Waves and Topsail

Magnet #1014 - Topsail Island, NC

I mentioned my parents and I did a quick roadtrip to the beach earlier this week. Yes. The beach. Me.

We went to Topsail Island for fish, first - of course, my pop has local fish guys. Then, we headed down to Wrightsville Beach and Wilmington.

Seriously, ya'll. At WB, My dad made me get out of the van to go look at the water. I don't think he's read half of my beach-hate magnetposts, and still, he was like, you better get out of the car and see the Atlantic, while we're here.

Really?

Of course, I went. And it was gorgeous. What? I only hate it when it's hot and sticky and sandy and crowded.

And what's a trip to the beach without at least passing by a Waves surf shop. We never really went to them growing up. But, after I got my dad to turn the van around so I could get a good shot of the giant alligator facade, we stopped so I could pick up this little number.

Though, off season, there's nothing sadder than a cavernous Waves, completely empty, but for the dude folding T-shirts at the counter, waiting for the 2011 season to begin. His face kinda fell, when I asked him where the magnets were, and I worry that my $2.99 would be the day's take.

This one's definitely one of the tamer magnets. I saw some diiiirty magnets up in there. Like, who wants that junk on their fridge? I totally wanted to take a picture, but I don't even want to know the bots that would show up here if I did. Ew.

But, it totally explains why my parents never really wanted us to drop by Waves when we were little.

Beaches

Magnet #819 - At the seaside

Something I don't know a lot about - American Impressionism. I just never thought about how the movement in Europe would have of course, been carried out over here, too.

American artist William Merritt Chase painted this seaside scene, very much an Impressionist piece if ever I've seen one. He was also an art teacher at a beach resort - I love that he apparently taught open air classes to like a hundred students at a time. That must have been cool to see on the beach.

Mind you, I saw this image, and immediately assumed Normandy, or somewhere else in France. As it turns out, it's Long Island. Heh.

Picked this for today, because everyone seems to rally at the beach on LOST. Everyone. Makes sense - as Linus said, the water at our backs...well, except for that part where there are subs watching people on the beach.

I'm going on Hour 4 of my Great LOST marathon. I had to put the show on hiatus before I left for Tampa, so I'm about 11 episodes behind. Well, 8 now.

And I have to hurry! There's a Paley Center LOST party this weekend that I was hoping to go to, but if I can't get sufficiently caught up, I don't really want to go. What if I get spoiled?

Just another day at the beach...for joy, anyway

Magnet #276 - Georgia Aquarium

A friend of mine gave me this supercool magnet from the Georgia Aquarium. Apparently, it's the world's largest aquarium, with something like 8 million gallons of fresh and saltwater. Whoa!

I just checked out their site - and freaked out over their jellyfish page. Eeeeep. I can't stand jellyfish.

I blame Father Ralph from our church, who led one of the only church trips I was allowed to go on, down to South Carolina, when I was in 7th grade. Two things stick out about that trip.

A crappy and awkward-aged no-style haircut. The one where I, needing a drastic change, said to Crystal, our hairdresser, chop it all off. The one where, when I got into the car, my dad asked what happened. It was the worst haircut - ever.

Jellyfish. While we were at the beach, I inadvertently walked right into a school of jellyfish, was stung all over the place. The thing I remember most, though, was standing in a towel, shivering and crying because of the pain, and Father Ralph looking down at me, basically saying he couldn't do anything for me.

So, yeah, between the crappy haircut and the jellyfish, it was kind of a sucky beach trip. Ugh.

However, having looked at the Georgia Aquarium site, it does look like a fun place to go - with like kid sleepovers and tons of interesting exhibits. Maybe I'll go, next time I'm in town.

Just need to make sure everything's behind glass where they belong, is all.

I got sand in my pocket

Magnet #38 - Hawaii

Here's weird. I hate the beach. I hate the sun. I hate the sand. It's also weird that I hate all three things given that my peoples are from the Philippine Islands.

So, it's weird that I would have so many magnets from Hawaii. No, really! Everyone I know who goes to Hawaii ends up bringing me back a magnet - which of course, I love, (thank you) but it makes me giggle whenever I see them. This lizard I had to make sure was from Hawaii, and I got it confirmed when my friend who brought it back for me said she wasn't totally sure that's where it's from, but she thinks of Hawaii every time she sees it, so it must be from Hawaii. Right?

But, I digress. It should be known that I place the beach-hatred blame on the weekend getaways to the beach down in North Carolina. Actually, I use the term weekend loosely. Mainly, it would be a random Friday night, where my parents would come home from the office and say, pack up, we're going to the beach.

And at 3 or 4 in the morning, we'd be rousted from our beds, piled into the van, and would arrive at the beach about 4 hours or so later. We'd basically spend the morning and afternoon on the beach, and tis true - it was fun. Until the ride home on Saturday night. Where we'd have to change back into our quite sandy civvies, and sit in the van - damp and sand-ridden all the way home. Ugh. Sand in our underwear - not fun.

So, beaches = nofunjoy.