My family goes to Pensacola Beach every year for the fourth.

All bagillion cousins, aunts, and uncles, shuffle in and out of the beach house during the week.

This is the first year I have gotten to go for the whole time.

We arrived at the house and all bagillion people scurried in to claim rooms and look at the gulf.

And, once the coin was flipped and the room decided I raced into to see my bounty.

Folks, I am moving up on the world. Last year we slept in the pool room entrance– where everyone entered and exited outside during the day. I shoveled sand out of my clothes for weeks.

But, this room was glorious.

And, what did I do with this glorious room with its ocean-side view?

I unpacked of course and fussed over this and that.

You know, instead of looking at the view.

because I obviously developed OCD in my twenties.

Don’t worry I came to my senses (you know after everything was put away).

AuntieM (has a lot of catching up to do)

I got home to this. This man, pulling and yanking on ropes, grin-yelling at me to go get changed already and get in the boat.

By the time we launched, the sky was turning on us fast.

I smiled as we sped through the river, smiled at the excitement of being on the water in a Florida storm. Picasso grimaced and tried to negotiate with himself: stay or go.

Five minutes in the water and the sky had turned. We sped and danced our way just on the edge of storm, hitting pockets of cold storm charged air that made me shiver amid the summer heat.

Just as the thunder started we pulled in to the little restaurant and marina down the river.

I munched on crab cakes and sipped diet coke at the “The Swamp House,” watching the rain fall in sheets just outside the wide wooden patio.

And, an hour late we cranked the boat and pulled back into the channel to find this surprise.

The storm had taken all the humidity and lazily swept the sky with summer; the warm night glowed pink, orange, and blue. It was like being held captive in a sun-globe. There was no sky and no earth, except where the boat sliced its way through heaven.

And, for just a moment the ho-hum Wednesday work-night became a night filled with the promise and expectation of first summer love.

Here is to hoping that your fourth brings you the magic of summer,

AuntieM

p.s. Happy Anniversary U.S.A

Question.

Can I exercise regularly and eat whatever I want whenever I want without gaining weight?

Don’t answer that, just yet.

Questions.

Is it ok that my work pants either stuff me in like sausage or won’t button I have abandoned pants in favor of empire waisted dresses? Pants are not really an essential clothing category, right? They are just  optional?

Don’t answer that, I don’t want to buy what you are selling.

Let’s say, hypothetically speaking, that I were to go camping.

If, by chance, I went to the beach

and ran on the sand laid out for four hours (birthing two sweat babies at least) and watched Picasso fish while Picasso went back to camp and napped

and then I competitively swam sat in a chair under an umbrealla

and after such a long day of sporting debauchery came back to camp to prepare for a hike make beer-brats

and then made a healthy snack powdered pizza dough balls

followed by a game of tag roasting things on the fire…

Stage 2: Pain and Guilt

wouldn’t all of this out-dooring say to you that I live a very sporty lifestyle, and that camping is a great way to have fun and stay active?

Question.

Can you  explain to me why a certain turkey-like jiggle has reattached itself to my neck?

Stage 3: Bargaining

If, for the next 28 days I work out eight hours ok 2 hours at least 30 minutes a day, can I make a dessert again if I promise and swear it is a Weight Watchers Recipe?

starting next week month?

Stage 4: Loneliness

Don’t answer that, just send help fast.

Stage 5-7: Working through it, Acceptance, Hope

Getting mentally ready to stay on plan and only eat fried oysters twice packing for a week-long beach vacation,

AuntieM

]]> http://ontheedgeoftakeout.wordpress.com/2010/07/01/seven-stages-of-vacation/feed/ 2 aauntiem DSC_0060 DSC_0057 DSC_0069 DSC_0073 DSC_0088 DSC_0110 DSC_0114 DSC_0028 DSC_0027 DSC_0031 DSC_0043 DSC_0045 DSC_0044 DSC_0130 DSC_0127 DSC_0122 DSC_0139 DSC_0136 http://ontheedgeoftakeout.wordpress.com/2010/06/29/old-fashioned-donuts-and-a-birthday/ http://ontheedgeoftakeout.wordpress.com/2010/06/29/old-fashioned-donuts-and-a-birthday/#comments Tue, 29 Jun 2010 16:05:52 +0000 aauntiem http://ontheedgeoftakeout.wordpress.com/?p=1441 ]]> My friend Jess turns plenty-seven today.

Last week when I asked her what she would like as a tasty treat for her birthday, she said:

1. old fashioned donuts

2. cake without frosting

3. blueberry muffins, with the crumbles on the top

4. and a flaming flamingo dessert with a nice tangy-sweet drizzle

Ok, she might not have asked for the second one. She just said light frosting.

I ended up making 1,2, and buying 3. She was on her own for the fourth. I am an amateur, after all.

Last Thursday, I made the donuts based on this recipe. These donuts are twelve points a serving (holy cow! That is more than double my blueberry pie!).

Basically, you add all the spice and flour and sift. Then, you beat your eggs until frothy. Next add the sugary stuff to the eggs.

Beat that all up.

Add your apple sauce and the flour mixture. Get it all sticky doughed.

The people watch in expectation.

Then, you let it sit for at least two hours.

Watch as the people become violent and mob like in their hunger.

(even the dogs run in fear)

Then, the next morning after you have sent the people away (Marie Antoinette anyone?), cut the donuts out

Then, fry them up. Now, the recipe says about 1 minute per side. This is a dirty rotten makes the dough in the center raw lie. Fry until done in the middle and golden brown on the outside (about 5 minutes) flipping constantly, which (according to very reliable internet reserach) makes them light, fluffy, and evenly cooked.

Darin them

And, then you have donuts!

Jay liked them, but I was not convinced, they are very cake-like. As you will see by my post later this week when I made fried donut holes to account for the these guys.

Happy Birthday Jay (it is her actual one today. Anyone else notice that she might be the queen-of-Sheba, with a whole week of birthday celebrations?)!!

And, happy Tuesday to you.

AuntieM

You have never in all of your life seen such a sad set of men as we saw camping this weekend.

“I am hot.”

“I am sweaty.”

“It is too sunny.”

“It is too sandy.”

“Are we done yet?”

They were fine, really, just fine. But, they sure didn’t know it and wouldn’t admit until until they were safely tucked away in an air conditioned SUV and half way home.

Oddly enough (after that one little incident with the spider, a scream, and sleeping in the trunk), the ladies did just fine.

Camp-Fire Eats come up this week.

AuntieM