(note: to make it easier...i only type in lower case)
- ok, i really am convinced i have some sort of aura about myself that attracts others who are boundary challenged within five miles, and this summer it has never been more apparent............, it doesn't matter where i am, i can always point out the person or persons whom will find there way next to me, only to invade my personal space. most times i find it pretty amusing and down right interesting, to say the least, saturday was no exception.....here's the story (and i'm sticking to it). saturday morning i was picked up by my eldest daughter and her two kiddlets, they arrived promptly at 8am, everyone in the best of birthday spirits and after a little (ok LOT) of rearranging of the back of her car, to pile in all i would need for a fun filled day and night in the oc, at our fav-o-rite beach and bbq pit, we were off ....we made great time and arrived in dana point close to 9am, only to be sent packing, as all the fire pits had been gone hour's ago. after the initial surprise and disappointment, we gained our composer and good spirits, made a quick phone call to my youngest daughter and her hubby and kiddlet, who were on the road a half a hour behind us, to let them know we were changing destinations, and if they were closer to hit huntington to secure a fire ring and we would head to corona del mar, being early we felt one of us was going to get that convented fire ring, at one of the three beaches .....for sure. well minutes later a call came in letting us know that all southern californians were at the beach today and that all the fire pits were gone at both huntington's, and they would run down to sunset and we should hit crystal cove and check out if they even had fire pits . by now it is going on 11:00 am and panic has set in, not to mention the lovely moods from the kiddlets in the backseat who have now been trapped for more then 3 hours with no food or drinks. after trying corona del mar, crystal cove, both huntington's again, the dog beach, balsa chica, sunset and seal beach,.... we settled on sunset , only to park, drag our self's and some of our belongings to the beach and quickly realize why we don't ever come to this part of the ocean....it stinks.....really stinks ( x10 ) like all of california's waste is being dumped in this part of the ocean.....so back to the car lugging all our junk and off to huntington we head, fire ring long forgotten. paid our 12 parking fee and started to look for a open place to park that wasn't in the north forty as we had allot to unpack and haul. ok ..that didn't happen and we soon found our self getting a refund and heading south on 101, it is now noon and the remaining lone kiddo in the backseat(t- bailed hour's ago to hang with his aunt and uncle when we hooked up at smelly beach,as their group was/seemed to be in a better mood then ours) has been repeating how hungry and thirsty his is over and over and over, we spotted the " shake shack" and in we pulled, much to our surprise it was not crowded and we were even able to secure a table in the shade (score), we got some tuna sandwiches and chocolate malts and just as things were starting to look up, the place was over run with tourist whom liked our spot and started crowding in on us, one gentleman even started to throw away my food when i got up for a moment to look out at the view.....of course, my eldest put them in there place and they quickly retreated, but just for a minute. with the crowds moving in we thought it best to get our self to a beach...fast.... so back to crystal cove we headed. upon arrival we were told it was a pretty steep hike down to the beach and they didn't think a toddler could make it. well our thinking was if a toddler would have trouble making it so would the crowd , after no less then a twenty minute wait for a parking spot we were out of the car and loaded up with only the necessity( way to much cr__),down the hill we went......(it took three trips in all to get all we would need to chill-lax in the sun) much to our surprise it was a beautiful beach and although it was full it wasn't that crowded. we set up the kids sun shelter and chairs and umbrella's, beach toys, blankets etc... thoughts of chilling with a good magazine and arnold palmer (NA of course) were quickly replaced with fear, as i looked up the cliff in front of me and spotted ...a man and his wife, dressed in there sunday best, bags of groceries in both hands, i instantly knew....yes that right ....they had there sites set on our spot and nothing was going to deter them. they unpacked there bags, blankets, baby, right on top of us and before long they doubled and tripled and quadrupled and they were now a group of 20 plus, they had literally set there blankets on top of ours and they were co-mingling. the topper was when i glanced back from my chair to see my eldest being passed watermelon, nuts and coffee.......i guess my glares didn't work after all....i am pretty sure GOD was testing me and lets just say i don't think i got a passing grade.......i packed up all our stuff, which took like 6 trips and moved us down the beach...........it was now like 3:00 and my youngest and her crew arrived, only to have to make three trips to drag all there stuff down......... hubby and and son in law, followed shortly thereafter. and the good times rolled.....so all that for a couple hour's at the beach and a life time of memories.......:)
