Today, a Monday, was a bittersweet day for us as it meant that our visit with our family in Angleton was drawing rapidly to a close. Just before 0800 we said goodbye to our aunt and uncle who were off on a medical appointment. We would meet again later for lunch and to say our final goodbyes before heading back to my sister's home in Central Texas. After they left, my little group headed once again for Surfside Beach.
We hit the beach just after 1000 hrs., after we had driven around the Island of Velasco looking at some of the beach homes that are on the market (not that we could afford one! LOL). The sea was wild and the beach was fairly empty. I suppose a mid-February day, with a water temperature of around 58 degrees, was not a day that would attract a crowd, but it was just what the doctor ordered for us.
With my young nephew leading the way, we strolled down the beach looking for beautiful seashells and for anything else the Sea Spirit might have to offer us on this cool morning. Actually the day was quite pleasing, with an out-of-the-water temp of over seventy degrees. There were the usual assortment of seagulls and other shore-side birds, and of course, the occasional and graceful flight of pelican squadrons that patrol the beaches from time to time. Out in the rolling waves, no life was to be seen, other than the occasional diving gull. I was hoping to get a glimpse of a passing dolphin, but that was not to be today. Neither did the splashing surf offer me even one spectacular shell. The sea is always a mysterious lady, very unpredictable. I found one little part of a sand dollar, which my nephew happily added to his collection of seashells, and what appeared to be small grindstone, about three inches in diameter. Not finding a collectible shell was a little disappointing, but only for a little while.
All too soon it was time to leave the beach and meet our extended family for lunch. Here is where synchronicity played a card into our day. My lovely bride (being the social director of the family) had arranged lunch at a particular restaurant in Lake Jackson. Just as we dusted off and loaded into the truck, my lovely bride received a message that her brother, and also our cousin, were waiting for us at the restaurant. So we drove to the appointed restaurant. Just as we had parked in front of the agreed upon destination, my brother-in-law informed us that we would be eating at a different location, a restaurant known as "The Local." Fortunately The Local was only a couple of blocks away, so we made our way to that location.
We met the rest of our party, who were waiting inside, and ordered our food. The Local, by the way, has some superb "burgers" on the menu, as well as more healthy items, but...well...being on vacation, I also vacated the healthy food selections and ordered a really delicious and hefty burger which was called the Gold Rush burger. It was an excellent choice, a really thick burger fortified with bacon and slathered with a spicy barbecue sauce - a great vacationer's burger! And that is when I heard someone call my name...
I looked around and there was a beautiful lady with whom I had attended high school back in the...nope, that is classified! Anyway, what are the odds that a person I had not seen in several years would be in this very restaurant at this very time, which was just ahead of the "official" lunch hour. But there she was! We gave each other big hugs. And I thought, if we had gone to the original destination I would have missed this pleasant and so unexpected meeting. Now this lady is a little older than me, but...as far as "aging" is concerned...I was dismayed (just a little) to see that I had out-aged HER! Ah...such is life. But it was so good to see her again. She is married to another school-mate of mine, a one-time "heck raiser." I would loved to have seen him as well; unfortunately, he was not with her. So of course I hugged her again for him. As we went our separate ways, I thought about how amazing it was finding her there, about the long odds of seeing her in a particular place when there were so many choices that either one of us could have made, so many alternative restaurants, so many alternate times. Synchronicity!
With lunch over, our crew headed back to my uncle's home, which is our usual "base of operations" when we visit the Houston area. We cleaned up and packed our things, and some of us (not me, this time) enjoyed more slices of pie from last night. But try as we might, we could not forestall the inevitable. Our time with our beloved aunt and uncle, my brother-in-law and his wife, our niece Miss Emily, and our cousin and his new bride, all to soon came to an end. These are bittersweet times, when no matter how many hugs and kisses are doled out, it just never seems to be enough. But at last we pulled ourselves away and hit the road.
The trip back to Central Texas was, once again, non-eventful. We stopped for a short dinner on the road, then we drove the last leg of the trip. The sky had looked "rainy" most of the trip but the heavens withheld the precipitation until just as we got the truck unpacked. The remainder of the evening was spent with my sister and her family. All in all it was a great day...oops...I forgot one tiny little detail...
I did something today that I have never done in my life: I took a picture of a urinal in the "men's room." Not just any men's room, I might add, but in the men's room of The Local, the same restaurant where I had the great fortune of bumping into my beautiful schoolmate. Here is the pic I captured.
As you can see, as a person (hopefully a male) uses this particular urinal, this pretty lady is watching. But at least she is looking the user in the eyes, and not looking...well...in some less desirable direction. I believe the magazine cover is from the 1950's, but this is the first time I have ever been in a urinal with a picture of a classy lady looking me in the eye. Sure, you can use the facilities at the Flying J and see the latest electronic or automotive gadget, but after using the men's room at The Local, I doubt if I will ever pee...er, I mean, SEE men's rooms in the same way again!
So the fourth day of our vacation now draws to a close. I have to say this has been one of our best vacations of all time, just because it has been so quiet and relaxing. Tomorrow we will say goodbye to Central Texas, our next destination being...well, you will just have to read tomorrow's post to find that out.
God bless you all, and may God bless America!
We hit the beach just after 1000 hrs., after we had driven around the Island of Velasco looking at some of the beach homes that are on the market (not that we could afford one! LOL). The sea was wild and the beach was fairly empty. I suppose a mid-February day, with a water temperature of around 58 degrees, was not a day that would attract a crowd, but it was just what the doctor ordered for us.
With my young nephew leading the way, we strolled down the beach looking for beautiful seashells and for anything else the Sea Spirit might have to offer us on this cool morning. Actually the day was quite pleasing, with an out-of-the-water temp of over seventy degrees. There were the usual assortment of seagulls and other shore-side birds, and of course, the occasional and graceful flight of pelican squadrons that patrol the beaches from time to time. Out in the rolling waves, no life was to be seen, other than the occasional diving gull. I was hoping to get a glimpse of a passing dolphin, but that was not to be today. Neither did the splashing surf offer me even one spectacular shell. The sea is always a mysterious lady, very unpredictable. I found one little part of a sand dollar, which my nephew happily added to his collection of seashells, and what appeared to be small grindstone, about three inches in diameter. Not finding a collectible shell was a little disappointing, but only for a little while.
All too soon it was time to leave the beach and meet our extended family for lunch. Here is where synchronicity played a card into our day. My lovely bride (being the social director of the family) had arranged lunch at a particular restaurant in Lake Jackson. Just as we dusted off and loaded into the truck, my lovely bride received a message that her brother, and also our cousin, were waiting for us at the restaurant. So we drove to the appointed restaurant. Just as we had parked in front of the agreed upon destination, my brother-in-law informed us that we would be eating at a different location, a restaurant known as "The Local." Fortunately The Local was only a couple of blocks away, so we made our way to that location.
We met the rest of our party, who were waiting inside, and ordered our food. The Local, by the way, has some superb "burgers" on the menu, as well as more healthy items, but...well...being on vacation, I also vacated the healthy food selections and ordered a really delicious and hefty burger which was called the Gold Rush burger. It was an excellent choice, a really thick burger fortified with bacon and slathered with a spicy barbecue sauce - a great vacationer's burger! And that is when I heard someone call my name...
I looked around and there was a beautiful lady with whom I had attended high school back in the...nope, that is classified! Anyway, what are the odds that a person I had not seen in several years would be in this very restaurant at this very time, which was just ahead of the "official" lunch hour. But there she was! We gave each other big hugs. And I thought, if we had gone to the original destination I would have missed this pleasant and so unexpected meeting. Now this lady is a little older than me, but...as far as "aging" is concerned...I was dismayed (just a little) to see that I had out-aged HER! Ah...such is life. But it was so good to see her again. She is married to another school-mate of mine, a one-time "heck raiser." I would loved to have seen him as well; unfortunately, he was not with her. So of course I hugged her again for him. As we went our separate ways, I thought about how amazing it was finding her there, about the long odds of seeing her in a particular place when there were so many choices that either one of us could have made, so many alternative restaurants, so many alternate times. Synchronicity!
With lunch over, our crew headed back to my uncle's home, which is our usual "base of operations" when we visit the Houston area. We cleaned up and packed our things, and some of us (not me, this time) enjoyed more slices of pie from last night. But try as we might, we could not forestall the inevitable. Our time with our beloved aunt and uncle, my brother-in-law and his wife, our niece Miss Emily, and our cousin and his new bride, all to soon came to an end. These are bittersweet times, when no matter how many hugs and kisses are doled out, it just never seems to be enough. But at last we pulled ourselves away and hit the road.
The trip back to Central Texas was, once again, non-eventful. We stopped for a short dinner on the road, then we drove the last leg of the trip. The sky had looked "rainy" most of the trip but the heavens withheld the precipitation until just as we got the truck unpacked. The remainder of the evening was spent with my sister and her family. All in all it was a great day...oops...I forgot one tiny little detail...
I did something today that I have never done in my life: I took a picture of a urinal in the "men's room." Not just any men's room, I might add, but in the men's room of The Local, the same restaurant where I had the great fortune of bumping into my beautiful schoolmate. Here is the pic I captured.
As you can see, as a person (hopefully a male) uses this particular urinal, this pretty lady is watching. But at least she is looking the user in the eyes, and not looking...well...in some less desirable direction. I believe the magazine cover is from the 1950's, but this is the first time I have ever been in a urinal with a picture of a classy lady looking me in the eye. Sure, you can use the facilities at the Flying J and see the latest electronic or automotive gadget, but after using the men's room at The Local, I doubt if I will ever pee...er, I mean, SEE men's rooms in the same way again!
So the fourth day of our vacation now draws to a close. I have to say this has been one of our best vacations of all time, just because it has been so quiet and relaxing. Tomorrow we will say goodbye to Central Texas, our next destination being...well, you will just have to read tomorrow's post to find that out.
God bless you all, and may God bless America!
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