[21 August 2004] I just realized that I wrote this post a month ago and never published it... call it "time delayed blogging".
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tomorrow Larissa and I will hit the road and begin the trek back to Chattanooga. We both have to be back for work on Thursday, and would both rather stay here.
I like Ocean City, New Jersey. Its got a cool older section of town in the northern end of the island, and lots of old houses and other buildings. There's lots of variety in the styles of the houses, and so many different porches (including the second floor one larissa spotted which doesn't have a railing--somebody oughtta tell them to change that). Its been good to be here; this afternoon Larissa and I got iced coffee and played Go at a shaded picnic table by the Central Roast coffee shop on 8th and Central.
We had cheese steaks and hogies for dinner. I ate most of an 18 inch cheese steak (uughh) and gave the tail end of it to Aaron, who'd only ordered a 9 inch. The cheese steak is a wonderful food; but not to be eaten by the faint of heart as its perhaps one of the most effective calorie conveyance vehicles.
I really enjoyed the four days here with my family; its been four years since I'd been able to come to the beach with the family. We used to go each year right after Labor Day, for about 9 or 10 days. The sand is still there; the ocean waves keep shaping the shore... how numerous are the grains of sand.
Martin Scott has won the Republican primary for district two in northwest Georgia. He was one of four candidates, and he won without having to hold a run-off. This is exciting news for me because I've helped the campaign a bit with computer support and doing some direct voter contacting.
I'm up in New Jersey for a few days. Yesterday my dad and I drove up from Bristol, Virginia, to New Jersey for a family friend's wedding. It was somewhat surreal to see so many people that I know who they are but who have grown and changed so much over the past few years. Part of what made it odd is that two couples I'm good friends with, Jer & Ab Stevenson, and Jamin & Ti Scribner, were there; the thing is I was surprised to see them because I know them from totally different contexts (though if I'd thought about it I knew that they knew the guy who was getting married). I talked a little with a number of folks who were a few years behind me in school, and many of them are done or almost done college. On top of it all the reception afterwards was at Nicolosi Catering. which was only about 2 miles from where I lived for almost 17 years growing up, and yet as far as people so much seemed changed.
Now I'm heading down to the Jersey shore with my family and my grandparents. We'll be in Ocean City (NJ, not MD, because New Jersey is simply better); Larissa and I drive back to Chattanooga on Wednesday, and the rest of the family comes back on next Sunday. I'm looking forward to the beach, especially the late afternoon, which Larissa so aptly described, strolling on the boardwalk, talking with Grandma & Grandpa, running early mornings on the beach or boardwalk, eating Johnson's carmel-corn, smelling the salt-water on the breeze, and seeing the big sky over the ocean.