Wonder Twin Powers Activate

On Thursday, the last night of our full-family vacation (both my sisters left the shore on Friday -- one so that should could visit other family members while she was "local" and still make it back to Chicago in time for work on Monday, and the other so she could find out she is going to have a girl, although I am personally holding out hope that it might possibly be a unicorn) -- on Thursday, we went to the boardwalk at Seaside Heights. When we were kids, we used to go to Seaside Heights for our summer vacation, and I had vague and hazy and soft and fuzzy memories of the boardwalk. I recalled it was awesome.

Um, yeah, not so much. Thanks, Snooki. *eyeroll*

But there are still lovely parts, if you ignore all the "As Seen On 'Jersey Shore'" signs and the "Welcome Back MTV" signs on the club marquees. It smells pretty darn good, that combination of salt water and sand and Coppertone hanging in the air, mixing with the aromas of all the different foods you can eat on the boardwalk -- pizza, cheesesteaks, fries, freshly-made salt water taffy, ice cream, lemonade. I love the sounds, too, the jangle of arcades and the rolling of skee-balls and the pit-pit-pit of those big wheel games and the crash of the waves and the laughter of the gulls and the screaming of children. And nothing anywhere in the world looks as inviting and exciting as the lights of amusement-park rides reflecting in the glimmering ocean. (Too bad I am a terrible photographer -- you will just need to take my word for it.)

For all that waxing nostalgic, at the time I was upset about our trip to the boardwalk, because it was not quite like I remembered. I used to think the boardwalk was so cool, because there was nothing like it near my house. It was five miles or so of complete sensory overload, and I loved it. It kind of squicked me out this time, and it never occurred to me until my brother-in-law said something, but it kind of does look like one giant church carnival. You know, if your church is "Our Lady of the Meat Market."

I was kind of devastated, and I blamed MTV: yet again, they have stolen and ravaged my youth! I didn't eat anything, because I felt like everything was dirty, somehow -- Snooki-fied. I made up for eating 700+ calories more than I was allowed on Wednesday by eating almost 900 calories LESS than my budget on Thursday. I didn't even have any ice cream.

And then I got home, and I looked at the pictures, and you know what? That trip to the boardwalk gave me exactly what I wanted all along.

These two, walking around all night in their "matching" outfits, holding hands, being together. Looking adorable. Just talking.

Teaching each other to fly.

And, you know, having ice cream, which has the calcium that is very important for growing superheroes.

So, all told, it was a pretty damn good vacation. Let's do it again.

Soon.