Beach Music (and Stuff)

In no particular order and with a tip of the cap to Joe Biddle's old "Random Ruminations" sports columns, below are some of my enduring memories from our week's vacation at Santa Rosa Beach, Fla.

This week (and lately), whenever Jude or I asked J.P. what he was doing, he said "stuff."  Or, sometimes, "just different stuff."  Apparently, I have a 3 year old teenager on my hands.

Watching J.P. and Jude play "telephones" with a pair of old, retired and unused landline telephones, cords and all.  Mostly, he was J.P. and she was "Chief Fletcher," the fire chief at our local firehouse on 12th Avenue in Nasvhville.  Other times, though, Jude was a doctor at the Green Hills Pediatric Clinic and J.P. was a patient. 

Our first night here, we hit the beach at dusk, not really sure what J.P.'s reaction would be to the ocean (he was lukewarm, at best, last September when we were here).  Listening to him squeal with unbridled joy as he ran into the ocean and back out again as the sun set warmed my heart - the definition of an enduring memory.

Rediscovering Bob Dylan and spending a lot of time listening to "Blonde on Blonde" (on the iPod right now, actually) and "Highway 61 Revisited," as well as reading an article in "Rolling Stone" about his top 70 songs in honor of his 70th birthday.  Bob Dylan is 70!  Damn.

Playing in the pool with J.P. every day, which he loved.  He cried every time we told him it was time to get out.  Catching J.P. when he jumped off the side of the pool into my arms and watching him do the same with Jude.  Each time, he'd say "person, are you ready?" then jump, smiling and laughing the entire time (she'd told him to always make sure the person was ready before he jumped into the pool).  Sometime children are such literal people. 

J.P. screaming, literally screaming and crying, every day when Jude or I put sun screen on him.  An enduring memory is not necessarily a fun one.

Taking J.P. into the ocean with me on Memorial Day and listening to him laugh uproariously each time a wave broke over his back, splashing us.

Watching the French Open with Jude and J.P. at lunch every day.  Watching Li Na become the first Chinese woman to win one of the 4 major tennis championships. 

Eating ice cream with Jude and J.P., almost every day, at Blue Mountain Beach Creamery.  Biking there with Jude and J.P. was particularly fun.  Walking in with a crowd in front of us and having our buddy, Jed (who works there), yell out "hi, John Patrick" over everyone's heads.

Sitting in a beach chair, on the beach, late in the afternoon, watching Jude and J.P. look for sand crabs.  Jude is an amazing mother and sometimes the power and intensity of J.P.'s love for her almost knocks me down.

Finishing 3 books (2 on the iPad), late at night, after Jude and J.P. were in bed.

Discovering a running trail around Draper Lake and, generally, running in the mornings. 

A couple of beers at Red Bar, breakfasts with J.P. at Stinky's and dinner with Jude and J.P. on a stormy evening at Elmo's (at J.P.'s request, our last night here).

On at least 3 occasions, taking J.P. to pee in the grass when we were out to eat, due to his aversion to "going potty" in public restrooms.  They're small and the toilets are noisy when they're flushed.  Plus, he just loves to pee in the grass.  Shoot me, so do I.  That's what guys do.

Scrabble with Jude (she won), iPad boggle with Jude (she won) and Gin with Jude (she won).  Not the best week for me on the games front.

J.P. opening and closing the doors upstairs, over and over again.  Also, J.P. walking out one door in the den, then ringing the doorbell on the other door, and saying "trick or treat" when Jude opened it.  At different times, he was a pirate, a fireman and Spiderman.  Vivid imagination, for sure.

Making the tactical error, one night, of letting J.P. talk me into sleeping next to him in his "big bed" (a double bed he slept in each night).  After he fell asleep, I got up and went to bed with Jude.  In the middle of the night, he woke up and started crying and yelling for me since I wasn't sleeping next to him.  Jude just looked at me and shook her head.  I smiled, sheepishly.

J.P. climbing up the ladder to the top bunk of the bunk beds in his room, so we could lift him down.  And doing it again.  And again. 

Overall, it was a nice, relaxing week away from the real world.  Back to reality tomorrow with a long drive back, then work on Monday.

Are we there yet?