I wish I had a way to DL my pictures from my camera. I haven’t been as burnt as I am right now in a LONG LONG time. Like I said earlier – we arrived Saturday afternoon – day one – and after unpacking went right out the beach. We hung out for a while – took a few walks – snapped pictures left and right – then came in to change for dinner. We went to dinner at a pizza spot where you eat on the roof of the restaurant overlooking the boardwalk. The pizza was good – it was a little too tough for my jaw – but good.

Day two – yesterday – we got up and out on the beach by 9 AM – picking a great spot right on the water. The spot was also a witness to irresponsible parenting galore. First I have to say that Jared and I think that we tan well – but we don’t – after learning the hard way. I am burnt from head to literally the end of each toe. My stomach, hips, ankles, and feet are the worst. I will have pictures DL’ed once we get back home. I think that my pain tolerance has gotten pretty high in the past two years – but this HURTS – and it is my own stupidity. So – while I was baking myself to a lobster red yesterday – we witnessed the following — a mom who was talking on her cell phone for about 2 hours while paying no attention to her children – aged five and three – IF THAT – the little girl was the older with a cute little brother tailing behind. She would play in the ocean – run around the large expanse of beach – including our sheet – while her mom sat in the surf chatting away. The little boy would get in other people’s stuff – play with the big kites at the back of the beach – wander all over creation without the concern of his mom. At one point she went to change his diaper but decided to just let him wander all over the surf totally naked. Later I found a little girl wandering around our spot looking lost and scared. I asked her if she needed her mom – she shook her head yes and nearly started crying. Luckily Jared said they were on the other side of our little spot and that was indeed where she needed to be. Later I watched the father of this little girl shove his son in the sand after yelling at him and asking him if he understood him – turns out that the little boy – no more than 9 – was supposed to be with his sister (the same one who wandered off before without her parents missing her) and came back from the shore without her. So Jared saw the dad punch his son in the arm for daring to lose his sister. I have NEVER in my life witnessed such irresponsibility on behalf of parents. It makes me realize that Jared and I really can do it and will make it. I understand that parenting isn’t perfect and noone is – but COME ON people – these are you children – LOVE THEM and watch them. So the day yesterday ended with the first little boy walking down the street to their car without any diaper or anything on again – yards behind his mother – who is too busy with her friends and/or cell phone to notice or care. In case you cannot tell – this really disturbs me. We came back to the room and changed for dinner – at the small restaurant in the hotel we stayed at last year while we were here. Then we checked out the options for the Olde Tyme Photographs – which we will do later on in the week when I don’t look like a fresh lobster.

Day three – today – we spent all day on the beaach again – this time under the protection of sunscreen – a cover dress – and an umbrella. I read most of my book and took a few more pictures. Jared and I went out in the ocean to cool off every once in a while – where we met an older gentleman who saw me kissing Jared and asked why he had missed out on the kissing – so he promptly planted one on my cheek and I returned the favor. I went over the his wife and found out that they have been married 55 years! I told them we had just hit 4 – they said keep it up and work at it – it is worth it. Turns out that they will be our beach neighbors for the week since they have stayed in the same place for the past 46 years for 2 weeks. I think I might try and talk with them about how things have changed so much over the years on the boardwalk here in OC. OH – and speaking of OC – DID YOU KNOW that the vibrant glow of 80’s neon prints are back in style? Along with the sunglassed with the neon rims? The only thing that should be coming back from the 80’s is the music.

So here we are in the evening of day three – nursing our sunburns and trying out the couch bed for a better night’s sleep.