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Welcome
to another installment of "Things you should do before the highlight
of your week is lime Jell-O Thursday!"
This year, in my family's ongoing quest to turn ourselves into an
enormous package of extra-salty beef jerky, we decided to take a family
road trip to South
Padre Island, Texas, for the third summer in a row.
Because I have a wife and three daughters, preparing for such a trip
is like mounting a major military campaign to the Middle East. Unable
to cram all of our luggage into our Ford Expedition without triggering
the air bags, I resorted to using the dreaded roof-mounted luggage
container, which my daughters fondly refer to as "the turtle." Unfortunately,
"the turtle" is getting older and occasionally suffers from shell-closure
dysfunction. As a result, I found myself periodically thrusting my
head out of the window like a drooling Labrador retriever to see if
the Gorilla Tape and bungee cords were keeping "the turtle" from scattering
my underwear all over US
77.
Another harrowing aspect of our trip was the lack of service stations
on the remote highway to South Padre Island. Near the town of Riviera,
we saw a sign indicating that there wouldn't be another service station
(complete with squalid restrooms) for 60 miles. Despite having already
taken approximately 37 potty-breaks, I warned everyone that they should
go now, or risk choosing between a large grove of roadside prickly-pear
cacti and a Sonic cup.
Once we finally arrived on the golden shores of South
Padre Island, we spent several days enjoying typical beach activities,
like being paranoid about flesh-eating bacteria, fighting off plagues
of Cheezit-crazed seagulls, and asphyxiating ourselves with spray-on
sunscreen fumes. But the highlight of the trip was a relaxing dolphin,
sunset, fireworks, and overpriced beverages cruise on our last evening.
Because we wanted a genuine experience, we booked with a company called
"The Original Dolphin Watch." (We weren't about to stand for some
imitation cruise featuring off-brand dolphins imported from Taiwan.)
Our boat had two decks, so when we boarded, my daughters immediately
proceeded to the top level-for maximum UV ray exposure. Once I was
comfortably settled into my seat, the girls asked if I would go back
down to purchase them a few sodas, the cost of which ensured that
the captain and his deck hands could send their kids to elite private
colleges.
Shortly after we left the dock, the captain warned us that the ride
might get "a little rough" as he took us out to where the dolphins
were hanging out with their squad. Once the boat stopped rocking and
I managed to extract my iPhone from my left nostril, the captain alerted
us to the presence of dolphins, always directing us to look on the
side of the boat opposite from where I was standing. By the time I
had stumbled over to the correct side for "original" dolphin viewing,
all I saw was an elderly dude in a kayak wearing nothing but a zebra
striped Speedo.
Next on the agenda was a relaxing sunset journey to the fireworks
launch site. As we motored out alongside the Queen
Isabella Causeway, the crew dropped a net and brought up several
ocean creatures for display. They caught a blue crab, a starfish,
and several other cast members from "SpongeBob SquarePants." My wife
and I were also delighted that after the perfunctory playing of "Margaritaville,"
the on-board music featured hits from the 80's, when almost every
song had that "Dude, this new synthesizer is totally rad" moment.
My children really enjoyed it when I let loose to Toto's "Africa,"
especially since I never get the lyrics right.
"I guess it rains down in Aaaafricaaa!"
The highlight of the evening was a spectacular fireworks display over
the bay. After the show ended and we cruised back to the dock, I reflected
on the special time I had spent with my family and couldn't resist
singing along with Corey Hart's "I Wear My Sunglasses at Night." "Don't
be afraaaaid of the guy with shakes, oh no!"
My kids now refuse to sit by me in public when music is playing. I'm
not sure why.
© Jase Graves
"Quips and Salsa" August
15, 2018 column
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