Resort living and family visiting

We’re at Sean’s family reunion this week. We got in around 3 Sunday afternoon and by 4 all 33 of us had arrived. Cousins greeted cousins, kids of the cousins tried to figure out how they were related, and I gained nine new nieces and nephews because we decided, “Aunt Christy” is easier to say than, “First Cousin Once Removed Christy.”

We’re staying at a lakeside resort. When I hear the word, “resort,” certain images come to mind, like spa treatments and five course meals and super-cold air conditioning chilling well-appointed guest rooms. Apparently the term, “resort” can also be applied to rustic cabins on a private piece of land with air conditioners that barely cool the rooms to 78. Guess which kind of resort we’re at?

Oh, and guess what else this resort doesn’t have: internet connection. If I actually get this posted it means I’ve driven 15 minutes to civilization so I can hop on the internet. I have never been so thankful for my iPhone in the whole 14 months I’ve had it.

(Am I a little concerned that I feel the need to check my email regularly? No. Not one stinking bit. And to all you people out there thinking I need to disconnect and live a little, no thanks. I enjoy civilization. I like electricity. I like email. And I like my blog. My idea of vacation is actually having time to write, and since the last time I hand-wrote anything other than a letter was 1994, I need my computer, which means I need electricity.  And if I'm going to have my computer and electricity you might as well throw in an internet connection. So all of you wanting to disconnect from life and use a Freshette, more power to you. But that is not a good time in my book.)

So we’re not at the Grand Hotel, but the family is all together, which is the point. We haven’t had a gathering like this ever. Of course, we’ve gotten together at weddings but those are never great times to visit because someone’s busy organizing a wedding and then two folks up and leave on a honeymoon. So this if the first time we’ve had concentrated time to simply visit. I’m familiar with the different families thanks to updates from my mother-in-law (and, quite honestly, Facebook), but I’m looking forward to getting to know some of Sean’s cousins that I’ve never had the chance to get to know.

And, I suppose, all that getting-to-know-you isn’t going to happen while I’m sitting here typing away, so out to visit I go. I just wish some of that visiting could take place at the local McDonald’s, where the air conditioning’s cold, diet Coke’s on tap and the wifi is free for the surfing.



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