Vacation Letdown

For the first year, we had no crises or fights. In fact, I felt a bit bored at times. There was only one night of game-playing and no good drunk stories. I rather appreciate not having to sleep on the bathroom floor or eat dinner in the bathtub. I'm sure everyone else liked not getting trashed either, but it sure doesn't make for any good stories.

The best night in my book was when I finally got everyone to play Cranium. Between my brother-in-law's acting, the cat with a spear in its chest (or cat with gas, I couldn't decide), and the porn star monkey, we were laughing the rest of the week. We will forever joke about Cheetah Holmes. I was supposed to save the picture, but I think it got thrown out by accident. If I had it, I'd most certainly scan it for posterity.

On the more innocent side of vacation, I saw dolphins jumping for the first time this year. Usually you just see their fins and backs as they swim up and down the shore, but this year, j caught them jumping with the waves and told me in time to see it myself. Of course, I didn't have the video camera running then. I probably have about an hour of ocean footage, trying to get dolphins on tape. Editing is a very good thing. We didn't see the dolphins as much this year, but it was cooler, and I guess they aren't as active in the colder weather.

I got a whole lot more sleep than I usually do on vacation. I always used to think I could sleep at home and wore myself out so much that I felt like sleeping for three days straight once I returned home, which could be why I would get so down upon our return. This time, I didn't get up for one sunrise. It turned out there weren't any sunrises to see anyway, so it didn't matter.

Once again, I also had my birthday while on vacation. I turned 32 and still managed to get carded this year. I have a running record of getting carded while on vacation since I turned 30. This year, I got carded for cigarettes of all things, but it's probably because I was making a big deal with John out of not being able to say Marlboro. Turning 32 did not drive me to start smoking again. I was enabling John's grandmother who quit the Zyban while on vacation. I hate buying cigarettes for people, but it's better than being on an in-law's shit list, especially when it's the family matriarch. It managed to get me carded again, so I can still think I look young, at least one week a year.

My mother and father in law treated my brother in law's family and us to dinner that night at a very nice restaurant. I got some delicious lump crabmeat. Crab without having to work for it is a wonderful thing. They told the staff it was my birthday, so I got a slice of tiramisu with a trick candle in it. I managed to blow it out right away without it relighting for a good, long time, which had the waitress giving it a funny look. That's when I knew to expect the resurrection of the flame. At least I didn't have to wear a huge sombrero like the first birthday I spent with John at TGIFridays. I'll have to dig out that Polaroid for a laugh.