Went to the beach

It was our annual Gearhart trip this weekend. Tom is playing winter golf. One friend canceled because the weather was to be so horrible. It was horrible on Friday and Saturday. The hail and snow blew sideways across the parking lot of the hotel mixed in with beach sand. As we sat huddled over our drinks in the bar I cracked a joke that we wouldn't need to go to the spa for a skin ablation, all we needed to do was stand outside.

Tom came down early so he could play Friday. The boys had school so I came down Friday night. Driving down with a friend and her children and our dogs. Another golfing wife also asked if she could catch a ride with us. She would have her husband drive her home Sunday. She just had to find a ride down, like us she needed to go after school let out.

I do love mini vans. My girlfriend had a roof box which we filled with as much of our suitcases and food stuff as it would hold. I packed as light as I could. Riley also packed light. We had our dog. My girlfriend had her two dogs. I do love this particular hotel because it does allow for pets. in certain rooms. We were seven plus three in the car. The dog kennel was tipped up on its side in the back with the dogs snuggled in against the back door. I was surprised at how well we all fit.

Tom was in second place with his partner coming into the lodge the first day. We went out to dinner at a local restaurant that was lovely. First time I have ever left the campus for dinner. I am always with my boys and opt not to inflict them on others. This year just Riley came. He had friends to hang with so I could abandon him and go out to an adult night of great food and fun company.

Trevor had a scouting event. He was going to go Snow shoeing at the mountains. I was a little leery with the weather, but by Sunday when they were to go up, the worst of the storm had blown through. He had fun with snow ball fights and playing without us.

Watching the storm pass at the beach was incredible. Knowing Tom was out trying to play golf in it was even more incredible. Tom had me drive him over from our condo to the pro shop Saturday morning, just across the parking lot. He didn't want to walk in the storm and get all wet just yet. As he got out of the car and was buffeted by the 30 to 50 mile an hour winds, he turned back to me at the wheel and says of himself "I am an idiot". To be going out to try and play golf in this weather, I just laughed and smiled and drove away to my warm fire and hot cocoa in the condo.

Riley and I later went to pick out a movie from the front desk. As we are crossing back over the parking lot, I tell Riley to link arms with me as I think we might get blown away. Riley responds with linking arms then tells me "get low, Mom, get low". We crouch down and scrabble across the road like crabs on the beach. Staying low so the wind gusts don't catch us and blow us over.
The heavy deck furniture was completely flipped over when we got back to our room.

We had a great time. The adults played dice games in one of the rooms over cocktails. I had volunteered our room for the Saturday night dinner party. Our room was too small though to host such a gathering. thirty people showed up to the KFC and Taco dinner catered. Everyone pitched in $10 each and there was more than plenty of food for all. I sent much left overs home with party guests. But we were crammed into the space.

Our room was one of the older rooms and not as big as some of the other two bedroom suites. There was little elbow room and every seat was taken with standing room only for half the guests. If we volunteer again to serve dinner, we will have to get one of the bigger suites.

Riley and I went shopping at the outlet mall, Saturday. Tom asked me to pick him up a pair of jeans. Trevor wanted another pair, and I had Riley try on another pair. Riley didn't want to oblige at first but I waggled a $10 bill in front of his face and said he could have it if he went and tried on the jeans for size. He zipped off the the changing room reappearing shortly with the jeans, telling me they fit just fine. He took the $10 and headed to the candy store across the mall. He met me a few minutes later with a delicious looking Carmel apple happily munching his treat and a bag of chocolate fudge in his other hand.

Riley had not brought his swim suit. The girls we were with had plans to go swimming in the indoor pool with hot tub. Riley said he would like to have the option of swimming so we stopped in at one of the mall stores that had swim suits. The clerk had tattoos on his arms and a ring in his nose. Hard rock music blared on the speakers. Riley whispers to me that he already doesn't like the place, but the clerk says they have swim suits on the back wall. Riley doesn't like the plain grey one the clerk holds up. He sifts through the selection and grabs a suit he does like. Without trying it on he hands it to me and says "this one mom." I go up to the counter with my credit card out. The clerk rings up the suit for $59. $59!!! I choke. I tell Riley he had better like this swim suit.


My girlfriend's teen daughter mentions she needs a swim suit also. The women head to the same store where Riley had bought his swim suit. I had to laugh as Riley, who, moments earlier, had just informed me he was done shopping, ditches me to follow them into the store. Probably with hopeful thoughts of seeing this attractive young woman trying on bikinis. He waited patiently while the young woman tried on several suits, but she did not allow Riley a peak.

I swung by the wine store on the corner and picked out some really lovely bottles for the party. I also bought a few pairs of underwear at the underwear outlet store, while Riley was otherwise occupied.

We are done shopping. Completely tapped out financially even with the discounts. We head back to the hotel, where Riley wears his new swim suit down to the pool to go hang with the girls. I truly would have put money on his not going to the pool. He usually doesn't like to do the pool for all the splashing. But this weekend with the teen women. He left his book in his room and played.

Another girlfriend needed to be back early so we headed out, again with seven people in the fully loaded minivan especially with the extra shopping items added to the load. We also had a box of the left over catered food jammed into the roof box. Letting nothing go to waste and every cranny filled.

I tried to read in the car on the way home but made myself car sick. I had to close my eyes and nap. Waiting for the trip to end so I could get out of the car. I wouldn't dare ask to stop unless it was dire circumstances, with three dogs and six other passengers jambed in. Best to just get the drive over with as quickly as possible. We didn't even do our regular lunch stop, just drove right past the restaurant.

It was a delightful weekend. I texted Tom that we were home. He said they were in Second place still at the end of the day. didn't know yet how much that payed out. I asked him to pick something up in an extra large for Trevor if he has pro shop credit.

Glad to be home. My stomach has settled now that I am out of the car.