Thursday, June 17, 2010

Yes, Yes, A Graduate, Two Avid Fishermen, BMX Bandit and The Pretty Lady Discount and Yes the Authorities Know!

Our adventure began with the ending of a period in my oldest daughter's life, she graduated high school. Unlike most parents, I was not sad for me but happy for her as she begins the journey into adulthood. The irony in her graduating is that as I posted on Facebook that she was graduating high school, most people I know were posting that their children were graduating kindergarten.

After the graduation ceremony, we were beach bound. A much needed vacation was in the near future. The cars were loaded we began, nothing to eventful occurred on the trip down, except of course I had to pee more than everyone wanted to stop, consequence of drinking a ton of water, but hey nature calls!

We finally arrived at the realty office to get our key for the house that I had rented to find out the location, just around the corner. We pulled into the driveway of the house, opened the door and let me just say that the pictures on the internet had done the house no justice. There were five bedrooms, with six bathrooms. Each bedroom had its own private balcony. A private pool in the back and the house being seated on an inlet and a block from the beach, let me just say perfect. Everyone settled into his or her rooms and we were officially on vacation. It's Saturday and I have a week of nothing scheduled, oh my goodness...panic. PRESS PAUSE.

I'll rewind just a little bit. When I announced to my clients that I was going on vacation for an entire week, they were in disbelief. I have never taken a full week off work. What followed was a flurry of books for my reading pleasure on the trip. Honestly, I couldn't believe that I was taking a week off either, my life is so scheduled I was a little, I'm lying, a lot panicked. An example of how scheduled I am, and I am not just talking about work, I bought an agenda book and wasn't paying attention that it's scheduling was for every thirty minutes. It was unusable because I need fifteen minute increments even in just regular every day life. Understand that I packed P90X, weights, a stationary swim trainer, running shoes, Garmin and along with Nik all our Muay Thai gear. I realize fully how ridiculous all that sounds, but it is what it is.

Now back to the story. The weather was beautiful. Not too hot, not much rain, perfect for lounging around the pool, fishing and running. :) On Sunday morning, Nik and I got up and went out for a quick run. As we are running, we notice this kid riding a bike coming our direction on the sidewalk. He get closer and stand up and pops a wheelie in front of me and almost wipes out. Nik is getting a big laugh, he said that if the kid falls I going to laugh in his face. He said he's showing off for you. We run on and as we circle back to return from our run the kid does it again, he was lovingly named the BMX Bandit.

As time went on that day, Nik asked Devyn to go fishing with him. They went and didn't catch a thing. Devyn had hooked something but couldn't reel it in. Nik said he was saying, "I can't reel it!" Later on when they got home with this story, I asked Nik if he had almost lost his reel in the struggle to reel in "Nessy" and his reply was that no had almost lost Devyn. That one fishing excursion turned into many hours on the pier. They would go alone and would not catch a single fish, I would supervise and they would catch many shark! Devyn is definitely hooked, no pun intended! These times are when all those books came in handy, I would read while they fished.

The conversations and the activities on the pier were most entertaining. People watching is always the best. One night, and the pier is moist with sea spray, two girls who were trying real hard to be hot, switching those little butts too hard, and let me tell you what it got them - a case of sliding all over the pier looking dumber than dumb as everyone laughing in their faces. They never fell but it was as if they had stepped on banana peels. It was fantastic and I am sure embarrassing for them. Another night we were sitting on the pier and a little boy was walking by in this manner, he would take two steps and the hop all the while saying, "YES, YES!" He was excited about something, he was awesome and probably all of two years old. A little girl around six or so was behind a couple people probably sixty or holding hands when she blurted out that old people are so cute.

As for the pretty lady discount, there was a man who looked like Robin Williams working the counter at the Garden City Pier store where you get the bands to fish, and just random stuff that is needed during fishing trips. This night, Brittany and Nik were fishing. They bought their bands and headed out the door to the pier. This old man starts telling me that I am stunning. I said thank you and head out to the pier. Well a few hours later, I needed coffee and asked Brittany to walk with me to the store. I approach the coffee pot and this "Robin Williams" says that's on me. I cannot believe this old guy is hitting on me. So I continue to gather the other items that I had to get and place them on the counter, Brittany comes around the corner from getting ice cream. I had him money to pay for all the other things I wanted to purchase, he hands me back my change as he tells me I get the "pretty lady discount!" Dear Lord! He ended up charging me a dollar for everything I had gotten.

Nik's mom, Irma had come down to vacation with us for a few days. She hung out with the kids, made coffee drinks, cooked and tanned. Her only complaint was there was no Starbucks to be found. Some days when the boys would go fishing, she and I would have long conversations over coffee. We would watch crazy things on television. During our conversations she and I got to know each other better. She asked me questions she wanted to ask me, personal ones but I answered them honestly. Oddly these were questions, that had my mother asked I would have not answered, ever. We talked about acceptance, her loneliness, about not caring what people think and other things. I thoroughly enjoyed the time we shared that week. Sometimes I do not think she realizes how special she is to me. Over the past two years, she has been there for me more that anybody in my life besides her son. When my granny passed away, she came to our house that night and hugged me while I cried. She is a mother to me and expects nothing in return as it should be. She loves me no matter what and most importantly she is proud of me and supports me unlike anyone else, except her son. She left on Tuesday morning. I missed her terribly and kept her updated on the fishing situation via texts and Facebook. One night, the boys were catching shark left and right, more than fifteen. I was texting her the numbers of shark they were catching. The next morning I got a phone call from Irma. She called to ask me if the authorities knew that those shark were so close to the shore! We had a big laugh. She will definitely be invited on vacation again. I wish I had more time to spend with her, our lives have been similar. I am saddened that time doesn't permit with her work schedule and mine. However, the gems of conversation that she and I have will be cherished and kept close to my heart.

During the trip, Nik was scheduled to train and few of his fighters at Fitness Edge, let me add there is a ring there. He had cleared for me to come in and train, in the ring! YAY! The first day we trained, he trained Charlye and guess what I held pads for T-BO, a fighter twice my size. Nik got a huge laugh about that but whatever, I did it. I also received huge props that day as well as Nik, I was told I had better stand up than most guys at the gym. YIPPEE!! So I have the itch again, to fight for real. We trained at that gym twice while we were there. Nothing less was expected right?

Anyone who knows Nik and me, is fully aware that in any story there is a boxing gym, a fight and a Thai Restaurant those three things are all required elements for any vacation we have taken or will take. So here goes the Thai restaurant, Bangkok House. I must say that this one was not found by either of us but by Brittany. She has acquired my eye for spotting them, I can spot them a mile away. As with most of these Thai restaurants they are a whole in the wall dive but man is the food divine. Of course we ate far too much, with full fire filled bellies and smiles on our faces we were nearing the end of our trip.

Well the only downer that happened occurred the night before we left, some asshole stole Nik's fishing equipment. He went to the pier with a game plan, to sucker punch whoever had it and them throw them over the pier and reclaim his fishing gear. He had no such luck.

All in all the trip was restful and fun for everyone involved. Same time next year and more than likely same house.