1. I’m writing this from the last day of my family vacation in Emerald Isle, NC. The sun is out (yay!) the family is mostly still sleeping, and I have coffee and GMA all to myself. Nice. This is my last trip to EI for the year, which means that come tomorrow when I head home, I’ll have to finally accept that yes, it IS October and fall. For now, it’s warm and sunny and I can still wear a bathing suit, so my denial is in full effect. It’s like a muscle, my denial. You go to work it out to keep it up!
2. My husband’s low-cholesterol diet has meant that there have been NO shrimpburgers consumed on this trip. Yet. I think I’ve written here before about how he’s watching his fats and carbs and everything to get his numbers down, and it’s a benefit for me as well, I know. But MAN do I miss fried foods. I keep thinking about Modern Family and Mitchell suffering as Cameron tries to diet. It’s hard on everyone! But while I can sort-of justify pizza (there’s vegetables involved!) and the occasional potato chip (low-fat variety!) there is just no way around a shrimpburger, which is basically fried shrimp, coleslaw and cocktail sauce on a hamburger bun. And you’re required by law to have onion rings with it. Look it up! Or, you know, don’t. We will see if I make it through this day without sneaking off for one. Wish me luck.
3. Today on the treadmill, I was watching the reunion show for this season of The Real Housewives of New York City and let me tell you, even for a big fan of this guiltiest of pleasure, it was hard to watch. What happened to these people? I mean, there’s always been cattiness and backbiting, but it’s just so altogether nasty, I can’t even take it. I’m beginning to understand why Bravo cleaned house and is bringing new people in. I don’t think I could TAKE another season of all that squabbling. Which is really saying something, because we all know I basically have no standards when it comes to TV.
4. This house we’re renting is gorgeous, but the thing that really blows my mind is the margarita machine. It’s in the laundry room and is EPIC. I have never seen anything like it. I mean, look:
To answer your question: no, we haven’t used it yet. I’m a little bit scared. I mean, how much do they really expect people to be able to drink? Multiple blenders-full, apparently. Yikes.
5. Another thing I’ll remember about this trip: rediscovering the joy of Kitchen Nightmares. Somehow, this show fell off my radar, even though I’ve been talking all book tour about how it helped inspire Mclean’s dad’s job in What Happened to Goodbye. Thanks to Hulu Plus, we’re catching up this week with the last season, and it is SO GOOD. Oh, Gordon Ramsay, I hate myself for loving you. But I DO love him. Especially on this show, when he’s not being nasty but actually trying to help people. (While cursing quite a bit, yes, but whatever. I didn’t say he’s Ghandi or anything.) My husband has also loved introducing my brother, who does not even have a TV—yes, you read that right, my only sibling has no television by CHOICE!—-to shows like Man Vs. Food, just to blow his mind. It’s hilarious. He’s a longtime vegetarian and super healthy eater and can’t even BEGIN to understand why someone would eat 5 lbs of ground beef. Ah, vacation. We are all learning things!
6. Okay, so there’s not really a six. Just this:
Have a good weekend, everyone!
That Margarita machine? That’s for big parties and will allow you to have multiple flavors available. Don’t know why you’d want muliple flavors though when the classic is so good all by itself.
Regarding Fall. Shhhhhhh. It will be our little secret. I keep dreaming of mid 70′s and sun.
It sounds so nice on the beach, I wish I had time to take one more vacation too. Oh well, I guess I’ll wait until next year.
I LOVE fried food; I could not live without it. Though I’m super impressed and supportive of those who go off fried foods for diets, I don’t understand them. But maybe that’s just me
Because of you, I went on hulu and am now hooked on Kitchen Nightmares. It’s such a great show!
*sigh* you are so lucky to be there enjoying that right now…
Have a great week!
That picture of the beach looks awesome!
I LOVE the margarita machine, but I might be a little to scared to try it. haha Also, my husband and watched all the UK Kitchen Nightmares (on Netflix streaming) in like 1 week. They’re better than the US version.
Also, if you live in Florida you don’t have to stop going to the beach in October….its mostly warm enough all year! Hope you had a good trip.
Go out and have a shrimpburger–it’s the last day!
That margarita machine looks awesome! My family definitely would have broken that thing in by now!
That view… wow. I hate sand, but I’m so jealous.
Also: I think you could easily justify eating a shrimp burger with a simple “Come on, it’s the last day of our trip!”
Wow – that last picture is gorgeous!
Wow, I’ve always wanted to go to a beach like that with a beach house all to yourself, and everything.
Hi ! I’m Sarah, I’m 16 and I’m French ! Even if I can’t really apreciate your writting as others readers can, you’re one of my favourite writer. I just finished Someone like you in a week ! My favourite is This Lullaby, the first I red (and I red it like five times in three years !). I confess, my godfather offered me your book because you’re called Sarah.
Unfortunately, I can’t read all your books. Because I have to study French litterature (do you ever read French books ?). I can’t read Stendhal’s novel in a week, it makes me sleep ! (Nevertheless I’m keen on reading) And also because the first novels you wrote are not traduced in french except Someone like you ! (it’s a shame). So I have to read them in english, and even thought I’m crazy about english language, I need more time to read it. For example, I don’t really understand some sentences of this article. But I totally understand when you summarize your novels. You even make me laugh !
I hope you’ll have time to answer to a huge fan from the other side of the Atlantique ! Have a nice week-end too !
Wow, you’ll have to share how the margarita machine was! That’s about a $500 mixer! I’ve always wanted to get something like that because my blender is TERRIBLE, but I never have because they’re so expensive and I don’t know if it’s worth it.
Mmm margaritas sound SO good right now. Oh.. But I’m pregnant.
but once she comes… MARGARITAS GALORE!!! 
I LOVE the fall- the foggy nights, gloomy days, crisp leaves falling off the trees… Oh that is definitely heaven. I wish I have the view you do over there.. California isnt the BEST place ever… Oh well. Maybe a trip later in life. my husband loves it over there.
Have a great weekend sarah!!
Love always,
Jackie:)
Jz ne bom pomagal očetu/ očimu. NE BOM.
one word….sheeeeesh. And are you visiting Chicago anytime soon? OMG i would love to actually meet my favorite author. That would be the hgihlite of this yr!!!!!!!!! I read Along for the Ride in like 2 hours. I love that book. Just Listen was awesome too! And I really liked the truth about forever. Really good story! I wish I could actually fall in love with someon elike Wes…..ooo lala
wow that view *so jealous* if I can’t even remember if I got to the beach this summer then I probably didn’t *sigh* a northwest beach that is, I still remember the girl scout trip I took in 10th grade when we went to tybee island, so loved the beach on the atlantic side it was WARM haha! glad you’ve had a good vacation!
Thats is a BEAUTIFUL walkway, and that is a pretty cool margaretia machine.
Oh, you are so lucky! I live near the beach, but I don’t have a nice view like that. Also, awesome Margarita machine. If only that was a coffee machine…
i really like the veiw if the beach!