Epilogue: Vacation's End: Song of the day: The Long and Winding Road - The Beatles

"The long and winding road
That leads to your door
Will never disappear
I've seen that road before" - The Beatles

It is now Sunday morning and we are home. Hallelujah! Praise the Lord! (This is sincere and not just a "figure of speech!")

Getting ready to come back home yesterday morning was absolutely horrendous! After getting stuff together, I decided to sign the guest book. My sister and I had already been up and down the elevator several times, with several loads. For a moment, I sat in the living room area, doing what I normally do at the end of a vacation...signing the guest book. Mom hollers over from the kitchen and "asked" me what I was doing, and I asked her why she asked. She then said "Can't you see there's work to be done!" Now, this is coming from a woman who was sitting amidst the kitchen disaster leisurely eating breakfast. I had none. My husband held his breath as he expected a response from me. There was none. A few moments later, as I was washing dishes, Mom said out loudly to my niece about me, "I think Aunt xxxx is sick of both of us". By then, I was, but again, in order to keep the peace, I said nothing.

"It always leads me here
Lead me to your door"

Morning breakfast on departure day has always been our family undoing. Not to proseletyze, but the biblical example of how Lot's wife turned into a pillar of salt readily comes to mind. I cannot help but think that perhaps she would have remained alive if only she hadn't turned around to grab that last sausage biscuit.

"Why leave me standing here
Let me know the way"

My sister and I have always preferred to pack the crap, ahem, I mean stuff up and leave immediately, whereas the rest of the family always chooses to have a leisurely breakfast and have the dramatic OMIGOD! moment when finally realizing how close we are to checkout time and have everyone running around like the "Keystone Cops".

We finally got out of the house. My sister returned the keys to the rental office and we met each other at the cul-de-sac entrance. We continued on towards home where traffic was horrendous. As you can see in the picture above, the speed limit was 25mph. Being the brazen lawbreakers that we were, we chose to ignore it and blazed through town at an amazing 1 mph, leaving behind the corpses of tortoises and snails in our wake, who could not get out of the way fast enough! (Again, see picture)! However, earlier, and quite by accident, we discovered a quicker way to avoid most of the traffic and took it out to the bridge. This proved to be a blessing.

"Don't leave me waiting here
Lead me to your door"

People were driving like fools on the highway. We kept in touch via cell phone and had a couple of near misses and so, as a family, we decided a few hours later to ditch the Interstate and take the rural route back home. Finally, we arrived in our hometown, stopping at Mom and Dad's first to do an unload. My niece asked if she could come home with us. The answer was a resounding "NO!" Not now. We've got stuff to put up and business to attend to. My sister had driven my parents' car and left her car at home (Betcha that's the last time she'll do that!) We dropped her off and did a bit more of unloading.

My husband, "The Boy" and I stopped by a fried chicken establishment, picked up a box and then arrived home, unloaded everything, ate and went to bed. The sun was the last thing I saw when I went to bed last night and the first thing I saw this morning. We are home!

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah..."

Oh, and if you're at the house reading this, and happened to run across the guest book and then logged on to this site, I'd like to know...How was your vacation?

Vacation: Day 7 Song of the day: Beach Baby - The First Class

"Beach baby, Beach Baby give me your hand
Give me somethin' that I can remember" - The First Class

This morning went along at a nice, slow and even pace...

At last! Finally, my idea of what constitutes a vacation materialized, and it just happens to be our last full day here. For some reason we lost our internet connection, so I pulled up a Word document on the laptop and began recording my morning notes as “The Boy” and his cousin remained in bed, lounging around for most of the morning. Upstairs, my sister was making coffee, bacon and sausage, while trying to make sure that the house was in "checkout" condition. Mom and I soon joined her. We sat at the table and talked for a while as the kids and Dad remained asleep.

"Just like before we can walk by the shore in the moonlight"

Last night, Dad slept alone on the bottom floor, in the gameroom. The reason? My niece had gone into their room last night and spent what seemed like hours talking to her grandmother. Dad wanted to sleep and so escaped downstairs to the game room. My sister fixed up the pullout sofa for him. He was then able to sleep comfortably.

Later in the morning, in preparation for tomorrow morning’s early exit, I vacuumed up the hair in our bathroom. There was enough blonde hair on the floor to make a small wig. None of the family members staying in the house this week are blondes. Go figure.

My sister and I ate the remainder of the crabs. They had been put in the back of the refrigerator and somehow had become somewhat frozen. Apparently, the temperature in the back of the fridge was just at the freezing point. This made eating the crabs, a bit of a disappointment...but not so much of disappointment to stop us from finishing them off.

Later, Mom wanted fresh fish to take back home, so she and my sister drove miles to the "local" fish market to pick up a few pounds. The kids have gone to the beach with my husband. All were reluctant to go, and bad "attitudes" abounded. There was also a little misunderstanding earlier today between "The Boy" and his cousin, involving three dollars and who it belonged to. They were given a lecture from Nana about false accusations and how money can cause problems in a family. Needless to say, I derived more than three dollars worth of fun from watching their antics. When it was all over, I felt as if I should have pitched in some cash just for the entertainment value alone.

"Beach baby, Beach baby there on the sand
From July 'till the end of September
Surfin' was fun, we'd be out in the sun every day"

Dad and I decided to stay in. I left him at the dining room table filling out contest applications. For as long as I can remember, he has always loved entering contests. What makes me smile is that he enters them the old fashioned way...forms filled out by hand, sealed with a lick and sent off with a stamp and a feeling of hope; knowing that one day he will win "big".

"Mmmm, I never thought that it would end
Oooooh oooooh, mmmm, and I was everybody's friend Ooooh ooooh"

Before long, the rest of the gang came home. Husband and kids, followed within moments by Mom and my sister. We ate dinner (The Last Supper), loaded up the dishwasher, did last minute laundry, loaded and unloaded the elevator several times, and then calmed the chocolate cake filled kids down. Yes Lord! It is time to go home! My sister said that this vacation was one of the "sweetest hells" she has ever gone through. I smiled and said to her, "Mine too". Currituck county is famous for its wild horses. It was fun, but I tell you literally: Wild horses couldn't keep me here!

"Long hot days
Cool Sea haze"

But you know...this is the stuff memories are made of.

"Juke box plays
But now it's fading awaaaaay..."

Vacation: Day 6 Song of the day: Rock the Boat - The Hues Corporation

"So I'd like to know where, you got the notion
Said I'd like to know where, you got the notion" - The Hues Corporation

Merriam-Webster's
Definition of vacation:

Main Entry: 1va·ca·tion
Pronunciation: \vā-ˈkā-shən, və-\
Function: noun
Usage: often attributive
Etymology: Middle English vacacioun, from Anglo-French vacacion, from Latin vacation-, vacatio freedom, exemption, from vacare
Date: 14th century
1: a respite or a time of respite from something : intermission
2 a: a scheduled period during which activity (as of a court or school) is suspended b: a period of exemption from work granted to an employee
3: a period spent away from home or business in travel or recreation
4: an act or an instance of vacating

Nothing we did today fit the above description. Try as I might, I was unable to find the definition that describes vacation as "one or more family members acting as valet, doing dishes, cleaning up, and washing clothes in a remote location".

"Rock the boat, don't rock the boat baby
Rock the boat"

We had breakfast, got the kids washed up and then headed out for the day. (Mom and Dad decided to "sit this one out") First there was a visit to the Currituck Lighthouse. My sister and I hid out in a dark, cool theater room, while my husband and the kids visited the Lighthouse. They did not go up into it, but explored the perimeter. "The Boy" almost stepped on a snake and so there was a bit of drama associated with that. Of course he was almost killed, and came within moments of experiencing a horrific death by poison. If you happen to be a reader of my regular blog, then you would already know that this type of Oscar winning worthy performance was to be expected.


Afterwards, we drove a few miles up the road to a local driving range and played a round of Putt Putt golf. It was "Paradise" (har har!) My sister paid for three rounds, but one was quite enough for us. It was a bit too warm and the public display of poor sportsmanship on the part of my niece did not help matters. As long as she was "winning", everything was fine...but as soon as the going got tough, the golf putt suddenly morphed into a baseball bat.

"Our love is like a ship on the ocean
We've been sailing with a cargo full of, love and devotion"

After Putt Putt, we went to a candy store, where my sister picked up a few packages of salt water taffy, then to Wal-Mart, to pick up a few things; (the most important "thing" being deodorant for a family member who was truly "armed and dangerous") and then it was back to homebase for dinner, where we ate leftovers from yesterday. Mom, Dad, and my sister went out a bit later. We were supposed to go with them, but I was exhausted. I was really looking forward to the mental break. The togetherness is nice, but this is really not my idea of a vacation. I would love to just sit around and read, but everyone seems compelled to having to do, to do....something. The kids are at that strange age where they do not need to be watched closely, but they are not to be trusted alone either. I am ready to go home now. (See 'vacation' definition number 4)

"Up to now we sailed through every storm..."

If the definition of vacation cited above is to be believed; after this, I am going to need one...

My sister says she is ready to leave... now. I agree with her.

"Rock the boat, don't rock the boat baby
Rock the boat...don't tip the boat over..."

Vacation: Day 5 Song of the day - Good Times

"Good times, these are the good times
Leave your cares behind, these are the good times" - Chic

Today was another beautiful day. After I woke up, I took a shower. This particular shower configuration is not conducive to sending up one of my usual morning prayers. I immediately felt that my signal was being intercepted. The drain was clogged, the tub unfamiliar and once inside, the feeling was less than holy. This dwelling is a place of seasonal transience and so is this tub. It is obvious that this is no one's personal home. What else is there to be expected? Strangers come and go weekly, leaving little or no chance for the spirit of warmth to settle in. God and I are not used to meeting like this.

"Good times, these are the good times
Our new state of mind, these are the good times"

After breakfast with the family, my brother left later this morning (before 11:00am)for Raleigh, NC to visit his college friend. Funny, how easy it is to get used to someone being around. My brother is talkative and lively, so it did not take long for us to miss him. My niece remained with us. She and "The Boy" are finding their "rhythm" and starting to get used to being around each other again. We wanted to send them to the beach with my husband, but it starting drizzling, so we decided to stay in. Hubby was none too sad about it.

Instead, he decided to go to the store to pick up a few necessary things. Later on in the evening, we had a spectacular seafood dinner. As expected, my sister and I did most of the cooking and cleaning. We had scallops wrapped in bacon, blackened scallops, fried scallops, fried shrimp, tossed salad, and green beans. "The Boy" has never developed an appreciation for this type of food, so my sister fixed him a regular cheeseburger. We were not about to let good food go to waste on a non-discriminating palate. This made him happy.

"Let's get together, how 'bout a quarter to ten
Come tomorrow, let's all do it again..."

After dinner, as the kids watched television, my husband went downstairs and back to our bedroom. Mom also went back to her bedroom while Dad, my sister and myself sat down to the table to play a card game of spades. Dad's eventual winning score was 504and he beat me by 2 points. My sister came in at a pitiful third place. Ha! He may have won tonight, but tomorrow...it's on! What a nice time.

"Good times, these are the good times
Our new state of mind, these are the good times"

Vacation: Day 4 Song of the day: Happy Together - The Turtles

"Imagine me and you I do
I think about you day and night" - The Turtles


Another cool and sunny lazy day...

"So happy together..."

My husband and brother took the kids to the beach. But not long enough for my sister and I to do a well deserved celebratory "happy dance". While they were gone, I choked down a slice of key lime pie and a plate of potato chips and dip. I also took a "power rest" with one eye open...all the while wondering when they would be coming back...and hoping that it would not be soon.

"When you're with me baby the skies'll be blue
For all my life"

However, they came back all too soon, with the two chattering kids in tow. The kids really enjoyed their time at the ocean. A few minutes later, Mom and my brother left again to pick up a half bushel of live crabs. The crabs' execution is scheduled for sometime this afternoon. They will not have died in vain. Their crime: Extreme deliciousness.

"Me and you and you and me
No matter how they toss the dice
It had to be"

My niece was horrified at the fact that we were going to steam live crabs. "The Boy" insisted that Nana was about to commit what he called..."ocean violence". He said it over and over and over again. What seemed to be "cute" at first, had started to make Nana mad. I left the scene of the "crime" and returned to my room downstairs.

Next thing I know, "The Boy" appears at my bedroom door and reported in vivid detail how Nana was being "mean and cruel" to the crabs and to him. He even added that his uncle (my brother) took away a toy slot machine from him. In addition to "Attorney", we can now add "Journalist" to the potential career paths that "The Boy" may later choose to pursue. He was really mad.

Now, this is the point where a vacation can go into "make or break" mode, with feelings being hurt and sides being taken. I refuse to take any. You may call me Ms. Neutral, thank you very much. This is Tuesday... and way too soon for any conflicts. My hair has that "tossed" look and I am still in my monogrammed purple flannel nightgown; attempting to maintain a relaxed state of mind.

Very soon, "The Boy" arrives at our bedroom door again and begins tattling on my Mom. It seems that they had some kind of a "falling out". Mom soon comes downstairs to make sure that the story was truthfully told. It was not. However, by the time "The Boy" finished telling us his side of the story, all he was missing were angel wings and a halo. What he had not counted on was this: His Nana following up on his erroneous report. Why am I even recording this???!!! I'm on vacation!

My husband and I sat silently by as "The Boy" faced off with his Nana and pleaded his case. Long story short: It was a dumb discussion and it ended quickly. It had to do with keeping the common area clean and taking responsibility. The first vacation face-off has now been resolved.

"The only one for me is you
And you for me"

Sometimes, I feel as if my sister and I are the only ones who really know how to vacation. Breakfasts, Lunches, Dinners, cleanups, day trips...She and I have absolutely no problem whenever it is just the two of us. The problem rears its ugly head whenever there are more people added, vacation schedules are attempted to be made and whenever duties need to be shared. Everyone needs a break. I'll tell you one thing: We're still having a great time, but the rest of the week is going to be interesting.

"So happy together..."

My sister and I walked the kids around on the beach, while my husband took pictures. I find myself silently wondering if God even realizes that I'm here. The sky is huge, the ocean is wide and I am feeling smaller than ever. It would be an easy thing to be lost in the vastness of it all. This feeling is for real...and not funny at all. I just hope that He sees me for me...and not just as target practice for some stray lightning bolt.

"How is the weather...?"

The sunset was spectacular and the pictures came out nicely.

Much later on...
After the crabfest, my sister and I cleaned up. Four of us (Dad, brother, sister and myself) decided to play a game of gin rummy around 10 pm. We played until midnight...playing, snacking and having lots of fun. "The Boy" and my niece chattered throughout the game and broke our concentration every time they got a chance. My brother noted that "The Boy" seemed to be allergic to quiet and his daughter, allergic to obedience. We laughed over and over about it. Oh, and by the way: Dad won the card game..., fair and square.

Tonight was also peak time for the Perseid meteor showers. We were too tired to stay up and watch. We'll see what happens tomorrow. Another great day.

"So happy together..."

Vacation: Day 3 Song of the day: Be Young, Be Foolish, Be Happy - The Tams

"Be young, be foolish, but be happy
Be young, be foolish, but be happy" - The Tams



"Have your fun, live everyday in the bright sunshine
The bright sunshine..."



Today is Monday, not quite 7:00 AM, BC (Before Coffee), and the first "working" day at the beach house. Everyone is asleep except for "someone" stirring around in the kitchen upstairs. I suspect that it is my sister, but am afraid to make sure. The kids do not need to start the day yet. I tiptoe and peek into both their rooms...they are still "knocked out". I look outside and the sky is indeed "Carolina Blue". This should be a good day...

"Life is too short to worry about unimportant things
Unimportant things"

Later in the afternoon...
We all got dressed and drove to Manteo, a very quaint town, with quaint shops and quaint people. A nice historical town. On the way back, we stopped by the gas station. Here is a picture to capture gas prices of the day:

Next we stopped by a popular, but expensive grocery store. So expensive, that all I bought was a Philadelphia Roll sushi tray. We all agreed that the store was intended to be a food museum... a great place to look around and enjoy, but not a place to purchase any 'serious' food in volumes. While beautiful and clean; this particular store was much too expensive for our tastes...So, we settled for a grocer that was more within our budget and one that we were comfortable with...the local Food Lion. We came home with our purchases, cooked a decent dinner and then settled in for an evening of family togetherness.

"Reach for the sky, touch your star, and then you find your dream
Find your dream..."

Here are a few pictures taken today:


Day three, our family is all together, and we haven't set foot on a beach yet. Ask me if I care...

"Cause dreamin' alone, it's a shame indeed
But if you got love that's all you need..."

"So be young, be foolish, stay happy..."

Vacation: Day 2 Song of the day: Holiday Road - Lindsey Buckingham

"I found out long ago
It's a long way down the Holiday Road" - Lindsey Buckingham

We're finally settled in and everyone is still excited. My niece and "The Boy" ran up and down the stairs all afternoon long, as I holed up in one of the bedrooms... alternately listening to the rain fall, watching the X-Files and napping most of the day. I later bathed, then put on a pair of hot pink shorts and a neon green floral print top. All dressed up and ready to go...NOWHERE. There will be no beach stroll today. Everyone needs time to decompress.

Today was a day that everyone did their "own thing". We did absolutely nothing productive. The plan was to have no plans...and this is how it should have been. Tomorrow, we will more than likely venture out for a day trip. I'd just as soon stay in, but I am co-vacationing with the young and the restless...as well as the not-so-young, but still antsy.

"Holiday Road
Holiday Road"

My brother joined us later on in the day. It seems he had a meeting in a nearby town and decided that visiting us at the beach would be a nice stop to make for a while. He will be returning home on Wednesday.

"I've come back long ago
Long way down the Holiday Road"

My sister had prepared a huge pan of lasagna, and so that is what we had for dinner, along with a green salad and green beans. There has been laughter throughout the house all day long. The spirit is joyful. The mood is mellow. Mom and Dad sat back and watched the grandchildren at play. It makes them smile to see them happy. This is what they live for.

This is wonderful. Just listen to the ocean. Click on this link to capture the sound live. Will check in with you again tomorrow... And if all goes well, I'll take a few pictures.

"Holiday Road
Holiday Road..."

Vacation: Day 1 Song of the day: Carolina On My Mind

"In my mind I'm goin' to Carolina
Can't you see the sunshine"

Yes! Finally, vacation time is here. I nearly ran myself "ragged" trying to get all of our things together. Finally, we packed our stuff up in two vehicles (a van and a car), making sure that there was only one child per car. After yesterday's torture, there was absolutely no way that I would risk having them both together in one vehicle for a long road trip. And as any Dr. Seuss fan would tell you: The team of Thing One and Thing Two needed to be split up!

"Can't you just feel the moonshine"

My niece had left her cellphone at our house the previous night, and so asked me to not forget to bring it along with me. It is bright yellow and resembles a bloated bumblebee, so I don't know how in the world she managed to leave it. Divine intervention, perhaps? Anyway... I picked it up off of my kitchen counter and stuck it in my purse. When she saw me, the first thing she asked me was, if I remembered to bring it. I gave her an expressionless, "Yes" answer. She then asked if she could have it. I continued with whatever I was doing at the time...not looking at her, and said, "No", in the same monotoned voice...never missing a beat. There was no way that I was going to let her sit in the back seat of the car, text-messaging her friends back home on the West Coast,over 2000 miles away, when she is here to spend time with us and her grandparents. Surprisingly, she took the news well. Good thing.

"Ain't it just like a friend of mine
To hit me from behind"

So, off we went...Mom and Dad, sister, niece, husband, son and myself...(My brother will be joining us later) This is yet a whole 'nother story. Please don't inquire. Thank you very much.

"Yes I'm goin' to Carolina in my mind"

The trip down was nice. Traffic was bumper to bumper, but tolerable. It is, after all, August and still the tourist summer season, so what else could we expect?

"Dark and silent late last night
I think I might have heard the highway calling"

We arrived at the beach house before nightfall. The house has an elevator (the door pictured above with the red template) that runs between the three floors, so unloading was "a breeze". This also means that Mom and Dad do not have to navigate the steps unneccessarily. It was here and it was then, that I gave my niece back her cellphone.

"Signs that might be omens say I'm going, going
I'm goin' to Carolina in my mind"

The kids were excited as my sister whipped up a knockout dinner for us. Barbecued ribs, macaroni and cheese, salad, roast chicken, green beans and lemonade. She had the foresight to prepare all of this before we left town.

"You must forgive me
If I'm up and goin' to Carolina in my mind"

"Gone
I'm gone..."

We ate off of disposable plates and so cleanup was minimal. This vacation is one that we really need. The weather is beautiful and so are the people I am with. Hope I still feel this way by the end of the week. As I type this, I hear my sister playing our family's traditional "beach day arrival song" on her CD player in the background.

Happy Saturday everyone!

"Say nice things about me 'cause I'm goin' southbound
Carry on without me 'cause I'm gone..."

Ahhh...I am finally here.