Home Again Home Again Jiggety Jig
2004-10-11, 4:14 p.m.

Ah, the trip to the beach. Where to begin? A great place is GroovyGuru�s for his account, complete with fish tales, pre-digested Cheerios, and one grand old battleship. Pop over there and then I�ll fill in a few extra details.

We went to Sunset Beach, NC, where the ILs have a house where the family congregates just about any time anyone has vacation time. It�s a lovely, peaceful, family-oriented beach, just up King�s Highway from Myrtle Beach and over the state line. Although there has never been any shortage of things to do there, Hubby and I have found one more activity to enjoy: Guru Watching. Honestly, GroovyGuru was excited about EVERYTHING. Even ralphing breakfast cereal flavored with freshly ingested fish bait. For a moment there, when they returned from deep sea fishing, I thought he was going to pull out a commemorative barf bag and announce it would be bronzed and mounted. Since Hubby�s already cleaned all the fish, I suppose it�s a flounder fillet that will be immortalized in taxidermy rather than the whole shebang. Just as well, flounder is one fugly fish.

As he said, Mutiny Bay mini-golf was a big hit. I knew it would be the moment we drove by. Guru III was riding with Son and me, and as soon as the boy saw the nearly big-as-life pirate ship in the �lagoon�, he practically levitated out of the car. The golf outing was one of those Fun With Dad deals, where the kids ran over Hubby and Guru for an hour or so while Mrs. Guru and I poked around Calabash Nautical Gifts. It was blissful to browse all the dainty breakables in the Christmas shop without having to nab children away from towering displays of overpriced ornaments.

Guru Jr. and Guru III took to the ocean like seasoned beach vets, delighted to wander out just far enough in the churning brine to attempt to give their mother a stroke. If one of them had yelled �SHARK!� it would have finished her off. Daughter stayed within her imposed ocean boundaries, and had a great time enforcing Son�s. Son was in full Nintendo withdrawal after 5 minutes in the water, after which he whined on my lap while mummified in all the beach towels until it was time to go in. Meanwhile, GroovyGuru was a shell-laden dot on the sandy horizon, absolutely thrilled with the meager pickin�s Neptune tossed up on the shore. There were very few seashells this time, which disappointed me but didn�t seem to bug him one bit. I was hoping for an evening storm while we were there, as the lightning over the ocean is GORGEOUS and the turbulence would churn up some more shells. Alas, we were cursed with perfect weather the entire time. Blasted sunshine, gentle breezes, and temps in the upper 70�s!

Hubby and I were well-pleased with the tour of the USS North Carolina this trip. We had gone earlier this summer, but saw little below decks due to the summer swelter. With perfect temperatures this time, we were able to fully enjoy the ship. To sit and learn about history is one thing, to walk it is quite another. It was a humbling experience to work the guns that defended the carriers, to walk through the galley that fed hundreds of soldiers far from home, to descend the narrow ladders into the cramped engine room and look through the grated floor to several decks below. All through the ship are placards with anecdotes about life on board from those who served on her during WWII, tidbits about both mundane routines as well as fierce battles. It brings it out of the stuffy old history books and makes it real.

After the battleship tour, we headed to the �Boro to take the ILs out to dinner. The restaurant is located in what was Hubby�s grandfather�s store. It was begun in the 1800�s by Hubby�s great-grandfather, and then run by his grandpa until the early 1980�s. The restaurant conversion has been kind to the lovely old brick building, preserving the character and integrity and some of the store details (such as the monogrammed tile stoop and the huge vault embossed with the family name). The current owner, Larry, does a superb job. The buffet was excellent and he went out of his way to take care of the kids, going so far as to give each one a quarter for the bubble gum machine. One of the rooms in the back is Grandpa�s old office with the vault and safe. For years the combination had been misplaced, but was recently found and the vault is open. The kids were ecstatic and clambered in, desperately looking for the doubloons and jewels that were undoubtedly left behind when Grandpa closed down the store. Sorry kids, Geraldo had already been there and scooped out Al Capone�s treasure years ago. That didn�t stop them from trying.

All this was interspersed with hot dog grilling, futile ghost crab hunting, Nintendo playing, sand spur picking, kite flying, bicycle riding, and various rematches of Daughter Vs. Guru Jr. Best buddies in the car or on the beach, they gave in to the power struggles when in the house and violence ensued. The eldest by a year, Daughter feels entitled to be the big chief, whereas Guru Jr., being tallest, is incensed at being told what to do by (in his eyes) a mere squaw. Since they both came back home with all body parts remaining, things are good.

My ride home was peaceful, despite coming too soon. I have been blessed by good travelers. When the wheels turn, my two hooligans fall fast asleep. They arrived home refreshed and noncombative, eager to hide in their rooms and nest for the night. Apparently neither of the Mini Gurus travel so well, and gnawed on their parents� last nerves for the final three hours of the almost 9-hour drive. GroovyGuru managed a short nap before having to work all night, according to Mrs. Guru. I was so tired I could not sleep, and forced myself to bed after 2:30am.

I fulfilled my daughterly duties the day before the beach trip, having followed my mom and S.O. to the �Burg for a short visit. I spent an entire day doing yard work. I thought that as we grew up, our childhood surroundings were supposed to appear smaller. Not so with that yard. Nearly an acre is still, well, nearly an acre. The trees and bushes that my dad so happily planted in my youth are now a jigsaw puzzle of mowing obstacles. I mowed the grass, pulled some weeds, threw out some rotted posts along the back fence, and mended a few places in the wire fencing that got bent during the ice storm. The whole while it was so odd, how much things have changed. After this past winter�s ice storm, Mama had to have almost all of the huge pine trees cut down. The patch of woods across the back dirt road is now cleared and ready for homes to be built, exposing the old pecan orchard but eliminating the brush we cut paths through as kids. Yes things change, but I don�t have to like it.

Hubby is being a good son today, having gone back to the �Boro after doing some cleaning and minor repairs on the beach house. His mother had some things in mind for him to do, because she asked him to bring his tools. He will come home tomorrow, exhausted but happy. I�m glad he can spend the extra time with them, as well as be of help. He is extremely handy and can fix just about anything.

Today I am pooped, having risen after 4 hours� sleep to haul young�un�s to school. Make that one young�un. We fought the horrible post-town-Fall-Festival-close-all-the-downtown-streets cross-town traffic to Son�s school, only to find out that his Fall break ends TOMORROW. I wasn�t the only boob who took her kid there today�there were several other children in unnecessary attendance, some who had to call their parents to retrieve them after being dropped off at the curb. Staff inservice day or some such nonsense, after a three-week break. It is time for Son to go back to school. Do you hear? It. Is. Time.

Do check out the Fall Festival link. It made USA Today�s top 10 Fall celebrations. Cool! Our little town has made several other Top 10 lists of places to live, and been featured in magazines and on television. It�s a really great place to be. For now, I have too much to do in this great place to live, or else our particular house will NOT enhance the ideal. Later, y�all!

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