Family. Forever. Fun. Fo' real.

My family. On my Dad's side. I've got 3 other sides. It's like a Pentagon. Or is that a square? Anyway, this is the clan with whom I spent my Furlough from Life in Corolla, NC. I have more stories to share and tales to relay but for now just this photo.

Top to bottom, left to right: Aunt Jeanne "loves her some wine" McDonnell, Uncle Lee "crown royal" Johnson, Matriarch Gma Louise "teaches poker to her 5-year-old grandkids" Dowdy, Aunt Sheri "disarrono on the rocks with a kindle in hand" McGlothlin, Uncle Leon "idle time is the devil's work" McGlothlin, Cousin Mike "skin will make a great distressed genuine leather man bag for me one day" Johnson, Cousin Josh "working for retirement" Stevens, Kent McKenzie, Dr. Brother Jeff "professional student" Johnson, Cousin Dallas "carry's 5-6 nicaraguan kids with the warmth of his heart" Johnson, Cousin Krista "you never know who you're going to meet" Stevens, Cousin Jacob "thinks apple juice would bring world peace" Stevens, Cousin Katelyn "has already been elected president in year 2028" McGlothlin, Cousin Lori "live in photog for the week (does this count as anthropological immersion?)" Wilson, Cousin Aubrey "dimples for days" Johnson, Cousin Mason "don't let that innocent face fool you" Johnson, Cousin Jenna "gets whatever she wants with sad puppy eyes - don't look or you'll end up with all major credit cards and a kidney missing" Johnson, Cousin Brody "the guy with the cwazy hairs" Johnson, and last but most definitely not least Cousin Morgan "lead saxophone with a heart of gold (and no, she can't take a shot of patron anejo Kayla as she is 13" McGlothlin. (Photo Credit Lori A. Wilson)

Eleven Stars a-Shooting

Sunday, June 21, Midnight-ish EST

Pulling up to Beach Palace, Uncle Lee greeted us on the steps – followed by Cousin Dallas, Cousin Katelyn, and Cousin Morgan acting as bell hops (I didn’t tip.) As I had spent countless minutes on Twiddy Realty’s web site studying the floor plan, I knew exactly where to go, claimed my bed (twin next to the window), and went about the house exploring and greeting family members. Most found on the top floor – I’ll recap all family inhabitants to this fan-freaking-tastic vacation home in the family photo. Because yes, we had a scheduled photo shoot with our very own live in vacationer photographer Lori A. Wilson, which to satisfy your curiosity is how she is to be captioned.

Dual spaghetti dinners later – we have 3-4 vegetarians on staff her at Beach Palace – and Lori and I went to claim dresser space. We decided to share the drawers and hangers. Oh, what about Jeff? We gave him the nightstand to use. It has a drawer and cubby beneath for neatly folded clothes to be cubbied away. Plus! He doesn’t have to share space with anyone. Good deal right? Right.

Some drinks later – why did I forget about Bacardi Limon? The lemon garnish is built in! – and we made our way to the sunning deck around 10:30pm. Why a sunning deck at night? For shooting star watching of course! Now, you might not know it to look at me – mainly because I wear sunglasses 95% percent of my life – but I L.O.V.E. star gazing. It’s probably the one activity that completely relaxes me. Could this be the reason I can’t relax in cities so easily? Because I can look up and count the visible stars? (6 from my MPR doorway.) Here, the night sky literally looks like a duvet of stars has been laid just below the clouds. Only for me to see. Just me. I stayed there – with key family members Aunt Jeanne and Cousin Krista – until 1:00am. And experienced/was privy to/beheld with my eyes eleven shooting stars. Such fortunateness ranks higher than a Metro seat during morning rush hour or no line at the 15th and I during Starbucks daily weekday visits with Lisa.

(Sidenote: Lisa and I have received many offers for the Starbucks etc. etiquette manual we’ve crafted. So far, it’s a mental draft. Highlight: Should you accidently spill iced coffee sample, make sure to actually splash some on the angry-for-no-reason holding-up-rush-hour-Bucks-line-with-75-questions-to-Baristas lady in front of you. This way, when said lady is ‘affected’ by the clear attack on her with spilt iced coffee sample, she can actually have something to Tidestick pen off later.)

Only one place to go after such an experience. So I fell asleep. Smiling.

What? This is totally one of the shooting stars documented from sundeck at Beach Palace.

Ma'am, do you have a wire hanger?

Sunday, June 21, 3:48pm

Jeff locked the keys in the Corolla. We stopped at Wawa to use the facilities and while I searched for the magazine stands, and perhaps the Sunday Washington Post whose contents include the coveted Style section, I ran into a distressed Jeff.

“Where’s Lori?” he exclaimed with authority and little interrogative inflection while darting his eyes.

“She’s in the bathroom – what’s your deal?” responded Kent with concern after taking in his brother’s worry wrinkles.

A beat.

“Jeff?”

A beat.

“Jeff – just tell me!”

Pause. “I locked the keys in the car.”

And there we were. Wawa staffers are not prepped for such emergencies and neither was the laud-o-mat next door. I did forage and bring back a half-hanger. (You know those kind that have the cardboard rod connecting the wires? What’s with that anyway? Oh right – for pants so they don’t get that fold crease.) I also trekked across the busy highway in search of either a cop or a mechanic that may have been happening by. Honda dealership directly across the way? Closed on Sundays.

I returned with my half-hanger half-cardboard tool. I’m sure you realizes how that sorted out.

$40 monies later, 15 minutes, and a green-bow-adorned-flat-wearing-glasses-sporting-tween locksmith with a balloon-wire-contraption later and we set back on the journey to Corolla, NC.

God help us. And save this queen.

Please note the flats and Jeff’s non-use of sun protection eye wear – although dutifully resting atop his cabeza – despite the blistering sun in which we found ourselves during the unexpected Wawa parking lot visit.

Furlough From Life

Sunday, June 21, 1:00pm

This morning I awoke at 6:45am. I found myself stirring in a room where the Sun thinks it can shine in with the wattage of 75 flood lights. Well, I thought to myself, I’ll just sleep in the car during the 6 hour drive to Corolla, NC. That’s the Outer Banks ya’ll. First timer here. As a favorite former client of mine dubbed it, Nothingsville, NC. We’ll see if she can be proved wrong.

I felt like a naïve child on Christmas morning – I wanted to shake and yell my brother Jeff and his girlfriend Lori to life so we could start the day! But I was easily sidetracked with loading songs onto my iPod.

A 15 minute Kiehl’s since 1851 filled shower later and we sped off to Silver Diner. Lori says it’s an Arlington foodie spot post last call. Let’s hope I don’t ever actually experience that. I’ll stick to Yum’s. (Hm, Yum’s…) But! The Diner did offer up a great new condiment. I’m a big fan of condiments – for dipping, spreading, tasting, etc. This one is a classic – sour cream. With chives mixed in! Lori and I delighted in the new taste expreinced by our buds while Jeff stole our coffies for energy to propel the Toyota Corolla down 95 S. Don’t worry – I’m sharing the back seat with an acoustic guitar which needs constant guidance to prevent the neck (inanimate objects have necks?) from being touched by either my leg or the car door.

I counted earlier and there will be no less than 25 people milling about at Beach Palace (our vacay abode on Lighthouse Drive) at any given time. That’s more people than mill about at my PR firm. And exactly 24 more than I’m used to milling about in my MPR (Multi-Purpose Room a.k.a. my English Basement street level apt – not to be confused with my a.p.t.’s). Given my tremendously important career and lively social obligations, I’ve had no time to mentally prepare myself for what is to come. Perhaps I’ll do so now.

Thankfully, I have this outlet which you’re reading and gratefully (with thanks to Bday) Twitter for hourly, or minute-ly, musings to share with the world. Well, my world at least.

Beach Palace – yes, there is an elevator. Mostly for matriarch use.

If you look closely, you can see a foreshadowed me

in my CBTO (coordinated beach time outfit) on a chaise.

Family Dinner

This evening, a reunion took place. Lou, Sis, and I met up at Vegetate - a lovely, comfortable vegan lounge with greats eats. [Sis hopes she can duplicate the Vegetable Risotto.] These evenings together are known as Family Dinner times and discussions flow freely about life or similar.

Sis and I had the restaurant week special - a combination of choices on the menu. I won't detail the selections as they can be found on the net, BUT I will say that my Wild Rice cakes and Ginger Sesame encrusted tofu were to DIE for. And all vegan, with which I strictly identify. Please, strictly.

Lou had a taste bud explosion with a Gin and Ginger cocktail. [It was like those tiny slices of flesh colored ginger strips that come in the spinach and avocado Dean and Deluca to go sushi containers.] We all took a taste - Sis and I sat in cocktail envy.

We may hold a Family Dinner gathering repeat.

...

Earlier today, Miranda leaned into my mantle and asked, "who is the old black woman in the Mac room?" I blinked back with confusion and said, "Two things - that is a man and he is 24." Miranda made the oops face and scooted into her french doored office.

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And now, my thoughts are with Ms. Michos.