips to the laundromat (in our campground) I was feeling good like I was getting something done.  I also decided to "dump" our toilet ...(in a camper you have to fill it with water and then let it run out a couple of times to totally clear it)....I only had time to do it once in between laundry visits so on my last stop home I turned the water on.  Forgetting about the water filling the toilet....I ran to see if my hubby exhausted from his ride wanted a lift home from the entrance of the campground until our campsite.  We returned and sat down.....when my hubby says "why do I hear water running"....I scream OH MY GOD!!....the water was running all over the trailer.  I spent the next two hours using the wet-vac and clorox cleaning everything.  I try, try, try to get ahead and see what happens.....ugh...what a mess!  Anyway, we managed to get it all taken care of and then realized it was late and we needed dinner.  For a quick dinner, we had a Marie Collander's Southwestern Style Chipotle...excellent dinner when you need something fast!  This dish & corn chips....were delish!!  I would recommend it!  Looking forward to a better tomorrow.  :-)

Day 4 Vaca/Kicking it into gear...

On Day 4 I got up later than I wanted to but happy to have the good sleep.  I asked my hubby what we should do and he was seeming like he did not feel the way he usually does during vacation...he was a little bummed.  I asked him if our oldest son (19) not being with us was bothering him...he really did not say but I suspect that was the problem.  He managed to get motivated to build us a bike rack at the campground out of pvc and of course I was the helper (more like the watcher or the hand me this/hand me that girl). 

He had some inspiration which was very good I might add.  First time I ever tried this Shock Top Belgium White Beer and I loved it with an orange slice in it:

I must also give a good review of  Off's new fan product.  I must say it works wonderfully for mosquitos but not so much for the greenheads.  For those of you who do not know...greenheads are these annoying biting green headed flies which are native to NJ (only certain portions).  Be glad if you don't know them.  But, hey if you know mosquitos...this is worth a try.  Here is what it looks like:

I don't know about you but I hate putting mosquito spray all over myself and I usually don't because I just don't think its healthy to spray that stuff on you...at least with this little Off Fan...your not spraying the stuff on you and your just hanging it off your pants or belt loop or something like that.  It works!!!







Well after the Belgium White and the new Mosquito Fans....we had a good end result and I think hubby felt good again and is ready to kick start this vacation into gear!

Day 3 of Vacation

I figured out today that I need to make the plans or say what we are doing today because if I don't.....I think my men will be nothing but couch potatoes all day long.  LOL!  Today it was hot as hell when we got up so I declared it was a beach day.  We are only 12 minutes from the beach.  We headed over there...all of us thinking in reality it was going to be so hot we would not be able to stand it....but as it turned out when I got out of the car there was a really nice cool ocean breeze blowing and it was wonderful.  I was glad.  I did not want hubby or son miserable and grumpy just because I absolutely love and adore the beach and I was dragging them in God awful heat.  Waves were perfect and tide was low so there was this great low tide allowing you to pick up shells and wade in small amounts of water.  Years ago we went to the beach with the kids and they gathered 300 shells....my son decided today that we would break that record....and we did...307!!!  It was a fun afternoon and we all had a good time.  I will have to start thinking about the "plan" for tomorrow.......I feel like the Activities Director.  All-in-all ....a sweet day and for some reason....even though I did not "swim" I am exhausted now.

Vacation Day 2....

I usually wake up early and allow the men in my life to sleep....reality is I tip toe around and try to keep them asleep and bask in the quietness.  LOL!  Anyway, yesterday I decided to get everyone up and moving (not really early)...we were out the door by 12 but for us...that's pretty good.  We decided it was going to be an out to brunch day and then do some shopping.  It was super hot so shopping was super cool with all of us.  Rolling in and out of each of our favorite stores...we were relaxed and had lots of time for window shopping, Starbucks...all of our favorites.  While we were in one store my son says to me "wow, look at this section over here" I said "wow, this is a Big Dick's".  About two seconds after I said it the two of us looked at each other and cracked up laughing.  It was one of those priceless Mom moments.  Overall it was a good day and we ended it with a nice grilled dinner and a Mojito.  I have the best bartender in the world.  :-) 

Green Thumb Interrupted

I have no green thumb by any stretch of the imagination but this year I thought I would attempt to grow tomato, pepper and cucumber plants down the shore.  I was so proud of myself because usually my green turns brown and poof they are dead but this time my plants were thriving.  Until.....we came down and noticed much to our amazement....something is eating my plants...even the ones in the pots.  Our suspicion is that the deer are coming in from the woods and eating them....my plan is to catch them in the act this week.  So far...I haven't caught them.  Here is what they did:

 Cucumber before......................and cucumber after. 

 Tomato before........................and tomato after. 

You get the picture.  I am in search of the plant thief this week.  One thing that is good...at least someone appreciates what little green thumb I have. 

Day 1 of Vacation...

Today we decided it was a "decompress" day...no plans, just chilling, napping, relaxing....basically doing nothing and we were enjoying it. If you remember about a week or so ago I told you our oldest son was vacationing by himself at a shore house with friends. He was on the road today. We were just starting to wonder if he had arrived safely so I texted him. The phone rings and it is him. He is in a bit of a panic.....his friend's tire blew out and they did not have a spare...what should he do. I handed him over to my hubby, fixer of the problems, and my son is nervous and panicked so he is not being very patient...my husband is nervous and panicked because he is worried are they in a safe location....they get a little testy on the phone with each other. Why do they get testy with each other? Because while my oldest may look like me, he acts like his father. The youngest looks like my hubby but he acts like me. And we all know how two personalities are when they are alike....now, don't we? Funny. I find it very very funny. Anyway, all in all it was not a bad day. My son arrived at his destination safely...thank you AAA and we had a nice dinner tonight....shrimp appetizers, mojitos, grilled chicken, corn...,mmmmmmmm.

My Youngest is Driving...

We have entered a new era yet again. My youngest son turned 16 this past week and received his Permit. Yikes!!! I am getting OLD! All week long he has been talking about driving our Dodge Ram Van (LARGE) down the shore on Friday night. As each day passed I thought there was no way he was actually going to go through with this because it was so big and bulky and my oldest son when he drove absolutely rejected any idea of driving such a vehicle. Friday came and he still had the sparkle in his eye. Now keep in mind...this is the first time my husband and I are driving with him and the drive takes about an hour and 15 minutes. Dusk was approaching as we were leaving later than the usual and I thought he was going to say no, but his determination took over and behind the steering he placed himself.

I said a little prayer "Oh God..we are on vacation next week, please do not let us 'miss' this vacation and by the way God, I do not want to spend a week in the hospital. Love, Me."

Much to our amazement and surprise he did really really well and we were quite comfortable with his driving. He adjusted rather quickly to the bulkiness of the van and drove like a pro. Now and again hubby gave him a few pointers but overall I was very relaxed and at one point I even shut my eyes for a mere second (because I was tired...not out of fright).

As with any new chapter in a kid's/parent's life their comes more worry and more independence. This next year he will still "need" us to ride with him but when he turns 17 and gets his license and can "let loose"....look out because I think he will be out and about and leaving Mom and Dad behind.

All of this teenage driving made me think....wasn't life much easier in the "frontier" days when all they had to do was show their kid how to get up on a horse?

Taking care of our elders....

We are preparing to be on vacation next week and I usually stop to see my Mom (88) at least once or twice a week. Since I would not be seeing her next week I called her yesterday and told her we would go out to dinner. She was excited/thrilled to go. She is somewhat restricted at home because she cannot drive anymore and uses a walker. After work we picked her up we had her help us decide where to go...we ended up at Longhorn Steakhouse. We enjoyed Watermelon Margaritas, appetizers and a nice steak/seafood dinner. A good time was had by all. She really appreciated being able to get out of the house. Sometime if your thinking of what should I do today?.....take the time to have a meal with the older person in your life...they really love the company and appreciate getting out. You also can be guaranteed to hear some good "old" stories and to get some "good" advice. Take the time to remember.......it makes you feel good and leaves them feeling better. :-)

Father's Day...

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

We spent this weekend down at our trailer doing things with both of our sons. Yesterday we spent the day in Atlantic City strolling the boards and doing some shopping. That evening we went out to dinner at my son's choice (because his birthday is tomorrow) and we had a good time. Last night my husband was transferring all of our home videos onto a hard drive so we don't lose them and we both spent 2 hours watching footage of my oldest son at age 1. I found this quite fitting considering it is Father's Day today. Doing this took me back to my own childhood and remembering my Dad and how what he did as a Dad formed me to be who I am today.....today I see some of these same qualities in my own husband and I am thankful that he has shaped our children (16 and 19) into who they are today. The job along the way was not easy and I think we both provided a nice balance with each other. As I watch them enter into adulthood I am very proud to say they are mine. They will make mistakes along the way themselves but my hope for them is that they have the pleasure of being a Dad (like when they are in their late 20's!) so they too can feel the pride we have always felt for them. I tell them all the time "wait until your a parent and you will understand"...they laugh when I say it but some day.....my words will come back to them and we will all laugh about it together. I thank my honey for all he has done for the kids....I could not ask for better.

Beef Jerky

Anyone who has ever had boys, or even men in their house, knows that with them comes beef jerky. It's like a necessity, a staple, and a main food group. LOL. Needless to say my "men" love having it. Of course, my youngest has a tendency to leave a package laying here or there just as he always does. I woke up the other morning to discover the package was torn apart to pieces......poochie found it laying around and decided to devour it. Funny how those packages always come with that little white silicone pack that says "do not eat"....I've always wondered why you would put something like that in with food but anyway....the dog ripped apart the whole package and low and behold he did not eat the silicone gel. Either it did not smell good enough to eat or our dog is just smarter than we give him credit for. We're chalking it up to the latter and maybe he can even read. :-)

I am the Negotiator....

Shit's been happening lately and I don't like shit. I am not a person who likes drama, confrontation or anger....it's not my nature so when those things come into play in my life it makes me feel unsettled and probably because I like everything smooth....flowing like water.....easy pieces. When things are not smooth I feel so unsettled like there are constant butterflies in my stomach along with a big knot......wish it would make me not eat...then maybe I would lose weight!!! No such luck there! I know it can't always be smooth sailing but I am happy that right now my shit has settled down and things have been smoothed over. I sometimes feel like Kevin Spacey in the movie Negotiator.......working both sides. Maybe someday if there is ever a "situation" they can call me in....after all, I have the skills and experience and I could probably talk somebody down!

Not what we planned ......

Our plan for today was breakfast, Best Buy, PetSmart and Flea Market then out to Chinese Buffet for dinner then a movie. We made it to breakfast, Best Buy and PetSmart. We got to the flea market when my honey decided that he did not like where our van was parked...he found a better spot. My son and I preceded looking to see what good buys or deals we could find. I love flea markets cause I am always looking for the "deal" of the century. Have I ever found that deal....no, but I know it's out there. Anyway, my hubby was taking longer than usual and I thought he was just being too particular about where to park...he tends to do that from time-to-time.

Finally, I spot him....calling him over.....oh no, he has a look on his face I recognize...a look that says...there's a problem. He tells me that our brake line on our van just broke....we are about 50 miles from home and about 7 miles from the trailer. We decided to try & call a car rental. Enterprise & Budget are not open on Saturdays...oh great. We then decided to call the local Dodge dealer to see if we could have it towed there.....Dodge dealer not open on Saturdays. Finally we got a plan together and that plan involved having my sister (who lives about 10 miles from the flea market) come and pick me and my son up and my husband would go with the AAA driver back to our home garage. Thank God we have AAAPlus and they will tow up to 100 miles!!! So he went with the van.

Me and my son went with my sister who was taking us back to the trailer to spend the remainder of the afternoon until hubby returned with a working car. We get to the trailer to discover I do not have a key. Key is with hubby who is already in tow truck heading towards home. So, we camped at my sister's for a few hours and watched the World Cup and my oldest son picked up my hubby at the garage and got him home to pick up our car. Definitely not what we planned today but really not all that bad because we had options open to us. Thank you big sister for living close to where we spend time playing & when we were in trouble you bailed us out. That is what Big Sisters are for, isn't it?

Poochie

Last night on our way down the shore we stopped at the store and my hubby and son ran in while I waited with the poochie. While we were waiting...he cried and cried and watched incessantly at the door where they went in looking for them. It made me think...what is really going through his little mind. Where did they go? Are they ever going to return? Did they leave me forever just with Mom? He was so intent that I could barely get him to turn around so I could snap his photo. Look at his little face looking at me...it's like he is saying..why are you interrupting me from intense watching to snap my photo?

Growing pains...

Recently we have been talking about vacation and what should we do. As always..it's time we always look forward to. My son, who is home from college now, was trying to let his summer employer know what days he needed off....as we were talking he informed me that he was taking his "week" with his friends at a house on the beach. For a moment....I felt a pang in my heart and it sank...I realized that he is growing and moving past the fun little family vacations we used to take together......For a moment...I felt just like I did back in August when he left...eww it hurt.....For a moment.....I felt sad........Then I got past it and realized I still have another younger son to take with us and possibly a friend. And recently my husband and I have had a couple of great weekends together alone and while we were alone I did realize that eventually when both kids are gone I will be OK.....we will be OK. But for now as my kids move into their own adult lives I must admit.....the growing pains hurt. :-(

I got this in an email...but like it & had to post it:

This should be posted in schools> Rule 1 : Life is not fair - get used to it! Rule 2 : The world doesn't care about your Self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself. Rule 3 : You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice-president with a car phone until you earn both. Rule 4 : If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss Rule 5 : Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your Grandparents had a different word for burger flipping: they called it opportunity. Rule 6 : If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault , so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them. Rule 7 : Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you were. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent's generation, try delousing the closet in your own room. Rule 8 : Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life HAS NOT. In some schools, they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life. Rule 9 : Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you FIND YOURSELF. Do that on your own time. Rule 10 : Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs. Rule 11 : Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one. If you agree, pass it on. If you don't agree stick your head in the sand and take a deep breath! If you can read this ... Thank a teacher! I just need to add 2: Family comes first and Respect your elders.

BP.....

I have been watching day after day and newscast and after newscast as they show the oil spewing into the ocean and how the leak has not been contained as of yet. I feel like it is so unresponsible of BP to not have contained this leak yet. In my opinion they have no right drilling unless they have completely effective methods of containing a leak....methods that have been tried and tested. Watching my beautiful ocean turn into a dump is making me feel sick. BP...you need to come up with an extremely effective measure of cleaning this up and you need to do it quickly. I cannot bear to see any more pictures like the one here. Get it together or get out of the business.

Anniversary...Happy Places....Good times...

This weekend in a nutshell was wonderful. My husband and I celebrated our 26th anniversary. We decided to kick it off with a trip to the racetrack which while it was fun, did not prove to be very fruitful.......no money won but we had a great time. We went on a Friday afternoon and discovered that we were the youngest people there and it made us feel like spring chickens ....which is not bad! The weather was gorgeous and we had a great time.

After that we went down to the trailer. The serenity there makes me feel so relaxed. I realized that this weekend besides celebrating the anniversary also included all my favorite places. When I arrive at the trailer it is like my body takes a huge deep breathe and lets it out. Very quiet, comforting and relaxing.

I actually planted plants this year and for me....that's a huge deal. I was amazingly surprised to see how well they were doing. Usually I have what I would consider a brown thumb....not a green one. I have received many plant gifts over the years only to watch them die.....I know they need water...I know they need TLC.....but plants are just not my forte......it's just another thing to be taken care of and when all is said & done as far as importance is concerned it does not rank high on my list. So...imagine my amazement and surprise this weekend to see my plants doing so well. I planted a tomato plant, pepper, lettuce and cucumbers...I figured if this all works out...we will have a salad! There is always the possibility that some wild animal will find my plants and eat them...and if so,...that's OK.

Saturday we went to our favorite eatery for lunch which we have been going to since we started dating. Barnegat has a great little restaurant with the best manhattan clam chowder....it is actually very close to my father-in-law's and that is really saying something cause his rank's as the best in my book! After that we spent about an hour or so on the beach....to me this is the best. Listening to the waves crashing on the beach is so calming...I could sit there for hours....it was so hot (95) and the water was so cold (58) that we could not do hours...plus there was no wind but the time we were there was relaxing. I love watching, listening and smelling the ocean.....

That evening we had the most delicious dinner ever in A.C. It was at a really nice restaurant that has been around since 1912. Valet service....excellent food...excellent drinks! For the first time I had a watermelon martini and it was delicious. We wrapped up the evening with a walk on the boards and my first purchase in a Lush store...which sells the most nicely scented soaps I have ever smelled.....all natural products.

I am blessed and lucky to have had this weekend and I hope my hubby knows how forever grateful I am for having spent it and the last 26 years with him. :-)