Tyin' one on.

It's been a busy week, as the time before the Memorial Day weekend often turns out to be. It was especially busy, though, due to the birth of a friend's baby last Wednesday. These special East Africans took good care of my husband while he was in Uganda last summer. So naturally, I feel it necessary to go way above and beyond for the birth of their child. This is the youngest child I've ever met, so naturally it's pretty bitchin' to start with. Joshua was less than 10 hours old when I saw him for the first time. And oh how I love him.

I cooked casseroles. I made them Jello. And peanut butter cookies. I bough baby clothes, found the best deal on unscented wet wipes and diapers in the appropriate sizes. Today I found a little toy and filled the diaper bag with a few little gifts. I even crafted a tied little blankie to take to the lil' tot. The sort of weird part? I liked it. All of it. Lest I get too excited - I managed to be interested in some non-retail components of the entire process. I didn't mind hear about the labor, though I think 10 cm is definiately inadequate to push a little head out. 20 cm sounds more like it. Well, anyway. I'm in no hurry at all, but I think I could get into this at some point.

What will really tip the scales? Seeing the newest member in my husband's family at next month's Idaho outlaw adventure. (Read: immediate family reunion.) In the meantime, pass be a beer, honey. It's Sunday on a holiday weekend.

First beach adventure of the season.

A couple of weeks ago we went camping. More accurately we drove to the beach in separate cars, P. with one friend and me with his girlfriend after working an event late at work. This was my much anticipated first overnight camping trip ever, not counting a couple of summers roughing it in poorly insulated cabins in locales all across our beautiful county. Anyway, this was supposed to be a fabulous trip and it was. As always, there are just a few little things that didn't exactly go as planned.

I got pulled over for the first time ever. Driving though lil' ole Carrabelle, I got pulled over doing 49 in a 35. If you've ever driven there, I guarantee you were probably moving at least as fast as I was, deep in conversation with my new pal, jammin' the living shit out of some Amy Winehouse. I frantically searched for my insurance card, and couldn't find it anywhere. For those of you who know my family background, you must admit this fact alone is deeply humiliating. Nevertheless, I managed to get off with only a verbal warning and a directive to replace my broken brake light. (Which, by the way, I have not done yet. Maybe tomorrow.)

We got to the little campsite after two wrong turns and forty five minutes searching frantically for our tent amoungst the other 118 as the dudes had not provided the dudettes with a campsite number. Whatever. We finally got there. Couldn't light a campfire, what for the wildfires ravaging our state. Oh well. At least we had the beach to look forward to in the morning.

Mmmm, and what a beach trip it was. Beautiful crystal turquoise water. Scenic Forgotten Coast views. Isolated, not full of people, not concrete like other places in Florida. Fresh seafood at a place Hurricane Dennis was not able to destory, despite his best efforts. And picturesque. See for yourself.

Here's what you see walking along the boardwalk toward the beach:


And then all of a sudden, BAM! You're there:


It was a perfectly lovely day at the beach - since I had to be back to work job number two the entire deal lasted less than 24 hours. Save for the part about the sand fleas, which evidently attack the palest beach-goer in the group. Let me tell you, I got hammered and sadly it was not with Miller Lite in cans. Those bitches bite hard. By Sunday night my neck looked like it was covered in chicken pox, and I thought I might itch my flesh off. Just be sure to sit at least 10 inches off the ground and keep your skin completely covered from March until July, I guess.

Somehow it was still a nice trip, though. You just can't beat 80-degree weather, warm waters, being with a good-sized group of friends and just loving life. Even if pale does mark the spot.