Santa Rosa

Well I thought we were going to Pardido the whole time... not that I have any idea where that is either, but the Johnson Family Summer Trip ended up being in Santa Rosa. Amazingly- Starling and I FINALLY found it. I was thrilled when three a.m. rolled around and our GPS announced we had arrived at our destination. It was the middle of NOWHERE and there was no condo. So we called Eric who was already at the condo and sleeping. No answer. Starling, of course, thought he could "figure it out." SO... I was REALLY excited when FOUR a.m. arrived and we were NO closer to finding the condo. Eric FINALLY answered and told us that his GPS hadn't recognized the address either. So he gave us directions from a Tom Thumb. Too bad there are like a MILLION and we were at the WRONG ONE. But eventually... we DID in fact find the condo. Did you know there are WAL MARTS that CLOSE??? There's one here. Crazy.

Starling, his dad, Eric, and Meghan and Andy played a Tennis Tourny that lasted about the whole trip. Steph, Mary, and I mostly played at the beach and pool with all the kiddies. OH how the children enjoy playing with their cousins! They splashed and squealed for four days straight. Starling ended up winning the giant trophy... a REAL gold Tennis Racket. Pure gold. Worth millions. It'll be displayed in our window until their next tournament and a new winner takes the gold. (Yay. What I've ALWAYS wanted... a giant tennis racket... it matches our decor perfectly). The WHITE DRAGON, Starling's father, wants to make it known on my blog that HE would have won if he didn't have the tennis elbow. (Or if he wasn't 30 plus years older. I'm just saying). But, since he couldn't win, he's glad his son won. (Opposed to all the options... his OTHER son... or his DAUGHTER). Anyway- Les played valiantly through all his excuses as did Andy through all of HIS excuses. Starling better start working on some good reasons to lose in the event that someone takes his gold next year.

I read an entire book... a nice THICK book called "Uglies." Steph brought two of Jen's books and I read the one she wasn't reading. I can't remember the last time I had time to READ... or the last time I picked up a book that I didn't have to return to the library for being FILTHY. (Books should seriously have ratings. They should warn that they have written porn up in it or the F bomb every couple of pages). But the book I read was squeaky clean. And pretty interesting. It was so NICE.

We decided to have a game night. Starling and Eric took out the trash before we started. It took them FOREVER to come back. We played our games... Quirkle- I REALLY like... sounds like a gassy leak out of someone's tush... but the game is pretty fun.

After Meghan and Andy left to go back to their condo, Starling and Eric started cackling. They were really turning a bit red as they announced that Meghan and Andy were in for a big surprise. Uh oh. Starling and Eric took a little DETOUR earlier that night when they were SUPPOSED to be taking out the trash. In actuality, they had raided the public restroom of toilet paper and rolled Meghan and Andy's condo. On the mirror they left a big sign "Romney 2012." And then in every possible location they left Romney notes... under all pillows, in the microwave, the oven, the fridge. They also left a big "OBAMA OUT" sign.

Random. You are thinking, HOW RANDOM. But... there, like all seemingly senile behaviors my husband exhibits, is a story. When Starling's mom overheard their tale of their prank, she scolded, "STARLING! WHAT were you THINKING??" Every good story starts this way. He said, "Mom, remember four years ago..." I died out laughing... TALK about holding a GRUDGE. Four years ago Starling bought bumper stickers for all of his family... They were Romney stickers... his campaign contribution. Well, little did we know, Obama fans were amongst our family. Andy peeled every bumper sticker off and rattily smooshed them all over Starling's car. Starling vowed to seek revenge.

Yesterday was that day. Starling is VEEEERRRY patient. Andy... a little hasty. Andy didn't know what our new car looked like, but recognized Steph and Eric's. After he saw his trashed apartment, he wrote on the hood of their car, Obama Fans... Obama 2012. He rolled it and wrote some stuff on the windows. Well... Eric cleaned up the toilet paper and windows... but the car hood?? WOULDN'T come off.

The text messages started. Our entire little condo chimed in to come up with the wittiest, must guilt inducing messages... Eric told Andy that he owed him a paint job and a box of tissues because Steph had used all the box in the condo. We told him the Shuffle Board Tourny was canceled due to un-sportsmen-like conduct. We had them going pretty good. I'm sure Andy was remorseful. (He should feel remorse for VOTING in Obama... and then to deface someone's CAR with that NAME...). But Politics isn't something I LOVE dwelling on... I get kind of worked up and defensive about my views... so I'll leave that subject alone until I've researched all the new candidates and am politically informed.

Anyway- the guys have been smearing the name off the car all morning and now we are packing to head back to Hattiesburg. I dread the drive... although it SHOULD only take four or five hours... unlike our trip DOWN here! And we won't be driving at NIGHT so the kiddies MIGHT be awake most of the time... And we're bringing our nephew back with us. He's going to be THRILLED to sit squished between two car seats. Poor thing. I'm still not sure how we're going to get all of our stuff back. Starling bought out the Goodwill because he doesn't have enough clothes at home. (And he has TONS of clothes. I know so because I do the laundry. I'm very excited about this NEW closet full of clothes waiting to be washed upon my return. I bought TWO pair of shorts. THAT's IT. I think about things like laundry and space in my closet before I buy).

I better drink my chocolate shake before the ice cream is packed... Noone wants to ride five hours with a cranky Wendi who hasn't had her fix.