Arcadian Memories Re-revisited While Trying To Distract Myself From The Fact That I'm In Newark. Urgh.

It's been a slow month, I know. I've been training my boots off for the last two weeks at the office. Right now I'm at Newark airport waiting for my flight to Orlando... This is a real one though; I don't think that I'll be able to go see the Orlando sights on this trip. I have to play Training Camp customer service rep full time on this one, so no Disney for me. Ah well, life is hard.

I got to see my family down at the Jersey shore last week... My Uncle bought a really nice place over there and he had an engagement party for my cousin. I got to see some family I hadn't seen in years, namely my cousin Kevin, who has been busy surfing in Australia where he met his fiancé, (A very nice Aussie) and Aunt Peggy and Uncle Mel, who read my blog but never comment! Which of course meant I had no stories to tell because every time I'd start one they'd be all like "Oh yeah I read that on your blog." This has made the conundrum of being an autobiographical blogger apparent to me. Nobody wants to talk to you at parties because you've already bored them once with your blather!

Anyway, we went down to the beach and I swam in the Atlantic. I love the Atlantic; it has a certain wavy and slightly dangerous quality which I haven't seen in other Oceans, and I didn't realize I had missed it until last weekend. We used to go on weeklong family vacations there every summer when I was a kid, and I'd go body surfing every day on the high Atlantic waves. While bobbing in the water and gazing out at the endless horizon with pleasure boats, larger ocean liners off in the distance, and prop planes tugging banner advertisements for some seafood restaraunt or other went lazing by to the sound of seagulls, (I love that sensation!) I'd try to imagine what the land waaaaaaay on the other side of the ocean was like. It was rather bucolic. I had some very pleasant moments last weekend as it all slowly came back to me, although this time I knew what the land on the other side was like, and it made a rather gratifying bookend in my mind. Very nice.

Although, my Uncle later said that he had looked on a map and figured out that he was more or less on the same latitude as Portugal, which I haven't visited as of yet, so kind of I was wrong in my mental bookend there. Doesn't matter! When bridging the distances of Oceans in your mind, close enough is good enough, and I'm sticking to my story!

Comments

[Gary]

Where at the jersey shore were you? I love the water there too. I especially like it if there's a storm somewhere south of there - makes the waves really nice. I don't go as often as I'd like, but I'm sure I'll be going more in the future. I'd like to find a nice place to go that's not quite as far as wildwood, my tradition destination.

[Sissy]

My family has been going to Stone Harbor, NJ since before I was born. When I was 11, I wrote an autobiography that stated when I grew up and had kids, I promised to continue the tradition, and have done so. Stone Harbor is my second home. Having grown up in a home equivalent to a mine field, it represented one week out of every year that promised a peace and tranquility that I never knew nor experienced within the walls of my childhood home.

We go every year over July 4th. 80th street fireworks rock!

[Sissy]

The pic on my current post is of Morey's Pier in Wildwood, NJ. Morey's is always one of the stops we make over the 4th. Can't do the beach without Morey's!

[messiestobjects]

My Uncle now lives in Spring Lake... I don't know what part of the shore we used to go to when I was young though. Maybe my family can let us know, if they care to comment! I want to say it was somewhere near Sandy Hook, but I am probably way off there.

Are Stone Harbor and Wildwood nice? I want to do the week at the Beach thing some day... Maybe that's where we should have the Blogger's Union party!

[Sissy]

I've been conducting some preliminary Blogger Union party organization. The beach is the perfect place for our first annual meeting.

I love Stone Harbor for the low-key beachy feeling without the tacky "resort" thing that goes on elsewhere along the Jersey Shore. However, with the Wildwood boardwalk, amuzement rides and water park just a few miles down-coast, it's like having the best of both worlds. Wouldn't trade it for the world. We pile about 20 people into a five bedroom house and all is good.

[aunt peggy]

I think we always went to Long Beach Island when you were young...it is further south...

[Gary]

check out this sweet map I found:

http://www.liveitup.com/en/images/map/jerseyshore_area.gif

as you can see spring lake is more north, actually pretty near sandy hook (which is where I go for day trips).

I'm kind of afraid of LBI because it has a kind of bad guido rep... kind of like Sleaze Side Heights. I used to go down there when I was younger. Why I don't know. I guess because it only took us about and hour to get there instead of 3 to WW.

I like the ocean and beach at WW a lot. It's a HUGE beach - seriously large. the ocean seems to be getting farther and farther away.

[Sissy]

Wildwood it is, then.

[messiestobjects]

Sweet! Blogger Union party in... Stone Harbor with daily departures as desired for Wildwood! We'll stay at your place, Sissy. Four people to a room sounds fabulous. Aunt Peggy is invited. Party with 20 of my new best friends at my Uncle Rob's house on Friday.

[messiestobjects]

And, apropos of my new best friends, a link I stole from Miss Luongo.

[Miss Luongo]

As a kid I went to Sea Bright. In my teens and 20s I went to Sea Isle City, Avalon, Stone Harbor, Ocean City, Childwood. Once I won a bike in Seaside Heights. I like variety.

Saranne and I knew some of the same people in SH. The guy who looked like Billy Idol ... remember him?

When I lived in Philly, I went to Cape May, Sea Isle, Brigantine, and LBI. I met those Guidos you're talking about Gary.

Last year my sister and I tried to find the closest-nicest shore point to the Pokies because I'm not driving 4hrs to get a sunburn anymore. Avon-by-the-sea was pretty. I'm still looking though...

[Sissy]

Yes! I do remember him! I made out with him. Or, was it that I wanted to make out with him and it turned out that my best friend make out with him instead. Yeah, I think that's how it went down. Was his name John?

Stone Harbor was one of the topics shared between Julie and I when we first met because she thought she recognized me from there. I wrote a story about from where she really recognized me, and I thought it was a page on blog, but I can't find it. I'll have to put it up there. It's one of my favorite stories.

How far are you guys from Stone Harbor? Is it really four hours? Under the Guidlines and Regulations Pertaining to Day Trips, Article 99, it states that any duration spent in a car up to five hours is considered suitable for a day trip.

[messiestobjects]

5 hours each way?! Or all day? Either way, yuck. I prefer an overnight. Maybe two.

[Sissy]

Michael are you bringing your dragon posters? Because I have some loose change in my purse.

[messiestobjects]

Shut it, you.

[messiestobjects]

Oh yeah? Well, are you bringing your, um Unicorn posters? Hmph. My Dragon will totally roast your damn My Little Pony.

[Sissy]

I'll be bringing my mime posters, a cup of paper clips, and some balled up gum wrappers.

Ponies are for sissies.

[Miss Luongo]

Day trips are fun, but a week at the shore can change your life. It'll reset your scrambled head and square you away for the year.

[Sissy]

Wow. That's awesome. I'm going to use that, Jules. I think I always knew that about the beach, but never put it into words as such. Once again, there you are. Awesome.

[Tim]

Hmm, a straight line to Portugal? You should get yourself a boat and become a seafaring adventurer.

[messiestobjects]

That sounds like the start of a fun kid's adventure show...