We’re here in Hilton Head, South Carolina, for a family beach vacation. It has been raining pretty much the whole time we have been here until today. Family holidays can be a be a bit trying under the best of circumstances, but with 5 people of differing interests trapped together in the rain, it doesn’t get easier.
We get up, eat, I work out ( if I can) and then we eat again. I have been to the outlet center 3 times in 4 days. Yesterday, I couldn’t go to the gym because everyone else was antsy to get their shopping on. At night we eat again, and come home to scream at the television, while watching the Republican National Convention. Yesterday, the storm took out our T.V. and Wi-Fi for a bit. We almost declared a state of emergency!
I have not posted lately, due to lack of inspiration and Internet service. I also have a rule that I don’t post anything that I know will offend others. I am about to break that rule, because you just can’t make this stuff up. It is official. These people from whom I came are not normal.
Today was finally a gorgeous day. My desire was to spend as much time outdoors and as active as possible. Be careful what you wish for: I did not plan on participating in what turned out to be the “Hairdresser Mini-Triathlon.”
I spent the morning on a quiet 2-hour bike ride on trails and on the beach. After lunch, B and I went for a swim, while the men went to play golf.
Nana* had a late afternoon appointment at the hairdressers. As she was preparing to go, she realized that they took her car. “ No problem, “ I said, “just take the other one. The keys should be in the house somewhere.”
Nope. Mr. Genius* and his sidekick* went off golfing with one car and both sets of car keys. We tracked them down and they agreed to leave the keys at the pro-shop for pick-up. I offered to ride my bike over and get them.
Nope again. Mr. Genius and his sidekick also had the combination to the bike locks with them. It is important to note that it is not possible to contact Mr. Genius directly, as his cell phone is in the house in a plastic bag of rice, trying to recover from a late afternoon swim during a rare hour a few days ago when it was just thundering, but not yet raining.
I put on my new Nike running shoes, purchased at the local outlet center during a monsoon, and ran the 2 miles to pick up the keys, in record time. As I returned dripping with sweat and breathing heavily, Nana realized that they gave her the keys to the car they had, not the one that was here. Now Nana can’t leave, and they are stranded with no keys for their car.
Nana calls the sidekick and “rips him a new one.” I intervened and got the combination to the bike lock. I jump on the bike, rode like the wind to the golf course, locked up the bike and drove the car home for Nana.
Nana made it to the hair salon, and Mr. Genius will have to ride the bike home, get the other car, and go pick up his sidekick at the golf course. He will have to do this in golf shoes, as Nana took off with their sneakers in the car, just to be spiteful.
The good news: I like my new running shoes, my knee is healing well and I burned about 800 calories in activity, which I may need to consume in alcohol tonight.
The weather channel just upgraded the weather from stormy to sunny for tomorrow and we might get another beautiful day in before we leave.
We will have to make another stop at the outlet center on the way out of town, because my new running pants still have the security tag attached to them. Apparently when the alarm beeped when leaving the store, Mr. Genius didn’t think to check the bag in his hand to see if it was the problem.
Family: You can’t live with ‘em, and you can’t live with out ‘em.
To be continued…
*names have been changed to protect the guilty
photo: indigo jones
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