Beach Bummed

Well, July just flew by.

As promised I present you with photographic evidence of my spray tan. It looked great (ignore my mean face). Even coverage, no streaks, and no orange glow. I methodically used the blocker lotion on my hands, feet, knees and elbows as directed… and it was easy. Would definitely do it again, and especially for a unique occasion. For those of you who asked, the tan was via VersaSpa (not Mystic) and I chose the medium tone. I am intrigued to try the dark tone, but a little scared. Maybe on a week I know I don’t have to go anywhere just in case.

So, l took my new tan on the road to Hilton Head, SC for our 10 day vacation. Didn’t you wonder where I went?

We had a great time, as usual. This is the 6th year we’ve made the 12 hour drive. Sure, there was bitching and moaning being trapped in the car and dreaming of an exit on I-95 with a Starbucks, but the pain is worth it in the end when we see the sign that takes us to our home away from home.

David was like a boy obsessed this year. For one, he couldn’t wait until he got the opportunity to go crabbing off the pier at the resort. He and hubby caught five blue crabs (catch and release), and they were in heaven. I particularly don’t get the enjoyment of standing in the sun over a creek with fish smell lingering in the air, but to each is own.

Secondly, after David spent a week trying to make friends at the pool, he met a girl (insert oohs and aahs and curious eye rolling here). Is this when it starts, age 8?? Really? Goodness. Unfortunately, their courtship was short-lived.. she left the next day. However, he had a ball and I got a new friend too… her mother is the same age as myself and through conversation I found that she had her daughter via fertility treatment. We traded war stories, and it was really unexpected.  It was like meeting a mirror image of me, and so glad I got the opportunity to chat with her. Thank goodness for Facebook to stay in touch. Sadly, David is left only with a picture of himself and his new friend-  plotting how he might charter a boat to see his southern sweetie. I am still trying to help him understand that TN is not on the coast. lol.

We spent most of our days poolside, and if you follow me on Twitter, I posted a few pics along the way.

We were almost too lazy to spend time physically ON the beach. Too much preparing and effort. Plus, I admit it, I hate getting sandy.  Hate it.  However, we did take walks and collected seashells.

The thing I love about HHI is the relaxation factor. It’s the only place I’ve vacationed where I feel truly rested.

After all the turbulence this year, I wanted that feeling more than ever. Problem is, once I shut down it’s hard to boot back up. We got home on Monday and I’ve spent the last 48 hours walking into walls and navigating my foggy brain through the day.
The reality of being home was kind of a downer. You all know the feeling. Back to the grind, and to-do lists.

Speaking of  to-do’s, I am making a doctor’s appointment for myself this week. Been feeling off for the last few weeks and some oddness going on with my fingernails looking weird and my hair falling out in bunches (has been for the last 6 weeks). The hair loss is worrying me.  Really bad.  I am asking for a thyroid panel at my regular doctor when I get in, among other things. Surely, five years of shooting up hormones hasn’t affected my endocrine system, right?!? I can only guess the crap my body is going to give to me now after putting it though so much over the years.

For naught of course.  Another post for another day.

So, I am back, sort of. Give me a minute and a latte and I will be ready to rock and roll.

post signature

Reality bites

Vacation was heavenly. The weather was fabulous. I had that kind of loosey goosey feeling like after a good massage.

And then we returned to reality. S. got some upsetting news from work regarding his future employment, and I was stuck in e-mail hell at work.  Welcome back.
I was hoping that the vacation feeling would have lasted longer than 12 hours after we arrived back in town… really, is that too much to ask???
Anyway, we did have a great time and I will tell you that the healing benefits of 24-hour pool time is better than anything short of a butler standing next to me handing me an icy-cold drink every 30 minutes.

It was ungodly hot and humid, but I was too relaxed to care. The only decisions I had were where to eat and what bathing suit to put on.

David had the time of his life… he was racing down the water slide and catching crabs in the creek with his Daddy. He built sandcastles, and had fun swimming with his grandparents.

**Dude in blue shirt is not Daddy. A nice bystander helped us pick up the crab for fear it would snap off our fingers. (No we are not expert crabbers by any stretch of the imagination. We basically caught the crab and yelled “HELP!!”)

The only downside was I couldn’t use my nifty new SLR camera because it couldn’t hack the quick transition from cold AC to humid and thick air.

But the point and shoot camera served us just fine. Many memories to hold dear…

Is this the look of happiness or what???
post signature

Almost Paradise

How many of you saw the blog post title and thought of the song?

Whoa-oa
ALMOST PARADISE!
We’re knocking on heaven’s door
ALMOST PARADISE!
How could we ask for more?
I swear that I can see forever in your eyes
Paradise…

Ann Wilson and Mile Reno. That is such a high school flashback. I remember slow dancing with my then boyfriend to that song and my heart nearly beating out of my chest. Plus, it reminded me that my alter teenage ego wanted to be a dance partner to Kevin Bacon in Footloose. What the hell ever happened to Mike Reno anyway? Did he lose the headband? Is he still “working for the weekend”? bwahaha.

I’m off track now, aren’t I?

Yes, it’s been pretty quiet around here, and I am sorry for that. The summer is still in full swing here in the Northeast. Many of the kids are back in school already in other areas of the U.S., but we just finished up tutoring classes and finally can start having fun.

David is quite happy, but I am realizing more and more that the power to curb boredom and burnout is keeping him busy, and thus far it’s not been a problem. Now that he’s home with me (while I am working), it is VERY hard to keep him in a schedule.

Most of the days now are like this…

me working in my office for 30 minutes, then tending to him to get him set up with an activity, me working for 30 more minutes, getting him a snack, working, activity, working, outside for 30 minutes, working, cleaning up Play Doh, working, finding him a movie on Disney Channel, working, sorting crayons, working, channel surfing (YES!  I am trying to find Phineas and Ferb! be patient), working,…

you get the idea.

Paradise?oh right, where was I?

Soon we leave for an extended vacation in Hilton Head, SC.  I may not come back.  Every year S. and I stop and look at houses while we are down there, and one of these days…..

So, no matter how busy or frantic I am right now, or how many times I have to say “Shhhhuuusssh!” when David interrupts a conference call for work (DAMN, I can NEVER hit that mute button fast enough), I know that there is an end in sight.

Almost there…

post signature