I learned:
- I don't like being away from home as long as a week
- I'm not crazy about the beach
- I could never, ever "rough it"
Right before our vacation, I was desperate to get away, to go someplace, just away from home. Two nights later, I was desperate to get home to my own bed, my own pillows & most importantly, my own bathroom. For the most part, I allow Weedinator to plan our family vacations, less for the fact that his judgment is so wonderful & more so because I'm lazy like that. So when he suggested "beach vacation" (which we've done before), I said OK. We live a 10-minute drive from the Atlantic Ocean, but sometimes your beach isn't the same as some other beach. We drove from the East coast of Florida to the West coast, to the Redington Beach area.
I did feel kind of nervous about being away for a whole week, but most of the rental units require a weeklong stay. Our rental was...nice. At first. At first, it was a "charming little beach cottage". Even the teeny, tiny bathroom. Right, bathrooM, as in singular. One bathroom the size of a microwave oven for 5 people. But the charm wore off throughout the week, so at the end, it was less a "charming beach cottage" & more of a disgusting, cheap hovel with a stopped-up bathroom sink, smelly beds & bugs (I should've been more suspicious when I saw not one, but two big cans of bug spray in the pantry). Plus, the air-conditioning went out a couple of times. We were told it would "shut itself off" if overworked. Gee, it only felt like hell outside--I didn't know the A/C only worked in temperatures just shy of "fire & brimstone".
What clinched it was the Roach on Steroids that walked past me one night I stayed up late to read. Yeah, walked, bright lights & all, like he was just getting in for the night. I don't know if this is the same roach we found dead the next day (I swear, I didn't do it), but we spent so much time screaming & arguing over who was going to dispose of the roach's remains that I'm surprised the police didn't show up to see who murdered this Mr. Roach person.
As for the beach...I understand how a lot of people love the ocean & the beach & all of that. The beach would be better for me if it didn't have all that...sand. Because a trip to the beach is never just a trip to the beach. It's spent lugging stuff to & fro (when you have 3 kids, that's a lot of lugging), then afterwards, showering every last crevice to be sure all the sand is gone.
Lest you think I spent my whole week complaining (I was good, I saved all my complaining for you guys), I'm going to share my favorite photo (and I'm sparing you the other 148), taken at The Florida Aquarium.
Seahorses
On knitting: I took 3 projects, but only worked on 1. I spent the majority of my time reading (and counting down days).
Next time, I promise to get off my duff & plan the vacation. I'm thinking...knitting cruise.
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27 comments:
Girl,All I can say is "mmmm hmmmm". This had me laughing and shuddering all at once.Knitting cruise??? I'm in! Where's my ticket?? Just say the word.
That's how I felt the last time we went camping. We had to deal with dodgeing little flying bats while making a run for the bathroom. I didn't even tell you about the big snake part:)Glad to hear you are back home in the comfort of your own bed. Lovely seahores!
Just found your blogS after checking out the comment you left on my blog re: Bella Blouse - thanks by the way. I'm so intrigued by your writing life - I've always toyed with writing a novel. I write for a living but it's more business writing. Anyway, I plan to check in more often as I'm adding you to my bloglines. Love your knits too. The Summertime Tunic came out great.
LMAO!! @ Mr. Roach saga! HAHA!We had one of those that size strolling at work and I FREAKED OUT! (I work in a basement and that was the 1st time I saw one in 3 whole years!)You did really good to leave all the complaining to us! GOOD GIRL!I would not have been able to do that! LOLWell on the bright side at least you got away! :oD (this all entire post entry had me laughing b/c that would have been SO exactly me! HAHA!)Now a knit cruise would definitely make up for that entire week! You must send me links of these said knit cruises! I hear about them, but never know about them! :o)Welcome Back to Home Sweet Home!
Glad to see that you are back. That's the funny thing about vacations. All of a sudden normal life gets you down and you want to get away. But then 2 days later you want your normal life back! We are all fickle, I guess.
You're going to hate me for saying this. When I was 8, we stayed in these condos in Maui and Honolulu. We were gone for two weeks, and stored our clothing in the drawers there because of it. We brought the roaches home with us. This drove my extremely tidy mom nuts, and the roaches were eradicated within a month's time without an exterminator. I'm just saying, keep your guard up. The sea-horse picture was worth it all, don't you think?
Heh. Oh, the joys of sand! ;)Knitting cruise - that sounds good just about now (she says as she listens to the screaming kids downstairs). Count me in!
Too Funny... Vacations always appear like fun when you haven't vacationed for a while... then once you're on vacation you realize why...lol. When I think of beaches I shudder... urghh sand and its one of the reasons I haven't been to a beach in 10 years.I'm sure the family enjoyed the vacation. Now a crocheting/knitting cruise.. I would totally be interested...
You and me both are hoping that this shrug will fit! OMG! Your vacation post is hilarious!! Girl, I don't do roaches, and one that's the one thing I don't miss about So.Florida! Can't stand them! Well, I bet if you were on Waikiki Beach in Hawaii, you would like it better! I loved Oahu, the beach, the handsome natives.....
Oh, Del. Only you can write about something like that and make it sound funny! I was laughing hysterically throughout your post. Sorry. Welcome back.
So funny! Am so with you on the sand business - love sitting on the beach, hate the sand!Great pic of seahorses though - they are the coolest creatures!
Welcome back! The pic of the seahorses is great!I hear you about the sand. This is the first year in 10 that we aren't going to the beach, and at first I was sad, but when I got to thinking about the lugging and the sand, I got over it.If there is ever a knitting cruise, I'll be there.
And you should invite all of your knitting friends on your next vacation, too! =) Yeah, I'm totally with you on the "roughing it". I don't WANT to, and that's that. I had a friend whose daughter was bitten by a brown recluse spider in a quaint little cabin, and spent months in therapy. Cockroaches? Sounds nearly as bad. Now you get why people say that they need a vacation from their vacation =) Welcome back!
Actually on my "vacation", I wasn't worried about coming home until after about 5 days into it. Otherwise not so much. Also, the room may have had something to do with it too. 5 people, one bathroom, that's never a good situation.
Roughing it is not for me! I do love the beach, though.Those sea horses are so adorable!Welcome back.
even before going on vacation I am wondering to get back home - I am not traveller at all!
Welcome back! It's always good to be home - sleeping in your own bed & using your own bathroom!
First, I found your website because of the Summertime Tunic and I think each one I have seen so far are the cutest things. I was pleased to see you had used Cotton Fleece because I had just queried my DD this morning about using it--I think I have plenty leftover--I am working on a Debbie Bliss Alphabet Blanket using the Cotton Fleece. The Summertime Tunic may be a mindless thing for me to work on after the Alphabet Blanket (needing to be finished by 7/21) and as I am working on other WIPs I understand your not wanting to be away from home but my DH and I take home with us (our motorhome--our own bed, bathroom, etc.) I know not everyone can do this but it is nice.J
better than getting mugged by gypsies in spain and having to prove you are american and not cuban trying to 'come to america' via a back door...but that was BC (before children), i'm feelin you on the beach, children and bugs thing though. Welcome home!
I'm with ya, sista.... knitting cruise. Can the damn beach stuff with the family!
Yeah, our beach trips always seem like a good idea....and they always end up being way too much work for me. Did the kids at least have a good time?
I so hear you! I'm not a beach person either. Much prefer cabins in the mountain, cooler air, fishing and short hikes. Did you take your shawl with you? How's it coming along? I've finally finished the July birthday presents, so I can get back to my shawl.
Oy! Your entry sure made me smile and shudder at the same time! I have to say that even I, who could spend her life travelling all the time, have been to places where I prayed to be back home in an instant. Sometimes travelling just takes up too much of ones nerves, and coming home feels like you're in need of a vacation of the vacation then ;)As for the beach, I think we often love what we don't have and vice versa. For ex, I'm living right in the middle of the Alps and while a lot of people may be jealous of that, I could easily spend the rest of my life at a place where there's not even a tiny little hill. And, vice cersa again, we don't have an ocean and a beach closeby, so I'm longing for it desperately all the time. But thinking about going there with 3 kids - oy, this sounds stressful indeed ;)
No you didn't put a hit out on Mr. Roach! I couldn't see doing sand with 3 kids. I like camping and the occasional roughing it but I'm a hotel girl through and through. A frilly hotel at that.I'm happy you made it back though in 1 piece.
Well, don't know about a knitting cruise but I found a "stitching" cruise headed to Cozomel, Mexico in October. Cross stitch, crochet, knit - it's all "stitching" to me. My project bag will be enormous!!!
It always amazes me, how much stuff Americans bring to the beach. My mother didn't allow it, period. You got a bucket, a ball, and anything else you wanted to bring, you better carry it. The first time I screamed about it, she left me with a sitter; after that I was cured. But then she would spend the time with me, giving me closet science lessons. I love the beach today. The only things I bring to the beach is a towel, some easy food and some knitting––one bag. Having an Aussie partner helps; they are trained from babies to bring nothing––their environmental laws are too stringent––but it works; parents have much more fun with their kids.
You are hilarous, you should definitly write a comedy someday. I know my tolerance for being away from home is low. After one night the novelty has worn off for me. I always think a vacation would be nice, then I realize what I really want is everyone else in the house to leave.
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