I woke up on my own unusually early this morning. I very slowly and very quietly got up and made my dark way to the den of our hotel room. I slowly and quietly opened the curtains to the windows. Then I sat down on the sofa and watched the sun rise over the Atlantic ocean.

I haven’t seen the sunrise over the beach in many years. It’s really a thing of beauty to watch.

And right now, as I type this, at quarter after six, I hear Cowgrit and Calfgrit4 getting up. They’ll be in here in a minute. So this is all I’m posting for today.

Sorry, but I’m on vacation.

Bullgrit

We were the first 30 minutes into our trip to the beach. The boys were in the back of the van reading and talking. To keep my driving interesting, I challenged Cowgrit to a game of Travel Alphabet.

Both of us immediately called out A and B, seeing the letters on the car license plate ahead of us. Hmm. This ain’t gonna work right. So I suggested we need to just use one side of the road each.

She was in full agreement that she get the right side of the highway, the side with all the road signs, and I got the left side, the side with all the backs of street signs.

“Oh crap,” I said when I realized the serious handicap I was getting.

“A, B, . . . C,” she said within a couple of seconds, getting letters off the big, clear, and numerous road signs.

Well, I’m not one to back out of a game just because I start out with bad positioning. I rose to the challenge and started looking for something on my side of the highway.

Across the median, there were many tractor-trailer trucks going the opposite direction. Most of them had company names, slogans, and other big writing on them. I managed to get a few letters off them.

Then I slowed down to a couple miles an hour below the speed limit. This let vehicles pass me in the left lane. I managed to pick out more letters from the lisence plates. I don’t mind arriving at our destination 5 minutes late if it lets me win a game. Of course, I didn’t let on to Cowgrit I was doing this. She’d rather arrive on time or early than let me win a game. She’s so selfish like that.

Pretty quickly, I managed to pass Cowgrit’s alphabet count. In fact, I blew past her like she wasn’t even trying. Within 20 minutes, I reached Z before she got K.

“Ha! I win!” I exclaimed.

“Good,” she said, “I can take a nap, now.”

She closed her eyes and laid her head back.

Hmm. Well, I still won.

Bullgrit

We’re off to the beach today, to spend 2 nights and 2.5 days in the sun and fun. It’s a two-and-a-half-hour drive to the coast. That’s long enough to make both the boys bored and antsy in the van, but fortunately short enough that momma and daddy might not go out of their minds trying to keep them entertained.

The place we’re staying supposedly has wireless Internet access, and I’m taking my laptop, so I should be able to keep my regular daily posting schedule while on our little mini-vacation. But if you don’t hear from me over the next couple of days, assume I couldn’t get on the Web.

If I can’t post normally, maybe I’ll say something through Twitter (shown on the right). Or maybe I won’t. Screw y’all, I’m on vacation.

Bullgrit

Riding in the van, just me, Cowgrit, and Calfgrit4.

Calfgrit4, from behind us: “Mommy, you’re a weirdo.”

Cowgrit and I, in the front seats, look at each other. Oh no. Another word we’re going to hear a million times a day.

Calfgrit4: “You know what ‘weirdo’ means? It means the cutest and the coolest.”

Me: “Is that what it means? This could be fun.”

Cowgrit rolls her eyes.

Later, when we’re all in the house, and just Cowgrit and I are in the kitchen.

Me: “You’re a weirdo.”

Cowgrit: “You’re a bigger weirdo.”

It is pretty fun. You should give it a try. Pass along the new definition of “weirdo” and tell someone what they are.

Bullgrit