Family Day at the Beach

Well....it is Sunday night and our Family Day at the beach was much abbreviated this weekend...the kid's sister is playing fast pitch softball, just like her Mother did, on a competitive team based out of our home town.....the team was formed to develop future players and only plays in tournaments around our area....this weekend we played in a tournament about 75 miles south of us in a little beach side community called Cocoa Beach....first game Saturday at Noon, second game at 3:30 and the third game at 5:00 pm.....didn't do real well on Saturday....the highlight of the day was when Aunt Mary arrived to watch the games with us....."Aunt Mary, you know, the one that has lived on the islands for the last 15 or 20 years", that was the kid's description to his sister when she questioned who was coming.....the kid remembers her well....a few years back we lived south of here a ways and Aunt Mary would visit every three months or so......remember she lived on an island and the biggest store there is smaller than your local 7-11......she and the kid would hit EVERY big box store in Broward County, and as I remember they would buy everything in sight.....of course the kid would always come home with a great story of shopping and a new toy.....of course there was also the time he dumped a chocolate shake all over the rear seat of a brand new Volvo convertible.....Aunt Mary was so cool about that....she just took the car back to the rental agency and said "give me another one".....sure made an impression on the kid...he still remembers and talks about it with fondness......Aunt Mary arrived with Don (ask her) and we had a wonderful time on Saturday with them......they hung out with us under our sunshades in the center field bleachers (we made our own bleachers) and we had a great visit....the kid thinks she is funny as all get out.....he truly enjoyed her company...... but today, our Family Beach Day.....about 10:00 pm Saturday night the phone rings and it is the kid's sister's coach....our first game is at 8:00 am on Sunday.....75 miles away.....after going 0-3 on Saturday I was surprised we were invited back on Sunday.....wasn't sure I wanted to go back but I am not living this life for me right now am I.....so Sunday morning the alarm goes off at 4:30 and the day begins.....75 miles, a sleepy wife and two kids and 2 hours later we arrive at the ball field again.....the kid and I set up camp and begin to move muscles that are still asleep.....just before the game is set to begin the kid's sister runs up and tells us she will be pitching the first game today.....now understand that the kid's sister is a pretty good pitcher, but the FIRST game, with limited warm up.....but two hours later, in a game that is scheduled to be played in an hour and fifteen minutes, we are finally done....the game went extra innings and she pitched a no hitter into the last inning....gave up a couple of hits and then a few errors by her teammates tied the game....in extra innings with two outs and a runner on second she nails a pitch into deep right center......started a rally that gave her a lead.....so proud of that little girl....she took the game into her own hands several times and got her team out of a jam with her pitching and then gets a clutch hit in extra innings to put her team ahead.....thought we had a victory today for sure.....but our defense needs lots of work....went one and out.....but we got to spend some extra time in Cocoa Beach anyway...
visited a world famous beach club in Cocoa Beach and got the longroof and the bus a sticker for their toys.....best yet we got to spend a couple of wonderful hours with Aunt Mary and Don.... cool people in their environment enjoying life as it should be enjoyed.....ate a good meal at Don's club in Port Canaveral and truly enjoyed the interaction between Aunt Mary and the kids.....she spoils the heck out of the kid's sister.....it was a pleasure to watch them together.....reminded me of watching the horsefarmer and the kid together moving tractors, or BBBob and the kid talking racing....but better because it is a relationship the kid's sister has to herself......ok enough now.....back to the abbreviated Family Day at the Beach....after getting home, the kid and I knocked a couple of items off the honey-do list, watched the Dolphins get a win over the Patriots and then we fired up the old jeep and headed east....bEACH bOUND for surf.....stopped at a buddy's to watch the biff win the circle track race.....headed over the big bridge.....got to the beach and high tide prevented a cruise so we decided to check in on Jon-Jon.....had a good visit with Jon-Jon ironing out some details and then caught the westward winds home....
sometimes a Family Day at the Beach has to be a drive by.........

Celebrate Life......

details to follow.......thanks Tom