Day 1 of our vacation began with a thunderstorm of epic proportions. It overstayed its welcome and made the power go out. The cars had just pulled into the driveway of the beach house and the rain started. The last piece of luggage made its way into the house just as the Heavens opened up and the power hightailed it outta here. We all agreed though, that a powerless, rainy day at the beach was far superior to a powerful, sunny day back home.
Oh, the irony of it all.
The week before vacation, my local weather person had been promising storms that never actually came. I get to the Outer Banks and get a storm so energetic that it kills the power and sends sheets of rain down upon us for 7 hours. If only my little town back home could've been so lucky...we needed the rain. I mean, farmers were asking others to pray for it during our church service.
Days 2 and 4 began at sunrise thanks to the Hurricane (read: my youngest daughter). The plus side - I was able to sneak in a 2.5 mile run on both days. My jiggly bits were, surprisingly, not as jiggly as last year! Progress!
Day 3 included the annual trip to Jimmy's Seafood Buffet. My FIL is a legend there. Being first in line is an art form he has certainly mastered and is a must when traveling with him to this particular eatery. The food is good, but what's better is watching my husband and his two younger brothers fight for the title of "Crab Leg King." Melted butter oozing down their chins, bits and pieces of crab flying over all of us...it's glorious.
Day 5 is a blur...I don't remember a single thing from that day. Must have been the new drink my BIL introduced me to...Private Stock Captain Morgan's and Crystal Light Lemonade. Tastes EXACTLY like amaretto! Sooo good.
Day 6 I fondly refer to as: Ocean-blocking Day
Y'all know of the "other" kind of blocking...boys detest it and usually a wing-man (of the male or female persuasion) is the cause. The kind of blocking to which I'm referring, my friends, is the fault of rude, socially inept individuals who lead their family members to a spot on the beach that is, in no way, available. Why is it not available, you ask? Well, because it's directly in front of our camp and totally blocks our direct view/access to the water. That's why!
The day began at dawn, with a cup of coffee that I didn't have to reheat 6 times, and my last 2.5 mile run of the week. After lunch, the little kids napped while the adults sat around and talked, watched non-cartoon related TV, or secluded themselves in the loft to read or write (guess who). One by one, the little ones arose and parents trucked upstairs to retrieve their respective toddlers, tug on their swimsuits, slather on the sunblock, and head back to the beach.
Now, having been raised by the daughter of a true Southern Lady, I was privy to proper beach etiquette from a very young age. You kick up sand into a stranger's coffee cup while chasing your little brother (even though you can't understand why anyone would take an open coffee mug onto a sand filled beach)? You apologize through the tears of embarrassment streaming down your face. You set up beach games out of other beach-goers' path to the ocean. You play your music loud enough for only your group to hear. So, imagine my surprise when I descend the stairs from the house to the beach, in the South mind you, to find a large group of unruly folks with an obnoxiously bright, huge umbrella, camped out not 10 yards directly in front of us. How rude! They must be from the Nawth, says my inner monologue to no one but herself. I was not quiet about the displeasure I felt after stumbling upon this discovery. Loud music - good, but loud - emanated from the center of their offending heap of beach paraphernalia, trashcan frisbee games were set up dangerously close to our blow-up baby pool, and all of it, all of it, was blocking our direct access to the ocean. How dare they! I tell you, if any of their errant frisbees had come anywhere near my babies, Momma Bear would have made her beach debut!
Maybe it's a sign of the times - people becoming more and more disrespectful and rude. Maybe it was just this particular group of tourists. All I can hope is that by telling my story, I can shed light on this epidemic of rudeness. If I've stopped even one family from ocean-blocking another, I'll consider that a success.
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