A weekend at the beach....

Doesn't suck at all.... we had 1) perfect weather 2) good food 3) a 3 year-old entertainment machine 4) no drama and 5) no husband drama... mostly.

The gals arrived Friday afternoon all was well until I wanted to add my one lonely suitcase to the very stuffed back end of Nana's family truckster. So they smushed, moved, shifted and ta-da my suitcase made it into the car. Then we did the same thing for me... who knew a 3 year old required this much crap for 3 days. Between her and her mother they do.

Of course I did forget a beach towel - easily corrected at the beach. Bought 2 - it was a smart thing to do. They weren't thick but they did the job.

So Friday we had a great drive until about 45 minutes from the beach and whoops folks decided to rub bumpers, get police, fire and rescue involved and we all sat there.... then we go there and ... oh dear. We changed hotels this year hoping for a pool that was warmer than the deep freezer in Alaska - in February. The old hotel pool was COLD.

However these rooms, a bit older, a bit smaller and a bit less cleaner. Surprisingly to me my sister didn't have a fit and three quarters but she did grump about the sheets, the bathroom...OK yes the sheets had hair on them... from the cat in the laundry room we noticed the last day. The bathroom was small, old but reasonably OK. Did I mention is was small? Let me put it this way... you honestly could have showered while sitting on the toilet. Yes the bedroom carpet would have been wet - but you could have done it. We didn't -- wet carpet is icky... ask me I know.

But thankfully there was a minimum of grumping, we unpacked the car and I swear I heard it sigh. We put on our bathing suits and decided to test out the pool. So we played and we splashed and we had a good time and no that water wasn't Artic cold the baby was happy it was all good. Then Mom presented us with t-shirts -- yes boys and girls matching t-shirts they were cute, light pink, three women in beach chairs with drinks... it was very very nice... and we wore them to dinner. We need one for Niece M. We went back to the Italian place... when we passed at 4:15 PM Nana was worried because there were no cars in the parking lot... at 6:15 when we arrived, the place is packed.

No worries dinner was enjoyed, relaxed and mellow and it's all good... we went shopping for beach towels and Niece M got a new seashell necklace - too cute for school. She wore it all weekend.

Saturday up moving, dressed in our beach clothes, we hauled 3/4's of our room and the truck to the beach and plop. We stayed ALL day we were all pink, except Niece M, we were salty and sandy and all beached out. So we hauled all that stuff back up to the hotel room, the truck, showered, dressed and off we went to find a seafood place recommended by a friend of Nana's. My sister has a phone with GPS it told me to turn on a road I missed completely - I thought it was a parking lot to the gas station, so I turned at the next light, did a back one back through the back door - saw a sign for "Sunday brunch" took a chance and there we go... we found it!

"Fine Dining" is where we chose to dine. It was a lovely dinner, with a 3 year old grump who was so tired from her day at the beach but she ate her mama's steak like there was no tomorrow. I had the local catch of the day with crab and sauce on top, Nana had crab cakes. We enjoyed greatly! Then we made our way home, stopped at the candy store, oh boy... big bright colors candy at a low level and the better candy at the grownup level... we had a good time. Then Niece M announced that she had to pee... and we high tailed it to the hotel room. 3 year old bladders have a very short shelf life.

Needless to say the chicks crashed early. We awake Sunday and make our trek to the local breakfast eatery. We enjoyed a HUGE breakfast then made our way back to the beach... note for self next time put bathing suit on BEFORE huge breakfast. Yeesh. Ok so hauled all our stuff back to the beach, plop, enjoy, play in the water, play in the sand, fly a kite, play in the water, notice the waves are coming closer to our plop spot. Nana announces, we need to move back the tide in coming in... we move back and 2 minutes later - wave washes over our spot... 20 minutes wave washes into out new spot... 90 minutes were beginning to wonder if we're going to lose the entire beach... but as the sun begin so wane on our last day of fun in the sun and the pinking/reddening of our skin... once again we pack up our stuff, now semi-wet all over sandy, just like us, not to mention salty, sticky and all sunned out. We haul it all back, Nana in a vain attempt to keep sand from her truck wipes down the semi-wet sandy chairs, we pack those away, I decided to wash away my first layer of sandy - salty with a quick dip in the pool. It was nice then again showers, changed and back down the road to the family place with super fine ice cream... we enjoyed.

We again came home and packed up all that stuff... Niece M went to bed early, I watched football, Nana napped, then finally we all crashed hard. Then my sister felt it necessary to be awake and turning on lights at 0-dark - ITS THE MIDDLE OF THE BLESSED NIGHT... turn off the light and go to bed. Ahem. She did, we slept, we woke. Time to go home... thus began the round robin and issues... 1) I think all the crap grew while we were there, I only bought 2 more towels! 2) My sister needed 'girl stuff' but not the girl stuff she had - other girl stuff... 3) found the shop, filled the gas tank, back UP the road to breakfast place - had to have the sausage 4) sat down to breakfast and realized FORGOT THE NIECE'S BLANKET!! Sister trots over to the hotel, gets the door open, finds said blanket trots back about 1 minute after her breakfast arrives. Its all good.

So full again, we head on the road, some motorcycles, lots of big trucks, another accident, but we stopped, peed again got more liquid... moved on with our day. Got home, went to Wal-Mart to return the DVD player - the regular charge cord didn't charge - of course returning this was an exercise in frustration... finally did - got the heck outta there... got home, ahhhh....

Loved the pups, had some lunch, my sister decided to try on her old wedding gown which she is loaning to me for a 'bridal luncheon' for the Ladies Group. Her daughter was all smiles and giggles at her Mommy the princess... Nana's camera had a mind of it's own.. mine wanted new batteries - had fresh handy pictures taken, dress removed, car repacked less one suitcase, one small bag, and one person - off they went. Weekend over and I am alone.

BUT... not before darling husband called without having lunch until 3 PM so he was tired and hungry and cranky at me... he needs me to "help" him fill out an employment application he needs for an interview tomorrow. No I am not kidding. The man's penmanship is something close to Shelby doing it - so I have to do it. Now again he's got his tighty-whiteys all in a bunch because I have a meeting tonight and he won't be home before I leave for that. And then he starts blathering on and on about how his application is more important than my meetings and "lodge crap" and he needs... bla bla bla - I quit listening.

Needless to say I had it done before my mother and my sister made it to the Pennsylvania state line... there are 4 lines that I can't fill out because I simply don't know that information. For all his whining and grumping it's done before he got home, I will fill out those 4 lines when I get home it will take 5 freaking minutes and it's done. What -- I ask -- is the flipping issue? Can anyone tell me? Seriously?

My beach Zen shattered to itty bitty little pieces with one whiny-cranky-ass phone call. Screw it I'm going back to the beach. I don't care how burnt I am.

Signing off now because yes I have to get ready for my meeting and feed my dogs. News on Violet and her health later. I do look forward to sleeping in my own bed... too bad I have to share.. ;-)