12 February 2011

Aloha

As you know, it means both hello and good-bye. It's time for another weekend away from the blog. This one is relatively open, but not without the potential for disaster. Four has an 8 AM basketball game, and half his team will be absent. This means he will have to play the entire game. Or at least until he collapses, either emotionally or  physically.  I'm not looking forward to watching.

After the game, I am driving "down the shore," as they say in northern New Jersey, to look for potential summer vacation rentals. I grew up near the beach, as we call it in central New Jersey, and it's taken me many years to get it through my head that I am now considered a "bennie." Or "shoebie," if you're very old. A tourist. We vacation in Seaside Park, which is the town next to Seaside Heights, home to the guidos on "Jersey Shore." Suddenly Seaside Heights has cachet, something it's always lacked, even back in the day when I would use my fake ID to go clubbing. The downside is that the world thinks New Jersey is full of Snookis.

Seaside Park is very quiet. There is almost nothing to do but swim in the ocean, and crab in the bay. The whole extended family gets together for two weeks in various houses. The cousins hang out and play Rummikub and LCR, and we all eat Pappou's homemade ice cream. It's sweet in its simplicity. This year we are trying to get a big house with my mother and step-father. It will be good to be closer to her, and the ice cream. It will be a little nutty, but worth it.

I leave you with sunny thoughts. Where is your favorite place to vacation?

P.S.: Had to stop by to say that Four played the whole game and the rag-tag band of misfits tied! I was very proud of him, and chastened, for having so little faith.

9 comments:

  1. Anonymous12.2.11

    Aloha! My favorite place on the planet IS Hawaii! But sadly, I've never really been on a vacation. Going to Hawaii was to work and stay with my grandmother, and the "bonus" trip I took was for a conference (sort of, and it was far too brief, but we did have some free time, so it could probably be considered a mini-vaca).
    Have a great weekend, but ohmygawd eight in the A of M? If Four collapses it's because his sports group is completely insane for scheduling a game at that heinous hour.
    Yay for some Mom and family time near an ocean!
    Oh, and one more thing, I did not have to put in my ugly pink ear plugs tonight, Dan is wearing headphones and seems to have forgotten to turn on ESPN (shh, I won't be reminding him if you don't). His don't have skulls on them but they are fairly large, maybe I should go find a bright pink marker....
    Julie

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  2. Hope you find a fantastic rental! It sounds magical.

    Favorite vacation? San Juan. We went to PR for our honeymoon and it was unbelievably, breathtakingly gorgeous, especially the Old City with its blue spanish cobblestones.

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  3. I also love the Jersey Shore, especially the wide beaches and beautiful sand dunes. But I think that I like the desert even better than the beach. Southwestern Utah is probably my favorite place to go - for hiking and gorgeous views in red rock canyons.

    Rome is the loveliest city that I've ever visited. I'd go back again in a heartbeat.

    Good luck finding the house. Have fun!!

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  4. Janet stole all of my ideas. What she said. :)

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  5. @June: it's like she's your twin!

    @Lora: My step-father lived in PR for many years before he married my mother. So I did get to visit there years ago, and it was lovely. I don't think I'll ever go back to Barbados (our HM spot), but I do remember how relaxing it was to just float in the Caribbean. Ah...

    @Julie: The Captain would love to go to Hawaii! We'll see...

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  6. When I was little we lived outside Philly, and the whole family went to Ocean City for a week or two every summer. There was a very specific schedule. We'd get up in the morning and ride bikes up and down the boardwalk. Then we'd go get in our swimsuits and spend the day on the beach. Lunch was often a pork roll sandwich from a vendor. (Mmmm. Pork roll.) Then we'd go back to the house, shower off the sand, treat sunburns, and maybe take a little nap. Then we'd get dinner and walk up and down the boardwalk all evening. Get some saltwater taffy. Say "hi" to Mr. Peanut. Maybe ride a few rides. Everyone would be completely exhausted at the end of the day. And then we'd get up the next day and do it all over again!

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  7. hmmm... I really, really miss PR and one day will bring my children to show them my beaches and how amazingly blue and inviting that water is. Until then, I'm enjoying Seaside Park with the family, but the water does not beckon me at all I must say.

    I love a vacation anywhere near water and someday think it might be nice to rent a bunch of cabins on a lake-- the whole fandamly. But the Caribbean-- aahh....

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  8. Anonymous12.2.11

    The rental spot sounds lovely. Glad Four made it through the game!

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  9. @Becky: Yes to pork roll! And if you were in Ocean City, you were eating the real deal! Your vacation day sounds perfect!

    @Chrys: may have found a house with a pool, for those of us that prefer the water above 68 degrees.

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