Wordless Wednesday

 

Don't you love a good campfire story?

 

If you want to read more about the Jersey Devil,
this is a good website...


... Sleep well...


(ssshhh -- did you just hear something???)

Not a boat video.

I made a video. Actually, I made two videos. I made a boat video. But it's a little short; some pieces are missing.

But I also had 613 pictures for a campfire video. Well, actually, it's a slide show. But... That's at LEAST 400 more pictures than I usually put in a slide show. And I took them so it looked like a video; I was experimenting with stop action photography.

So I ended up making this fire video instead of a boat video. Hopefully Thor will take some photos this weekend if he goes on the boat; and then we will have enough photos to finish the boat video the way I really want it.

So here it is.

The fire one, not the boat one.

The Boat is In the Water.

 

And I planned on posting a bunch of pictures here today to show you the whole thing. But what I really want to do is make a video of the whole thing, because I've got some really cool progression photos. I think it will make a nice video. So I've gotta get around to that, but it won't be tonight.

Tonight, we had Chinese food to celebrate the fact that with Frankie at college, we are allowed to eat chinese food. :D
Yay!

And tomorrow I have to start the early shift at work again (Groan!)

So I've gotta go to bed, like RIGHT NOW. Or else I'll NEVER be alive in the morning.

Good Night.

 
There were plenty of other people, too... I didn't get great photos of everyone... but you get the idea.
People were hanging from the rafters!

The Grandparents were here, of course!

 

Feeling left out in the rain...

 

No campfire, because it was a nasty weather night. But BBQ was on the menu, so I had the boys set up a little tent for over the grill, so Thor didn't get rained on while he cooked.
And since the kids took over the family room, the adults were left standing outside in the rain.
(But really, I don't think anyone minded... we all had fun.)

Surfing

 

Stevie took a surf lesson, and I went along to get some snap shots. He did really well... he was up on the board immediately.

I'm going to miss Steve! I saw a lot of him over the last few weeks and I got to know him a little better. He's a great kid.

I convinced most of the family to color!!!

 

I had fun. I think everyone else did too.

We hung the pictures on the refridgerator.

The clouds rolled in...

 

... and we all rolled over to the beach to try to get some good photos of lightning...

Family Vacation, Part 1

To paraphrase Frost:
Two roads diverged... and I...
I took the one less traveled by...
and that has made all the difference.


(this wasn't that road.)

 

So. I guess that my earlier "epic adventure" was certainly the road less taken. This one is the road taken by everyone.

On my "epic adventure" you would never have known we were in New Jersey. We often could (barely) hear anything that resembled an engine. We could hear birds and tree frogs.

But this is Thor's summer vacation, and as his family has been getting this beach house down the Jersey Shore, and this is the week, I went down the shore too.

I left on Saturday. We all left on Saturday. All in separate cars. I'm sure every family down the shore had several cars, hence the traffic. But I had to come back earlier than anyone else, so I needed a car to return in.

I drove and drove, slowly... and it took 2 1/2 hours to get there. I finally arrived around 6 PM. And once there, I went to the A&P to do some food shopping. I hadn't felt like shopping before I left. And when I got back from the A&P, I found out that my poor Nicholas had lost one of the lenses in his glasses. And he really does need his glasses in order to see. I know how miserable that can be. He would have had a horrible time, without his glasses.

So I got back in the car and drove home. Luckily, it was late enough by this time that there wasn't much traffic. I was able to get there AND back in about 2 1/2 hours. And also lucky for Nick, we'd gotten him two sets of glasses last time, so he had a spare set for me to get for him.

I really didn't mind the drive -- even in the traffic. My car is very comfortable, and I had my air conditioning on, and my radio blasting... it was quite lovely. I sang all the way there, and back, and there again.

I don't mind the drive. The thought of THAT MANY PEOPLE bothers me a little. On the other hand, all those people have to go SOMEWHERE on vacation.

And as long as they like to go to the beach, they're keeping the mountains nice and quiet and peaceful for me.



And today I drove home, so I can work. And I've got the house to myself, so I'm still on vacation.

Here's proof I really made it!

 
I'm not a big beach person... well, I love the beach. But I don't love it in the middle of the summer in the middle of the day in the middle of the weekend in the middle of a crowd. But I had to get there... at least for a little while... because after all, I'd driven that whole way, hours and hours, right??? So there I am. Proof I was there.
I bought a daily beach pass for $6.00, and lasted about 1 hour, for about 1 day.

But I really had a good time, in spite of my lack of beach time. The house we rent has a lovely back deck on the lagoon, with a canopy and some shade, and I sat there, where I could escape inside to the air conditioning every once in a while. I visited with a lot of friends and family, and we had a lot of laughs. It was worth the drive.

And now, I'm home again. I'd tell you I came home just so I could post this blog, but of course that wouldn't be true. I have work... but even so, being home with no kids (they are still at the beach house) is just like a vacation anyway! My music is on and blasting, I've been playing on the computer for an hour and a half, and I don't have to do a thing about dinner. Unless I want to.

Waiting for the Cast

 
After the show,
we waited
for Alyssa
to come out.
She is an incredibly talented girl.
She took her bows
for her family
and went out
with the rest of the cast
to celebrate
in the City.
It's a lovely thing
to be so young
and have everything
ahead of you.

The Opera and the Ballet

Tonight, Thor and I and his parents are going into the city to see "I Tre Campagni," an opera and ballet that our niece will be dancing in. She's a serious ballerina, and has high hopes for a great future in dance.

I don't know if I'll be able to get any photos but I'll write tomorrow about the show, if you are interested check in tomorrow! :)

The boys at the show

 

Frank is in Atlantic City

with Jimmy, and I am home with the boys.

I think he intends to play a lot of Poker. Do you think he will come home ahead or behind?

Keep in mind that I've shopped quite a bit today with my mother...

Hi Beth and Sandi

I don't know who else I have interested in reading this stuff, but I know Beth and Sandi have checked in! Hi!

It's easy to make your own blog. You just have to follow the directions on the blogspot screen. Everyone -- make a blog and I'll link to it! I'll read yours if you read mine!

Apple and pumpkin picking yesterday

We went apple picking and pumpkin picking -- without Nick, though, because he is a hard working man.
I really like this picture -- it would have been even better if Frankie had turned around. I didn't have much time to take it, though, because if I had asked Frankie to turn around, Sandi would have realized I was taking a pic and ducked out of it.

Do you have any idea how hard it is to get a picture of my sister? She constantly runs, hides, turns, and puts her hand in front of her face. But HAH! We got one! You look nice, Sandi, I don't know why you are so against it.


Apples were 60 cents a pound.