Family Time In Virginia

                                      My handsome brothers in an older picture

I am one of the most blessed people I know. In our family we are all the best of friends, and there are no other people on the earth I'd rather "hang with." Dave and his two sets of twins, minus Dane who is a senior at Liberty University, spent the holiday weekend together with us in Virginia Beach. Duppy and I are "camped out" in a luxury hotel on the beach with Donny where the room service is great, the sound of pounding surf lulls us to sleep, and we enjoy celebrating our brotherhood by eating too much and enjoying cocktails regularly. Being able to mostly shake off responsibilities of life, and revel in a freedom the hard work of life brings is a really wonderful thing. Donny is just returning safely from a three-year overseas assignment I wouldn't dare to write about, but I'm really proud of him and Dave both.

We started the family holiday weekend festivities by ordering pitchers of brew and big, fat steaks at Logan's Steak House. It's so good to see the nephews again and catch up on their doings and goings on. We're all a bunch of beach bums, and enjoyed record-setting high temperatures for the beginning of the weekend. The surf was up, and the boys' surf board was freshly waxed - Donny is a great body surfer, and I think maybe part fish. Duppy is training me in "Take the dog to the beach" protocol, and I'm learning quickly. He tolerates our days on the beach quite well, and has been a good teacher.

Over the weekend we had a food agenda, which included a couple of favorite places. Shoney's breakfast buffet where we had all-you-can-stand bacon, sausage and ham? Oh, I'm SO down with that!!! Number One Chinese Buffet is an experience in and of itself. All-you-can-stand sushi bar, a Mongolian grill I didn't even go to, and rows and rows of various Chinese specialty dishes. Whoa. We always enjoy going to Golden Corral, and made the most of our visit there before rolling, literally, out the door. The last time we visited those haunts was when Dad was here with us. It's been nice to revel in the past, and still make new memories as the nephews become young men, and my brothers and I traipse through our fifties.

Today is rainy one, but I'm not complaining. It is, after all, the middle of October, and while my goal is to follow eighty degree temperatures, Duppy and I are really enjoying hanging out with Don. Stationed on the balcony overlooking the Atlantic seaboard, I've been watching the dolphins smile at me three times a day, the pelicans glide in formation, and admiring the thunderous roar of Hornets and Super Hornet jets that take off from Oceana Naval Air Station. I know it might sound a little strange but our Dad, and I think both of my brothers, enjoy parking next to the airport to watch aircraft take off and land. I hope to do that here soon. In another life I would have loved to be a naval aviator, and really enjoy the powerful sound of the jet engines as they take off and land in training operations. As I sit here writing this, I'm unable to differentiate between the rolling thunder, streaking lightening and and roaring jets tearing through the sound barrier. Duppy is not a happy camper.

I have also enjoyed our strolls down the beach and boardwalk with cocktails in hand to VA Beach pier where people catch smaller fish than I care to try for. While I really enjoy fishing, I think it's kind of funny that I also find enormous enjoyment in watching other people fish, especially children. Last year I went deep sea fishing eight or nine times before I just started going along for the ride to watch kids fish from the Mijoy and Hell Cat charter boats on the Connecticut shoreline.

Don, Duppy and I have been riding around looking for a residence that Donny can move into as he gets ready to report in to his new duty station. The process of finding a new home is quite daunting, but eased by the fact that the navy will allow him to stay in the hotel until the end of the month. His household effects arrived a few days ago; I know he's anxious to get moved in to a new place, and his Harley back under him as much as anything else. Until then, "Life's a Beach," and we'll carry the party on until the wind blows Duppy and me away.