Vacations develop a rhythm of their own choosing; much
different than the everyday rhythms we're accustomed to. The sooner you discover
that rhythm and begin to step in time to it, the sooner you’re able to let yourself
go wherever the music wants to take you.
The worst thing you can do is to try and set the beat yourself...especially
if you’re spending the week with other folks, whether their family or friends, or
in the best case, family who are also friends.
As it turned out, the latter situation happily applied to this
particular family excursion, a first for both Z and me.
Z hadn’t spent an appreciable amount of time with her slightly
older brother, T, (what can I tell you, it was a monosyllabic
household) since they both used to jet set around the Adirondacks with
their folks back in the 60’s and early 70’s.
As I’ve mentioned before, Z comes from a large Irish Catholic family of
3 boys and 3 girls, because Irish Catholics don’t like to share a pew at Sunday
Mass. In this group, however, there’s quite a spread in ages—about 16 years
from the youngest, which is Z, to her oldest brother, who we know only through
post cards.
I always tell Z that her parents kept having kids until they
were satisfied they got it right and stopped at her. I do this mostly because Z makes me dinner,
and I don’t want to screw that up…and, of course, it’s also true….
Can’t be too careful.
This brother, who came along with us to the beach, the aforementioned
T, is the next one closest in age to Z; so being the two youngest, they pretty
much grew up together as most siblings that close in age will do, whether they
want to or not.
I’m not saying that they didn’t have their moments—I’m not
getting into the whole shoe/potty debacle—but for the most part, as I
understand it, as it’s been told to me through the years…they got along okay; better
than most…the shoe thing aside.
So, since Z moved out of the house, when she married me,
some 33 years ago, her contact with T has been limited to mostly kid events, family
gatherings and holidays.
Nonetheless, we all thought it would work out since the
whole group liked the beach and most importantly alcoholic beverages…lots and
lots of alcoholic beverages.
Also on the trip was T’s wife, Jody, my partner from the in-law T-shirt
and apparel business we started back in the 90’s for the benefit of all the other
relations that married into the family called:
“We Share No DNA!”
It’s actually very profitable….
Then there’s Matt, 15, quiet, cool and collected, a star High
School Hockey player, who plays all year long, but looked odd sitting on the
beach with all those pads on, so we made him take them off in the afternoons.
But you know kids…go figure.
Then…last but not least…there’s always curious Emily, 20 going on 35, who never met a day or a camera she didn’t like…seemingly since she was born.
She’s also the group’s fashion coordinator, music programmer,
game advisor and, in general, the Queen of most every situation she’s a part of,
which sometimes involves getting lost on a Metro North Train.
Emily has always greeted me with a big hug and a smile ever
since I can remember and has never failed to make me feel as if she’s genuinely
glad to see me…especially if I’m bringing her bail money.
Okay…I’m kidding…I’ve never brought her bail money…I always use
my credit card.
No…she’s a good kid and has a knack of attracting people like
bees to honey…or college boys to beer. So much so that when she showed up on the
beach in a teensy weensy bikini we had to cover her up to keep all the bees and
college boys at bay, along with all the other beach detritus that frequents the
Jersey Shore.
Next time, I’ll have more details about what exiting events actually
transpired throughout the week, but like I said last year, the most exciting
thing that can happen on vacation is that nothing exciting happens on vacation...at
least in my book.
But, basically, that’s all the players in this year’s surf
side sonata, and I’m happy to say that we all found the rhythm pretty quickly,
pretty easily.
We also found we shared a lot of common ground other than a
Thanksgiving Turkey every November and lasagna every December.
Plus the strawberry daiquiris helped…and the ice cream….and
the calamari… and the crab…and the beer….and the wine…and the gin….
Did I mention the strawberry daiquiris…?
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