lost weekends

Long Beach, Sag Harbor.  I shouldn't even be talking about it.  People will go and our secret will be ruined.  We'll go again this weekend, if life stuff doesn't intervene in the meantime.  Mr. Softee drives buy and I might as well be a kid.  First in line I am.

Lots going on, nothing I plan to write about at this point though.

What I will mention... Walking through Hell's Kitchen with Rire on Saturday morning, just to catch Eli for an hour before he boarded a bus back home.  He was doubled over laughing retelling his cruise ship stories.  11 is a really really great age.  A middle of the afternoon movie.  There's always something oddly good about walking out of a heater into blazing sunlight.  The Olympics.  Meb, Bernard, Galen & Mo!  I miss track and field already.

I can't run at the moment and I'm antsy.  I like being in motion.

I'm cooking endlessly.  Shrimp scampi with sliced zucchini and yellow squash.  Pumpkin muffins (seasonal cooking is overrated).  Quinoa cakes in pitas with tahini dressing.  A roast chicken.  Rice and beans.

But, enough is enough.  It'll be Trader Joe's pizza tonight.

the east end

(I think a marriage can be measured by your ability to successfully set up camp at 10PM, after a day of pouring rain, with nothing but a small lantern for light.)

We were feeling confident after camping last weekend in Hudson, so we upped the stakes and headed to Wildwood State Park in Wading River, NY.  I had spontaneously bought stand up paddle boarding lessons on Living Social a few months ago and I saw an opportunity!  We'd drive out Friday afternoon, camp that night, take the SUP lessons Saturday morning and head back to Brooklyn Saturday afternoon.  The perfect summer weekend!  Best laid plans and all that...  Rire had to work late so we didn't hit the road till 8:30, which has it's upside - less LIE traffic.  But still, the downside - setting up camp in the dark isn't any one's idea of a good time.  We took the divide and conquer approach.  He tackled the tent and I got the grill going (note to self, next time bring plates...).  In no time we were sitting back and eating while watching our neighboring campers struggle with their tents.  Ahhh, public campgrounds!  

(He may or may not have snored all night.  Good thing I love him...)

I grew up camping but it's been years (decades?) so my gear has dwindled to pretty much non existent.  I had to borrow my nephews sleeping bag...  Rire however loooves gear and has had the tent for years. Why we haven't been using it all along I don't know.  Better late than never I guess.

Our SUP lesson was in Southampton and we debated leaving the tent and coming back for it later, but our motivation was strong.  The tent came down, breakfast was eaten and we were on the road again to this beautiful spot.  Quick instruction from Hamptons Adventure Watersports and we were ready to go.

I wasn't sure what to expect, but I loved it.  Training and running marathons for the past few years has it's own set of advantages - but I think we've been missing out on spontaneous adventures like this. Long runs dictated our weekends and kept us from exploring other things.  SUP was fantastic.  It was more relaxing than I had expected, I could have gone for hours.

We were on a roll - the dubious late and rainy start on Friday had turned into an actual vacation.  So why head home now?  Our fellow paddle boarders suggested a nearby beach in Sag Harbor.  Which we now think of as a little peace of heaven.  Uncrowded, easy parking, calm water.  Yes please.  We swam, we napped. Swam, nap, swam, nap...