Para-Soaring

Well, it's almost been a full week since I returned from my beach vacation. I must say that vacations are lovely but it feels like you need an extra few days just to recover from living out of a suitcase and riding in a car for hours. My friends and I visited New Smyrna Beach, FL for three full days and two half days (I know, that sounds like four full days but...we arrived Thursday night around 7pm, stayed all of Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and left around 1pm that Monday). We enjoyed the local cuisine (which was absolutely wonderful), attempted to boogie-board (essentially meaning we tried to ride waves to the shore on small, squishy boards), and three of us went para-sailing (thrilling and sickening at the same time!). We even had time to catch a movie, Made of Honor (very dull--the promiscuous male gets the sweet girl).

First, I'll discuss the cuisine. Thursday night we had rock shrimp and some mahi-mahi fish (fried--yum!). I've never had rock shrimp. They look very unappetising and have a tougher texture than regular shrimp but they were mighty tasty. The next night we ate at another local seafood restaurant. This was probably some of the best seafood I've had in my whole life. Tender and flavorful scallops, shrimp, fish, and clams. Another night was a greasy, yet scrumptious burger joint, and we wrapped up the food marathon with a fancy establishment where I had another first; roast duck. The duck was wonderful. It tasted like the whole thing was just dark meat, my favorite. Are you hungry yet?

Secondly, the boogie-boarding. This is nothing new to me. Most of my summers were spent in Myrtle Beach, SC so spending time in the ocean water is no new thing for me. When I was younger we rode the waves on a canvas raft. Same activity, new transportation device. The boogie-board is sturdier but the outcome is just as fun. I think I lost a layer of skin on my legs from riding too close to the shore. All those millions of broken shells are tough on delicate skin. The water was pretty cold so we only did the boogie-boarding on Saturday.

Thirdly, the para-sailing. I've wanted to do this for years. The problem is that it's pretty expensive and no one really wanted to go with me. I would have been fine going it alone but I always thought that certain activities are enhanced by the comaraderic (new word?) element. So, it was still expensive ($70 per person, yes, per person). My adrenaline was in overdrive as I ran to the shore waiting for the baby boat to take us and my two friends to the big boat. I felt a little seasick on the baby boat--this I would discover was nothing compared to the sickness while soaring in the air at 800ft. We all got our safety equipment on and saddled up for a unforgettable ride. The liftoff was the best part of all. It was just like a roller coaster but in reverse. We could see dozens of jellyfish in the water below, the coast of Daytona Beach and the boat below (obviously). It really was exhilarating. Then we went to our full 800ft (the baby option, they tried to get us to go 2000ft). And we started to sway back and forth, back and forth. The jellyfish became dots and the horizon started to blur. I was beyond ready to get down. After an eternity (actually 10 minutes) they lowered us back to the boat. The horror wasn't over yet. It seems that dragging fully clothed women through jellyfish infested waters is super fun entertainment. So three times we went in the water. When my feet finally hit the sand my need to strangle someone had subsided and all was right with the world. Until we got in the car. It seems the motion sickness had set in and a quick stop by CVS to purchase Dramamine was just what the doctor ordered. Pictures to follow soon!

On another note, I just finished reading Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie by David Lubar. This was a wonderful book. Everyone should read it because it's full of wit and all those freshmen high school memories that we all experienced. I'm currently reading Penelope (the one that Reese Witherspoon made a movie out of) by Marilyn Kaye and Dead Over Heels (part of the Undead series I like so much)by MaryJanice Davidson. I'm enjoying both immensely.

At work we are busy getting ready for the summer reading programs. I'm diligently working on the teen activities. We're going to have henna tattoo, t-shirt alteration, and theater make-up events for each month of the program (May, June, July). A reading contest is also in the works where you earn points against an opposing team and prizes are won during each stage. I think I'm most excited about the t-shirt program. Well, enough about me for now.