TAN LINES!!!!

Tacky with my halter, yes, but THERE THEY ARE!!!! Evidence of SUN!!!! We had the best weather on our trip! It wasn't as hot and humid as I thought it would be. Like Alaska, New Jersey was uncharacteristically cool. In the mid to high 70's/ low 80's and not too much haze. We were even treated to a couple of great thunder/lightening storms which thrilled the kids! We rarely get them in Alaska because it seldom gets hot enough to produce them.

So, with a fresh mani/pedi, bikini wax(oi yoi yoi, dat hoits!!!) and my once yearly armpit shaving, we were off! The trip out wasn't too bad(at least for the kids). Our plane took off around 7 ish and we spent the first couple of hours munching on Quiznos sandwiches, drawing, reading. Lo spent quite a bit of time perusing the Emergency Procedures fold out and the Sky Mall catalogue. When it was nearing "bedtime" I pulled out the portable DVD player(scored a good one from Craigslist!) and we watched that old movie, Willow, to kind of settle down into sleep mode. Lo got the most sleep, Dea dozed a bit, and I sat there suffering from severe neck/shoulder pain that came on suddenly( it had been inexplicably kinked up a bit for a few days, but my boss adjusted me before we left and I thought all was ok). After a while the low back kicked in and I couldn't really move with Lo lying on me. That flight sucked big time for me. The 6 hours felt like 20 as I sat there in painful sleepy limbo watching Dea watch "27 Dresses" for the hundredth time. The 2 hour flight from Detroit to NJ went a bit better as I was able to doze for about an hour. Apparently Dea and Lo entertained each other while I slept.

Grandma and Pops were delighted to see us and they whisked us off to their house. Of course the kids wanted in the pool right away and that's what we did. Lo was in that thing for 5 hours straight and when we out to dinner she totally crashed in my arms. We're talking head limp on my chest, mouth hanging open, little bit of drooling, ZONKED. Nothing, not even grilled cheese and fries could wake that kid up. It was wonderful! She hasn't slept in my arms like that since she was an infant! I was lovin' it.


We spent the next couple of days swimming in their pool as well as the DELUXE one at their golf club.

Click to enlarge

Can you believe that Grandma is 86 years old?!?!?! Just kiddin', Ma! She's a pretty lady, that one.

Despite my pain( and by this time I was ready for pain killers and muscle relaxers or even a head pounding by frying pan to ease the pain -which is saying A LOT!)I basked in that hot sun and caught up on some much needed glorious napping. By the third day the pain had moved and I was able to pinpoint the offending muscle's trigger point and massage that bad boy into submission. It's still on the tight side, but I can handle that.

Alright, crying about pain is over. So far we'd had a great time poolside and were enjoying much good eats at various restaurants as well as our almost nightly trips up the street to Gabriel's Fountain for ice cream.

We long for this place all year long and my cruel parents will occasionally call us up and say,"Hey! We're heading down to Gabriel's. Ya want us get you something?!?!?" Mean!!! They think that will entice us to move to New Jersey...

We looked forward to our visits to New York City, shopping, the zoo, eating, seeing the cousins, playing at the Jersey Shore, and a possible trip to visit my REAL bff and the race track! And more napping.



But more on that later!

Off to catch up on reading blogs!