So I had to give She Who Must Be Obeyed (my wife) all the credit for thinking up the plan to go to the beach while our floors were being repaired. But it really was a great idea. Just us and the Jungle Boys (our 15 and 17 year old sons) kids and the dogs in a big house right on the beach. Nothing to do but rest and relax ... long quiet walks on the beach ... long quiet afternoons on the deck reading or napping ... lazy relaxing dinners followed by quiet contemplation and reflection ... just what I needed as a restful respite from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

We found a great big house for a greatly reduced price because it was the off season. "Even better", I thought, "The house is so big it will even be quieter and calmer. Everyone can have their own room and own television. Heck, there are more rooms in the house than we have people." I was really looking forward to a really relaxing week.

As the beach week approached I heard She talking to the Millionaire-Want-A-Be (our oldest son) about the trip on the phone. The MWAB lives about three hours away and keeps pretty busy. I was surprised when She told me that the MWAB was thinking about coming down to the beach for a few of the days we were down there. "That's great", I thought, "It is always nice to see the MWAB and the Jungle Boys will enjoy the company. We have plenty of room and the boys can all go do fun things together. Things might be a little more hectic with another person but I would still have lots of time for relaxing."

About two weeks before beach week, I got another surprise ...

God Bless America.

Enjoy!