Accidentally In Love

"So I said I'm a snowball running,

Running down into the spring that's coming all this love

Melting under blue skies

Belting out sunlight

Shimmering love

Well baby I surrender

To the strawberry ice cream

Never ever end of all this love

Well I didn't mean to do it

But there's no escaping your love

These lines of lightning

Mean we're never alone,

Never alone, no, no

Come on, Come on

Move a little closer

Come on, Come on

I want to hear you whisper

Come on, Come on,

Settle down inside my love

We're accidentally in love............."

~ Counting Crows lyrics

Personally I think Adam Duritz wrote these lyrics for me...... I was guarded - but yet I was the snowball running.

The single Dad and I were knitting this relationship tightly....quickly.....with ease. No issues regarding the kids - they were still singing their made up song "Lovey Dovey" to us....requesting more dinners, movie nights and "family" events for the new season around the corner. Spring.

I'm finding this new relationship not overwhelming- not even a hint of missing out on the opportunity to move to my home away from home. New York will not be moving to any other location....we can always visit there together.

After all, the single Dad has a brother who lives upstate NY and a sister-in-law living in New Jersey.

Spring is here.

It's my birthday. Sometimes I forget how "old" I really am. Age was only a number in my parents household.

Well, maybe with the exception of my father. When he was asked how old he was- he would tack on a year or maybe two- just so he could hear "Oh, no...you do not look 55!!!" Vain? Perhaps. My mother on the other hand, didn't care if she were 45 or 50. She looked fantastic no matter what her age. Her Ivory girl skin was due to not worshipping the sun.

Like my father I was a sun worshipper. I loved the outdoors. The beach. My summer working - cough cough- at the beach I used baby oil. Again- what the heck was I thinking- apparently all the lecturing my mother did passed right through my young brain....after all, what did she know about tanning with baby oil. Her beach attire usually consisted of an adorable bathing suit- covered up with an adorable trendy coverup- with a wide brim hat & Jackie Kennedy sunglasses! {laughing}

My birthday - the kids and single Dad have plans for me. Grilled Tuna steaks- cake & ice cream - and sweet gifts from the kids. Handmade items. THE VERY BEST KIND! Single Dad gives me a romantic gift- candles from B&B, Victoria Secret perfume and beautiful silver earrings. I always enjoyed the month of May.....but this particular year May was by far- the bestest! {smiling} As we sat outside on the deck of single Dads apartment- we talked about a summer vacation. Beach? An amusement park? Both? One thing that single Dad and I agree on is if we choose a beach trip- it will be a location we are able to rent a beach house- right on the beach- no packed in like sardines beaches- clean beaches- no boardwalks. We decided on the Outer Banks. We can drive to locations for sight seeing- dog friendly- beaches are clean- surf fishing and plenty of other fun things to do. The only "problem" if any when we booked our vacation for June- was our house to rent wasn't directly on the beach- it was one road over. No problem, the road did not have much traffic. It sure looked perfect according to the online realtor. We all can not wait!!

June 2004.

Outer Banks!! We are packing up the single Dads new Honda Pilot. Kids- check. Luggage - check. Food- check.

Boogie Boards/Beach Chairs- check. Dog items- check. CD's and DVD's for the 10 hour car ride- check. Money/credit cards- check. Camera(s)- check.

We are on the road- we stop for fuel {both gas & coffee}. About 30 minutes into this drive on Rt. 83, we begin to hear this horrible humming. A loud horrible humming. Like an airplane was flying very low over our vehicle.

What is going on? Single Dad ask me to look out my window to see if anything came loose.....try doing that while the vehicle is going at the speed of 60. I decide to take out a compact mirror that was in my backpack- like a spy in a movie I held it out the window- and there goes my compact mirror. We get off the next exit to find a hardware store.....seems as if the straps were not holding our items on top of the new Pilot down tight enough. Maybe we should have planned this trip with the TRAVEL TURTLE that was offered to us- no?

Nah....we can do this- with nylon rope the single Dad purchased at the mom and pop hardware store. Well, our stuff wasn't going anywhere- but for the next 9 1/2 hours we did not speak to one another. The acoustics were unbearable. The humming was more like a helicopter now circling above the vehicle. If the single Dad needed me to give an exit- he would tap my knee....then I would yell "15B" or "HERE>>>RIGHT HERE!"

The kids had no issues- along with this new Honda Pilot came head phones......they were nestled in their seat belts watching movie after movie. Or China Doll was sleeping. Heidi & Sam that was another story. Sam did manage to find a spot to lay down in the back - beside some luggage- Heidi was having more issues with the sound. Once in awhile I would see single Dad look into the rear view mirror and laugh- the poor dogs ears were pinned down as if she were in a wind tunnel. Or he would smile and look over at me mouthing "I love you"...."can't wait to hit the beach"! WHAT? We stopped half way to eat and stretch. Let the dogs out of the sound machine.

The warm sun felt nice....stretching was even better.....but that darn humming sound was still lingering in my ears.

I have to laugh now thinking about our ordering session at McDonalds. We were talking so loudly the employees flipping burgers would peek out from under the grill cover.....why are they looking at us so weirdly? China Doll and Freckle Boy were a little embarrassed but didn't dare say anything- or this momma was going to steal their soft headsets and make them suffer right along for the next 4 or so hours.

I do believe it took us 2 days to finally speak in a low tone.

Seven days in North Carolina we had perfect weather. Rain maybe once during an early morning- but the sun returned for us. The beach house was perfect. Each morning we had our coffee on the 2nd level deck watching the sun dance over the ocean water. My fear of heights wouldn't allow me to enter the Crow's Nest. After breakfast we would round up the gear and take off for the beach. We would take the dogs for the morning part of our stay at the beach- Sam wasn't into the ocean crashing into him but he enjoyed rolling in the sand making his version of "sand angels". Heidi enjoyed the crashing waves but drank way too much salt water and would give the special effects of a fountain squirting from both directions (sorry for the graphic details). I would walk the dogs back to our house- hose them off - and set them up in the enclosed sun porch where they too had a great view of whatever dogs decide to ooh and ahh over.

We were having a great time at the beach, touring the local islands, boogie boarding, eating (bland) but good local seafood, night time walks on the beach, collecting cool shells and taking tons, I mean tons of photos.

Whenever I'm on vacation- unlike most people- I don't really get homesick. I enjoy each and every moment of the time away from the daily grind of work- or what life can throw at us. The beach gives me a chance to escape. And maybe it is short lived but it is a fantastic short lived escape.

Our 7th day is coming to a close. As we pack up we all know what is in store for the 10 hour road trip. The HUMMING monster!! It's something we can not fight- we can not run from- we only accept the fact that the hum will be with us until we arrive home.

Less than one hour into our drive we get stuck in a traffic jam. It's not a bad thing- the single Dad and I can talk to one another and laugh and chat about our first family vacation together. We hear yet another sound- not a hum- but a loud grumble and then a spat! Heidi is trying desperately to climb around the pet guard to get away from whatever is happening in the very back of the Pilot. What is happening back there? Again we hear this nasty spat sound.

Oh man! Freckle Boy sounds the alarm- Sam is puking all over the back! We get out of the line of traffic- pull over to the side of the road to find dog vomit all over the luggage- Heidi frantically jumped out of the vehicle (can't really blame her the odor was horrible) and Sam sitting there just looking like a doofus. The single Dad handed Heidi over to Freckle Boy as we cleared out the back and cleaned what was smelly and wet. Using our beach towels we cleaned Sam off. Instead of becoming furious and allowing tempers to fly- we try to make the best of this situation. Again, one we couldn't control- or could it have been? Maybe not feeding the dogs their morning meal before we headed out may have helped - or not.

If this was the only inconvenience great- but knowing what was in store for us while driving- cleaning up dog vomit was no problem! HUM!!!!!!

Oh my goodness we make it back to PA in one piece- no dog issues- the kids are both sleeping- we are home and for the very first time I was glad to be home! It took another 2 days for our hearing to return to normal.

We made some new memories- can't wait to see the pictures!

WHAT? No digital memory card in the single Dads camera? What happened to my new camera?

Thank goodness for memories.

Life Lesson: Always remember to check your camera for its memory card & borrow the TRAVEL TURTLE!

Peace&Love,

Lis