I actually looked forward to a Monday

And I don't have to go to work or take the boys anywhere if I don't want to.

We actually slept in to about 7. The sleeping is refreshing, knowing that if we want to go somewhere, we can or lay around the pool or beach if we decide to do so.

Breakfast was spur of the moment thing. Chuck spotted a NY style bagel shop on Sunday, so that is where we hit for breakfast. And it was a great decision, the food was wonderful and the atmosphere was just fun. Bagel, 2 eggs, sausage, home fries (to die for) and the coffee made breakfast worth going out and getting. It filled us all up and we got ready to get the day moving. All of us enjoyed something different, PJ had the half order of biscuits and gravy. Go figure, a New Yorker making biscuits and gravy. It wasn't all that bad either.

Now we will have to have the breakfast or the cereal for the rest of the week. There are only so many days that you can eat donuts and rank coffee for breakfast.

Chuck wanted to buy me another suit. Ok, but Daytona carries a lot of the trashy stuff. I am a 41 year old mother of 2 boys and in no shape for something that shows more than I want to see myself. So we went around to different shops, nothing. I gave up on getting anything else. I didn't feel like driving around all morning trying to find something.

We got back and decided to go to the boardwalk. Now before I continue, I love the boardwalk. I grew up 2 blocks from the ocean and I enjoyed all the times that we got to go to the boardwalk growing up. There is nothing like it around. The food, the fun and all the little shops on the side. I just love it. I made sure that we all had plenty of sunscreen .. going out to the pier. Off we go!

We have been to this pier before, but for some reason, Chuck couldn't find it. We drove quite a ways up A1A before I mentioned to him that we passed it. He agreed and turned around. Found it without a problem once we found the signs. Park the car, fill the meter and walk around a bit.



The first place that I love to go to is Zeno's Taffy and Candy shop.
Of course we had to go back and grab a bag of taffy before we left the boardwalk.

Chuck spotted one more store to look for the other suit. The selection was much better than the other stores we had gone to. This time I did find something. Tried on one size, didn't like the way it fit, went with the size that I didn't want to buy, but that is fine. I am not happy that I have to buy the 16, it bothers me. I worked so hard to drop inches and I have nothing to show for it.

The pier, we have been there before. The years before the shark was in better condition, but this year, it looked rather rough. I love the stuff that we go to that is free or cheap. It is also something that doesn't take all that long to do. Not that I care, we had nothing but time.

This pier, like any other, you can fish off of. Chuck wanted to take Eric fishing one day. That will be the day that PJ and I spend at the beach, all day.

But today we went out to see what was going on.

Of course the camera was right there with me and I was taking pics.

One person caught a tiny fish, used that as bait and threw it back. We were there for a little while, just enjoying all around us.

Back to Zeno's to pick up some salt water taffy for all of us to enjoy. Eric spotted a caramel apple that he wanted, I told him that it would be more fun for us to make that together in the fall. So he went to pick out the taffy he wanted. We all had flavors we wanted to try, we threw in chocolate chip cookie dough, cake frosting, peppermint and the one that is my favorite, peanut butter. Can't come to Daytona Beach without stopping at Zeno's for taffy.

We came back, only to go out to the beach. Yes, last year we visited Dauphin Island, but the beach was impossible to get to due to the Berm that they built to protect from hurricanes. The year we went to Oak Island, we were across the street from the beach. The boys could only go to the beach if we were with them. This time, it is right out the door and down the stairs. We could see them from the window. So, let's go and have some fun.

I didn't get in this time. Eric refused to leave his glasses in the room. So instead of someone walking off with them or worse yet, washing away in the Atlantic, I sat and watched the boys and guarded the glasses. They don't hang out too long anyways. Once PJ gets hit once or twice, hard, or they had enough, we hit the pool.

People here share their stuff. Noodles, boogie boards, rafts or whatever. One woman mentioned that we could use her raft if we wanted to. I decided that I was gonna lay on one in the pool. Chuck went out and bought the boys a small boogie board. Oh how tickled he was! We spent a little longer at the pool and I felt the heat beating down on me, I thought that it was time to reapply the sunscreen.

I enjoy sitting out here. I write all my stuff out before I post it. That way I don't forget anything. I hate to leave stuff out. Not only for my memory purpose, but I want you all to enjoy and experience the stuff that I have experienced on my vacation.

My lovely blind friend told us before we left, "a picture is worth a thousand words, well, I want the thousand words." Not hard for me to do!

We headed to the pool to ply after the sun went down some. Met a nice family from Kentucky. Chuck got to talking to the husband and I got to talking with the wife. We had a nice conversation about everything. And the boys played in the pool with their one daughter until about 10 or so.

This place is great. No one touches your things, you borrow stuff and return it where it was found.

The owners sold this place to some developers a few years ago. It was one of 11 properties that were sold for condos. Well, they developed most on the western coast of Florida, and tore down a few places in Daytona Beach. They aren't going to touch Shoreline for about 10 more years. The economy is slow right now down there, has been for several years. They figure they can make money with people wanting to stay there instead of tearing it down and having a vacant lot.

The condo that was 2 down from us, just went up in the past 3 years. I was talking with a woman about it, she told me that 3 years ago it was just getting the external stuff put on and that she had gone down there to see what they were like. There was 300 available units, only 17 sold. As of this past week, still only 17 sold. There are high rises all around. A limited of lights on. I think I would rather keep what I have and build if I have to. But when only a little more than 5% is sold, you begin to wonder what were they thinking.