Ready for an Outer Banks Weekend, 5/22/26
May 22, 2026
I'm Back!
Well, it's been a while. You may be wondering why I haven't posted anything lately and the answer is a little ridiculous. It turns out if you have an online account with an inactive/closed email you will never be able to recover your password. In turn, this requires an act of congress and an endless stream of emails to regain access. Apparently, they were afraid all of my secrets would fall in to the wrong hands. Whatever.
Yer A Peein'
Before I get to what's happening on the Outer Banks I must share some parental experiences.
Shipping a kid off to college is a huge financial drain but we tell ourselves and our kids it's worth it. At some point in history somebody asked themselves, "How can we squeeze more money out of these people?" Answer? Upsell! From out of nothing someone came up with $tudy Abroad. It doesn't sound scary. It even sounds educational. It has the word "study" for crying out loud. Boondoggle is another word that seems so harmless. It has "dog" in it. How bad can it be?
I'm not sure when Study Abroad was first uttered in our house but my wife clung to it like a full glass of wine. We discussed the merits of such a trip. Our youngest son would surely reap the benefits of going to Europe for five weeks. Since his two older siblings didn't take advantage of similar opportunities there would be plenty of funds available for our sweet, innocent baby.
It turns out Study Abroad isn't just an educational experience for the student, but for the parents, as well. That's because a college student won't turn on the super computer in their pocket to get information. They expect you to do that for them, even if you're the one who told them to "look it up".
What's the weather going to be like in Spain? I don't know.
When does your flight leave? I don't know.
Have you packed anything? I don't know.
Cam left Wednesday for Spain and I'm not sure how he pulled it off. Actually, he didn't pull off anything. His mom, knowing that we paid thousands of non-refundable dollars, made sure he was able to leave the country with more than just a passport and a pair of socks.
It should be known that I fly as little as possible. I'm not a fan. That being said, it's probably been six years since I last flew. Cam's experience consists of one flight ten years ago when he was eleven years-old. Needless to say, the two of us don't bring a lot to the table. Bonnie, on the other hand, seems to be on an airplane at least every other month. She is fluent in the procedures and terminology. The day before departure she starts brain-storming with Cam and I about checking-in bags. At this point Bonnie is wound up tighter than an airport sandwich. She started by grilling Cam with potential solutions of a problem that would probably fix itself when we get to the airport. He's no help. She then turns to me, obviously looking for some wisdom. When I calmly say "I don't know what you're talking about" the look on her face made me think the marriage was over. I don't know why she looks to me for answers to questions I have zero knowledge. I don't ask her how to fix a jet-ski.
The final hours of sending Cam to Spain were probably a lot like NASA sending astronauts to the moon. The astronauts just sit there and are told what to do while other people with more brains and money do all the heavy lifting. I wonder if NASA acts just like a parent during Study Abroad and after lift-off say, "Well, we did everything we could. Let's see how this goes." The astronauts are probably just like college students. After lift-off they're just thankful they don't have to be told what to do every five minutes and now they can go back to playing on their phones and ignoring people. They have nothing to worry about until they return and need a ride home.
Cam made it to Spain and has begun settling in. I still have no idea how it happened.
Memorial Day Weekend: Release the Hounds!
Some clouds expected, but at least the temperatures look warm. Enjoy!
Blue Moon Beach Grill
I need to give a huge shout-out to this great restaurant. They've been incredibly generous by donating lunches to our lacrosse team at First Flight High School. You may not know this but our team regularly travels four hours from home for conference games. We often leave before lunch which means we need to stop along the way and fuel up. Blue Moon makes the best grilled chicken sandwiches and they're nice enough to add plenty of sides. Check out their beautiful location in Nags Head.
Volunteers Needed
SSCA seeking parking lot attendants
Job Description: you will be hot, bored, insulted, sworn at, and treated with utter disdain. Parents of small children need not apply. You're already experiencing similar conditions and behaviors.
Every year this makes me chuckle. Who in their right mind would want to do this?
Free At Last
After 20+ years of being held hostage by Spectrum internet I gleefully switched to Brightspeed. When I returned my obsolete equipment at the Spectrum store they offered me a discount to maintain service. Where was that offer before?
The Brightspeed sign-up and install was seamless. If you use the link below to sign-up we will both receive a $50 prepaid Mastercard.
Book I'm Reading
Grant, by Ron Chernow.
A few years back PBS did a great job of telling Ulysses Grant's story. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/grant/#part01
I decided I needed to look deeper in to the life of an American legend.
Things To Do
Manteo Downtown Market
Saturdays, starting May 30, 9am-1pm.
Handmade goods, local crafts, baked goods, produce, and more.
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Have a great weekend,
John Van Lunen
Feel free to email me with any questions or comments.
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