Rosemary Beach Vacation Recap

Saturday night Ceil didn’t start packing until after 10:30.

Sunday: After 9 am church, Will and I drove home to pack. Will remembered he needed to finish mowing a neighbor’s lawn, leaving most of the packing to me. After breaking into an outrageous sweat, we arrived back at NP just as Ceil was finishing her SS class. Then she had to stop by Sears, so we grabbed some Taco Bell, then topped off at BP. It was 1:30 before we pulled on 400 south.

...Stopped at the Phenix City McDonalds, then again just north of Panama City, then at Publix, then Texaco. The crowd hadn’t yet eaten, so we had a late bite at Pizza By The Sea. I thought it funny that Will, Kevin, and Holt sat at one table, with Anna, Margaret, and Emily, while the oldest daughter Haley played with Matthew at our table.

The roster:

...David: my long-time friend, whom I really only see a few times a year. We talk sports and old TV and music. Surprised to see he likes to spend lots of time in the ocean.

...Mary: his super-organized wife. Separately from us, the Hurts decided to home school, and started taking classes at Living Science a few years ago.

...Haley just turned 16, and recently got her license. Quite an interesting young lady. Spent several hours on Monday finishing her history homework. Selflessly cleans and sweeps. Dotes on her father. Laughs at my jokes. Loves Seaside, to the point of waking early Tuesday, and driving there to walk around before the stores opened.

...Margaret plays her guitar, autographed by Taylor Swift. Recovered from leukemia, she participates in horse shows.

...Emily is Alyssa’s youngest sister, known for her cake baking. She stuck close to Margaret, and was pretty quiet, except for a few screams. She and Anna paired up to play Balderdash. Based on the Rosemary Beach pictures, she became the star of my Facebook photo album.

...Kevin is Will’s studious classmate and co-Sunday School teacher. In their morning constitutionals, he out-ran baseballers Will and Holt (Kevin plays soccer). To David’s delight, Kevin gives us Braves updates. I maintain Kevin can be successful in whatever profession he chooses, to the point of re-engineering something, like Andy Stanley did the church.

...Like Will, Holt played Flight basketball, is quite popular at Living Science, and is a serious baseball player. Hilarious personality.

...Holt’s mom Maryalice is a fun person to be around, and shares the same values as us and the Hurts. Like my dad, she once worked for P&G. Husband Mike isn’t with us this week, though he too fits in well, talking sports.

...Holt’s older sister MaryKathryn spent the first two days with us before returning to Auburn, for the start of her sophomore year. MK starred in the first Living Science skit I wrote, back in 2007.

Monday morning I woke early, laced up my silver Nikes, and set out to explore. The beach is too sandy for running, as I suspected. The Rosemary Beach development looks

like an old European town, complete with cobblestone streets. Walked next door to Seacrest, to see the shops there. Then I ran back east to the end of 30A, and back. I would not again don socks until Saturday afternoon.

...Took Matthew out to the beach. Lots of seaweed, but I coax him in the water anyway. After M went “home” I napped in my chair, only to be awakened by a few raindrops. Slowly, the gang drifted out for some beach time. The boys tossed the baseball. David spent considerable time in the water. Later Ceil, Mary, David, and I walked to the big pool, where we stayed cool in the water.

...For dinner we drove to Seaside. After walking around a bit we ate at the Taco Stand. Holt, Margaret, and Emily ate sushi. Back at the house the grownups, exhausted, all go to bed early and sleep late Tuesday morning. We’re in the three bedrooms downstairs, where we can hear any activity upstairs. The girls sleep in the third floor loft, with the early-rising boys on the second floor.

Tuesday: As the first adult to breakfast, I notice Holt walking around on his heels: the very loud noise we had been hearing clearly downstairs. I quickly teach him how to walk q.uietly, then embarrass him later in front of the adults.

...The teens discuss bike rides, and how distant Seaside is unreachable by bike. So in the mid-day heat, Will sets out to in the heat disprove their theory. With plenty of time on our hands, David and I come up with ideas to foil Will. Mary drives Margaret and Emily to Seaside, where they soak Will with water pistols. Will lunches on sushi, then bikes back.

...Matthew and I hit the waves, which are high. Eventually I get flipped, and lose my sunglasses. Matthew leaves, but later I return to the surf with David. Just when I’d had enough, Matthew returns for more waves. A real long day in the ocean, and afterwards I’m exhausted.

...I spoil my dinner with two PB&Js. David, Kevin, & I watch the Rays/Rangers on SportsSouth, and follow the Braves win on the internet. Will grills burgers and dogs. David retires to his room.

...Though the hour is late, the entire group plays a rousing edition of Balderdash. I didn’t pay much attention at first, but eventually vault into the lead. Maryalice is taking the game way to seriously, so I make it my mission to throw her off her game. I guess correctly twice in a row. Youngsters like Matthew, Anna, and Emily are easy marks, but then Matthew’s answers fool Will & Kevin, then Maryalice. I roar with laughter. Anna & Emily guess a correct answer: a teller of fortunes by looking at poop…that everyone else figured they had written themselves. Maryalice pulls away to win on the last turn. It’s 2 am!

Wednesday: Everyone sleeps late, save Haley. She walks to get coffee, dances and runs on the beach, and reads a lesson for school. Maryalice cooks eggs, and she and Mary decorate for late-sleeping Anna’s birthday. At first Anna had looked forward to celebrating her birthday away at the beach. Then Ceil didn’t realize this trip was the same week as her family reunion, or the Voyles wedding. She turned sad, having to birthday without close friends or her cousins.

...Will bikes to the western end of 30A, a 36 mile round trip. The rest of the day he’s exhausted. Ceil, Mary, and Maryalice go on a walk, taking pictures of Rosemary Beach.

...I make it a point to take Matthew to the beach. Later we hit the pool with Mary, while Ceil stays back at the house with Anna. Another late supper, back at the same pizza place. There Fox SportSouth Florida shows Jason Heyward’s game-winning hit, live. Will stands and shouts, inside the tiny restaurant.

Thursday: We sleep later and later. Kevin bikes the 16 mile round trip to Seaside.

...The kids go YOLO-boarding, standing on a huge surfboard, and paddling about. YOLO stands for You Only Life Once. The fledgling business had recently benefitted from several write-ups in local tabloids. Will and Matthew venture the furthest, far across the highway toward the ocean. Scores of pictures are taken.

...Back at the house, the kids watch the movie “Dear John.” The ladies bike over to Maryalice’s sister-in-law’s house for a chat. David follows them. Later I go on a bike ride of my own, exploring all around Rosemary Beach, Aly’s Beach, and the Seacrest development in between. Unknown to me, David takes a similar tour.

...I return and take a walk, snapping the Rosemary Beach pictures that Ceil missed. Then Anna takes pictures at the nearby pool. A relaxing afternoon.

...Yet another late dinner back at Haley’s beloved Seaside. Several of us eat at the Taco Stand again, though the Hurts and Davis’s eat at the sushi place. Afterwards David is sick.

Friday: After watching the movie “Marley & Me”, the grownups (& Matthew) hit the beach. After Matthew tires, David and I stay in the water for a long time, having a nice chat. Dozens of gulls, pelicans, minnows, and other fish are near. Finally Mary and I remain, and have our own long chat in beach chairs.

...We pack, and leave at seven (eastern time). Holt and Maryalice also leave, headed to visit Marykathryn in Auburn. To Mary’s delight, Will remains in Florida. After stopping in Dothan for gas and McDonalds, we make it home at 1:30 am.

Saturday: Sleep in again. Too tired to do much else, I spent the day posting vacation pictures on Facebook. The album turned into a little story of its own, which I thought quite funny.

...Kathryn Volyes got married at Mt. Vernon Baptist in the afternoon, and they pulled out all the stops:

9 each groomsmen & bridesmaids (including neighbor Margaret Ewing)

Maid of honor & best man (Craig MacKenzie’s son Peter).

4 flower girls

2 ring bearers

4 Bible readers

4 ushers (not to be confused with the groomsmen)

Unity candle

Bagpipe, trumpet, violin, organ, piano, and soloist.

…even bride Kathryn sang (she once tried out on Broadway).

While giving the bride away, Jim read a nice little story of memories that he wrote.

...I counted 49 in the wedding party, including the grandparents. The wedding had everything but the kitchen sink, though one would’ve come in handy: one of the ringbearers threw up in the middle of the service. Now I know what groomsmen are for: to clean up after someone pukes!

...Congressman Tom Price was there, along with Jim and Jimmy Ewing, the Reeds, Girardeau’s, and a few other SPdL people.