Musings, pictures, and more to signal summers end

Musing:
In high school I started a soap opera. I don't remember the why of doing so, but word spread throughout the campus and I had people coming to me in the hallways asking to be written into it as if I were suddenly Agnes Nixon.

Them: "Are you the girl that's writing the soap opera? Can I be in it?"
Me: "Sure. What do you want your name to be and what occupation are you interested in?"

My soap opera filled five spiral college notebooks. Inside some of the covers are the hallway people's information. I laugh now thinking that beyond that first meeting these people never read my soap opera. They just assumed I would...what? Publish it? Get it on television for them to see? I suppose I should have felt flattered that my spreading reputation was so positive.

At the romance conference, someone mentioned that a writer for The Young and the Restless was there and attends every year which made sense to me seeing as soaps equal romance. Since my dream job back in the day was to write for General Hospital I took that light bulb moment as another sign I was on the right track. Another moment came with several of the workshop speakers who put in their bios that they started writing in their bedrooms at a young age. No one included info on writing soap operas, so right there I have some of my bio written.

Pictures:
(New York)

Fearless Girl statue facing down the Charging Bull in Manhattan. Pretty impressive when viewed from the side as the four foot girl stands in resistance to that massive bull. Unfortunately, we didn't get that picture because the place was swarmed with tourists.

Darcy's happiness at being in New York for her Broadway shows. This was our brunch at the diner across from our Wyndham after arriving.

The sign above Madison said No Standing Anytime. She is such a rebel!

Getting Eric Petersen, lead in School of Rock, to sign autographs and pose for photos. This guy had so much energy and brought so much fun to the stage. Then he came outside and did this. These actors are crazy talented.

More:

The last day in New York I started feeling under the weather with a sore throat. By the time we landed that night back in Florida I knew I was fighting something. Unfortunately, I didn't have time to recover because my family, cousin Shad and his wife Jaimee and their brood of eight children, were in town. They had been there all week and had two days before leaving so we spent those days hanging with them. I tried desperately to pass on my germs, but I think they were made of stronger stuff.

The older kids got the heck out of dodge as soon as possible. They went the first night to play laser tag until almost midnight and the next day Shad took them to some sporting place where they drag raced, rode boats and roller coasters, and a whole host of activities. Shad was told to take pictures for our blogs and we gave him mad props for doing so.

The day was overcast and rainy, but Jaimee and Nolan and I got in some pool time. The water was reclaimed water and had a big sign that said not to drink, but Nolan at almost two years old didn't read that sign. After a nice nap on his mother's chest while the two of us talked (or I tried to with my sort throat and loss of voice), he woke up and puked....on his mother's chest and in her hand. My guess was that damn reclaimed water.

Especially since the next day after driving all night, Jaimee texted me a picture of Shad and the two older boys sound asleep in the van and then this picture of Nolan:

My viral sinus infection lasted a good week. After my return from my conference, I had another three days before heading off to my next adventure. My friend Sharon and her kids arrived in town and we had dinner one night with them and then I spent the next day at the beach with them. We had Tropical Storm Emily surprise everyone a few days earlier and boy, did she bring some wind. The waves at the beach were incredible for our area and very, very strong. I mean, knock down, drag you along the shore strong. We all got knocked around. I slept well that night.

I'd have to say that the summer turned out, as most of our summers do, to be pretty darn terrific. The girls working this summer meant we didn't get to Indiana, but our last few weeks were super involved and fun. Today, Madison and I head to North Carolina to take her back to college. One down and one to go before I retire from my SAHM job.

Thanks Summer 2017. You were a good one!