This year, my mom and I came back from our 3-year hiatus from the annual OBX trip (mainly because Kellie was in PA for the last few years!) There were some changes this year (the addition of Sue and G3 as travelling companions, as well as the rental of a beachhouse.) Both changes will be permanent staples as we hope to continue our tradition of driving down each year (maybe twice!) Without further ado, the trip log...
Day One: April 30 2009
6:15am - Leave Pinto-Bay only 15 minutes behind schedule
6:17am - Mom and Sue desperately try to program the Tom-Tom, angrily punching the the touch screen with their fingers and knuckles. I suggest a call to Dad, but Mom won't hear of it.
6:55am - Eventually I (the most technologically-savvy of all of us) figure it out. Mom and Sue are wary of Tom-Tom, and continue to check his guidance against that of the printed out mapquest directions!
7:45am - First pit-stop, McDonald's. Sue orders her very first Egg McMuffin...then proceeds to remove the egg before eating.
8:30am - Series of texts from Dad (who's now been alone for two hours and 15 minutes, describing a state of panic at home involving drywall guys, fighting cats, barking dogs, and fast-setting hair-gel...
10:00am - Pit-stop #2...Mom, mistakenly thinking she was driving a big rig, pulls into a truck stop. The GMC is dwarfed in comparison to the trucks around it, and we are the only girls for miles around. We soon celebrate this fact as the women's restrooms are the cleanest we've ever seen. And--judging by the busload of old ladies that starts filing in after us--we made it in the nick of time!
12:00pm - Pit-stop #3, gas and lunch at McDonald's, again. I remark that I've eaten at McD's more today than I have the rest of my life combined!
2:37p.m. - We arrive at 314 Aycock St (insert lewd A-Cock jokes here) after about 8 1/2 hours in the car (excellent timing considering our 3 pit-stops probably totalled about an hour.) We are delighted with our new abode, and happily set about to unpacking. I watch in awe as Mom and Sue completely unpack their clothes into the closets and drawers, having never done this myself before. I tend to live out of my suitcase, but as Sue claims, "We're seasoned travelers!"
Home Sweet Home
3:30pm - Barely an hour upon arriving, G3 manages to nose-dive off the couch and take down and end table and huge lamp with him. Child survives with nary a bump; lamp is broken beyond repair. Bye-bye security deposit.
4:00pm - Despite 8 well-behaved hours in the car, G3 goes down for a nap. It is the appropriate time for openeing a bottle of wine, and our afternoon-wine-on-the-porch stint will become a staple of the trip. Despite the fact that we need to go to the store, we continue to drink wine and talk in that way that girls tend to do (wine or no wine!) Of course, with these particular girls, there is a lot of talk of menopause and other 50-something topics. I pretend not to listen...
Typical scene from 314 Aycock...
6:30pm - Kellie shows up after work, just about the time that our pizza arrives! (Executive decision was made that groceries could wait until the morning!) G3 reunites with Aunt CeeCee, delighting her with his newfound language acquisition of "Kell-llie" and "Suuuueeee!"
Shawn arrives shortly after with a backpack of beer and a tan that shows he is in his natural element at the beach. We all sit around talking til around 10:30pm, when the wine and a long day of travel catch up to us...
Day 2 May 1st 2009--Beach Day
7:15am - I wake up, debating whether or not to go back to sleep but decide to get up in hopes that Mom and Sue will want to go for a walk. I find Mom and Sue missing, and a message on my phone stating Sue and I went for walk at 6:41am. Kel, Shawn, and G3 are all still comatose.
8:00am - The lovebirds and G3 arise, Mom and Sue return, and Shawn heads to work. We drink coffee on the porch, basking in the 80 degree heat and planning out our day...
10:00am - We head to Kellie's apartment to check out her crib and meet the staff at Surf Pediatrics, her future place of employment. I unfortunately do not get to partake in this much, as I have sat in something wet in the car and now look like I forgot to wear my Depends:(
11:00am - The beach is our next stop. The air is hot, the wind is fierce, and the water is icy. G3 is tenative and hesitant at first. Key words being "at first". Within minutes, he is running into the surf and its all we can do to stop him. He loves it! We take turns holding his hands, and in between he runs up and down the beach yelling "WATER!" at the top of his lungs. He has little interest in the sand, and most of the millions of pictures taken between Mom, Kel and I are of him in the water!
"The WATER!"
12:00pm - We head to Kitty Hawk Sports (Shawn's place of employment) for the express purpose of finding a visor for Gabe and abusing Shawn's 40% discount. Sue finds the coat of her dreams and she and I are giddy over how much money we save!
12:45pm - Lunch at Mama Kwan's. Food is pleasing. G3 points to a middle-aged, gray, bespeckled man on the tv reporting about the swine flu and declares "GRANDY!"
2:00pm - We head back to the house for naps for G3 and Kellie, grocery shopping (finally) for Mom and Sue, and a little Facebooking via Kellie's iphone for me!
2:30pm - Our afternoon bascially consists of lounging, napping, drinking wine, talking, and snacking...everything that vacation should be!! Once again, dinner is forgone as we are all stuffed from Mama Kwan's and wine! Sue, joining the masses, begins reading "Twilight"...
7:30pm - Mom, G3 and I decide to take a walk to the sound for some sunset photography. As usual, we nearly miss it and are engulfed by the wind that is strong enough to blow G3 in his stroller away! We take a few pics and head back home.
Sunset over the sound...
8:15pm - Kellie and Shawn leave for a bonfire party on the beach, and after much debate, I decide not to go. I'm too old, I don't know anyone, and I'm past the days of not worrying about driving home after too many drinks. A night of wine and chat with Mom and Sue sounds better...
8:30pm - Sue goes to bed. Uh oh.
9:00pm - Mom is passed out on the couch watching the Andy Griffith show. Double uh-oh.
10:00pm - After many texts, a change of clothes, and a final decision, Kellie comes to pick me up and I am escorted to Shawn's apartment, where a party is beginning. I have 2 beers, meet a few of Kellie's friends, participate non-alcoholically in some "drinking Jenga" (too complicated to explain) and finally...
11:00pm - Head home...and straight to bed!
Day Three - May 2nd 2009--Aquarium/Shopping Day
7:00am - I open my eyes and decide to get right up...it appears that Mom is in the bathroom, Sue's door is closed, and coffee has not yet been made. Yes!! I didn't miss the morning walk!
7:45am - After waiting 45 minutes for Mom to get out of the shower, I knock on the bathroom door. No answer. I open it, and realize it was left empty with the fan and light on...and Mom is nowhere to be found! Similar attempts at Sue's bedroom door lead me to believe that they have once again gone on their morning romp without me!
8:00am - Mom and Sue return, and we do the daily coffee-on-the-deck thing while I fill them with the details of last night's party. G3 entertains us all by requesting we blow "bubb-bbles!" and throwing his "dinos" over the deck.
9:15am - Grammy and G3 make French toast together, something that is becoming a tradition, judging by the skill with which little G3 can crack the "eggos!" We all get ready and pack the car for today's adventure...the aquarium!
10:30a.m. - We pick up Kellie and she takes the wheel of the truck, driving us across the bridge to Manteo and doing her well seasoned tour-guide narrative for us.
11:00am - We arrive at the aquarium and G3--who up until this point has been absolutely an angel, decides to let loose. He runs from window to window, screaming with delight and telling everyone in a 1000 foot ear range what he's looking at..."SHARK! TURTLE! OH NO!!" There are about 5 other toddlers who entered the aquarium at the same time as us, two of them wearing those hideous child leashes that I hate...but yet totally wish I had one today!!
The aquarium is small but impressive, and it takes us about a half hour to make it through. G3 is relinquished to his stroller with snacks and milk after I sense a meltdown on the radar. Once outside, he is set free again, and we basically all follow him as he runs rampant, pointing out everything with intensity..."WATER! PLANE!! KELLIE!" The wind is insane and t-storms are on the horizon, and G3 is screaming at the top of his lungs. Time to go!
"OTTER!"
Possibly the cutest picture of G3 to date...
1:00pm - We step into the Red Drum Grille and Taproom for lunch, moments before the sky opens up and begins dumping. Here, we once again enjoy very satisfying food, and G3 has a minor meltdown when his grilled cheese arrives. We all repeatedly try to figure out what he wants as big alligator tears roll down his cheeks...its heartbreaking! Finally "Grandy" figures out he just wants his own plate in front of him. Poor little guy.
2:00pm - After lunch and a very wet run to the truck, we decide to head to the outlets for some shopping. Sue and Lindsay are very excited, and Kellie looks like a kid heading to the candy shop. Mom is quiet, probably calculating how much money she will alott herself for yet another white shirt! The trip is successful though, with everyone purchasing something for themselves or as a gift. We find some sweet deals in Izod and Ralph Lauren, including a supercute hoodie that is unfortunately an XS and thus only suitable for a child. Nonetheless, we all try it on and have a good laugh...it should be noted as well that the BOB (my jogging stroller) served us well in the recline position, allowing G3 to nap for the majority of the trip. Sweet.
4:00pm - Back to the house and time for wine! The Kentucky Derby is on, and Mom prepares Derby snacks of popcorn, cheese, and grapes for all as we debate the likelood of ever cooking dinner at the beachhouse (likelihood--not likely!) G3 is intensely involved in the Derby, shouting "OH NO" and "HORSEY" again and again and again (and again.) He receives his first and only time-out of the trip (although, I am failing to recall what for!!) and we each picked our horses. None of them came in in the top four (mine was 18th!!) After the Derby is over, Sue and Lindsay head to the deck in disgust while Mom and G3 watch more coverage...
6:30pm - Kellie arrives, and once it becomes clear that dinner is a wash, I suggest opening the covetted bottle of Justin wine. Mom and Sue agree (despite their history with Justin, or perhaps because of it!) and we all indulge while chatting and laughing on the porch. A rainbow appears over the house across the street, and G3 learns to say "rainbow". Its a rough pronounciation, though, and for the better part of an hour Mom thinks he's saying "Grandma"
The Justin wine deserved it's own self-portrait...
7:30pm - G3 goes to bed, and we stay on the porch until the mosquitos drive us in. We all receive multiple and varied texts from our husbands, two of whom are at a car race and one of whom is home listening to a Grateful Dead show (guess who is who!) We stage "drunk" pictures to send to them and continue to nosh on left-over pizza and popcorn. We talk about everything under the sun, and it is decided that if Selinsgrove had an US Weekly-Selinsgrove version, Sue would be the editor!
10:30pm - Kellie heads home...and the rest of us to bed!!
Day Four - May 3rd 2009--NO POWER Day
7:00am - Having missed the previous walks, I demand not to be left behind and am not disapointed when Mom decided to wake me up, fully dressed and ready to go, by flipping the lights in the bedroom on and off. When I ask for coffee for the walk she looks at me like I'm nuts...Sue offers to stay with G3.
8:30am - Mom and I arrive home from a vigourous walk in some quite muggy air during which we made a few wrong turns and ended up dead-ended a few times. We drink coffee and eat on the porch and discuss the plan for the day...the beach!
8:45am - We discover we have NO POWER. Mom and Sue take it all in stride, adopting their "We're just going with the flow" attitude of the vacation. I have been trying to "go with the flow" but my need for a bathroom and a shower drive me to Kellie's apartment...
10:00am - Head to Kellie's and Food Lion.
11:00am- Back and smelling good, I am surprised to discover there is STILL no power...but, it doesn't matter, we're going to the beach. We make sandwiches, pack a cooler, don our suits and head to pick up Kellie and Shawn!
12:00pm - We head to the beach on the sound side, which is full of people and dogs splashing in the knee-deep, gentle, bathwater-temperature water. Mom and Sue set up camp in their chairs, and Kellie, Shawn and I play in the water with G3. Again, he is delighted, and here he is allowed a bit more freedom. We all marvel at the kiteboarders as the wind picks up. Shawn (windsurfing extraordinaire) glances longingly at the waves...
Mom and Sue "roughing it" at the sound
G3 and Uncle "Shawwwwwnnnn"
Indicative of future summers of sending G3 to live with his aunt and uncle for a few weeks? Yes, I think it is.
1:30pm - Kellie leaves to take a giddy Shawn to test out his windsurfing for the first time this year...G3 takes a little rest in his BOB...once again proving itself to be the ultimate all-around stroller!
2:00pm - After pretty much being blown away, we (along with most of the other people on the beach) start packing it up. The wind is killer and we all have sand in every orfice and large objects are blowing away. Mom and Sue keep mentioning the showers they are going to take later with the same tone of voice one speaks of a delectable treat one covets or the best wine one has every tasted...
2:15pm - But first, we head over to Kitty Hawk Sports to see Shawn in action. Sue takes the wheel of the truck with confidence, and many turns and figure 8s later, she pulls us into KHS with determination. As we head to the dock, the wind picks up even MORE, if that's possible. One of G3's adorable little blue croc-like shoes blows off of his stroller and straight down into some mucky sound water. Mom looks like she's going to cry, and I chalk it up to her usual emotions-running-rampant (aww...poor little G3's shoe in the sound! Wah!) Later, she tells me it was just the sand being blown into her eyes.
Deciding I can't risk losing 1/2 of a relatively brand new pair of $24 shoes, I embark on a rescue mission that involves using particularly tough strands of seaweed grass (or whatever it is) and laying down on the dock, face down, handing over the edge. Mom helps me rescue the shoe, but not before taking multiple pictures of me hanging upside down with my dress blowing over my head. I do not have these pictures, but should they be sent my way, I will include them. I have no shame!
3:00pm - We arrive back to Aycock Street, and the ominous presence of power trucks at the end of our street and various deck parties at the other houses leads us to suspect the inevitable...no power. Sue grimly grabs "Twilight" and some wine and goes to the porch, muttering "We're just...going with the flow!" But you can tell the lack of a shower is starting to affect her positive attitude. Thunder clouds rolls, and Mom speaks with the landlord on the phone. He is terribly nice and sorry for our situation, and Mom takes the opportunity to mention the lamp that her innocent little grandson broke. Well-played!
4:00pm - POWER IS ON!! Sue and Mom madly dash into the shower, and Sue reminds Mom that today is not a day for taking forever to get ready. I even take a second shower and we all set to packing and cleaning up a bit.
4:30pm - POWER OFF! Sue comes stomping out of the bedroom with a wet head, remarking sarcastically at how the timing is JUST PERFECT for drying her hair. Lindsay offers her straighter (twice) before realizing it needs power to work. Mom snarkily mutters something about "And you said it takes ME a long time to shower!"
6pm - Finally, we are ready to go out to dinner for our last night. Restored power allowed Sue to finish her hair and G3 to receive a bath. We put on nice clothes, head to meet Shawn and Kel, and follow them to Tortuga's Lie, our dining location for the evening. I order crab legs, forgetting Shawn's crab phobia, then watch as he shudders and shakes while I polish them off. G3 is slightly rambunctious here (read: starving and yelling in high pitched tones that make your brain shake.) Fortunately its a really loud restaruant, but the disgruntled looks of the people at the table next to us are unmistakable.
After dinner, we dawdle outside, saying good-bye to Shawn and Kellie. Even though we aren't leaving til tomorrow, it feels like the definitive end of vacation. G3 melts us all by saying loudly, "BYE CEECEE! BYE SHAWN!" He then begins to repeated call Shawn "Daddy"...we are not sure why but agree its time to get him home and into bed!
8:00pm - But before home, we are peer-pressured by Sue to head to Cold Stone Creamery for some ice cream. She drags us all kicking and screaming inside and forces us to order. (Kidding.) I reluctantly purchase a Cake Batter ice cream with a reese's cup mixed in...and it is delectable. I do not know what Mom and Sue ordered, only that we all slurped our respective cups down in relative silence in the truck...
9:30pm - Bed. Everyone tries to read in the living room, but all three of us begin nodding off...
Day 5 - May 4th 2009--Driving Forever Day
6:30am - We are all up by this hour, since our plan of cleaning/packing the night before didn't happen. Sue and I bustle around like little bees, taking things outside, collecting garbage, and cleaning. Mom stumbles about in a fog doing things like writing in the beachhouse's journal and emptying the fridge. She looks like a lost puppy.
8:15am - We are finally ready to go. Irritated with the turtle pace of the morning, I insist on taking the wheel first. This is a decision I will later thank my lucky stars for making!
9:00am - After 45 minutes of driving, during which Mom kept insisting there was a Sheetz on the horizon, I peel into a Citgo for much needed gas and coffee. Sidenote: prior to the Citgo we passed about 18 gas stations, all of which Mom told me to pass because "There's a Sheetz coming up." Sidenote #2: The elusive Sheetz did not appear...
11:00am - Rest stop in Richmond, VA. Although sunny, hot, and humid in North Carolina, Virginia proves to be colder and wetter. Reports from home lead us to beleive its even worse there. Grreeaaatttt. Mom takes the wheel.
12:30pm - The leg of the drive through Washington and Baltimore is horrible. Torrential downpour, heavy traffic, and some faulty suggestions from TomTom (who, admittedly, gets us back on track.) Sue and I are imminently thankful we are not driving the truck at this point in time!
2:00pm - Sue takes the wheel! We are near York, PA, and becoming giddy over the fact that we are nearly home...two hours max! Oh, so naive...
3:15pm - After ignoring TomTom's suggestion to take an unknown route through Harrisburg, we head towards 11 and 15 in Marysville. We are immediately rerouted, as no traffic is being allowed to proceed. We bitch and grumble at the irony of being rerouted so close to home, as we hop on 81 and head to the other side of the river. Again...oh, so naive.
3:45pm - As we get on 22, we hit a wall of traffic. Little do we know, but we will be sitting here for a very, very, very long time to come. Sue halfheartedly makes the "Oh we're just going with the flow..." comment and ignores my murderous glances.
5:07pm - To directly quote my notes, Still in %#$#$%$^^&* traffic!! Again, oh so naive!
5:08pm - We watch with sinking hearts as a truck labeled Department of Environmental Protection whizzes by on a nearby road. Not good. Calls to our husbands confirm the worst. Accidents on both sides of the river, overturned paint truck that has spilled onto both sides of the highway on this side. We are basically between the river, 3 lanes of stalled traffic, and a huge retaining wall. We are going nowhere.
5:38pm - Traffic starts moving!! I wrote...but just about 1/10th of a mile. We gauge our distance travelled on TomTom, which is the equivalent of watching grass grow. Angrily, TomTom is turned off.
6:00pm - After snapping (and updating my Facebook status multiple times) I decide that I have to pee really, really bad. We pass some time complaining about TomTom, theorizing over how much longer we will be here, and marvelling over the fact that G3 has JUST now started whining. I pull the DVD player out for the FIRST time on the entire trip. G3 happily settles down and begins to watch movies.
8:51pm - Still standing. And not moving. Sue exits the truck to speak with other drivers who are walking up and down the road. I lose my resolve and am forced to pee on the road btw two trucks. It is dark, but there is definitley one guy who sees me. I don't even care at this point. Mom and Sue cackle like hens in the car.
9:12pm - We begin moving slowly...could this be it? After almost 6 hours in standstill traffic???
9:27pm - FINALLY...we are past and moving. Sue grips the wheel of the truck with determination, and everyone falls quiet.
10:00pm - AND...we are home. After 5 days of vacation, 4 bottles of wine, 2 beach trips, 3 dinners out, 1 ice cream stop, god knows how much money spent, and a collective total of 22 hours in the car...we. are. home. And I must say overall, it was a fabulous trip!
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