Vacation To-Do's:

I've been going to the beach since before I can really remember and its something I look forward to every year, right after all the Christmas/Hanukkah hoopla has expired. You will typically see an increase in "beach" themed posts on this here blog annually around this time. I know it gets ridiculous, but I am in fact a dork and well, you are in fact still here.

Basically, the countdown clock starts around mid January after you've booked your beach house. Once you reach a certain point within the countdown, its ok to start working on those to-do lists and deciding what you want to get out of your vacation. Maybe its a day trip on an off shore fishing boat, maybe its hikes through the dunes, surfing, para-sailing, eating as much seafood as humanly possible or just plain hitting the beach and soaking in the sun to get some serotonin released. Or maybe its all of those things, but that is really up to you. The kind of vacation I was taught about was a week to purely kick back. We aren't the kind of crew that has to constantly be doing something. Everyone basically goes to the beach mid morning, stays until they can't stand it any longer, then goes back to the house to clean up and curl up in his/her corner with a book or pillow until its time to eat again. But really, its always time to eat on vacation. This year, I want to do a few more things than usual.

We are about 2 months out till vacation....maybe a month and a half. But there are things I need to be thinking about, slowly accumulating, and scheming. We can do this trip on the cheap, but that takes skill and perseverance. I'm ready.

Prep List:

1. Crab Trap...like how this is my first priority?
   
2. Kayak rental
3. Some ocean fishing gear for the peer
4. Sunscreen (SPF 70-100) for me and Bebe.
5. Plan and print route...what's the most reliable site, y'all?
   
6. Picnic lunch and snacks for drive. Sandwiches galore. Pimento cheese a must.
   
7. Beg sister to try to find a way to come to beach...just weird with out her there laughing and making us all belly laugh all day long.
   
8. Shop bathing suits for all three of us. We need more than one each I'm thinking, but we could totally make due.
9. Shop beach chairs for "the deal"...I'm thinking yard sales or Goodwill.
   
10. Get the old bike fixed up
11. Load up the iPod.
12. Rent ocean kayak with Dad
13. Books on "tape" from library
    

To-Do @Beach but not with any sort of rigid schedule

1. Freckle tanning, shell hunting and belly surfing with the fam
   
2. Ocean Kayaking: I saw some folks doing some kayaking through the marsh on an early morning walk last year on vacation and the water was just glistening and I can only imagine how wonderful that was, so I'm gonna go find out.
   
3. Fishin'/crabbing with Bebe: Also, another new adventure! Its something that I always think of on the last day so I never get to do it. I'm doing research on how to make a cheap crab trap, but if you have suggestions, I'm wide open.
4. Napping, serious napping.
   
5. Ice cream (please let there be more fro-yo avail this year)
   
6. Boiled peanuts...ahem. I want to grow my own peanuts someday for this purpose alone (see: majorly geeking out, but then I'll bring you a bag someday and then you'll know the secrets of the universe).
7. Giant Broiled Sea Scallops. Amen.
   
8. Napping
   

And yet, see? Not one list of things constantly streaming through my brain, but two lists. At least this dose of streaming insanity is for the purpose of fun.

Have a nice day,
Your Slightly Bananas Friend Molly