I DO LIKE TO BE BESIDE THE SEASIDE!

 When my daughter showed me an invitation she had received, to attend a 'baby shower', I was not surprised.  I knew her friend was expecting and a baby shower would be expected.  However, it was in Corpus Christi, some three to four hours drive away, and that would not be a day trip.  Not being a day trip meant two things.  Firstly, that she would want someone to accompany her, and of course the first choice would be her husband.  Secondly, if the first choice accepted the invite, the next thing would be, "Who can look after the dogs?"  I am unsure as to why that was put into the form of a question, as it is always far from a question, often not really a request, but more of a 'fate accomplis'.  However, that was not the end of the matter.  The date was the problem.  "It's Labor Day weekend".  

Not having made any plans for a trip away on the three day weekend, after the last one being not all that was expected, we had not talked about another break.  I had mused with the idea of going somewhere, but it had got no further than a muse!  However, the thought of dog sitting for three days, especially on a three day weekend, sent me into panic mode.  I did not really want to do it!  A three day weekend is a chance to recoup, have a shorter work week, and generally, 'kick back'.  Having the dogs does not allow any recuperation, leaves me feeling as if I have been pulled through a hedge backwards (as the saying goes) and generally makes me fractious!  "We need to go away for Labor Day!" I told Dana.

"Where do you want to go?" my husband asked, when I virtually demanded we get out of town.  There are many places to visit, all over the world, but not on a three day weekend.  There are many places to visit all over the country, but some would be harder than
others on a three day weekend.  However, there are a variety of places to visit in Texas, despite some of those not being conducive to a three day weekend!  I would love to go down to 'the valley' but it is a six to eight hour drive, and that would not be much of a break.  To go up to the 'pan handle' would require a very long drive.  I remembered some time ago, someone buying me a mug from Port Aransas, and thinking, "That looks nice", and that it would be a nice place to visit.  "Port Aransas!" I stated without a second thought!

Of course, nothing is as simple as it sounds.  "I want, gets nothing", my father used to say.  Actually, this was a statement referring to manners, mainly, as if we said, "I want", rather than "Please may I have" it was considered rude.   However, I had been asked what "I want" and I had given a reply.  "We could go to....", and a variety of options came out.  In the past, I have given way to other options, and invariably been told, afterwards, "Why didn't you say where you wanted to go?"  I insisted.  "I want to go to Port Aransas!"  Many more options were thrown at me, and eventually, I asked, "What is wrong with Port Aransas?"  A long sigh gave way to the statement, "Texas beaches are not all that pretty".  I could only respond with, "Have you seen Brighton?"  Much as I loved Brighton as a kid, the beach is stony.  Southend, although perhaps different now, was not a beach on which you wanted to sit or paddle.  Of course, there are beautiful English beaches, but not all are like the Cornish coast!  He booked a hotel, in Corpus Christi!  

"What are you going to do with the dogs?" I asked Samantha, who had been waiting to see if we were going to be home for the three day weekend.  Their options for hotels were now limited, although not really by much.  Most places accept dogs.  

"Your hotel is by Selena's statue", she said to me, when she found out where I was staying.  It was not on the beach, and it was not in Port Aransas.  It was opposite the marina, and apparently, opposite a statue.  "Who is Selena when she is at home?" I asked.  The gasps were so audible the people in the supermarket half a mile away apparently turned and shook their heads.  "You don't know Selena?" came the whispered, shocked, almost scared question. "No, I do not know Selena!" I stated, reasonably loudly.  "Shhh", came the response.  You will get lynched!  I was led into the back room and played a selection of songs.  Unfortunately, I was none the wiser.  I was given a quick history lesson about a girl who was born in Texas, showed great aptitude in the field of music, and was about to be the next (or some perhaps think first) Gloria Estefan.  However, at the tender age of 23, she was shot, by a friend!  Living (I believe) in Corpus Christi, she became a legend, their legend, and a memorial was erected in memory of the girl who 'could have been'.  At this stage, I would like to apologise to those who actually knew her, knew her better, and knew what she could have been, because I do not, and whilst that does not diminish her style, her contribution, her talent or memory, it is a fact.  I had never heard of her.  However, I was going to hear a lot more!

With a hotel booked, and the chance to get out of town for the weekend, I started to become a little more excited.  I was not going to stay at the place I had originally wanted but we were only down the road a short distance.  I had decided that I was really going to make the most of every minute.   

We left after I had made my trip to the pool, and headed to Buc-ees for my first cup of coffee.  There, as large as life, stood Buc-ee!  Dana spotted him at the same time.  I got out my camera.  "Do you want a picture with Buc-ee?" asked the lady who was leading the giant beaver along the aisles, so he didn't bump into anything.  She looked at me with one of those half-sympathetic, half-really at your age looks and blinked as if to add, "It's someone in a suit".  I rolled my eyes, and responded in kind. "No, but I need to take a picture of him with my husband".  The look of 'Oh my goodness, that is worse" crossed her face, and she all but ran away!  Dana and Buc-ee hugged, like long lost friends.  When I sent the picture to Richard, he said, "I am surprised Buc-ee is not as tall as Dana". I told him that Buc-ee is very tall, but so excited to see his best friend, he slouched!  Samantha was reasonably impressed.  After the interaction, I went to get coffee. I filled my cup with syrup, flavoured creamer, coffee and ice.  Dana chose a small cup of regular coffee, and we left.  "I was looking forward to an expresso bar", said my husband, as he sipped on what he called an 'average' cup of coffee.  "It's Buc-ees,  not Harrods!" I quipped, perhaps a little too harshly.  "But you did get to see your friend!" I quickly added.  We headed on our way.  

Eventually, after hours of driving through countryside, we saw the signs for Corpus Christi, and Port Aransas.  "If we hit Port A first, then it gets it out of the way", said Dana.  I was a little shocked.  Get it out of the way?  What else are we going to do?  That was the whole point of my visit.  "Really?" he responded.  We did hit Port A, and bought our yearly beach pass, for $12.  Finding a space, we parked the car, and walked along the beach.  Brighton it was not.  Southend it was not.  Admittedly, not quite Cornwall, but not far off, the sands were golden and the sea remarkably green.  The water was warm.  The Gulf Coast is rather spectacular in my opinion, but that is perhaps because it is the Gulf Coast.  It is one of those places that I would hear about as a child, and wonder if I would ever get to see!

After walking for a while, we went back to the car, and headed across to the mainland, to our hotel.  The view was beautiful.  Most of the hotels were built so that the rooms were all on the side, and so all had a view.  We were on the tenth floor.  Any higher and we would be in the restaurant or on the roof!  I went for a swim.  One reason for me wanting a break was to break with routine, but it had been a long drive, and a swim would be just the thing to revive me.  

Dinner was going to have to be a compromise.  We had arranged to meet one of our servers, who although we have know for years, we have never met.  Unfortunately, her husband could not come, as it was the first day of the 'hunt', but she said she would love to meet us, and as Samantha (and Grant) are those with which she communicates the most, we had all arranged to meet up for dinner.  Samantha had been to her 'shower', and was waiting for Edward to collect her.  The compromise was to find somewhere that would allow dogs!  The restaurant had a deck, but was very, very busy, and did not take bookings.  "What do you mean, they need a rabies tag?" said my daughter, who did not bring the dogs tags, as she never brings the dogs tags!  Dana and I had walked to the restaurant, passing the famous Selena memorial, having to step into the road to avoid the crowds that were swarming around this little gazebo with a brass statue inside, and sat ourselves down.  The hostess had asked for the dogs' tags before she would take the reservation.  "Will a picture do?" Samantha messaged.  "Will a picture work?" asked Dana to the hostess.  "I guess", said the flustered female, younger than Selena at her oldest!  Of course, Samantha could only find one picture on her phone, and was frantically checking all her old 'memories' to find the second.  She thought she might have a copy of the receipt for the jab, but could not find it.  Our server came along shortly after seven.  We had been sitting there for about half an hour and the time the table may be available was unknown.  They were having problems in the kitchen!  However, it gave us time to 'meet and greet'.  It is always strange meeting someone for the first time, when you have a 'phone' relationship, and are very easy going over the air!  When face to face, it is almost like you don't know how to act, or what to say.  You know most about the person, but here you are, and it is almost like a first date!  Thankfully, there is always the 'industry' to talk about, and that topic broke the ice, on a very, very hot evening.

Samantha, Edward and the boys could be heard coming along the road.  The boys could be heard, followed by, "Be quiet", followed by, "Oh my goodness, he is so cute...oh my goodness there are two".  I could not see them yet, but they were definitely on their way!  "Who do I have to show this photo to?" was the first greeting from my daughter.  She quickly apologised to Kelli and I made the introductions.  "Who do I have to show this photo to?" she repeated after they had said "Hello".  Thankfully Kelli loves dogs, and could not understand why the restaurant wanted to see tags, unless they had been through an 'incident' in the past! 

"Edward had to sign a waver at the hotel, to say the dogs wouldn't
bark" she said as we headed to our table.  "Your dogs not bark?" I questioned.  "I know, right!" she said.  "The lift made a ding sound every time it stopped, and it stopped a lot.  I bribed the with treats, but then another dog barked, and that was it!"  I could not imagine the hotel staff wanting to find out who was the initial culprit, and it would appear that they would have to throw everyone out, as most had dogs.  The boys got a reprieve!

Dinner was awful!  The food was not particularly good, and took forever to arrive.  The company was excellent.  The dogs were quite well behaved, but I think that had something to do with the 'deck' not being secured, and the movement perhaps unnerved them slightly.  "Did you see Selena?" asked Edward.  "No, I will see her on the way back, perhaps.  If the crowd has dispersed".  I asked him about his hotel.  "Is it nice?" I said.  He responded that it was.  "How is yours?" he said.  "How high are the ceilings?" he asked, tongue in cheek, remembering how oppressive the Floridian hotel had seemed to him.  "Very high", I responded.  "How high", he pressed.  "So high you can't actually see them!" I said.  I had to explain this to a bewildered Dana and Kelli.  Dana knew this must have been an inside joke, but the way in which the questions were posed, and the answers given, could have sounded a little terse, perhaps.  Edward and I have a very unique relationship!  

After we left the restaurant, Kelli drove us back to our hotel, after she gave Samantha a cooler full of fresh shrimp.  It was a gift from her husband! 

The next morning, I received a message from Samantha.  "Did you go swimming?"  I responded that I was still asleep.  Dana asked, "Are you going swimming?"  I responded that I was not going to swim, for the duration of the weekend.  I had come away to break with routine, and that was what I was going to do!  We had breakfast and then waited for a call from the kids.  "We can go to North Beach, but first, we want to see Selena!"  

Dana and I walked to the statue.  It was very crowded.  I took a picture and sent it to Grant.  "I am standing by this brass statue thing, and lots of people are taking my photo.  Can't think why!"  

Samantha and Edward arrived with the dogs.  They got into the queue to have their picture taken.  Dana, although having heard of the legend did not realise there was a queue.  "Come on", he said, "I will take the picture".  He pushed in front of the wrong party.   The grandmother was infuriated.  She stared at him with eyes that threw darts.  Her daughters gasped at his audacity.  The son in law could not believe his ears.  The baby was oblivious.  I am not sure if it was because we had 'pushed in', or because we refused to give reverence to the statute, but my kids were now going to have to wait, until everyone in the party  had their picture taken, jointly and individually, and in all manner of combinations.  If I had taken more notice in my maths class, how many combinations can be made from five people, I would have been able to calculate the amount of time we were going to be standing around.  However, added to that, there were the poses, and you cannot calculate how many different poses could be taken!  I waited for an error, and of course, it happened.  Daddy was not quick enough to take the baby, so mum had to move out of her place to pass her over.  "Move", I shouted, and my daughter took her place!  I am surprised I did not suffer third degree burns with the amount of fiery darts that emitted from each member of the family, minus the baby! We left immediately after!

Dana laid down in the tent on the beach, once we put it together, and Edward sat outside.  One of the dogs liked the sea, the other did not!  Samantha and I waded and paddled.  We had snow cones, and hotdogs!

We went back to the hotel, and got ready for dinner.  The kids headed home.  I had found a restaurant that had amazing reviews, and had suggested we book, which we did.  Thankfully so, as it was very busy with a line.  However, the outside looked like it had been closed down and condemned.  Never one to judge a book by its cover, I was anticipating a wonderful dinner, and I was not disappointed.  It was delicious!  

A ride back to the hotel was followed by a walk back to the statue. We did not wish to take pictures, nor to irritate fans, but just to walk. We found an ice cream truck and ordered two, and then sat by the marina. It was a wonderful evening.

After breakfast on Monday, we headed home.  We did not stop at Buc-ees, as I had no need for coffee.  Arriving home, we unpacked, and I went for a swim.  A neighbour was by the pool, and we started to chat.  "I know you want to swim, so I wont keep you", she said, thoughtfully.  I told her that I had no intention of swimming but would just float.  I was going to stick to the promise I had made to myself.  A complete weekend off!  Another neighbour came down and we chatted for a while.  It was a beautiful afternoon, and I had just had a wonderful weekend!  I felt fully refreshed!  

Work started on Tuesday morning, and it was as if I had never been away!  We were very busy and I was thankful for that too.  I was asked, "How was Selena".  I replied that she was still there!  "She must be very hot, she was wearing a jacket and boots.  It was nearly 100 degrees!"  Samantha brought lunch!  Shrimp!  After cleaning and taking off the heads and shells, she was left with three and a half pounds.  A very nice present.  

I would love to return to the seaside someday, and I have been promised a fishing lesson!  I doubt that I would reel in as much shrimp as Samantha had been given, but I might manage some small fry!  

The temperature has dropped slightly, and together with the sun rising later and setting earlier, I can finally feel autumn heading our way.  Another year over?  Not quite.  Still a few more weeks for ........ another story!