Year 3 - Day 225 - August 12

As you drive around the island, there are a lot of matching houses. There used to be (and still are in some places) a zillion cape cods from the same era. Then our era (early 80's) of houses started going up on stilts. There are a whole bunch of one model, but there were only 2 of our model. I knew our house's twin was in Barnegat Light, but I didn't know where until we drove by it yesterday! (The one on the left.) The stairs to the lower deck are in a different spot but the rest is the same. 

They're painting the Surf City water towers a dark blue. Either that or they're going to be 2 toned and they are only painting the bottom...

Our house! Well, our old house. The new owners made the deck pretty. I'm thinking they spend more time there because they actually have flowers. 

Oh they made a new trash can holder too. They're currently putting in pretty pavers under the house and getting rid of some of the stones.

This house has looked like this FOREVER. "But they got new windows!" says Mike. Nope, those Anderson windows tags have been on since I was a child. They used to have a trailer in the side yard but that finally disappeared. There are also board games piled up in the bay window. So ugly.

This sign (and it's new sign friends on 95 throughout Harford county) have been driving me crazy, but I'm always driving alone so I can't snap a picture. Luckily Mike was driving today. They recently changed a lot of the signage on 95 in our area. Instead of using the names of areas that people just use in conversation, they switched to the real names of towns. (543 used to be Riverside but now it's officially Belcamp, etc) In addition, they added several "How Far Until I Get To..." signs. BUT THEY ARE ALL IN THE WRONG PLACE! All of the signs going southbound were put in a few miles off. If you do the math, they have 543 being exit 77 instead of exit 80. Every one. And one of the signs has a whole bunch of extra miles between two things. It's escaping me right now - it's either 543 and Bel Air or Bel Air and White Marsh. I don't get it. How hard is it to put the signs in the right place?!?!

Year 3 - Day 224 - August 11

Today we jumped in the car at 8am and went to Long Beach Island, NJ. I grew up going there and haven't been since the fall of 98, shortly before my parents sold the beach house. It was cloudy and drizzling for most of our ride, but as we approached the bridges and the shack, we saw blue sky!

Our first stop was bagels for lunch. The remnants of my salt bagel. They're the best. It's like permission to eat a hot pretzel for breakfast or lunch!

My favorite bagel shop on the island is Bageleddi's in Ship Bottom. I was terribly excited to find out they still had a good bagel selection at 11am. Sometimes the good flavors (you know, the salt ones) are gone by then. Whew. This was probably because every one was either coming or going from the island at this moment! (All the rentals go Saturday-Saturday)

After getting to the B&B, changing into our suits, picking up the beach badges and getting to the beach, the clouds rolled in once again. I honestly was never uncomfortable on the beach and Mike wasn't roasting, but it was breezy and not prime beach weather. We stayed for a couple hours and then headed back as the rain rolled in. While it rained, Mike went for a run. (I think he's nuts, but it's his favorite running conditions - breezy but not windy, not hot, rainy, and super flat!) I enjoyed the sugary treats and hot chocolate that the B&B had out for afternoon tea and watched Olympics. I find that far preferable to rainy exercise!

After dinner at Kubel's next to the B&B, we headed down the island to do the 2 things I really wanted to do. (Honestly, the beach was an extra. I can go to the beach anywhere. These were the things that make my beach vacations complete!) First we went to Flamingo Golf. There are flashier, prettier, harder courses around. But this one is my favorite. If you are careful, aim well, and time your shots, 16 of the holes are relatively easy. My brother & I used to go to the tournaments on Thursday mornings when we were little, and I got really good at this course. One day I got either 10 or 11 holes in one, and 7 of them were in a row! That was exciting for me because for years they had a record board up and the tournament record was 6 in a row. I broke it! We went and saw my name on the board. Of course this was the 80's or 90's so we didn't have a camera with us. THE NEXT WEEK SOMEONE GOT 8 IN A ROW. My short lived moments of fame. :) (At least in my head!) Now 7 and 8 are routine, but they start over every year. Today I only got 4 and I don't think any were in a row. Totally off my game. :)

After golf, we kept heading south the Beach Haven to enjoy a delicious elephant ear. They're a cinnamon, sugar, buttery pastry. So so good. They're about a foot across, maybe not quite that big, and you can go in to sugar shock if you try to eat the whole thing by yourself. (I speak from experience!) But it's so so so good.

On our way back to the car I had to check out the new "Surf Shack" at the waterslide park. It's a FlowRider, just like on cruise ships! I think it's wider than the ones on cruise ships though. Saturday night must be "people who know what they're doing" night because it was really fun to watch them and there were minimal wipe outs.

Year 3 - Day 34 - February 3

We're on our way to NJ for my cousin's wedding for the evening. I want to get off at this exit and go to the beach house!!!!!