Virginia Beach Trip

I took a trip with the kids to visit my 92 year old grandma in Virginia Beach. Met up with my parents and brother who flew in from Ohio as well as my aunt and uncle who live there too. It was a nice visit for all and the kids loved seeing the family. Here are just a few of the 63 pics I took.

Virginia beach in late september

The clouds - taken from my window seat on the airplane.

My favorite photo from the trip

Sun worshipper

Checking out what is happening on the tarmac before we takeoff

Florida, Friendship, FUN!

In a previous post I told you that hubby was letting me go child-free to Florida to visit my best friend for 5 days. What a saint he is!

It was great! The first night I arrived I didn't get to her house until 8:30pm (3 hours late, but that is a whole other post!). I had traveled all day and she had worked all day yet we managed to stay up until 1:30am talking. We could have talked all night. Neither of us tired of the conversation. I reminded her that she had to get up with her boys in the morning and get them off to school. Right. 5:45am was creeping up quickly.

The next day we grabbed a bite of breakfast and a coffee and headed out to Siesta Key Beach. Of course we yakked it up the whole way there. By accident we found public beach access 7 that led us out to a very open stretch of beach with like two other people on it. The sand there is so white and as fine as sugar. Therefore, it was not hot on the feet. The weather was perfect that day. Not too humid/hot and a steady breeze! The water was so clear that you could see your toes in three feet of water!

We set up camp and went right into the water. We just floated and chatted. We then walked all the way down to the main public beach area to use the restroom. We walked all the way back and past our camp to the other end of the beach. We brought ourselves lots of water and a rum/juice concoction. We filled our water bottles with the rum treat and headed back out for more floating and chatting. When we returned to our blanket to finally get some tanning in I asked Jen if she wanted her book to read. She said, "No, the conversation is too good.". I don't think we quit talking the whole day! At 3pm we decided we had enough and packed it up only to find out later that we had a nice burn despite our many applications of SPF 50!

Later that night we went out to eat at Joe Crackers??? with Jen's hubby and two neighbors. What a blast! The food was Yummy! The drinks kept flowing! Thank you dearest Andy (Jen's neighbor) for picking up the tab!

After dinner we headed to a local bar for another beer and then decided to take the party back to Sherry's house. (Jen's other neighbor) We hung out there until 1:30am again. I think 1:30am must be my cutoff. I would suddenly be extremely tired.

The next day we packed it up again and headed to Jen's camper that they keep at a nearby campground. We were sorta spent from the day before and it was very hot so we just lounged under the camper awning and read/chatted/drank. That night we started a campfire and played Sequence where Bart kicked our butts to many times. Damn!

The following day we woke to Bart cooking up a big Sunday breakfast. After that we headed out to play a long afternoon of Shuffleboard - just Jen and I. I had never played before and it was actually pretty fun. Although, anything can be fun with a little rum to go with it!

We dipped in the pool after shuffleboard and headed back to cook up some burgers, corn, baked beans and tomato/onion/mozzerella salad. YUMMY!

The next day I left and was glad to be going home as i missed my family, but was so refreshed from the time alone.

BTW, Hubby did fine with the kids by himself. He actually said he enjoyed it!

Thanks, Jen, for the good time and good conversation! Next time, you, me and the french quarter baby!

No, Bart, you can't come!

What happened on my vacation.

It happened in just an instant.

There I was all alone heading from terminal D to terminal C in the Atlanta airport. Purse backpack and a magazine my only possessions. I am walking briskly, head held high, smiling, face glowing with a nice tan, thinking of all the fun I just had with my best friend over the last five days in Florida. I glance to my left and that is when I saw her . . . She was pushing a double stroller, very stuffed LL Bean day pack on her back, husband in tow with car seat flung over his shoulder and diaper bag on his shoulder. She looked haggered, hurried and winded. She was struggling to navigate her stroller onto the people mover. After she succeeded she looked up and we locked eyes. Just for a second. We exchange knowing and longing looks. She thinking "I wish I were you - traveling all alone, free from the extra baggage children require when traveling and moving along so easily - looking happy, rested and radiant." I thinking "I've been there so many times before and know exactly how you are feeling right now" The glance ended as quick as it started and I was suddenly overcome with sadness. I missed my kids and my hubby.

For an instance I was glad I wasn't her and this time around I got to go solo. However, I also felt that longing to see the 3 most important people in my life.

Heads Up AirTran!

Okay. So I decided to try AirTran for the first time. I had a 5 HOUR layover in Altanta on my way home from Florida. Anxious to get home I immediately stopped at the ticket counter when I exited the plane to see if there was an early flight I could jump on. The lady checked and said, "Yes, there is a 1:10pm but I don't know if you will make it." I asked why not? She said, "You must alert them 1 hour in advance so they can pull your luggage in time." So I asked her what time it was. 12:05pm exactly. She told me I needed to go the next terminal over and check in with the lady at the gate. I don't know if you have ever been to the Atlanta airport, but getting from one terminal to the other is a hike! So I hoofed it as fast as possible. I was walking faster than the people who were walking on the people movers! I got to the desk and inquired. She said I was too late. I asked the time. 1:13pm. 3 minutes late!

I asked if they could make an exception since I was only 3 minutes late.She told me to walk down to customer service. It was just down a few gates so I did. The lady there told me the same.I inquired about the strict rule. She explained it was for security reasons. They can't allow my luggage to travel on an airplane without me. So they wouldn't have time to pull it in order to make the flight I was wanting to change to. Therefore, it would not get to New Orleans with me.

So I sigh in defeat and wait 5 hours for my original flight home.

Here is where it gets good . . .

I am standing in baggage claim after arriving in New Orleans waiting with everyone else from my flight when over the PA system I hear them paging me and telling me to come to the luggage office. Guess what? They sent my bag on the 1:10pm flight - WITHOUT ME! When I inquired why? The guy said it must have been a mistake.

So I could of taken the damn earlier flight - my luggage did anyway! So much for rules!

A vacation by myself!

Yup! You read that correctly. This momma is taking a vacation by herself. No, that does not mean me and the kids. That means JUST ME! Alone, on a plane for the first time in . . . oh say . . . 5 years? Maybe more. The last time I traveled alone on a plane was when I flew to Atlanta and Chicago to do user testing for a startup web company I was working for. I think that was 2001 - ok 6 years ago. I might actually be able to read or sleep!

I am flying to Florida to visit my best friend for 5 days. She is taking off work and on one day we are hitting the beach (just her and I) while her kids are in school. All day on the beach by ourselves! Whooeee! No watching kids, playing with kids, feeding kids, wrangling kids. NOthing. Just us with our suntan lotion, beach chairs, cooler and lots of conversation and sunbathing!

So you are probably wondering about my kids. Never fear. This was my hubby's idea and he will be spending 5 fun-filled days with our 2 kids under 5 by himself. He has never done it before but claims if I can do it, he can do it. It should seem that way. I expect several phone calls. ;-)

I am going to try to get him to cover my blog so WE ALL can read about his days with the kids. Should be interesting!