Rockaway Beach Part 6

Liv's cheaper ladybug kite was the easiest to get up in the air.

Soph's bumblebee kite was a bit more difficult, partly because she would get so excited seeing it up in the air, she kept running towards it.

At the Jetty Fishery, waiting to bring up the crab ring.

Our first ringful. We were surprised to see it teaming with crab the first time we brought the ring up. Unfortunately, they were all either too small or female. But, the children had a blast throwing them back into the water. Who goes to the beach and doesn't make at least one sandcastle?

Here's L busy making "distraction castles" for Liv to destroy instead of targeting the real one.

A quick shot before Liv finally got her hands and stompin' foot on it.

Rockaway Beach Part Five

Our days here have begun to just melt together into a span without time. I haven't worn my watch since we've arrived. We wake up when the sun wakes us, eat when the urge takes us, and do whatever when we feel like it. I think the only time we ever check the watch is to make sure it wasn't too late to call L's mom.
And so the fourth full day consisted of our daily play on the beach. The kids outfitted themselves in their swimwear and ran out.

Dylan's already looking like an expert at this skimboarding thing.
Look at those big brown eyes.

Sophia had a blast running from the waves.

Since the kids have been dying to fly their own kites, we drove up to Cannon Beach to Once Upon A Breeze. This kite shop claims to be the oldest kite shop on the coast, and is THE destination for beginners and sport kiters alike.

Their wares varied widely from $4.95 kids beginner kites to gigantic kite festival ones in the hundreds of dollars.

After the children picked out their kites, we made a quick pit stop at the nearby Ecola State Park to take a couple pictures. That's Haystack Rock in the background. We were also able to view the Tillamook Rock Lighthouse a couple miles out at sea.

Rockaway Beach Part 4

Our third full day here on vacay just happened to land on Father's Day...and so L got to call the shots for the whole day. Funny thing, L is not one to request material gifts for this daddy holiday. Instead, staying true to fashion, he drove us up to Astoria to visit the filming locations of the 1980's film Goonies.

This is the Goonies' house where Mikey and Brand lived.

Right across from it is Data's house. The window in the upper right corner is the same one he jumped out of to zip line into the Goonies screen door.

We also stopped by the top of the mountain to see the Astoria column. The column itself was closed due to renovations, so we couldn't climb up its stairs to the top. But the view from the plaza itself down into the valley below was incredible enough.

L and the kids with the Astoria bridge in the background.

Mommy's turn to pose.

Afterward, we stopped at Seaside on our drive back south. I had read somewhere the northernmost access to the beach on 12th street close to the mouth of the river yielded the most unbroken sand dollars on the coast. And as it was my goal to collect them, I had to try my luck since L insisted.

Miss Soph in her own world, dancing her little heart out.

Daddy and his girls. Look at that view.

Following the leader, the leader, the leader...

We had to pry off her wet jeans and haul her off the sand or we would never have made it out of there before dark.

And no, I did not find a sand dollar. But L did, despite his fierce doubt we would ever find an unbroken one. And as it turns out, the Momma got a gift on Father's Day. Go figure.

We spent the rest of the evening, vegging out on the couch, resting our feet, and watching Goonies until it was time for bed.

Rockaway Beach Part 3

The sun came out today! The girls were so excited, they threw on some warm clothes atop their pajamas and hurried outside to play in the sand.

Dylan had been DYING to try out the skimboard supplied by the owners of the rental. Although, the water temp didn't get warmer (as confirmed by D's occasional wipeouts), it was great weather to try his skills at it.

He did pretty well! He would have chosen to do it all day had it not been for the party pooper parents who insisted he would come down with a case of hypothermia if he didn't march back into the house and directly into a shower to warm up.

Here is the view from the deck in the back as the sun started to set.

Earlier, we also took the short drive to Tillamook and checked out the cheese factory. We had some taste testing (Horsradish laced aged sharp cheddar is to die for).

We also got very adventurous and wanted to taste-test their ice cream flavors...ALL 38 of them! It's called a 38 flavor Ice Cream Tour and cost $25.00 to have a kiddie scoop of each ice cream flavor dumped in a large bowl and the entire ice cream serving crew sing some cheesy song about it complete with cowbell and everything. They had some regular flavors like vanilla bean and rocky road....but I was more interested in the Mountain Huckleberry Swirl, Oregon Black Cherry, and other stranger concoctions. Needless to say, our table was a great conversation starter and we about met and conversed with all the other patrons of the place as they stopped by to gawk at the monstrosity of the bowl set before us. We tasted most flavors...but between the five of us, could only manage to eat about six scoops in all. Some flavors like Black Walnut and Huckleberry were a common favorite. The white licorice flavor, however, received a unanimous thumbs down.

They gave us a lid so we can take it home...but really, the thought of all those 38 flavors melting together and re-freezing into a congealed mish mash of yuck convinced us to dump it in the trash before we checked out the gift shop, where I found a great little cheese block with cheese cutting utensils tucked in a hidden drawer.

Rockaway Beach Vacay Part 1: Sand Dune

This vacation rental has got to be the best little house we could ever find. Initially, we were looking at houses at Cannon Beach until L decided he wanted a place more remote and removed from the tourist flock. We went through Oregon Beach Vacations on the internet and picked this little beauty in the more quiet Rockaway Beach, about 20 miles south of Cannon Beach. At first, I was reluctant to veer from the artsy town up north...but now that we're here...L's decision was the right one. The unit we chose is a duplex on the beachfront. And when I say beachfront...I mean beachFRONT. You open the sliding glass door in the back and step down from the Trex deck and you are there in the sand.

The unit's named Sand Dune, and it was cute to be welcomed into the house with this sweet sign hanging in the foyer.

This is the great room. All those windows and that glass door look out onto an unobstructed view of the Pacific Ocean. The floors are tiled (I love it so much, I want to tile my kitchen with the same materials). Everything in the place looks like something I would have put together. This definitely isn't an old run down beach house.

The kitchen is equipped with new stainless steel appliances. All cooking utensils and cookware are supplied.

One of the rooms.

The other bedroom.

The master bedroom had a queen sized bed with a master bathroom with double pedestal sinks. They had a small pantry upstairs in the great room full of board games for the family. Downstairs in the laundry room (front loaders with supplied laundry soap) there is a full-sized pantry stocked with sand toys, croquet, horsheshoes, and volleyball sets, kites, and skimboards.

These owners have thought of everything. The only thing I would have wished for (and this is nitpicking) are non-wire hangers and a better spice rack. Awesome place.

If anybody is looking to have a beach vacay...this is the place to go....or at least Oregon Beach Vacations. Their pictures and descriptions are accurate, and customer service is superb.

Rockaway Beach Vacay Part 2

After yesterday's endless trek to Rockaway, we were disappointed to wake to the pitter patter of rain against the windows. Thankfully, it was just a slight drizzle, but it was totally sweater weather. After munching on breakfast at a local diner, we headed over to the teeny tiny local market (cash only) for some essentials. Then we headed down the street to the Jetty Fishery in Nehalem Bay to pick up some crab.

The Jetty Fishery has a long dock perfect for crabbing with little ones. They rent out crab rings outfitted with bait, which are lowered into the waters. After fifteen or so minutes, the kids have the opportunity to measure the captured crabs' sizes and gender (you can only keep a male crab that has grown to a certain size) and toss the unfit ones back into the water. I like that not only is it fun, but it teaches the kiddies about responsible fishing/crabbing. This time, however, because of the weather, we postponed the crabbing plans for a fairer day.

We simply picked out four live crabs and asked them to cook them for us. (Not that I am unable to do so...I simply didn't want to stink up our rental in the process.) They boiled the crabs in seawater to bring out its best flavor, and handed them over to us after twenty minutes or so.

Here we are waiting for the crabs to finish cooking.

Here's Sophie's very own. Each of us had one, except for Miss Allergy (Liv), who we put down for her afternoon nap before we dug into these yummylicious crustaceans.

While I emptied the kids' crabs for the remaining meat to make crab cakes tomorrow, Dylan and Soph tried their hands at Twister.

The weather cleared up towards the end of the day and we were able to take the kids out the back to walk and play along the shoreline while the sun set.

Day 1 over and out.

Sidney

We drove the eight hours to Sidney, Nebraska last week to visit with friends and fam. There were some nice days, although we were stuck indoors most of the time due to tornado warnings.

Look at that sky! Scary.
On the only nice day, while the others were fishing, Liv took the time to ham it up before tackling the slide.

Miss Attitude and her Poppa.

Dylan wearing the necklace Dad won for him.

Sno-Kones!

Our future marksman?

Liv with the snake Dad won for her. Note: It hisses AND roars!

L, the jack of all trades. He had never thrown an axe before, but as expected, he hit the sweet spot time and time again to win all the children prizes. If he had tried one more time, the owners would have banned him from throwing again.

father and son

Liv and Uncle Bob

The kids with Great Grandma Guerra.

Dude's: An Anatomy of a Small Town Nightclub

In a three stoplight town, there are only just as many options to enjoy the nightlife. Dude's Steakhouse is one of those. Every time we drive into town, L and I look forward to heading on over on a Friday night to toss back a few and dance a little. But, the prime reason we absolutely love to go is the first-class opportunity to people watch. Over the years, the types of clientele have remained the same...

The first group to participate in the night's festivities is the single girls posse, mostly in their mid-twenties. Most have rhythm, all believe grinding on each other and performing the quick low squat followed by the slow ass in the air rise up is somehow hot. They're the type to holler out in victory, two arms waving in the air, strutting onto the floor once the first notes of "Pour Some Sugar On Me" start up.

Of this group, there is always the alpha female, not quite the better looking of the gang, but the most confident and the one who has decision power on which songs are worthy of their participation. Once on the floor, her minions gyrate around her, one of which is the sidekick. More likely alpha's best friend, she is the more timid of the group but makes up for it by showing more skin. She is also the one who insists on carrying out a conversation mid-dance that involves elaborate laughing bouts that interrupt her awkward movements.

A Nebraska nightclub is incomplete without the country folk. Garbed in full cowboy regalia, they strut into the place, skin-tight jeans, big ole hat and even bigger belt buckle, and boots. They take to the floor with a running start once a tune with twang rings out, and spins and twirls around to what L and I call the "Sidney Dance." My personal fave is the female with the late 80's crispy perm in the long-sleeved plaid shirt layered with a black puffy jacket vest.

There are the drunk and deluded...plus-sized girls squeezed into shimmery gold tube tops, those trendy dress shorts, and knee-high high-heeled boots. (I swear I have nothing against plus-sized girls...but really, only the size zeros look ok in this type of outfit.) This type prefers shimmying up the wooden post conveniently in the middle of the dance floor. Sometimes I wonder if they are too drunk to notice the splinters embedding themselves in their skin.

Of course, there are the single guys stationed on the perimeter of the floor, scoping out potential partners for the night. They bop their heads to the beat, one hand in their pocket, the other holding a bottle of beer trying to pinpoint which girl (usually from the single girls group) looks the easiest...the easiest to dance with...the easiest to flirt with...and the easiest...well, the easiest.

Most Dude's patrons fit into this category. But there are those who stand out as unique individuals. For example, there was this guy (the only one with rhythm) dressed in a wifebeater, unbuttoned short-sleeved button up, cocked hat, and untied skater shoes who looked exactly (EXACTLY) like K-Fed...except he was missing teeth. There was also Miss Fake N' Bake, looking cute with her tight bod and revealing clothes, except for the fact she was an unnatural shade of burnt orange.

In short, if you are ever in need of an ego boost (and you don't usually fit into one of the categories mentioned above), Dude's is the place to go. With the way this little trip has been, it was a quick and easy remedy to my frustrations. If you're ever in the area...(I dunno, maybe your car breaks down or something...) check this shindig out.

No Place Like Home

Mount Rushmore is a no go. Too many tornadoes on the way. :-( There are some things I cannot tolerate for long periods of time. It's already been too long. I just finished screaming full on into a pillow stuffed to my face. I want to go home.

Cattle Farms and Tornadoes

Yesterday, Fam Och trekked across the blandest most desolate stretch of I-80 across Wyoming to visit relatives in Sidney, Nebraska. To throw a pinch of excitement into this yawn of a road trip, the whole expanse of road east of Rawlins was smack dab in the middle of a festering storm ideal for those lovely weather anomalies called tornadoes.

Thankfully, we arrived into town late into the night unscathed with the aroma of cow dung hanging thickly in the air. Mmmmmmm. There ain 't nothing like this inky dinky little town.

As quiet as this place is, it's still quite nice seeing old relatives again (L's side of the Fam). Tomorrow, if the weather cooperates, we'll take a quick trip to South Dakota to snap pics of the kids in front of Mount Rushmore.

I apologize these posts have been below par of late...It's been a heck of a reunion with lots of adjustments and family and seksi (TMI) time going on. This is going to be a crazy next couple of months with numerous plans throughout the summer. I promise every now and again, I'll force myself to turn my brain on to tap a more sufficient entry. But for now, expect to see more pictures of this trip and the following one next week to the beach house in Oregon.

Pure Madness

Air Shows are always a two-day event of craziness. This one was NOT an exception. Out of the 150,000 people expected to attend the Air Show last weekend, ALL of them decided to bring a friend...their rudest most obnoxious friend, mind you.

Many air show audience veterans do the smart thing and simply watch the practice run the day before or simply opt the high road and not attend. But my children, all true patriots and aviation fans, insisted/demanded to go. It was just my luck I had drill that weekend, so after I was allowed to leave an hour early, we headed straight over to the flight line.

The static displays of various aircraft got the kids all riled up and excited to take pictures next to their guns. Unfortunately, this also applied to all of the kids in the complex. The first display we came to was an Apache helicopter and also the first incident in which I had an overwhelming urge to punch a guy in the mouth. --There is a line--Place your kid at the end of the line--Wait until he gets his turn to stand behind the gun--Take your damn picture--Leave-- It's pretty simple. But then there's always the overeager, pushing his uninterested spawn in front of the other protesting children, and yelling, "Come on, m'iho! Grab the gun! YEAH! Now SMILE! SMILE! SMILE! SMILE!" And he's snapping his little camera away, all the while shuffling around, oblivious to the feet he's stomping on whilst trying to catch a better angle at his stoic son.

It wasn't a completely miserable experience. We didn't have to park at the outskirts of the base and walk the two miles to the show since L's shop was two hundred feet away from the entrance. Talk about VIP parking! It was also a cool 72 degrees with just a hint of a breeze. And, of course, the Air Force Thunderbirds never fail to inspire. The kids absolutely loved their manuevers.

It ended shortly after the Thunderbirds took to the sky. And then the REAL madness began. Imagine 300,000 people getting in their car, and trying to drive out of four exits all at one time! And those who had to walk to their parking lots felt that since they had this day pass to enter the government facility, they had limitless run over the entire base. These people were walking in the middle of the road. You would honk, they'd turn, give you a "what do YOU want?" look, and proceed to offer themselves as roadkill to our SUV. We were VERY tempted.

Needless to say, it was worth a trip just to see the children's faces light up. Here are some pics: