Yup. It was fun.
Friday morning I woke up early, thinking I could go for a run before our 4hr roadtrip to Levittown. But, of course, mother nature had other plans. It was pooring, so, sadly enough, I never got my run.
Instead I avoided the bustle in the house for the first few hours of my morning by reading in bed. I started reading The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley that morning... and finished it just yesterday. Beautiful story... McKinley really has a way with fantasy, though, I do wish she had brought out the love story in this one a little more.
Anyway, after I had gotten to a comfortable place in the story line to put the book down, I showered, packed, ate, and drugged myself.
We left at about 1pm, with me behind the wheel. I didn't do too shabby... in my own opinion, mind you. However, before we even left town I had one person beep their horn at me. Yeah lady, I know I had the right-of-way but you were only going to firken K-Mart so I don't see why you were in such a hurry.
Then, when we were on the turnpike, I almost traded paint with a lady who was talking on her cellphone. Apparently, this lady believes that her phone conversation was more important than the lives of her fellow commuters. She spend up to try to pass me before I switched lanes to let another mini van onto the turnpike. I really don't know what happened after I noticed the one lady at my side but, thanks to some higher power, there was no accident and no paint-trading and no need to worry any further about this incident.
I could write a book on my driving experiences in just that one trip... but I'll save ya'll the sob story.
I drove for another hour or so after that and traded with Philip so I could continue reading my book.... and so I wouldn't have to put up with the suburbia hell that is Levittown/Bristol. domokun
When we got to MaryLou and John's house, we unpacked and then went straight to MaryLou's company picnic. Profit 21 always throws the most interesting picnics but this year's was kind of a drag. It rained and everyone crouded into a huge tent on the company's lawn. We basically just ate and avoided the side of the tent where the smokers were sitting. The adults drank their beer and talked buisness and the kids roamed around the games tent playing ddr, poker, and carnival games.
The picnic was from 5:30 to whenever the keg emptied (even though every stinkin' time it was emptied, two more took it's place) so we just left at 9ish. I was naturally exhausted from being up early and the frenzy before we left the house and the driving and the muggy picnic, that I ended up walking Albert and going straight to bed.
Well, not necessarily straight to bed... a bunch of you caught me, asking why I was on when I had said I would be gone for the weekend. blaugh So that's how I get my friends to pm me.... tell them I'll be gone and then sign on late at night to check my inbox.
Saturday was fun. We woke up early (yes, and I was still exhausted) and went to Seaside Heights, NJ. It was about and hour and a half from MaryLou's house but the drive was worth it. We went to the island beach state park and it was wonderful. Sure, it cost $10 to park, but it was so much nicer than going to the boardwalk beach.
After paying at the toll booth, we drove down the long, narrow road. Luscious sand dunes lined both sides of the road. There were small parking slots (yes, slot, not lot) every half mile-ish along the left side of the road. We rode down past the first 10 or so slots, and the two main beaches (which had rather large parking lots) to a small parking slot with only one other vehicle parked there. After parking, we grabbed our stuff and began the arduous hike to the beach. Okay, maybe it wasn't that bad... It was actually really enjoyable. From the parking slots, a path wound around the dunes and through what Daniel and I deemed the "Dune Forest" (Just some tropical-ish looking trees that provided shade from the evil sun and cool sand for our burning feet) to the beach. It was quite possible the greatest thing I ever saw. 3nodding
Daniel and I goofed around in the dunes with the digital camera... I'll have to post a link to those pictures on my webbie. rofl Anyway, the beach itself was great too. There was only one other family there with us: A man, his wife, his father, his dog, and his two kids. We were actually pretty distanced compaired to my past beach experiences. It was kind of a shame though... I would have liked to talk with the family. We saw the man and his father carrying a cooler through the dune path (with the dog at their feet) and they set it down to let us pass them. But, when we came out to the beach, we saw his wife, toddler daughter (I'm guessing 4 or 5ish), and his teenaged son. Yup, that's right... you can't say you didn't see it coming. No matter where I go, I find one guy or another to drool over... which is why I'd never make a good girlfriend. sweatdrop
Anyway this guy must have been my age or older because his mom and my dad joked about their driving children when my father went over to socialize. He had dark, curly hair. His hair came low on the back of his neck and curled out around his ears (the back of his head was the first thing I saw). He was wearing black cargo-like swimtrunks and a dark t-shirt... you know, kinda punk-esque yet sophisticated. He never went out into the ocean, at least not what I saw, but he did play frisbee with the dog (a beautiful long haired, red collie-like dog). But most of the time, he sat under their canopy with headphones and a notepad. I never came close enough to see what he was writing or drawing or whatever.
Now, normally I'd play it cool, but I just decided to throw it all out the window and have fun. I swam out to a point in the ocean where I could just swim around without having to worry about waves crashing down on my head. At this beach, there were no life guards to keep you within an arms-reach of shore, so we could do whatever we wanted. Beach control came around in their little buggies ever hour or so but they never said anything so I stayed where I was out in the ocean, until I was tired, and then I swam back.. which was a chore with that damn rip tide.
We spent the whole morning 9am-1pm there before we decided to head out. As we were leaving the beach, I caught the eye of the guy and he spared me a smile and an acknowledging hang gesture... which leads me to believe he probably saw me making an a** out of myself with Caitlin and Kevin. lol
We drove into the town of Seaside Heights and bought pizza on the boardwalk. Beach pizza is always so good. We got this huge pizza... it was the biggest firken pizza I've ever seen.
Because I they all got me up hours too early from a less than fitful sleep and then made me spend my whole morning and afternoon in direct sunlight, I took a shower and a nap as soon as I got back to MaryLou's house.
She lives in an itty bitty four-bedroom house and Caitlin and I always share the air mattress in an upstairs bedroom (which has it's own bathroom). So I curled up on the bed, thankful to have it all to myself, and read myself to sleep... which didn't take me too long. I slept for quite a few hours and when I woke up, Ms. Trudy and Mr. Buzzy and little Eddie (Kev's age) stopped by for a cookout that I wasn't informed of. We all sat out back eating hot dogs and hamburgers and 8 different kinds of salad. Some of the neighbors stopped by and I was thankful that I had taken that shower instead of falling straight asleep after coming home from the beach.
After dark, we caught fireflies and sat around John's outdoor fireplace, cooking marshmallows for s'mores. Phil is the king of marshmallow toasting. They were perfect; lightly browned on the outside and warm and gooey on the inside.
I retired early that night as well - early as in before midnight - and again was woken bright and early to attend mass at St. Michael the Archangel's Catholic church. Okay, maybe it wasn't bright and early.. it was like 9am -ish.. because mass was at 10am.
After mass, we made sure everything was packed up in the van for our later departure, and went to my favorite (3 story exclaim ) Barnes and Nobles and I surrounded myself with manga for those few glorious hours we spent there. I didn't get to buy any (I'm broke) and because of my horrible report card, my father wasn't willing to spare a 10 for atleast one book, so I just lounged around drinking some sort of warm, caffinated beverage Phil gave me, and reading as much manga as possible. I didn't even bother to make a list of new series that I liked because chances are that this year I won't be getting much for my birthday, or even Christmas.... well, that is, as long as we're going to Japan. mrgreen
Then, after B&N we returned to find that John, dispite his injured sholder, had decided to give us a clam-bake before we left. John is an excellent cook and he made the greatest grilled shrimp in the world. I ate way way too much and had to double my dose of dramamine for the ride home.
I picked up the driving after we got on the turnpike and went past that horribly confusing NE-extention/change thingie. The drive home was nice. I had my Goo Goo Dools playing on the van's cd player because everyone else had their headphones on. Our motly crew must have looked funny: Three little kids in the back seat- two huddle around a laptop and one with her cd player; a 20yrd old in the middle, with his headphones on while trying to fix John laptop; and my dad and me, sitting in the front two seats, mouthing the lyrics to our favorite songs.
... The guy at the toll booth found it amusing, to say the least. He chuckled when I proved my complete and utter lack of depth perception and pulled up really close to the booth. Then my dad made jokes about how I wouldn't have been able to reach it if I hadn't. xp Why does everyone always pick on me about everything?!
We made it home around 5:30pm that day and I spent the rest of it lounging around.
And now that we're done with that, I have prepair for our trip to Rochester this coming weekend. I'll probably, and hopefully miss out on the band director's welcoming get together because we're going to Niagra after staying a day or two in Rochester. *happy dance*
...but I'll tell you more about that when we get back... and I'll try to have pictures.
Now... why don't you all just piss off... scream
(yes, I've been edgy lately... deal with it)
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