Family Time at the Beach, and Women Who Just Don't Know How to Behave

I am just home from Long Beach Island, and I am tired. I need to unpack and wash clothes before we pack back up for another planned vacation. But I have a story to tell that's just too funny to forget.

We stayed at a place that my friend Mandy had suggested, and it was amazing. One side is on the beach, the other (the street side) has a pool and jacuzzi. Before checking in, we went to the beach, so the kids were feeling very itchy from all the sand that was trapped in their suits. By the time we'd arrived at the hotel, the kids wanted to jump in the pool to rid their bodies of sand. I went with them, while W got our stuff out of the car and into our room (incredibly sweet of you, W).

We are not in the pool five minutes when the kids decide they want me in the jacuzzi. It was about 85* and I just wasn't feeling the hot jacuzzi. But they pleaded and made cute faces, and sure enough, I was in. There was one other mom in the jacuzzi, with her two daughters. She remarked that we must be crazy, she and I, for getting into the hot tub. She seemed lovely, even though she looked and sounded a bit like Janice from the show Friends.

A minute or two later, this lady from Bergen County, Lisa, and I were talking about where we grew up. Long Island, both of us. I thought it was nice that we both were raised somewhat near one another, and here we were, all grown up and chatting. And then she started talking about how she goes to this particular hotel every year, stays for a week, and that she and her daughters hawk handmade goods. She said that this year they brought feather clip-ons, earrings, headbands and more. I mistakenly mentioned that M was looking for a feather extension. She mentioned that they were all the rage. I asked if she had a store. "No," she said, "we just bring them in ziplock bags and walk around selling them to the waitresses and guests around the hotel.  "But", she added, "I am working with Zia someone or other, from the Housewives of New Jersey to design jewelry for them. Anywayt, we should bring them down to show you. Then, she began poking her daughter (about 9 years old), telling her to go up to the room and get her stuff. She said, "You have a potential customer here. You can make some money."

Um, can you say, balls?

I was trying to tell W what was going on without actually saying it (he was a bit far away). Then thunder rumbled, I grabbed the kids out of the pool, and ran to our rooms, explaining everything to W as we went along.

"Only you could have all this happen in five minutes," he said. Ugh, he's right.

The rest of our vacation was wonderful, though when I did run into her again, she attempted to start the conversation over, and pointed out the feathers that were in her hair. I quickly hustled past her, and that was the end of it.

She did, at some point, want to have dinner with us. Unbelievable. I almost lost my mind.

The point of this story is that while, at times, people look for other families to meet on vacation, and forge friendships. If this is true for you, enjoy yourself. Please realize, though, that some of us really want to spend time with our family, just our family, alone.