VA Beach 2010, one of THOSE vacations

So I am currently Stage Managing an opera for the Fringe Festival (with some of the same wonderful people from last year) and it is AMAZING to be back in real theatre again. Even for opera. Even teching. (: But there is WiFi on campus and I will totally take advantage of that. When I am not writing blocking notes in my score.

For Memorial Day Ryan and I decided to take our first vacation as a married couple and drive down to Virginia Beach. Ryan had a rare 72 (rare during parade season at any rate) so we definitely wanted to go back to his old stomping ground. I had never been, but when Ryan was in BSG and SOI at Chesapeake he would go there ALL the time with the guys. Away we go!

Now I will warn you right now, this is going to turn into one of those vacations where we had some snafus that someday we will laugh about. Someday.

We left Saturday afternoon on the four hour drive and it wasn't too bad. Not really any traffic for the most part and we just chatted the whole way down. There was an amber alert on 95 which kind of jarred us a bit, it isn't easy seeing that sign every mile and having that heightened awareness hoping you DO see the car and can help. Oy.

We get to VA Beach and it took us three hotels to find one with vacancy! But we eventually found the Seahawk Motel and took the last room! YES! Ocean view, fifth floor, glorious. The first night we just walked around. We even got corny matching tshirts (I was so shocked he was on board for this!). Mine said I <3 MY CRAZY HUSBAND, VA BEACH and his said I <3 MY CRAZY WIFE, VA BEACH. Once I upload my pictures (yea yea I know) I will post one here. People loved them! Everyone kept asking us where we got them and even taking pictures of us. It was pretty funny. Ryan tried to drag me into the Haunted House (NO WAY) and we settled for some Pirate Mini Golf. He kicked my butt. Then we got good pizza at Doughboys and then went to a bar called LunaSea (get it?). We went back to the hotel and sat on our balcony watching the waves for awhile before crashing with some Dane Cook standup on tv.

Day 2 was beach day. We woke up and saw dolphins swimming from our balcony. We went to Honeybees for the delicious breakfast buffet and walked back to the beach. The air was hot. The sand was hot. The water was freezing. So we set up camp and I lie around for awhile, digesting. Ryan tried to swim but it was too cold! So I eventually went down with him and slowly in we went. Numb. I was numb. Oh so numb. It was so so so so cold! We're swimming around and all of a sudden I hear Ryan's panicked voice yell, "SWEETIE!!" And I had no idea what was wrong, I am thinking shark? Jellyfish? Rip current? He holds up his hand and...

His wedding ring was gone.

So we begin to dive frantically searching for it. All of a sudden Ryan yells really loud and I glance over to see a CRAB hanging off of his hand. Seriously?! Ok looking back (even later that night) it is kind of hysterical. He is flailing his hand around with the crab holding on for dear life as he sends it flinging into the air. We stopped diving after that. I optimistically watched the shore to see if it washed up. It didn't. I couldn't get upset, it was an accident and Ryan was already a wreck about it. We just spent the rest of the day on the beach hanging out. I got told I was looking good (ma'am) by an old beach bum. Joy. Why did my husband go swimming again and leave me there?! Haha not really. I just finally dried off and had no desire to turn blue again.

After a few hours on the beach we went up and showered and laid around for a bit. Eventually Ryan went out and got us Chinese food (as my cramps were so not cooperating) and watched a Star Wars marathon on Spike. We eventually emerged and got some Ben and Jerrys and came back to watch more Star Wars. We fell asleep early on in The Empire Strikes Back and woke up at 3am to see the end of Return of the Jedi. Then we passed out again. Ryan got a few 7:30am phone calls from work and then after awhile we gave up and got ready and checked out. In the rush I left my iTouch in the hotel room. When do I realize this? When we are driving home. Sweet.

But we decided to rent one of those bike/cart things where we have a roof and both pedal and we nearly died. That thing was a pain in the behind to drive. Literally. It took sooo much effort and it was hot as hell. We stopped before our hour was over and went for lunch at Little Feet's Cafe and then played frisbee on the beach before we just got too hot and had to leave. So on the drive I notice my iTouch was gone and call the hotel... luckily they found it. I gave them my information and credit card stuff and they're mailing it back to me. Second crisis semi averted. There was a TON of traffic and after a few hours we stop at a rest stop to use the bathroom and get a drink and a snack. We're in there all of ten minutes maybe.

Once we start driving I notice my side of the car is acting funny. I look in the side view mirror and the back of the car was vibrating. Then there is a loud sound, the car shakes, and Ryan gets us to the side of the road. Back passenger tire completely shredded. About four holes on the side wall of the tire. Ryn said it looked like someone stabbed it, but the tow truck driver said it could have been low pressure and just all popped out. Ryan had a doughnut, no spare, and no jack. Thank heavens I still have AAA! So we end up sitting on the side of 64 for over an hour waiting for the tow truck. How do we pass the time? We play I Spy. Oh yes. For over an hour. It was kind of funny. I guessed some doozies on him that he did not expect me to get, like the bird flying way behind the car in traffic!

Eventually the tow truck arrives to take us to the only open garage for miles, in Richmond! This tow truck was so old I was terrified it was going to break down before we made it. Two scrawny kids were driving it and one rode in our car and the other drove. They had to have been all of 18 maybe. Their truck was older than them. It was a 1988 truck with 620,000 miles on it! I will never complain about my car's miles again. The thing rattled and shook the whole way to Richmond where we got to Merchants, got four new tires (why not?), two subs, and sat for over two hours before going back on our way. Ryan also found it a convenient time to get his oil changed. He said the tire popping may have been God's way of yelling at him to change his oil.

All in all our 4 hour drive home was over 9 hours.

We opened a bottle of wine when we got home, popped in a DVD, and passed out.

So, for those of you who didn't have time to read the whole thing:
1. Ryan lost his wedding ring in the ocean (only wore it 29 days!)
2. I left my iTouch at the hotel which they are mailing back to me.
3. Our tire shredded on the way home.

We sure know how to make our first married vacation memorable huh?

Thanks for reading, I must get back to Padrevia now.... the opera.

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