Back at home

To my wonderful summer hosts,
It seems like ages since we stayed with you or visited but I just wanted to let everyone know that we are back at home in Atlanta as of last night. It was wonderful to visit everyone, meet new family members and catch up. Sometimes I think about how fantastic it would be if I could take all my favorite people from places and times in my past and assemble them in one place so we could be a part of each other's lives in a more consistent way. But alas I realize that will never happen so I content myself knowing that you are out there doing incredible things with your lives, having your own life experiences so we can learn from each other and appreciate each other all that much more when we have those brief visits, phone calls or emails.

In case you are interested, here are the final tallies
Kids visited-17 including Anne's friends also in town, 13 boys and 4 girls (thanks for the extra x chromosomes, Craig and Kathryn)
Gas fill ups-10
Money spent on gas - $540 (thanks Dad for the NJ fill up)
Movies watched-4 in car, 1 in theater
Movies Bram watched-4 in car, .5 of Journey to Center of Earth, .5 of Mama Mia
Toilets clogged-2 (problem resolved after first two stops, sorry Pam and Anne)
Ice cream eaten- uncountable, priceless

On a serious note, you are all wonderful spouses and parents and I'm awed by all those beautiful children I saw along the way. In a day of too much acquisition and commercialism, it was heartening to see how we are all trying hard to fight it off and raise polite and appreciative children. It didn't escape me that this is a value that we all share, despite how we have geographically dispersed since we met in high school, college, or thereafter.

Off to get kids (and myself) ready for school tomorrow. Yes, it's true. Kids in Georgia really do go to school on August 11. Please stay in touch and let us know if your work or travels take you to Atlanta. Or plan a road trip that includes Atlanta one summer. It's great to be home but part of me is already missing the adventure of a new day, a new place.

Life's a beach (and kid comments on fine dining)

Life has been a beach this summer that's for sure. For Eli and Orly it's been Memorial Day at the mountains, nights at the pool, a month at camp, a week on a trip to national parks out west with grandma and pop, a week at LBI and then a week at Virginia Beach. For Bram, it's been time alone with his mom (at home and on the road) in addition to a few weeks at Paideia camp back in Atlanta. For me, it's been a chance to relish in time with the kids, relaxed time with little agendas and deadlines. It's been a phenomenal road trip to see old friends and family. And it's been a chance to fall in love with the beach again especially the late afternoon sun and playing in the water for extending time. For Ross, it's been all about holding down the fort (at work and home) and preparing the new fort, that is the chicken coop.

For our final week of vacation and beach time, May Lynn found some great camps. Orly went to Cape Henry for theater camp where they learned three songs from Annie and performed them on the last day. Eli became a surfer dude at the Wave Riding Vehicles camp down on 5th street where he went each day from 8 am to noon and learned to ride a surfboard. How cool is that! With his body glove shirt, short haircut and summer tan, he looked the part and he did great as well. Bram went off each morning to Summer Solutions, a more general camp that suited him just fine.

Our time in Virginia Beach coincided with May Lynn's birthday which we celebrated not once but twice. Bram is still trying to figure out how she pulled that off. On her actual birthday we went to a great middle eastern restaurant for a casual dinner and then back to the house to meet up with the Steins for birthday cake. The next day Ross came in town and we went to Terrapin, a very nice restaurant. This would probably qualify as the nicest restaurant that we've ever taken the kids to. So much so that Eli wanted to order number 29. Turns out number 29 was beef tenderloin and the 29 was the price. It was not an order by number type of restaurant. He couldn't believe it. Between that and the shirley temple with real cherries, the kids were pretty happy. So were we.

Dual crossings

A bit out of order but realized that I never documented the transition from NJ to Virginia and two fantastic crossings that punctuated that trip. A short drive down the Garden State parkway took us to the Cape May Lewes Ferry a wonderful car/passenger ferry with a departure lounge that rivals any airport. We split our time on the one hour plus, 17 mile trip between playing cards in a comfy booth indoors and standing by the stern feeling the summer breezes. On the other side we emerged in Delaware and spent the next few hours driving down the eastern shore, a land lost in time. The only other time I made that trip is with Ross on my first trip to Virginia Beach during his senior (dead) week from Yale. This time, I was without Ross but with three kids, the product of the last nearly twenty years together. We were treated to a spectacular temper tantrum from Bram, perhaps his most dramatic ever. By the time we reached the Cheasapeake Bay Bridge tunnel, a 20 mile crossing, Bram had exhausted himself and gone off to sleep. We rolled down the windows and drove across the bridge/tunnel with late afternoon sun and those wonderful breezes again. Eli summarized it best. "I"m about as happy as a 12 year old can be right now. This is awesome!"

On the road again

When you've spent the past few weeks mostly on the road, it's amazing how quickly the urge to keep moving returns to you. A road trip was definitely in order and this time I decided to fly (or drive) solo. Off to Charlottesville to visit Uncle Tom at Groundhog Hill, his magnificent place in bustling Etlan, Va. Three plus hours was a piece of cake for this road traveler especially accompanied by an excellent audio book, Annie Proulx's Ace in the Hole. Arriving at Tom's in the late afternoon makes for an exquisite drive in that last half hour outside of Charlottesville where it's field after field of horse country. The photo here hardly does justice to Tom's place and was taken after I descended from the house on my way out and through the gate and was too lazy to go back for a snapshot. But the night before I was treated to a fabulous meal, one that unbeknownst to Tom, I've deemed my last supper - it's what I'd eat if I only had one meal left. Fish with capers and lemon, fresh bread and butter and, something new for me, black jasmine rice a wonderfully nutty rice that only Tom would have stocked in his kitchen. An evening of Brothers and Sisters on dvd was the perfect end to the evening.

Even better than arriving at Tom's in the evening is waking up at Groundhog Hill and having coffee on the expansive porch. I departed for Charlottesville just as the crew arrived to work on the shingles. Took a tour through the mall, pedestrian area, of downtown Charlottesville. Emerged from the shopping mecca with only a few used books for the kids and a new pair of shoes more appropriate for my new life as a student. Was hoping to connect with Kent Dougherty, friend from Pingry, and city planner but it didn't work out. Enjoyed a nice lunch at Revolutionary Soup and time alone before it was time to head back to reconvene wiht the kids, MayLynn and Charlie to celebrate May Lynn's birthday.

Surf's Up, Mom

A perfect beach day. The kind when it's not too hot but the breeze still feels good. The water is not too cold or too rough. And everyone -- including me -- goes in the water. Eli and Orly ride waves repeatedly. Even Bram shouts "Surfs up, Mom" and jumps on the boogie board for some shallow wave riding. Late afternoon reading on the beach. Corona and fish tacos for dinner with a special Grasshopper Sundae dessert made by Eli. Just doesn't get any better.

Everything tastes better in NJ

At least that’s what my kids say that I say all the time. It’s hard not to during the summer when I can relive my childhood favorites all on this on Long Beach Island. But really all the great food I miss about NJ year round is here on this island right now. Today, I introduced the kids to the Jersey sub. Sure the water park was cool. But stopping for a sub and a birch beer was the highlight of the day for me. Not sure why bread, deli meat (cheese for me these days) and lettuce taste better in NJ but they do. The kids agreed. If you really want to get me started, the NJ tomato and blueberries take my breath away. Bram has turned into a huge fan of corn on the cob this week, devouring multiple pieces at one meal. Is anyone going to eat that last piece we’ve taught him to ask before he reaches for it. Then there is the daily ritual of the ice cream which in all fairness is the same, just tastes better during the summer when eaten with a cool ocean breeze and with jimmies instead of sprinkles.

I didn’t want to leave things so one-sided however so I embarked on a review of great foods at some of our other hangouts and homes with the kids as we drove back from miniature golf. What’s better in Virginia Beach? Grammy’s desserts says Eli. . She makes the best zebra pie ever! Grammy’s 4^th of july jello, blueberry and cool whip says Orly. What tastes better in Atlanta? This one stumped the kids. Truth be told we don’t do a lot of BBQ. They like the smoothies that Dad takes them for. I like the grits and biscuits though they can hardly be mainstays of my diet the way blueberries and tomatoes can in the summer. What tastes better in the north Georgia mountains? That one was easy. First strawberries Memorial Day weekend, peaches a few weeks later. And the corn and tomatoes up there aren’t bad either. But they aren’t as good as the ones in NJ!

Jersey Girls (Still) Don't Pump Gas

It’s true. NJ and Oregon are the only states in the nation that still has mandatory full-serve gas. At least you get something for those $4 + tanks of gas! I love that fact that so many things about NJ and about the shore are still the same. Mostly I love seeing all this through my children’s eyes and remembering my own time at the shore as a kid. This place is a wonderland for the kids.

I’ve had a chance to spend one-on-one time with all the kids already this week. Love them together but nothing beats one-on-one time. Eli and I are studying for his bar mitzvah in the evening together. During the day, I love riding our bikes and taking him to the Foundation Tennis Club for his lesson where I can sit and read, write and just enjoy the ocean breeze. Orly is my roommate at the beach and we read side by side in bed in the evening. When she’s not reading, she’s started writing music and lyrics for pop songs. Her first is called Popular. Here’s a taste. “I’m the poor girl in town just sitting around, waiting for something to happen with my life. Popular, popular. It's everything I want to be. Popular Popular. Just doesn't seem to happen to me. Just because I'm poor. Not working out a mansion door." Watch out miley cyrus. We also spent yesterday morning at a mosaic workshop where we collaboratively made a mailbox. It’s not quite ready for prime time and will probably serve more as a place to keep garden tools than be featured on the street. But it was good practice and I’ve fine tuned my ideas what I want our mailbox to look like. Lastly, Bram is still recovering from not having me entirely to himself as he did last week. Truly, losing me as his roommate has been traumatic for him. But we’ve finally sat down and started working on the official book of our love sayings. I tell Bram how much I love him and then he one-ups me many times over telling me how much more he loves me. For example, he loves me and I am more beautiful than the white house x 100 white houses put together. Apparently that’s a lot. I’ll take it.