This Beach!

A few pictures (even though my formatting seems to suck)

This was only a few steps out of our back door all of last week! Perfect and beautiful!

This one is K4's little friend. She named all of the birds, which was hysterical. Baby B chased all of the birds, which was equally hysterical. 

O'Dark-thirty on the boat! We watched the sun come up and had an epic time!

When I can figure out this formatting thing, I'll be back with more pics! Behave!

I'm Baaack!!

Maybe you didn't notice I was gone? Sorry about that! I guess if I posted on here more regularly, you'd miss me more! Ha!
Anyway...
I'm back from our first OBX vacation in 10 years!! What a needed and tremendous trip to our favorite place in the whole world!!
Yeah, we had some crap - our Jeep being dumb on the way there, while there, and back, That Man's car (which K1 drove) doing some crappy losing the bolts things, high water, being trapped in the house all day Tuesday due to the storm surge (but, really... we had wine, beer, pina coladas, a pool, two hot tubs, and beautiful sunny beach so we didn't care) stress in some form or another... But on the whole it really was an amazing trip. We did things we've never done before - like go out on a charter boat to fish (very cool for those that weren't chumming all day. At one point, we'd lost 1/3rd of our group, despite motion-sickness medicine, but it was super, super awesome and K4 caught a shark!), shared our beach with people who have never been before (some loved it and some not so much), had some amazing family time (family soup & a ceremony), had a few injuries, got to watch Mr. B loving the beach, aquarium, life in general (he was so stinking cute!!), hang out with cousins, and our uncle and aunt, had an awesome ashes ceremony for our folks, saw a lot of sunrises, sunsets, stars, laundry, sand, shops, food, a fire on the beach, driving my Jeep on the beach (even though that was super stressful, when it should have been fun, thanks to losing my radiator hose in the parking lot - it was fixed super quick, but still)...
I could have stayed another week, if not, forever....
We got back pretty late last night thanks to stupid traffic. Our Elsa was waiting for us. Our awesome friends had her all week and then dropped her off at home for us so they could get their brand new puppy. Our other awesome friend watched our kitties and facilitated the puppy drop off. Everyone was safe, happy, and healthy when we got home.
It's good to be home. But not at the same time. I'd like to start the vacation over again, please?
We were all off today, but tomorrow is back to the grind. And it's our town's annual Halloween Parade, so we'll have a houseful of company.
Oh and did I mention I was one of the injuries? Yeah, scraped the back of my foot on a rusty metal block as we were waiting for everyone on the docks after the charter boat. It was just a dead skin thing, really. We doctored it up Thursday night, and it felt really good until today. Now I'm soaking it in peroxide and dreading having to wear actual shoes tomorrow.
So now we're back to the grind...
We're in the 50/50 challenge in my writing group and I've already exceeded the daily goal. Awesome. I'm trying to get back into my groove. This challenge will totally help.
That is all for now! I hope to have pictures soon!
Behave!

Back From the Beach...

Sorry for the long radio silence...
I've been at the beach... soaking up the sun (a little too much sun), having fun with that man and those children (some of them)... It wasn't our regular trip to the Outer Banks, but my close second choice. Also, it wasn't just our family, but a scout trip - but since some of the scout families are like family...
Things I learned at the beach:
1. I can go nearly 5 whole days without Internet, my iPhone, and laptop. A good lesson for me. I feel pretty danged free and without worry that my phone or laptop would get broken or sand/water damaged. In fact, my crappy temporary cell ended up locked in the truck the entire time we were there because I did not care.
2. The ocean and cell phones do not mix. Ask K3. He forgot to take his cell out of his pocket and is in the process of ordering a new one.
3. Spray sunscreen sucks. I am sun burnt. So is that man. He has stripes on his back and I have burn in weird places...
4. Horse Flies are the devil.
5. Porta Johns suck. (I knew this from last year)
6. My future daughter-in-law is a trooper. 5 months pregnant and her first time sleeping in a tent for more than a night. It was her first "real" camping trip and she did wonderfully and without K1. We had a blast!
7. That man with a fishing pole at the beach equals a real smile. (I already knew this, but it was good to see) And I have not seen one of those smiles in quite a while.
8. Also, even though I already knew that man is awesome... He willingly dealt with the chaos of picking up my iPhone on the way home.
9. Sometimes you have to make 65 million trips to the closest pharmacy because they have the best tea in the world on sale.
10. Laughter really is the best medicine.
It was a good trip. But I am glad to be home. I missed home. I am not looking forward to Monday morning though...
Behave!

Beach Retreat - Last Day Blues

It's been an awesome time!!
I've gotten a TON of work done and am nearing the end of these revisions. A few more things to tweak and check and make sure of, but I did more work yesterday than in forever. And that feels really, really good.
We didn't leave the house yesterday. Not even once. Lots of writing, talking, laughing, junk food eating. We watched Supernatural - which was absolutely awesome, ordered pizza, and then at game time Natalie gave Misty her first understandable football lesson, effectively turning her into a fan. I even watched with them and had a great time.
Today has been more talking, laughing, working, but now it's time to clean up so we can go home. I am sad, but also ready to go back to my crazy life and my crazy family. This weekend was exactly what I needed to find my perspective, my goals, and myself and I needed it far more than I realized.
Behave!

Feel Good Friday - The Saturday and I'm at the Beach Edition!

Yes, you read and saw that right. I'm at the beach!!
It was random and by chance, but here we are. This week started off rough - the stomach flu, followed by me getting a nasty cold. When the weekend offer was made, I wasn't sure I could make it. Not only was I sick, but the home weekend was packed full. That man I live with didn't even raise an eyebrow though. He rearranged everything to make it possible.
So, here I am with the bff's - laughing, watching sappy movies, Supernatural, and eating a ton of junk food. And having a blast. And writing!!!
That is all for now...
Behave!!

Weekend Adventures...

This weekend was what is soon to be known as The Annual Scouting Family Adventure.
7 scouting families (or partial families) (or 27 people) went to the beach this weekend. What a freaking blast!
We left Friday morning after a crazed frenzy of packing up 6 people, fishing poles, snacks, paychecks, ect...getting a later start than we wanted. But four families crammed into three vehicles and finally hit the road for our three and a half hour journey to the beach...only the trip took over five hours thanks to weather and traffic. We finally arrived just in time for a major lightning storm that eventually turned into rain. Our site was what they called a "primitive" site. A large open area with a couple of fire rings, a pavilion, flag pole, picnic tables, and a few smaller sites tucked into the trees. The only difference between our site and the "regular" sites was the bathrooms...see below...

This was officially named "The Turdis"....
...and it would have been okay if our "primitive" site if it had just been us. (notice the second Turdis).
The first time I cleaned pee off the seat it was only our group in the site. I came out, washed my hands (thank goodness I insisted we buy hand soap, and yes, we had a water spigot), and told the boys the next time I had to clean pee from the seat someone was going to find the pokey burrs in the grass that killed your feet and then jammed into your fingers while you tried to yank them out in their swimming suits.
Then...two other troops arrived. Big troops with lots and lots of members. I kid you not, every single time I had to go, I cleaned pee off the seat. By today, the things were unusable. Disgusting. Stinky. Filthy. And still no boy had learned how to lift the seat or aim.
Anyway...That was the worst of the trip. We're home now and I'm still catching up (and dealing with my sunburn). More on the trip through the week!
Behave!

Old Home Week

I recently discovered that I can search all of the photos I've put up on my blog since it's inception. Very cool. It brings back a lot of memories, though, for the life of me, I can't remember why I posted this picture.
I *think* it might have been from our winter cabin trip with my sister and brother-in-law, but I'm not sure.

Then there's this...
The gnomes during happier times.
I think I must have done something wrong. Gnomes are supposed to be good luck, not harbingers of sin. The booze and loose women have to stop. I've tried rehab, but that's not going to work unless they believe they have a problem. And they don't.
I'm not sure what it's going to take for them to wake up and smell the coffee. Until they do, I have no choice but to wait. I love them and want them to be happy and healthy, but I can't force them. Sad, sad gnomes...

And then I found this...
My favorite beach.
Now I'm sad.
I miss this beach very much. I have no idea when we're going to get to go back. Probably not in 2011, despite my original hopes. My old 'burban is having some serious health issues and won't survive the drive. Which means an expensive transmission repair or a total vehicle replacement. Either way we're out.

I think I'm done looking at old blog pictures for today. I'm also done with 2010. I had such high hopes for this year and it has really been one thing after another around the old homestead. Some of it good, but most of it not so much. We'll get into that another time though. Maybe.

And who knows? I might post more old pictures soon. ha!
Behave!

Dear...

Dear Supernatural People,
I miss you. 22 days is a really long time!
Dear Headphones,
Without you I would have gotten nothing done today. Okay, so with you I didn't get much done. It's not my fault the grandbaby's here, or that you're broken, or that it's so hot out.
Dear Neighbor,
Having your friends honk their horn is not an acceptable way for them to let you know they've arrived. Tell them to stop it. Also, stop yelling at your kids when you're in front of my house.
Dear Mother Nature,
Can you turn down the thermostat a little? It's too hot to breathe.
Dear Towels,
Please come back so I can wash you.
Dear Weekend,
Hurry up, please. I need you.
Dear Hurricane Earl,
Please avoid the Outer Banks. I'd really like to go back again soon!
Dear Work in Progress,
Stop being so stubborn. I need to finish you.
That is all.
Behave!

Beach Retreat - Day Two!

Going home today. I'm not up as early as I was yesterday, and we didn't stay up as late last night. Guess it's catching up.
Let me sum up:
Editing. Writing. Breakfast. Writing. Snow starts. Coffee. Crazy walks in the driving snow with crazy people. Almost lost Simon in a ditch. If it weren't for the snow we might never have found our way back. No cell phones. Laughing. Writing. Writing. And more writing. Making good progress on my new story. Coffee. Massive coffee bean spill. Guess who was responsible for that one. Still snowing. Lunch - which was mostly healthy. Laughing. Coffee. Writing and writing. Still snowing. Trip to the beach to take pictures of the ocean. Coffee. Writing. Laughing. Dinner preparation. Pre-dinner dance party. Writing while waiting for dinner to finish. Quick cleanup. Still snowing. More writing. Tru Cook Plus. Hysterical laughter - my stomach hurts and I can't quit talking in accent. Still snowing.Writing. Supernatural viewing. More writing. Movie watching. Don't know what I think about what we watched. Little bit of talking after the movie. Then bed. Still snowing.
Have more trouble falling asleep last night than the previous night. Probably from the massive amounts of caffeine consumed. Sleep well despite the inability to relax. Now it's morning. No more snowing. Already laughter. Coffee. No bean spillage today. Yet. Writing is on the way while we do laundry and clean up to go home. Don't know how much snow we got. A lot. Probably close to 8".
More later.
Behave!

Retreat!!

Guess what?

I'm at the beach. On a writing retreat. With the Bff's.

Whoot!

It's snowing like you would not believe. Over 3" so far, I think. And it's still coming down. And we're writing. Whoot! Shiny new story!

This morning we took a walk. In the driving snow. Simon and I got smart and came back before we froze to death. Nat and Burkholder walked on.

This afternoon Megan, Simon and I took a short jaunt to see the ocean. It was freezing. I mean, really, really freezing. The snow wasn't snow close to the water. It was ice. But look at that picture! Awesome doesn't even begin to describe it. It was totally worth my numb fingers and toes and my frozen hair.

But now it's time to go back to writing. More on this trip throughout the week!

Behave!!