I’m sure little has changed since they bought it. It’s never looked any different to me, that’s for sure. Oh wait, it used to be painted an eggshell color with a brown roof and trim.
We haven’t been there since the summer after I graduated from high school. We didn’t realize it had been that long until we tried to think back to the last time we’d been there. A lot of the things that we used to do were still available. The pier wasn’t wiped out by Hurricane Charley back in 2004, which was good. Well, if it was, we didn’t know and they’ve re-built it.
We did as much relaxing as is possible when you have four extra visitors for a minimum of two nights of your stay. My mom’s parents came to join us, along with two of my cousins. Sleeping arrangements were less than desirable, but we made it work and we were rested enough to drag ourselves out to the pool each morning after donning sexy bathing suits and lathering up with sunscreen.
I think we went through at least 6 bottles of sunscreen. Mind you, these are the new spray bottles. I have never been a fan of sunscreen, but I fry crispy after only being out in the sun for 15 minutes. I hate to have to put it in my hands, to rub it in, the smell… just everything about it. I’d like to kiss the person that came up with the idea of sunscreen that you don’t have to put in your hands. I was still initially put off by the potential odor, but was able to find a brand with a tolerable stench. (I have a really good sense of smell. I smell some things for hours after they’re gone and get headaches from smelling weird things. Once I was standing with my back to someone, that I didn’t even know was there at the time, and I said “It smells like… an everything bagel.” Next thing I know, there’s a guy saying “I work at Cory’s Bagels. Sorry about that… But good nose!”)
All in all, it was nice to be able to be away from work and out of town where you can’t be sucked in to doing mundane things like cleaning and running errands and the feelings of guilt for not doing them. We certainly laughed a lot, with a majority of it being at the expense of my nine-year-old cousin. I sort of feel badly for her, but then again I really don’t. I remember being the young one and everyone have fun at my expense. It’s all part of life. And she might’ve brought some of it on herself when she expressed her fear of Charles Manson and continued to act like she was more afraid than she really might’ve been when we continued to tease her about him and his hippies coming to find her. I think she was genuinely mad at us when we gave her a hard time about being pregnant. Clearly, she isn’t, but it’s not hard to convince a nine-year-old that you think she is. The funniest thing may have been my mom telling her “Don’t go home and tell your Dad a bunch of stories about us. If you do, he’s going to call me and then who do you think he’s going to believe more, you or ME?” My mom is normally the one who dispels all rumors and clears the air of any potential lies floating around. It was quite the shock for her to be one of the bad guys for a change. I loved it.
I took the girls home Wednesday evening, when I had planned to head back to my parents’ house to say good-bye to this guy.
I’ve been trying to determine if seeing him leave was easier or harder than leaving my brother at the MTC back in April. All I can come up with is that it’s just different. The most obvious difference is that he’s not my brother. It was hard to see my brother go because we are really close, but I had The Boyfriend to mop up the puddle I might’ve been and to entertain me and otherwise occupy my time. And thank goodness for that or I might've gone crazy.
The bottom line is that I’ve enjoyed the last six months or so more than I could’ve ever imagined. In the beginning, I didn’t think it’d be that big of a deal for him to leave. I knew it was coming and that was that. I never anticipated us getting so close and his impending departure never seemed all that real. Oblivion has been the overall theme, for me at least, since we started dating. He not only saw, but planned out much of what’s happened. It’s all worked out quite nicely, if I do say so myself. I happen to love surprises and this has been a pleasant and drawn-out surprise for me. I am loving every minute, especially the ones when we’re together.
He’s going to be a great doctor. And tan, I think. Very tan.
1 comment:
And, when blogging about The Windward, how could you neglect mentioning bike rides to get a Big Gulp and sharing a pull-out for a week with your favorite family member?
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