A note on yesterday's post before I get started. No matter how normal you know it must be to have quarrels with your husband/significant other, it's always reassuring to hear that everyone else goes through it too. Thank you all for your comments, as they were most appreciated!
Now, onto a mini-recap of our holiday weekend. We had to wait until Jon got home from class on Thursday night to make our drive up to the Jersey Shore from our home in Virginia. That means we didn't even get on the road until after 10:00 PM and we still had to drop Lola off at Gram and Pop's house in Maryland on our way up. We didn't arrive at our final destination until 2:30 AM and promptly crashed on our beds upon arrival. I woke up relatively early the next morning to get a run in on the beach, because really, there is no better place to run than alongside the ocean, with the cool breeze blowing over the water and the smell of salt, sand and seaweed in the air.
On a side note, I've finally come out of my early retirement from running. I've been getting in at least 3 runs a week and let me tell you, it feels awesome to run on my own terms with no pressure to be the fastest. The added definition to my legs helps too! I'm seriously thinking about running a marathon, but will probably attempt a ½ marathon first to see how I like it. The farthest I've ever run at one time is 10 miles so I also need to see if it's something my body can even handle! I'm not going to lie though, the thought of all of the training leading up to the marathon kind of scares me! It's a huge time committment.
Okay, back to the vacation. We (the boys) decided months ago that a fishing trip was in order, so after a day at the beach on Friday we packed up a cooler of beer and headed to one of the local boats that charters evening fishing trips. We should have known than we were in for a rocky voyage when we overheard another passenger saying that the other fishing boat in town wasn't going out that night due to the high winds and subsequent big swells. Let me share something with you: I get seasick. I barely got certified in scuba diving because I got so sick after our first dive that I refused to go back out for our final certification dive. A little Dramamine rectified that, but still, a girl can only take so much.
Initially, our captain told us that we would just be fishing in the inlet where the sea was much calmer, but on the way out there he had a change of heart. We would be going out to the ocean to cast our lines afterall! I knew I was in trouble when the first mate told me, "You might want to hold onto something, it's going to get rough!" I'm pretty sure that was after a random drunk kid had already tossed his cookies over the side of the boat. Ugh. No sooner had we made it out of the inlet and into the ocean did the captain realize that he made a mistake. The boat was rocking so hard in the swells, along with my stomach, that there was no way we would be able to fish, let alone stand without holding onto something.
He promptly turned us around and took us on an hour long voyage into the bay. We were finally able to cast our lines, but at this point I was basically hanging over the railing because my stomach had had enough. Still, I was enjoying fishing, that is until the first catch on the boat was made. Then all of my animal love came flooding back into me and all I could do was feel so very sorry for the poor baby shark that had been caught. Other people began to make catches, and the more that were caught, the worse I felt, both in my stomach and my heart. The worst was yet to come though. My friend caught a 3 foot sandshark and took the obligatory picture with his catch. Then the firstmate grabbed the shark by it's tail, swung and banged it's head on the deck! Right behind me! Apparently that's the way they kill them. Oh, the horror for an animal lover.
Thank god Jon was standing right next to me, because I got really upset and promptly buried my head in his armpit and cried. I am such a wuss. It was so upsetting to see that though! They cut and clean the meat right on board and I just couldn't watch. The only wonderful part about the fishing trip was that we got to see a fireworks show (lit a day early) over the water and it really was quite beautiful. I walked off of that boat thankful for dry land and the seafood counter at our grocery store where the fish already come filleted (yes, I am such a hypocrite).
On the 4th, I made it a point to watch the Men's 10,000 meter Olympic trails because my college teammate, Ed Moran, was running in it. He actually started out at Richmond with me as a freshman, but transferred to William & Mary as a sophomore. He is a real talent and so gracious and modest, just the kind of person you would like to see represent the USA in the Olympics. Unfortunately, he came in 4th place, just shy of making the Olympic team but I am still so proud that he made it that far!
For anyone else in the mid-Atlantic, you know the weather for the rest of the weekend was not great, gray and damp all around. Nonetheless, it was still fabulous to spend Independence Day with our friends, friends whom I am especially thankful for because they were Jon's friends first and they have always been so warm and wonderful and accepting towards me. It's lovely to now share them with Jon!
