Last Installment of Galveston & Good Friends...

I miss the beach and our friends already, but they will be back in West Texas for 3 weeks very soon. Still, I miss our Louisiana friends too. SO... Now where was I? Oh, yes.

After another Heavenly good night of sleep our hosts fed us another delicious breakfast and it was all too soon time to go. Sadly, as I've always said... "Fish And House Guests Stink After Three Days". We were definitely beginning to get a tad smelly, in my opinion. Besides, we had plane reservations that couldn't be changed, so that deal was sealed.

However, Dear Readers, I'm not letting you off that easily. I must first make another soul cleansing confession about my oh-so-mature behavior on the beach the previous day. The little girl who had built the sandcastle was doing cartwheels on the soft part of the sand and it really took me back to when I was a kid and could do terrific cartwheels. Can you see where this is going?

Apparently I had just the right amount of cocktails in me to think I could accomplish this act without damage. Frankly, it probably wasn't even enough to account for a cheap bottle of wine. It wouldn't even make a Mastercard commercial. How badly can you get hurt on the soft part of the beach? If I fell, it would be on the oh-so-soft sand, right? Which shouldn't hurt, right? I probably would have been perfectly fine if I had just stuck with the first cartwheel, but I had to go and push it to the edge and go for cartwheel #2. Big Mistake. Huge. And, I'm afraid our hostess may have gotten scary film footage of this brazen act of Stoopidity ummm Pure Genius ummmm... Total Immaturity. I haven't been 10 years old for quite some time. Or. So. I. Thought.

I had the great joy of discovering (the hard way) that cartwheels have, alas, gone the way of making hula-hoops work & trying to dress Barbie dolls. Please. Somewhere deep down inside I'm sure that I already knew this. So, do women have groins? (It just sounds like something I would so not have.) That can hurt when a limb is nearly ripped out of its weak socket by the sheer force of gravity? For several days afterward? If so, then I think I have a groin injury or whatever it's called when women have it. No, I didn't take anatomy 101. Or if I did, I wasn't paying attention. Now, I will do no more whining about another self-inflicted wound. Enough. Said.

In closing, I shall leave you with some random pictures from the trip. Shrimp boats are always fun to watch, as the seagulls flank them in search of fish gut goodies. We didn't get to go to Woody's (The Biker Bar) this trip because being a holiday it would have been insane for anyone over the age of 40 to try & get in. We might have been attacked. However, I was sharp enough to pull the car over on the way to the airport and snap a quick click. This is as good as I've ever seen it look and I've only seen it at night inside.

As always, we had a fun, fun time and yet still very different from previous years. They have worked hard at making every year a great new experience for us and I truly appreciate that. It's almost like going somewhere different every year. So Dear Galveston Friends: I'd like to raise a glass to you both for all of the amazing experiences you've made for us. It's just too special for words and you all are too. We've never felt more comfortable than when we're with you two and our Cajun buddies.

Oh and just when I thought my travels were done for a while, I realized I'm off to see my San Antonio friends next week.

Galveston & Good Friends... Day 3

I have a confession to make. Mr. Snooty has informed me that I've gotten my Galveston days screwed up somehow. Go figure. Rather than try and straighten the entire mess out, I'd rather go on with the story. Just know that we did all of these things... just not necessarily in this particular order. Whatever. So Sue Me.

The third day was Saturday and we awakened to a glorious morning with blue skies and everyone was feeling rested. Our host fixed some kind of delicious Mexican quiche or fritatta, which he served with his own pico and crispy bacon strips, with juice & coffee. It was excellent and I doubt that there was even a morsel left of that. The guys went down to the beach and once again set up the canopy, folding chairs and horseshoes. We busied ourselves making drinks, filling the cooler and preparing to head back down the trail between the burm, to the beach, loaded with books, cameras and what have you.

I walked along the beach picking up shells, watching dogs frolick at the edge of the water, people flying kites (some on huge skateboard things), while the others were swimming in the surf. No Thanks. I've seen what washes up on the shore... I've stepped on crabs that pinch and felt the salt water sting my eyes & skin. Again, No Thanks.

So, this brings me to my next subject. My camera. I casually asked our Louisiana hubby friend if he could figure out what happened when I dropped it and he said maybe, then began to look at the camera. Now get this. He turned it every direction, determined that it got jammed on the zoom lense, adjusted it with his fingers and it suddenly whirred back into place. The guy is a freaking genius. In my diary anyway. Suddenly, I felt so silly for having gotten so upset. (Although I must say no one else had any idea of what I was going through because I thought I'd have no pictures for my blog. Is that sick or what?)

The family staying next door to our friends house had an adorably shy little girl who made the most lovely sand castle that included a moat and landscaping. Of course, I had to take pictures, but she wanted no part of it although you can just barely see her chubby little legs up in the corner. She worked so intently on this masterpiece that she caught my attention and I watched her for quite some time.

The hostess and I then took turns taking a group picture with my underwater camera and they came out rather well. Their house is the gray one behond the canopy on the right.

We spent the day at the beach, breaking for lunch, which Mr. Snooty made all by himself. Fresh lump crabcakes & horseradish sauce that were absolutely divine, served with green salad and fruit on the side. Sorry, but I totally forgot to get pictures, even though I thought I did. But then, I took 15 pictures with my disposable underwater camera and I only got 4. I'm still uncertain as to how that happened.

When the sun began to set, the men did a traditional shrimp boil outside in the turkey fryer, while I made our friend Don's Chinese Cole Slaw and someone else made bread. So, it was a sure thing that no one would go hungry that night. After dinner we had a few rounds of Texas Hold 'Em Poker but no one wanted their picture taken since we were playing for money. You know, so they wouldn't go to jail or anything. Whatever. I didn't win but I also didn't lose much and it was a fun time. I think we all hit the hay around midnight. Being on the beach all day can really wear you out. Or maybe that's just me. I guess I am getting to be an old fart...

To Be Continued Tomorrow....

Galveston & Good Friends.... Day Two

FRIDAY, July 4th, 2008 ~ Independence Day

Our room was so dark once the electric blinds were down that it was like being in mother's womb. We slept like logs. Oh wait. Mr. Snooty was sawing logs & feeling like He was in mother's womb and I finally went to sleep like a kid at summer camp... on the porch. Only it was on a lovely chaise lounge on the porch that had a very comfy pad, blankie & pillow, so I slept to the sounds of the ocean and the steady breeze. It wasn't until around dawn that I awakened to the sound of a heliocopter, then seagulls, then people taking their morning walks. I was more than ready to greet the day, as I didn't want to waste a single moment.

Our hosts had a wonderful breakfast prepared for us consisting of coffee, orange juice, a raspberry/blackberry/strawberry compote, and the most delicious sausage filled pastries. Since I wasn't quite functioning at that early hour, I failed to take any pictures. You'll simply have to take my word for it. The breakfast was as good as it gets. Oh, that's right. My digital was broken.

The guys went down to the beach and put up the canopy and we gals decided to run into town real quick & hit the sale at Academy Sports. We all scored quite nicely. I got some especially great deals on things I haven't ever seen at our Academy Sports here.



I got a really cute madras skirt that reminded me of high school days and a few polos to go with it.

I also got a cute hoodie coverup and a cute full skirt (that I think I'll send to my daughter).

Plus, I got a khaki skort and a white top that are a new material that is SPF 30 and a very nice, light weight. Perfect for golf in triple digits.

We were there for perhaps an hour, then headed back to the beach by way of the back roads in order to avoid the traffic on the main road. By the time we got back to the house, a storm was blowing in, and they come in fast down there. We all ran to the beach and retrieved the things that could blow away, brought in all the patio cushions and then headed to our favorite burger spot, Michael's. When we arrived it was just starting to rain and by the time we got inside, it had become a torrential downpour.

The minute we walked into Michael's, a huge crowd filed in line after us. Apparently, we had perfect timing. When you first go in, you look at their menu, decide & order @ the counter. They have a great cooler full of a wide variety of beer and I decided to have a beer, so I chose the bottled Grolsch. I now have a whole new respect for beer. I drank every drop with my meal. They have the best burgers, french fries, and onion rings. Yes, I know. Redneck health food in some parts of the world. Pop another Lipitor my friends. It was worth every notch on the cholesterol belt.

The husbands decided this cute young girl at the next table with her parents had on the best T-shirt they'd ever seen, so they posed with her in a most witty fashion and she got a huge giggle out of it. She and her parents are locals and obviously accustomed to touristas, and were very nice.

We finally left when we were as full as ticks on a bulldog and drove back to the house in the rain, which had slowed to a steady sprinkle. Being the old farts that we are, we all went down for naps and when we awoke, the sun was out, so we all headed down to the beach. The guys put the canopy back up and we headed back down for a frisky game of horseshoes accompanied by cocktails and followed by a vigorous game of Yard Golf. Oh yeah baby! We were cookin'!

Then, we all went up to the house to clean up and get dinner ready. Our Louisiana friends were cooking that night, so everyone ran around and helped where they could. We feasted on light appetizers then had what our friends called Red Fish On The Half Shell, Broccolli Casserole, and a wonderful bread loaf they had made.

That night, the neighbors provided us with an outstanding fireworks display, which we Oooohed and Ahhhhed and whistled for, in appreciation. Believe me, it was good enough for our tired bunch and when it was all said and done, we called it a night.

To Be Continued Tomorrow...

As Usual, Galveston Was A Festival of Food & Fun... Day One

WoW! I am thoroughly and completely exhausted although I'm so anxious to tell about the many things we did, but I really need to begin with the day before we left. My golfing friend Judy forced me to go play golf with her that day, even though I had not finished packing & still had a gazillion things to do before we left on our flight at the a$$ crack of dawn the next morning.

Throughout the 18 holes I thought I was playing pretty well but she wouldn't let me see the scorecard, so I just played on. We'd had a few cocktails which always seems to relax me & makes me play more fluidly, shall we say. We were fairly looped by the end of the round, at which point she revealed my score to me. I finally broke 100! Alright, it was only 99, but I've been struggling for so long to break the triple digits and I was happy, happy, happy. So, we left & went to my house for a celebration drink (or five). When Mr. Snooty came home he was happy for me as well, but not so much so that I'd gotten nothing done and that I was by then rendered completely useless for anything more than sitting around giggling. Yes, I'm a bad person for that.

The worst of it was that we were getting up around 4:00 AM to be ready to leave for our 6:15 AM flight to Houston Hobby and my friend (whose hubby had joined us later) didn't leave until after 10:00 PM. So, after they left, I stumbled back to my room to pack. By the next morning (after like 4 hours of sleep) I had no clue as to what I'd packed, but wasn't about to go through & look because I didn't have time.

What I found when we arrived at our friend's beach house was 2 swimsuits, 5 pareos, and completely ridiculous items I would have never taken to the beach. Gee... Go Figure! I showed my friend my suitcase and she broke into doubled over laughter, as did I. She said "Damn Girl. You really were in some kind of state to pack like that". Yup, things had been thrown into the suitcase in a Helter Skelter fashion and aside from the swimsuits & pareos, nothing seemed to have anything to do with the other. I'd included a stained polo and an old skort, an extra pair of sandals, my medications bag, my makeup bag, my hairdryer and my jewelry bag (I'd had no intentions of wearing any jewelry at the beach). I also didn't plan to wear makeup because it won't stay on in high humidity and/or rain.

So this, of course, meant that I needed to go shopping. Quickly. Our Louisiana friends had arrived Wednesday night and apparently they had all been in similar condition the night before, so we were all sympathetic to one another's gut-splitting hangovers delicate conditions.

We immediately decided we needed to go downtown to The Strand and hit several of the shamefully overpriced upper end stores. The guys didn't want to be dragged into places where they'd have to witness our total disregard for money, so we took two cars & agreed to meet up for lunch at The Oyster Bar. We each made some fun purchases at the first shop and not so much at the second one. Still, it was fun looking at clothing & shoes that cost over $500.oo and up per piece. Kind of. The only thing I bought at the second place was a canvas grocery bag. Yes, my attempt to Save The Earth. Probably would have been smarter to just send the money to the tree huggers directly (no insult intended here).

After at least 5 calls to our cell phones begging imploring us to get moving, we finally proceeded in the direction of lunch. As always, the oysters were excellent and the sauce was spicy hot. We had drinks all around then ordered some much needed food. I was at least able to remember to take a picture of the place, but somehow forgot to get some clicks of the food. I know. What was I thinking? Really, I wasn't thinking because we were all talking 90 mph, trying to catch up with one another's lives.

When we finished lunch, the guys had some things they needed to go get at the store for dinner, so we parted and went off to shop some more run our errands. We needed to get everything done that day because it would be impossibly crowded & difficult to get around the island once Friday arrived. It was already getting crowded & hot and we just wanted to get back to the house so that we could collapse on the beach.

So, while we were still downtown we stopped in at our favorite Cigar & Smoke Shop and bought some lovely tasting *girly* cigars which are approximately the size of a cigarette. We ladies like to have our cognac cigars, mango cream cigars, and passion fruit cigars, with absolutely no apologies to anyone. The hubbys had gone down to the fresh fish market and bought our fresh salmon for that night's dinner and fresh shrimp for Saturday night.

That accomplished, we finally started toward West Galveston Beach where the house is. Once back, we donned our swimwear, played a round of Yard Golf, had evening cocktails on the beach then everyone began their preparations for dinner. Just as I was beginning to take pictures of our divine dinner, I accidentally dropped my digital camera and it went completely dead. I wigged out and almost cried at the thought of all the pictures I'd miss. Okay, fine. I did cry... big weenie that I am. I thought I was doomed with no camera.

So, I had another drink & got over it, deciding to use my crappy disposable waterproof camera which is good for the beach but almost nothing else. Still, I knew it was better than nothing. It still has something like 20 pictures left on it, which I hate to waste, but there's no telling when that will get used up, so I'll take them tomorrow to be developed & have them sent to me online. I think they can do that, can't they? If not, I can at least get them on CD.

We feasted on extremely fresh, delicious grilled salmon with fresh pico de gayo, spinach salad, garlic bread and drank 2 bottles of The Bitch Wine, which was excellent with the salmon. Our host & hostess wound up going to bed first (I think we wore them out) and then the two hubbys left and went to bed. Steph & I wound up staying up late and I'm pretty certain we solved most of the world's problems, but I can't remember what those solutions were now. Imagine that.

To Be Continued Tomorrow...