Monday, July 16, 2007

Panama City '07

Is it just me, or does the beach seem empty without Bone?



If you read Friday's post carefully, you realize I never mentioned exactly where I was going. Sorry to be so secretive, but I'm sure most of you know how annoying the blog paparazzi can be.

Wolfgang, Little Joe, and I left early Friday morning. We stayed at the Boardwalk Beach Resort in Panama City, Florida. I'd driven over from Destin to Panama City before, but this was my first time to stay there.

After this trip, I can say without a doubt that I prefer Destin to Panama City. The hotel was excellent for the money. However, the crowd seemed more heavily teenaged and college-aged, and the water was quite seaweedy. I may or may not have just invented that word. Just go with it.

Nevertheless, it's the beach. Much time was spent swimming, floating, throwing frisbee and football, and lying in the sun. A fun time was had by all. But that's not to say there weren't a few minor mishaps along the way. I mean, with the Darryls, anything less would be disappointing.

The first misadventure of the weekend occurred Friday afternoon. Wolfgang had just gotten in the ocean when a wave crashed over my near-sighted, swimming-impaired friend, knocking off his glasses. He never found them, and spent the rest of the weekend trying to squint his way down to like 20/60 vision.

Our second misadventure occurred Friday night. As we drove around looking for something to eat, Wolfgang kept mentioning someplace called the All American Diner that he had eaten at before. Though it didn't sound extremely appetizing, I went with his suggestion, since this was the first time in two trips to the beach that either of them had come close to making a decision.

I was figuring the AAD would be like a Johnny Rockets, or maybe Al's Diner from Happy Days. Well, I never ate at Al's, but I don't remember the Fonz ever heaving in the "office."

A few minutes after we got back in the car, Wolfgang began complaining that his stomach was hurting. Mine was, too. Though I deserved it for violating my never-eat-cole-slaw-at-a-place-with-diner-in-its-name rule. As he groaned from the backseat, Wolfgang remarked, "Well, that's the second bad experience I've had there." Um, excuse me? Then why in the world did you recommend it?!

Other than the ocean itself--the breeze, the sand, the waves, yada yada yada--my favorite thing about going to the beach is delighting my palate with delicious seafood. Needless to say, I picked where we ate for the rest of the weekend.

We ate Saturday evening at Pineapple Willy's, a little place located right on the beach where I finally got my seafood fix. The food and service were outstanding. Then Sunday before we left, we drove over towards Destin and had breakfast at my beloved Donut Hole. I brought home some key lime donuts.

In order to eliminate last year's issue of how to get sunscreen on my back, I came equipped this year with some SPF 10 spray-on sunblock, along with some SPF 8 and SPF 15 lotion. Still somehow my shoulders, chest, and stomach wound up the color of Revlon Cozy Rosy lipstick. On the good side, it gives me an excuse to cover myself liberally in aloe at least three times a day, which is never a bad thing.

With the sunscreen problem of a year ago alleviated, the most pressing issue facing the three virile amigos this year was where to sleep. While the hotel was right on the beach and fine otherwise, it only included two beds which were barely twin-sized, if that.

So we decided to play Xbox Friday night to decide who would get a bed to himself. Because that just seemed like the logical thing to do. And playing video games in the hotel room is what everyone does when they're at the beach, right? (We also made two trips to Wal-Mart, but I'm not sure any of you are ready for that much excitement yet.)

Well, Little Joe won at Xbox, which left Wolfgang and I to share a bed, or so I thought. I was planning on using towels and spare pillows to construct a hetero barrier down the center of the bed so as to avoid any awkward incidental touching during the night. But then out of the blue, Wolfgang volunteered to sleep on the floor, saying he wouldn't feel right about sharing a bed with me.

Saturday night, we played miniature golf to determine who got a bed to himself. I won, and I'm fully expecting Wolfgang or Little Joe to sleep on the floor. But no, they both sleep in the other bed. So Wolfgang isn't comfortable sleeping in the same bed with me, but he's fine sleeping with Little Joe? I wasn't sure whether to be offended or... very afraid. I'm still not.

The only other misadventure from the weekend that comes to mind is LJ's fashion "choices." Friday, he wore a hot pink Jesse Owens Memorial Run t-shirt from like 1995. Saturday, he sported a bright yellow Bowling For Kids Junior Achievement t-shirt. And Sunday, he selected a George Strait concert tee, circa 1998, which featured a large picture of King George himself on the front. All, of course, perfectly accented by his solid white Reeboks.

And this is my wingman?

"Now I've gotta say that the wind and the waves and the moon winking down at me, eases my mind..."

36 comments:

  1. No, but the chairs do :)

    And the ocean :)

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  2. I'm not so worried about the beach...this blog's been empty long enough :) Glad you're back!!
    Are we ever going to see a picture of you on the beach?

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  3. Yes, of course the beach seems empty without you, Sir Bone.

    But the blog world was just as empty. We're grateful for your return!!

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  4. Hope you and your skin made it home safely (and that you had a great time while you were there).

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  5. I bet all the girls in Panama City are crying their little hearts out right this very minute.

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  6. Gorgeous.
    And everywhere is empty without you, mister!

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  7. Its not just you.

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  8. Love the picture. It looks very relaxing.

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  9. Am I the only one who wants to know if Wolfgang sat out there with you next to him, singing 80's ballads???

    O:)

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  10. The beach looks so nice today....

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  11. TC: Why the sigh? Oh, and it's LJ that loves the 80's. That reminds me. We were in the car on the way down and the song "Alyssa Lies" came on the radio. LJ remarked that it was a good song and then said, "I guess I like sad songs for some reason."

    Pia: The chairs do look empty! :)

    Jennifer: Aww, well I'm back now! :) And the only picture taken of me this year at the beach was a crappy camera phone picture.

    Avery Laine: Aww, well thank you, blogosphere spokesperson ;-)

    Gay: Thanks. I made it home safely. My skin was not as fortunate.

    Jen: Guess this means I'm it?

    Carnealian: You would think so. lol

    Blondie: Aww, how very sweet, missy :)

    GirlFPS: I didn't think it was. Thanks for the affirmation :)

    OKChick: Thanks. It was my favorite of the 10 or 12 pictures I took (and didn't delete).

    Kerry: Nice... but empty. Right? :)

    Kontan: Thank you. I thought it was kind of a poignant shot.

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  12. So did you use the spatula for the sunscreen like I suggested? :)

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  13. I would pick out my favorite line but I would have to copy most of the post

    Excellent Wolfgang, Little Joe, and Bone story

    Had me laughing out loud and that's hard to do right now

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  14. Well Mr. Bone had you told me you were going to PCB rather than Destin this year I could have offered you loads of restaurant suggestions. The place that you should not have left without eating at is a small Italian place called Sweet Basil’s. I have been known to pack up early Saturday and make the 3 hour trip just for a bowl of their salad and breadsticks. It is a small place, maybe a little run down looking in front of the movie theaters in East PCB.

    I would have also told you to never, under any circumstances, eat at the All American Diner ever! That is food poisoning waiting to happen. Did you eat on the dock at Pineapple Willey’s or inside the restaurant? To really experience PW’s you must eat outside no matter how long the wait.

    I must say, I am less concerned with Wolfgang and Little Joe sleeping in the same bed, than I am knowing that you know what color Revlon Cozy Rosy lipstick is. Perhaps Mr. Wolfgang was concerned with your heterosexualness seeing as you know shades of lipstick. On the other hand, one night of a rock hard hotel room floor might have been all he could stand. Oh Mr. Bone you make me laugh!

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  15. it's LJ that loves the 80's.

    Thanks for correcting me: I realized it when I first read this that I'd gotten 'em wrong. I noticed you didn't answer the question though ;)

    Like Pia, I could quote over half of this post, but I'm turning over a new, shorter comment leaf... or something like that O:)

    In order to eliminate last year's issue of how to get sunscreen on my back, I came equipped this year with some SPF 10 spray-on sunblock, along with some SPF 8 and SPF 15 lotion. Still somehow my shoulders, chest, and stomach wound up the color of Revlon Cozy Rosy lipstick. On the good side, it gives me an excuse to cover myself liberally in aloe at least three times a day, which is never a bad thing.

    That's because adults with light skin are always supposed to wear SPF 15. Anything under it is really only a "tanning lotion." AND, it's recommended that if you are spending extended amounts of time in the sun, you use at least SPF 30. Applied 30 minutes before going out in the sun, and at least once every two hours after that.

    Any of that answer why your chest, arms and stomach look like Revlon's Cozy Rosy? (Please tell me you had to look that up. Please.)

    And regarding the Aloe... had you said it gave you an excuse to have someone else apply Aloe three times a day I would have understood. Now I'm a little frightened... I think I'm feeling Wolfgang's pain right now ;)

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  16. Hmmm... so much for shorter comments, huh?

    Uff da. 8-)

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  17. I love this post! I just got back fromt he beach and we had many funny moments :) What do you expect with a bunch of girls, huh??? ;)

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  18. Carmen: No, not necessary. I invested in the spray-on sunscreen. Spraying down is not quite as awkward as rubbing down :)

    Pia Savage: Thank you. The WG and LJ stories tend to tell themselves, humor included :)

    Melanie: Well, I didn't even think about asking you for suggestions. We took the first available table at PW's and got seated indoors, and I immediately regretted that.

    Good point about the hard hotel floor. One night may have been enough.

    TC: LJ isn't big on singing along. As for me, now that's a different story.

    Yeah, I probably should have gone with the 15 on my chest and back. I did use 15 on my face and ears.

    And yes, I googled the Revlon site, then carefully color-matched it to my skin 8-)

    Congrats on turning over the new, shorter comment leaf. That wasn't bad, especially if you don't count the parts where you quoted me, which of course I did. 257 words :)

    Amber: Well, glad you had fun. What beach did you go to?

    HotPink: Thanks, HotPink.

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  19. I swear that I'm gonna keep this short and sweet:

    I don't think you've written a funnier post. The truth of truth is stranger than fiction can be evidenced here. Oh dear Lord, you had me laughing aloud at Darryl and Darryl's shenanigans.

    I repeat my original assertion that you remain friends with them, in large part, for the blog entries it garners you.

    Still somehow my shoulders, chest, and stomach wound up the color of Revlon Cozy Rosy lipstick.

    Spend a lot of time in the Revlon aisle of Wal-Mart, do we?? Oh, Bone. You never fail to entertain.

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  20. LJ isn't big on singing along. As for me, now that's a different story.

    Awwww, so you sang to him??? How sweet!

    O:)

    Congrats on turning over the new, shorter comment leaf. That wasn't bad, especially if you don't count the parts where you quoted me, which of course I did. 257 words

    *blushing*

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  21. Welcome back. And in case you didn't guess it already...we think your friends are weird.

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  22. I'm sighing . . along with trav. chica.

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  23. It wasn't that he wanted to sleep with your friend more than with you, it was that he never dreamed he would end up stuck on the hard floor two nights in a row, and he just couldn't handle it another night!

    You may keep your dignity intact - more or less.

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  24. I thoroughly enjoyed reading your account of the decision about sleeping arrangements! My poor family had to hear it read aloud.

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  25. All-American Diner has danger written all over it. Thanks for sharing your tales--and congratulations on winning at putt-putt, it takes a real man to be able to admit to that!

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  26. Hm. I don't think the rest of the post was there when I commented earlier! I laughed out loud at the "hetero barrier". Nothing girly-girly about you, my man :) Have a great week...

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  27. Darling! You speak of no CHICKS! Where's the tail!?

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  28. that picture is great... its somehow romantic and lonely all at the same time!

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  29. Avery Laine: Well, you know, the Revlon aisle, that's where the girls are :)

    D&D are always good when I'm having a bit of writer's block.

    Your comment was oddly succcinct ;-)

    TC: No, I did not sing to him. Well, I sang. But not to him.

    Renee: Haha. And I'm completely normal! Yes, yes, let's go with that :)

    Shelby: Aw, you can't be far from the beach. You should get down there soon. I'm hoping to go back at least once before summer is gone.

    Marcia: You may keep your dignity intact - more or less.

    Um, I'll go with "more" there :)

    Joan: Ooo, reading aloud? It's like Blogs On Tape! :)

    Sage: All-American Diner has danger written all over it.

    Well, not "danger" but it did have some graffiti :)

    Jennifer: No, I added the trip recap a bit later. Thanks. Hope you have a great week, as well :)

    Blondie: I didn't even bring my age-dar this trip. It's so defective, I figured what's the point.

    Kate: Thank you! I loved this picture. It inspires me to want to write.

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  30. No, I did not sing to him. Well, I sang. But not to him.


    Uh huh. You sang to him.

    Was he in the vicinity while you were singing? Then you sang to him. Bone is serenading LJ these days...

    O:)

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  31. I wouldn't read too much into WG opting to sleep on the floor when it was time to share a bed with you. He's probably picked up on your weird hetero issues. Of course, I could be giving him way too much credit, considering how clueless he seems about other things that should be common sense (like what not to wear).

    I'm glad you had a good time at the beach.

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  32. TC: Maybe you should have been a trial lawyer :)

    Xinher: He's probably picked up on your weird hetero issues.

    And by weird, you mean completely normal? :) Thanks.

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