The Family

July 7, 2007 -- T and I got a late start, of course. After packing all our stuff, finding a luggage cart thingy, and loading up the car, we ended up leaving about an hour after we had hoped. (Nobody who knows me is surprised by this.) There was a ton of traffic on the Atlantic City Expressway (or the ACX if you want to sound like your from Jersey), as well as a few accidents. Luckily for us, the traffic was much worse going the other way.

As we drove through Philly, I had to deal with some mixed emotions. I love Philly, so it was very nice to be driving through and seeing some of the old familiar sights. The hard part was driving through without stopping at Geno's Steaks. As far as I can recall, this was the first time since moving away from the East Coast that I have been in the Philly area and not stopped at Geno's. (It's on 9th and Passyunk, if anyone is interested.) Every time I have flown into PHL to visit family, I have stopped at Geno's. (Onions, Peppers, and Provolone is my usual, although I sometimes go with Whiz instead of Provolone.) For the uninitiated, Geno's is the best place on Earth to buy an authentic Philly Cheese Steak. Every time Monday Night Football is in Philly, they cut away to Geno's before or after a commercial break. Presidents, mayors, athletes, beauty queens, singers, actors, and Tony Danza have all eaten at Geno's. There is another place nearby, Pat's, where one could feasibly get a cheese steak, but I'm not really sure why you would. Generally, you are either a Pat's person or a Geno's person. I'm a Geno's person, largely due to the fact that my big brother Tank is a Geno's person.

Back to the story: We made it to Nockamixon State Park by early afternoon -- a few hours behind, but with plenty of time to enjoy some family time. I think the attendance was somewhere in the 70s. We are hoping that the next reunion will double in size. (I have a pretty large family.) We are trying to revive a tradition of regular reunions that ended about 25 years ago.

So, I announced T's and my engagement on the web the night before the reunion. I never called any family members. So when we showed up at the reunion, only a few people knew the news. So there was a little bit of a deer-in-the-headlights moment as my family swarmed around Theresa. I felt a little bad for her, as she doesn't really like to be the center of attention, but I think the same thing would have happened whether or not my family had advanced notice.

Theresa had already met most of my immediate family, so there were only about 60 relatives there that she didn't know. (Actually there were about 25 relatives there that I didn't know.) We had a great time enjoying a nice day, talking with long-lost cousins, playing wiffle ball, looking at old photos, and watching the younger generation play games.

After our nice long day of reconnecting, we headed north to Pike County.

Catch-up Post #3: NJ part 2

July 6: After a whirlwind day on Thursday, we decided to go a little more low-key on our last day in Cape May. I got up a little early and headed out to do a little avian reconnaissance. T slept in a bit, then headed down to the beach. It was a nice hot day -- better for beaching than birding. I went back to the point and saw some good birds: black skimmer, osprey, least tern and common tern, among others.

Next I headed 10 minutes up the coast to Stone Harbor. I went there to go to the Stone Harbor Bird Sanctuary, a few blocks of uninterrupted habitat in the middle of the town. It has always been a great place to view several members of the Heron/Egret family. I walked about half way around the perimeter of the sanctuary (there are no paths through it, only views from outside), and finally located a small group of herons. I saw one snowy egret and four black-crowned night-herons. As I was checking them out, a passer-by asked me what I was looking at. She seemed surprised when I told her. She then told me that all of the resident herons had been either killed or chased away by feral cats. She said it had been several years since they've had any herons in the sanctuary. People, seriously, clip your cats.

While I was birding, T got some time in on the beach. We met up for some lunch, then headed back out to the beach together. We threw a ball around for a while. (I have to keep my body in softball condition.) T escaped the ordeal without a black eye or broken nose.

Finally, on the third day at the shore, I went into the water past my ankles. It felt great! There was a huge school of common dolphins swimming just off shore. There were a few people out far enough that they were just a few feet away from the school. I didn't quite go that far out -- just past the breakers. I was half day dreaming that one would come up to me, sea world style, but it didn't happen. I tried to get a picture of T on the beach with the dolphins jumping in the background, but numerous attempts proved futile (damn digital camera). You'll have to settle for this picture of T -- sans dolphins -- looking very makey-outy in her bikini and jean shorts.

Here's some proof that I was there, too.

We topped off another fine day in Jersey with a late dinner at the restaurant next door.

Next time on ECT-Sum'07, it's the dreaded Eberz Family Reunion. Dum, Dum, Dummmmm.

Catch-up Post #2: NJ part 1

July 4: We got in to our hotel, the Atlas, in Cape May around 6:30. The Atlas has seen better days. The paint job isn't the best ever. The elevator is slow as dirt. Every door sticks. But you can't beat the view.

We checked out the room, enjoyed the view from the balcony for a few minutes, then headed downstairs for a fresher-than-Red-Lobster seafood dinner in the hotel restaurant. (Crab cake sandwich was pretty darn good.)

We were both pretty full, but we couldn't go to sleep a stone's throw from the ocean without having touched it. So we walked to the edge of the earth and let the Atlantic reach out and touch our feet. Few things feel better.

Enjoying the incredible weather -- very cool for July -- we went to bed that night with our sliding glass door wide open and fell asleep to the sound of the ongoing battle between land and sea.

July 5: After 1300 miles of travels, we allowed ourselves to sleep in. The weather was cool again, with some showers in the forecast, so we decided to do a little site-seeing. We programmed Cape May Point State Park into the Garmin, and drove to across the point.

T is a big fan of lighthouses... and the ocean... which is a little weird, since she was born and raised in STL. But hey, I have a few quirks, too. Anyway, T had never been inside a lighthouse, so we were both pretty psyched about climbing the 199 steps to the top. It was pretty grueling, but the views of the town and ocean were definitely worth it.

What happened next has been previously blogged, so I'll spare you all the repetition. (I'm sure you'll all get sick of hearing this story anyway.)

So, she said "yes", but the ring was way too big. I knew this was the case, but the jeweler told me not to guess at the size, and I didn't want to spoil the surprise by asking T. So we scoped out a jeweler in town who could put a temporary "spacer" in the ring for us. We found a place in the Washington Street Mall area. With plenty of time left on the meter, we decided to take in some sights by foot. We spent about 45 minutes walking up and down streets filled with cute houses and shops. We went into a few shops, but didn't really buy much. It sprinkled on us a few times, but never to the point where it was unpleasant. As hunger started to set in (and T's shock began to wear off), we drove back to the hotel.

We walked to a great little place on the boardwalk for dinner. It didn't look like much from the boardwalk side, but after we made it past the waiting room we realized that we had made a good choice. The entire back (ocean side) of the restaurant was open, and we were seated at a cozy table right next to the railing.

The food was excellent -- I had the crab-stuffed chicken. We also had a small bottle of local wine. (We kept the bottle as a souvenir.)

We had our fill and enjoyed watching some of the restaurant's resident cats, then headed back to the hotel to see if our perfect day could get any better. (It did.)

You Heard It Here First!

I asked her in front of the Cape May lighthouse. She said "yes"!

This happened yesterday afternoon. I haven't called anybody -- mainly so we could spend the rest of our time in Cape May without spending half of it on the phone with family and friends. I hope you all understand. (Read: I hope you don't get bent out of shape.)

Long story short: We toured the lighthouse. I was hoping to pop the question outside, with a view of the lighthouse. As soon as we got outside, it started to sprinkle. I started to panic, thinking I was going to miss my chance. Then the rain stopped. I asked some guy to take a picture of us. He snapped one. Then I asked if he could take one more. (The second pic is the one shown here. The guy cut off the top of the lighthouse -- in fact, his composition was pretty poor. But how many people have a picture of the actual moment of their marriage proposal?)

It has been a crazy, wonderful, beautiful couple of days. We've been sitting on the balcony, sitting on the beach, swimming in the ocean, watching dolphins, eating lots of seafood, and spending lots of quality time together. Thus, the short posts.

Tomorrow T and I will be at a family reunion. So more posts will have to be of the catch-up variety. Sorry. If you get bored, you could always go to www.columbiatribune.com

Catch-up Post #2: VA, DC, NJ

July 3: I got up early to play a few more holes with Pop. I didn't hit the ball at anyone. I also didn't get any birdies. But I did play a bit more consistently -- pretty much pars and bogies.

T and I said our good-byes and hit the road. Pop sent us on our way with his Garmin GPS unit. (Thanks again, Pop!) So we followed the voice from Saluda to my brother Tank's house in the Greater DC Area. (Tank, none of my loyal readers knows or cares where Stafford is -- "DC" is close enough for them. They are a simple folk. There is no reason to cloud their minds with these details.)

Garmin got us to Tank's front door in about 9 hours. Tank and Mrs. Tank graciously fed us and let us crash. Usually when my brother and I get together we stay up all hours talking. But for this brief stay, we had to settle for just a few hours of talking and looking at old pictures.

July 4: T and I left Stafford around 10:15 bound for Arlington. Blossom, Mr. Blossom, and the Tall-Thin-Red-Headed Man, arranged to meet us on our way through the Greater DC Area. We met at a cool Irish pub called McConnell's. It was a few blocks off the beltway and a perfect excuse to have a Guinness before noon.

Here's a little background. Blossom is my ex-wife. We divorced on good terms about three years ago. (There were tense moments, of course, but I still consider our split "on good terms".) We still email every few months with updates. Blossom and Mr. B are pregnant -- due in September. TTRHM (aka DD), is an old college buddy of ours. He was formally the most single man I knew, but now he apparently has a girl friend. Sorry ladies.

Anyway, T and I had a very pleasant early lunch catching up. But then it was time to hit the road again.

Our route took us over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, which was cool but not very photogenic. Next was Maryland's Eastern Shore and Slower Delaware -- also not terribly photogenic. As we pulled through Georgetown, DE, we started seeing signs for the ferry, so we called the number and found out that one was leaving at 4:15, and then 6:15. It was 3:45 and we were about a half-hour away. For those of you with math difficulties: If we haul ass, we might make the first ferry. If we don't, we'll be waiting around Lewes, DE for two hours. We hauled ass, breaking the speed limit significantly for the first time on this trip. (Our gas mileage has been awesome, by the way.) We made the 4:15 ferry with a few minutes to spare, and enjoyed the 80 minute trip across the Delaware Bay. T's motion issues were put to the test by some good chop, but she came through it like a trooper. I saw some Wilson's Storm Petrels in transit. (In case anybody's wondering, I'm counting them on my Delaware list and my New Jersey list.)

We docked on the NJ side of the bay, and turned the Garmin back on. After a half hour drive across the point, we arrived in Cape May.

Catch-up Post #1: TN, SC

Alright, here's the longer version (with pictures):

July 1: We spent way longer than we wanted driving through Great Smokey Mountains National Park. The roads were very narrow and windy, not good for T's stomach. She fared well with the help of her ginger gum and other motion sickness accessories.

GSMNP provided some amazing views. We stopped early on in the day at a cute pull-off next to a stream. But the drive was so long, by the time we got to the top of the mountains, we were eager to get going -- knowing that we still had three or four hours of driving after we left the park. After driving past numerous amazing views, we finally decided we ought to stop and take a picture at one. Of course, by the time we decided this, all the best views were behind us. Thus the earlier reference to the worst view in GSMNP. (It was still really nice.)



July 2: After arriving safely in SC, we spent some good quality time with my Pop and Sung. The visit was very good. (The following is the opinion of the blogger. It is my blog, I'll say what I want. If you don't like it, start your own blog.) For those of you who don't know the story, my mom and pop split up a few years ago. I was relieved when they split, because I don't think either of them was as happy as they deserve to be. As a result of the split, there is still plenty of awkwardness. Those of you who have been through this with parents probably know the deal. Long story short, Pop was unhappy for years, and he seems much happier now. This is a good thing. I had a very nice time staying with him for a day and a half.

So, here's the golf story: Pop, Sung and I went out to play a few holes while T relaxed with a book. Sung stops at the Ladies' tee while Pop and I go on to the Mens'. Pop tells me to go first, and as I step up to the tee, I see Sung up ahead. She moves towards the tree line about 35 degrees away from the direction I'm supposed to hit, but all I can think is I haven't hit a ball in at least three years. She is totally not safe standing over there. You know where this story is going. I hit the ball off the heal of the club, and sure enough, it was a line drive right at Sung. Thankfully, she danced her way out of harm's way. (Freud would have a field day with this, but I swear it was an accident!)

More updates later, it's time to go to the lighthouse.

DC Tonight, NJ Tomorrow

OK, I know that my posting has been brief, and I'm sorry. Our schedule has been pretty packed and hasn't allowed much time for blogging. I'll get caught up -- I promise. Just not tonight.

Here's the short version:

We had a great visit with Pop and Sung. I played a little golf -- rain denied me a full round. I hit the ball pretty well. Got one birdie, and a couple of pars. No triples or snowmen. So I felt pretty good about it. My first shot of the day was a fiasco. (This is a teaser. I'll fill you in on the story later.)

The food was great. Sung prepared several nice meals for me and T. We also enjoyed a true southern barbecue joint. Good stuff.

The stay was too short, after not having seen my father in about five years. But it went very well.

Tomorrow T and I meet with Blossom and hubby, and possibly the Tall, Thin, Red-Headed Man for a late breakfast before we leave the greater DC area. Then we cross the Chesapeake, MD, slower DE, and the DE Bay en route to our three day stay in Cape May. We'll have lots of free time (and free wifi), so I'll get everyone caught up on the details then.

I hope all you suckers, uh, I mean, co-workers are having fun without me.

More later.

An "Easy" Day of Traveling

T and I planned for a short day of driving today. We had hoped that we would arrive at Pop's house in SC by early afternoon. Uh, no.

We left Lenoir City at the planned time -- 10 am. Taking the advice of a co-worker (thanks #4), we planned on avoiding the towns of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge by driving through Great Smoky Mountains National Park. We heard that the aforementioned cities would be jam-packed with fun-for-the-whole-family-style tourists. For Mid-MOers, it was described to us as Branson times ten.

Well, GSMNP was pretty great... a bit smoky looking... very crowded. It took us four hours to make it from our motel to Asheville, NC. Over three hours in the park. So our short day of traveling was not so short.

Long story short, we're in SC, just a few hours later than we thought we'd be. The visit with Pop has just begun. Tomorrow we'll hit the course while T sleeps in and catches up on some reading. I haven't picked up a club in several years, so I'm a little nervous about embarrassing myself. (Side note: PC, we need to hit the course a few times this summer. Zero is not enough golf.)

I'm keeping this post short -- I'll fill in details when I can, including a picture of me and T standing in front of the worst view in GSMNP (long story).