Lessons

Spent a day on the beach this weekend, and spent the night there. I think everyone learned a little something.

Lil Kel learned that when Mommy says, "Trust me," he should. Saturday evening Lil Kel asked to use the restroom (apparently he had just been peeing in the ocean all day). I was leading him towards the edge of the dunes to pee. He asked why we couldn't use the green port a potty's. I said trust me this is better. I suppose if you are 6 years old and you have been so blessed that you have never had to use a port a potty and the port a potty is your favorite color it might look like fun. Next time around I gave him his wish and he was so offended by the stench and traumatized by the sight of a big pile of crap that didn't come out of him that he swore a solemn oath always to trust his mother's judgement.

Big Kel learned that sometimes he should listen to his wife.

Lydia learned that she should be more assertive. It would save Kelly and herself a lot of grief.

It was 7-ish and Lydia asked Kelly for the shovel so that she could clear the seaweed off the sand to make a place for the tent. Then Mike announced that we should borrow Mark's rake as it was the coolest, best rake in the world. Kelly concurred. It is important to note that although everyone keeps talking about Mark, I have no idea who this person is or I would have asked to borrow his rake. Then I said, "It is getting late, so let's put the tent up before dark." Then Kelly said, "I'm about to leave, but it will still be light out when I get back."

It would have been light when he came back if he had stayed only as long as he had planned. He, of all people, should know that things often do not go as planned. Sometimes when we are having great fun and yacking it up with those we feel connected too, we have no desire to rush back to our better half. Sometimes it is against better judgement, especially when you have chosen to inadvertantly abandon your spouse and children with no light source on a beach littered with throngs of recovering addicts. Shortly before nightfal Ranger and I cleared out a place for the tent and smoothed out the sand. Just then Kelly returned and as we pitched the tent he proceeded to moan and bitch about how I wasn't holding the flashlight in the appropriate location. The assembling of the shelter in the dark was a frustrating experience for both Kelly and I. The funny thing is that I think Lil Kel and I could have accomplished it in about 10 minutes during the day. The wind had also picked up a bit, which made the task more difficult than it really needed to be.

I know this was a really shithead thing to say, but I did not forget to mention that it would have been a lot easier during the day.