kirabug’s idea files

Life. Is. Awesome.

pics have been updated with a few shots we took from the beach this afternoon.

It’s Saturday night, and I’m in Virginia Beach.

Sweeeeeet.

The drive down was fine, a little hectic, but that’s to be expected when you’re driving past 300 miles of other people’s beaches to get to yours. All things considered, it was nothing.

When we arrived there were some bumps and bruises. We’ve booked a room with a jacuzzi, but somehow our hotel of choice overbooked (or rather, someone neglected to check out) and we were bumped to a larger room, but with two double beds. That didn’t work for us (plus the shower curtain rail was busted off) and we made our disappointment well known. Fortunately, someone who was in a jacuzzi room checked out about two hours after we got here, and we’re finally settled in our room.

The weather is beautiful and there are people out in the ocean right now below us, but before we can hit the water we’ve got to do things like eat dinner. Right now we’re getting unpacked and organized and we’re listening to the Phillies game online via the high-speed connection. They’re up 8-0 in the 1st 2nd inning. Can’t complain about that.

As I’ve promised a number of folks pics, they’ll be going up on this site as the week progresses.

I’ve had a wonderful time with my family and all the things to do and see down here in Virginia Beach but I wanna go home.

My cousin flew in last night and we went to my parents’ for dinner. Had lots of cheeseteak and hoagies and such, and a very good time. We went home and crashed at my place.

This morning we got up around nine-ish, packed, packed the car, and my cousin and I drove the six and a half (I was taking my time and we stopped for lunch) hours from Pennsylvania to Virginia Beach. It was very very foggy through Delaware, and patchy all the way through the first branch of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge/Tunnel. We went down the first tunnel, came back up, and aha! there is in fact a sun in the sky.

We pulled into the hotel around 5:30 this evening and found a parking spot across from the Oscar Meyer Weinermobile that’s touring all the local military bases. Yes, we got pictures. No, I can’t post them - they’re on my cousin’s camera and besides, I forgot the card reader.

Anyway, we tried to check in, but the folks in front of us had asked to be reserved in this hotel, and they’d been told they’d been reserved at this address, but they were actually reserved in the Fairfield Inn a few blocks down, and while there were rooms here that they could book, very easily, they had to go through Reservations to use their rewards certificate for a free stay…. yadda yadda yadda…. anyway, I’m pretty sure they worked it out because I’m pretty sure the woman from the party was down in the hot tub later… but that’s getting ahead of myself.

So after about a half hour we checked in, came upstairs, deposited our stuff, and immediately walked out to the beach. It was the first time Plantnerd had seen the Atlantic in about ten years, so touching it - even just with our fingertips - was required.

We then walked up about four blocks to my aunt’s house, met up with my aunt and uncle, and we joined my aunt on a walk along the beach with Moose, their massive Irish setter. Upon returning, we drove out to the Twysted Fish where we were treated to wonderful seafood.

When we got back to the hotel, we hit the hot tub for about a half an hour, and that knocked the knots out of my back. I’ve done more driving than I’ve done in a very long time (if ever) and I’ve done more walking than I’ve done in weeks, and I’m full, happy, and exhausted.

–and I miss my husband something awful, but, you know, I kind of expected that.

Tomorrow: whale watching (hopefully) and more hanging out with relatives. Cool!

Tomorrow evening, I pick my cousin up from the airport here in Philly. We’re going to eat with my folks, good hoagies and steak sandwiches she can’t get in Colorado.

Friday morning, she and I are driving the six hours down to Virginia Beach to go whale watching and visit relatives who live nearby.

We’re hanging down there until Monday morning, and my cousin flies back out to Colorado on Tuesday.

I’ve got a comic queued up for Saturday, but Tuesday’s is still only 1/4 complete (sitting in my Dock even as we speak) and I’m not sure I’ll have time to work on it this weekend. I imagine there will be some downtime, but I’m not sure when. (I’m “spoiled” by the guaranteed two hours of downtime that occur when I vacation with my husband - while he does therapy, I goof off with the computer.)

If nothing else, I’ll post a pic or something. I still owe you some comic cheesecake from this summer.