Vacation Journal

Friday
Drive down to Stoney Creek, VA (just south of Richmond) and stay at the Sleep Inn.
Likes: King size bed, free WiFi access, snuggling with husband and relaxing, knowing we have a week to be together on vacation.
Dislikes: knowing we only have a week of vacation before it's back to the daily grind and anticipating needing an additional week to really relax.

Saturday
Waffles for breakfast at the Sleep Inn in Stoney Creek, VA. Yum!
Weather: Rainy and windy (driving through the aftermath of tropical storm Hannah)Occurrences: check in, have discussion with the lady who has taken over the other three units in our vacation rental for a Tuesday wedding and family get together. She is unhappy with the parking situation. She is upset we have two cars and she wants to park six. We think she’s the mother of the bride or something. The free WiFi access we are supposed to have at the house is non-existent and both beds in our unit are sway-backed and uncomfortable to sleep on. We stock up on food for the evening meal and for breakfast.

Sunday
Weather: Sunny and humid.
Occurrences: I get my period. We attend a local Baptist church. We eat lunch at Ruby Tuesday’s and go to Super Wal-Mart for supplies. I find free WiFi at two local coffee shops. I email my homework to my professor but am unable to access my University’s website and therefore Blackboard and my class forum. I continue to work on my paper for Wed.

Monday
We get up early and head to The Point (tip of the island) to go beachcombing while Jeff and Ian body board. I avoid a sun burn and stay on a regular regimen of Ibuprofen. Good times. We hang out with the Beams at their place for Monday night football. I get to see Caleb. He’s 18 months now and his favorite word is “Wow!” Steph is preggers with Caleb’s little brother Jake. Caleb has a cold and coughs a lot after drinking lemonade. Caleb’s coughing leads to vomiting and to his credit, Ian catches most of it in his cupped hands while Steph gets the rest. Ah parenting! I get to know Marcy, Ian’s brother’s girlfriend a bit better. I edit my paper some more.

Tuesday
First half of the day…went to the coffee shop…so cute…bought some Decaf Black Vanilla Tea (for Mom and I to try later) and a bag of freshly ground coffee, and a small Café Mocha and I settled in to finish posting my paper and check my email. I took two power dumps in the café toilet because I had my period and I had caffeine in my system. It wasn’t exactly pleasant at the time. The internet cut out and I had to lurk outside the other coffee place in the plaza (which was closed) to finish posting the paper. I went home, collected my mother-in-law (our neighbors were headed out to their Wedding celebration) and we went shopping in that same set of shops. It was fun. I bought a gift for Aaron and Michelle as a “Thank You” for watching our kitties and house.

Second half of the day…trip to New Bern. Visited an art gallery, walked around, visited a store where I talked on a cell phone and took pictures. I shouldn’t have done either, and I didn’t know until I was asked to stop taking pictures. When we left the store I glanced back and saw a sign that asked people not to talk on their cell phones in the store. Oops!Evening…we watched Ratatouille and drank tea or HC.

Wednesday
It was supposed to rain today so our trip to Bear Island got put off another day. I had two or three cups of coffee this morning, brewed from our beach house coffee maker. Jeff dropped me off to visit with Steph, and picked up Ian and went surfing at The Point. I hung with the Beam gang at the house while Caleb napped. Steph fed me a yummy blueberry bagel with cream cheese and I made more coffee at her house (drank 2 cups).

Mom and Dad Schoon went off on their own after an early walk to the pier.This afternoon I finished my book Rachel lent me (The Art of Racing in the Rain) while Mom and Dad went off again on their own while Jeff was shooting. I decided I wanted to walk down to the Beam’s cottage. I took water and my celly in a backpack and told Steph I was coming and Jeff I was going. Stepher drove me back home. I walked about seven miles along the beach in a light drizzle. It was invigorating.

Jeff and Dad are grilling sausage and salmon for dinner while Mom is making broccoli and her potatoes. So yummy! It’s going to be a Delish Dinner! I think we’ll try to go to Bear Island tomorrow morning.

Thursday
We had a fabulous trip to Bear Island. I was badly sunburned around my upper legs (basically everywhere not covered by my bathing suit bottom) and the backs of my legs. I went shelling without putting sunscreen on my lower extremities and I have paid the price by sunburning my padonkedonk. If it wasn’t so painful, it would have been very funny. We walked about five miles today.

After Bear Island we had freshly made waffle cones at the local Dairy Queen. Yum!We had dinner at The Spouter restaurant in Beaufort, NC with my in-laws and a couple of friends that were down for the week. Jeff and I traded steaks when mine came to me rare and his was medium-well.

Friday
We bought some Aloe Vera spray at the local Food Lion for my flaming ass. It’s our last full day in sandy paradise.
We all went to the NC Aquarium and went antiquing during the day. We take a walk on the beach by the light of the moon on our last night here. It is beautiful and I am sad to leave tomorrow despite the fact that our mattress sucks.

Saturday
Mom and Dad head for home in their car. Jeff and Ian play in a volleyball tournament. Stephanie and I head for Goldsboro, NC after a brief stop for coffee at Beans and Screens Internet Café. Steph spills hot coffee on her leg but recovers quickly. We have a nice day of shopping. Caleb gets kissed by a little girl at a second hand store. Jeff and Ian struggle to get two pizzas for our dinner at a local Papa John’s from a group of unmotivated teens.The king sized bed in Jeff and my room is awesome!

Sunday
We drive home and avoid being involved in a tractor trailer accident with three other cars. We just had to sit through the traffic delay. I unload the car and do laundry. Nuff said!