Saturday, July 14, 2012
It Wouldn't be a Party Without an After Party
The title of this post perfectly describes the mentality of my family. There just wouldn't be a party unless there was an after party. Today is no exception. It was my cousin Bernard's (or Nardi as my Aunt Elaine likes to call him), 47th birthday yesterday. So obviously that called for a celebration. Why wait for Lyndsay and Zach's wedding next week? This weekend was perfect, and in our family, there's never any hesitation when it comes to celebration. This time, it came in the form of the facebook event "My Big Fat Italian BBQ".
Sunday, July 8, 2012
A Perfect Beach Day - Fulfills Exercise 13
Seaside Park, would have to be, in my mind one of the nicest beach towns in New Jersey. And please, don't get it confused with Seaside Heights. We are nothing like the Jersey Shore or any of the people from there. Not even in the tiniest bit.
The Fourth of July has always been our big holiday. Every year, our family, and two other families get together down at the beach. We spend the day there and shoot off fireworks to cap of the day.
Our ride starts out different than most people's drive to the shore. We pass what my brother calls the "wild cows" and what could only be describes as a truck graveyard.
Drive down the road a little way and you notice that there is a logo you would recognize. Ocean Spray. New Jersey's Pine Barren region is famous for their cranberries and every September there is a cranberry festival. That is why some of the cranberry farms in New Jersey are highly sought out by people who make cranberry juice. This one, happens to be one of the growers for Ocean Spray.
Continuing down a long country road, you finally end up back in civilization. You're in Lakehurst, the New Jersey town most famous for being the crash site of the Hindenberg in the 1920s. Eventually, Route 37 turns into Route 35 and you're on the island that is home to some of the big time North Jersey BEach towns like Seaside Heights, Seaside Park, Lavallette and Ortley Beach.
Our Stop, 11th Lane in Seaside Park. To say the house sticks out like a sore thumb would have to be an understatement considering it is the only bright purple house on the block. Or anywhere in the area for that matter. None of the houses are huge, but it doesn't really matter because what's important is being on the beach and spending time with family and friends.
We have our usual "beach meal" of hoagies before heading out to the beach. The sand was the hottest thing I had ever felt in my life. Walking on that sand almost felt like you were walking on the surface of the sun itself. I wouldn't have been surprised if it was so hot you could cook an egg in it. I wouldn't advise eating the egg you cooked because it would probably have some sand on it.
Out on the beach there was a sea of people. I was shocked because that day was supposed to be almost 100 degrees outside. I could only imagine what the people farther south had to deal with.
The beach was scorching but the cool water ( about 75 degrees) made it a little bit more bearable. During the day I did my best to stay in the water just so that I would know that I was staying cool. In order to do that I tried my hand at Skim Boarding, Long Boarding and Ocean Kayaking, in addition to just swimming with family friends and all my cousins. In my own opinion, I would have to say I was relatively successful considering the circumstances. I didn't completely fail at any of the new things I tried, I just had one mishap with the ocean kayak and that was more my dad's fault than mine. After I tipped the Kayak he tried to wrangle it in and ended up hitting me in the knee with it. I ended up with a battle wound, a nice bruise, but that was about it.
The other thing about that day was the new spectacle of my cousins new puppy. He is named Chase. I really couldn't tell you what kind of dog he is, I have to imagine he is some kind of mutt. Everyone wanted to play with him and I don't think that dog got put down for more than five minutes. The only time he got a chance to run around on his own he ran into the ocean and got knocked over by a wave because he is so little. He loved the water though. My dad and my cousin's fiancé even put the puppy on a boogie board in the ocean just to see what it would do. Only in my family.
Drinking on the beach and spending time with family and friends highlights my summer days. While I am back in school I would give almost anything to have this kind of day back. I can't wait till my cousin's wedding on the 21st when we can all get together again. This time in Minnesota. I hope they're ready for my entire crazy family.
 |
| The truck graveyard |
Our ride starts out different than most people's drive to the shore. We pass what my brother calls the "wild cows" and what could only be describes as a truck graveyard.
 |
| Ocean Spray |
Continuing down a long country road, you finally end up back in civilization. You're in Lakehurst, the New Jersey town most famous for being the crash site of the Hindenberg in the 1920s. Eventually, Route 37 turns into Route 35 and you're on the island that is home to some of the big time North Jersey BEach towns like Seaside Heights, Seaside Park, Lavallette and Ortley Beach.
Our Stop, 11th Lane in Seaside Park. To say the house sticks out like a sore thumb would have to be an understatement considering it is the only bright purple house on the block. Or anywhere in the area for that matter. None of the houses are huge, but it doesn't really matter because what's important is being on the beach and spending time with family and friends.
 |
| Mema & Grandjim's house |
Out on the beach there was a sea of people. I was shocked because that day was supposed to be almost 100 degrees outside. I could only imagine what the people farther south had to deal with.
The beach was scorching but the cool water ( about 75 degrees) made it a little bit more bearable. During the day I did my best to stay in the water just so that I would know that I was staying cool. In order to do that I tried my hand at Skim Boarding, Long Boarding and Ocean Kayaking, in addition to just swimming with family friends and all my cousins. In my own opinion, I would have to say I was relatively successful considering the circumstances. I didn't completely fail at any of the new things I tried, I just had one mishap with the ocean kayak and that was more my dad's fault than mine. After I tipped the Kayak he tried to wrangle it in and ended up hitting me in the knee with it. I ended up with a battle wound, a nice bruise, but that was about it.The other thing about that day was the new spectacle of my cousins new puppy. He is named Chase. I really couldn't tell you what kind of dog he is, I have to imagine he is some kind of mutt. Everyone wanted to play with him and I don't think that dog got put down for more than five minutes. The only time he got a chance to run around on his own he ran into the ocean and got knocked over by a wave because he is so little. He loved the water though. My dad and my cousin's fiancé even put the puppy on a boogie board in the ocean just to see what it would do. Only in my family.
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| The newest addition to our large family, the little Chase |
The Other Side of the Shore - A Perfect Storm
Watching a storm from the beach is one of the most scary, yet interesting things I can say I've ever experienced in my life. By being on the beach, there is nothing blocking your view of the horizon leaving you to see every lightning bolt in full view. That's great, unless you're scared of thunder, which I always have been.
Sitting on the beach we could tell that something was off. It was supposed to be 100 degrees out and it just wasn't. I wouldn't go as far as to say it had been cold but the temperature had definitely dropped since we had been out there. You could see the sun go behind the clouds and the sky became a hazy almost heather grey. The wind picked up and the flags were all flapping. You could just tell a storm was brewing.
We made our way up to the house hoping to not get caught in the rain. The kids were lucky and so were the moms. The dads however, not so much. A light rain started as they walked back from the beach.
Once everyone was in the house, we all began to look out the large back paladin window out onto the Sand Dunes and the water. You could see the sky turn from the light heather that it had once been to such a dark charcoal grey, you weren't sure if it was grey or black. The wind picked up even higher and thunder began to rumble. And suddenly out in the sky you see the most majestic yet scary thing. Down at the beach you don't see just the light. You see the whole lightning bolt. It is so hot that it is almost a purpley white and you see it just go over the horizon. There was lightning almost every second as far as the eye could see.
Once the storm was over, the sun came back out. It was setting so we were able to see both a rainbow and the weird effect that comes along with a sunset after rain. The lightning was still happening and at that point you could see horizontal lightning because it was still stuck in the clouds. It was actually pretty cool to go outside and see.
As much as I hate storms, I would have to say a storm down the shore would have to be a perfect storm. It's interesting, scary and beautiful. Unless the power goes out, but we didn't have that happen.
Sitting on the beach we could tell that something was off. It was supposed to be 100 degrees out and it just wasn't. I wouldn't go as far as to say it had been cold but the temperature had definitely dropped since we had been out there. You could see the sun go behind the clouds and the sky became a hazy almost heather grey. The wind picked up and the flags were all flapping. You could just tell a storm was brewing.
We made our way up to the house hoping to not get caught in the rain. The kids were lucky and so were the moms. The dads however, not so much. A light rain started as they walked back from the beach.
Once everyone was in the house, we all began to look out the large back paladin window out onto the Sand Dunes and the water. You could see the sky turn from the light heather that it had once been to such a dark charcoal grey, you weren't sure if it was grey or black. The wind picked up even higher and thunder began to rumble. And suddenly out in the sky you see the most majestic yet scary thing. Down at the beach you don't see just the light. You see the whole lightning bolt. It is so hot that it is almost a purpley white and you see it just go over the horizon. There was lightning almost every second as far as the eye could see.
Once the storm was over, the sun came back out. It was setting so we were able to see both a rainbow and the weird effect that comes along with a sunset after rain. The lightning was still happening and at that point you could see horizontal lightning because it was still stuck in the clouds. It was actually pretty cool to go outside and see.
As much as I hate storms, I would have to say a storm down the shore would have to be a perfect storm. It's interesting, scary and beautiful. Unless the power goes out, but we didn't have that happen.
Monday, July 2, 2012
Jet Skiing, Tubing and Boating, Oh My! - Fulfills Exercise 15
A weekend with my cousins is never without incident. It never has been. It is something you always kind of expect. We've been known to say that we put the FUN in dysfunctional. This weekend was no difference. A weekend down the shore at Dena's house, and it was definitely not incident free.
There were six of us who were spending the day together. Myself, my brother Julian, Jordyn, Gianna, Bianca and Michael. We were at my cousin Johnny Boy's house in Brick. The house has a lagoon in the backyard which leads to the Barnegat Bay and the house itself is no more than 15 minutes from the Seaside Heights Boardwalk.
After finally getting to Johnny's around 10:30 AM, we came out to the backyard intent on using the jetskis. There were two of them, candy apple red and royal blue. Climbing on, we put three of us on one and three on the other to make sure we all went out. Little did we know that eventually we all would end up falling in the water. The Barnegat Bay was an adobe brown with a green and it made me slightly nervous that I couldn't see the bottom. It was this fear of the unknown because since I couldn't see what was going on in deeper portions of the water, anything could be down there. The contrast between the stunning Azure color of the sky was unlike anything I had seen prior. With the pine tree and Avocado green of the foliage around the bay not to mention the houses in every color of the rainbow from heather grey, Army Green, Apricot and almost any other color you could think of, it was a very colorful site out on the bay.
Julian drove the Royal Blue jet ski with Michael and Gianna on it. I was on the Candy Apple Red one, and Bianca and Jordyn were on with me. We raced to the other side of the bay before turning around and coming home. We didn't want to go too close to the bridge because none of us have jet ski licenses and by the bridge is where the NJ State Police are. We really weren't trying to add "get pulled over by jet ski cops" to the list of things we did that weekend. Especially considering what was about to happen.
Jordyn and Gianna both ride horses, and as a result Gianna had the brilliant idea to try and do some of the things that she could do on her horse on the jet ski. Hind sight is 20/20 and looking back on it now my brother probably realizes that this wasn't one of his brightest moments. First he starts to do a figure 8 on the jet ski. They're fine and then they decide they're going to do a zig zag. Let's put it this way, jet skis are not made to do zig zag because the next thing we know, they aren't following us anymore. I realize they must have fallen off. Worried about them we stop and I lean to the left to see where they are. Bianca and Jordyn, as the nosy bodies that they are decide they're going to look left as well. The three of us like a bunch of jerks, lean to the same side and tip our jet ski over as a result. At this point my brother has already gotten back on his jet ski and is driving past laughing at us.
Later on we get my cousin Johnny Boy to take us out on the boat. We attach to the back of their boat this thing Jordyn and Gianna call "Big Mabel". Big Mabel is a raft which is attached by a rope to the back of the boat. You put a life jacket on, turn on the engine of the boat, and hold on to the raft for dear life.
From the very beginning there was a specific order to who was going on, with whom and exactly what order. Eventually my cousins Gianna and Michael go on together. At this point, a lot of boats and people were out on the water. The water had gotten really choppy to a point where you were holding on even tighter to this raft. That is when something happened that I couldn't tell you whether it was funny or awful. At the time I don't think I've ever laughed so hard in my entire life. Gianna decides it is a good idea to let go of the tube with one hand. I am not sure what she plans on doing with that hand but it ended up being her downfall. The next thing we knew she was in the air like a jack in the box. She had flown about 15 feet and before we knew it crashed into the water. I was laughing so hard but it had to have hurt. We made jokes about it the rest of the day because that is just the kind of family we are.
Like I said, a weekend with my cousins is never without incident. Next time - 4th of July in Seaside. And that time it is going to be my whole crazy family.
There were six of us who were spending the day together. Myself, my brother Julian, Jordyn, Gianna, Bianca and Michael. We were at my cousin Johnny Boy's house in Brick. The house has a lagoon in the backyard which leads to the Barnegat Bay and the house itself is no more than 15 minutes from the Seaside Heights Boardwalk.
After finally getting to Johnny's around 10:30 AM, we came out to the backyard intent on using the jetskis. There were two of them, candy apple red and royal blue. Climbing on, we put three of us on one and three on the other to make sure we all went out. Little did we know that eventually we all would end up falling in the water. The Barnegat Bay was an adobe brown with a green and it made me slightly nervous that I couldn't see the bottom. It was this fear of the unknown because since I couldn't see what was going on in deeper portions of the water, anything could be down there. The contrast between the stunning Azure color of the sky was unlike anything I had seen prior. With the pine tree and Avocado green of the foliage around the bay not to mention the houses in every color of the rainbow from heather grey, Army Green, Apricot and almost any other color you could think of, it was a very colorful site out on the bay.
Julian drove the Royal Blue jet ski with Michael and Gianna on it. I was on the Candy Apple Red one, and Bianca and Jordyn were on with me. We raced to the other side of the bay before turning around and coming home. We didn't want to go too close to the bridge because none of us have jet ski licenses and by the bridge is where the NJ State Police are. We really weren't trying to add "get pulled over by jet ski cops" to the list of things we did that weekend. Especially considering what was about to happen.
Jordyn and Gianna both ride horses, and as a result Gianna had the brilliant idea to try and do some of the things that she could do on her horse on the jet ski. Hind sight is 20/20 and looking back on it now my brother probably realizes that this wasn't one of his brightest moments. First he starts to do a figure 8 on the jet ski. They're fine and then they decide they're going to do a zig zag. Let's put it this way, jet skis are not made to do zig zag because the next thing we know, they aren't following us anymore. I realize they must have fallen off. Worried about them we stop and I lean to the left to see where they are. Bianca and Jordyn, as the nosy bodies that they are decide they're going to look left as well. The three of us like a bunch of jerks, lean to the same side and tip our jet ski over as a result. At this point my brother has already gotten back on his jet ski and is driving past laughing at us.
Later on we get my cousin Johnny Boy to take us out on the boat. We attach to the back of their boat this thing Jordyn and Gianna call "Big Mabel". Big Mabel is a raft which is attached by a rope to the back of the boat. You put a life jacket on, turn on the engine of the boat, and hold on to the raft for dear life.
From the very beginning there was a specific order to who was going on, with whom and exactly what order. Eventually my cousins Gianna and Michael go on together. At this point, a lot of boats and people were out on the water. The water had gotten really choppy to a point where you were holding on even tighter to this raft. That is when something happened that I couldn't tell you whether it was funny or awful. At the time I don't think I've ever laughed so hard in my entire life. Gianna decides it is a good idea to let go of the tube with one hand. I am not sure what she plans on doing with that hand but it ended up being her downfall. The next thing we knew she was in the air like a jack in the box. She had flown about 15 feet and before we knew it crashed into the water. I was laughing so hard but it had to have hurt. We made jokes about it the rest of the day because that is just the kind of family we are.
Like I said, a weekend with my cousins is never without incident. Next time - 4th of July in Seaside. And that time it is going to be my whole crazy family.
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