Gimsbacher Jacksons

We are back home in cold Germany. The Nathan quote is" it is too cold in this country" as we sat outside in our sweaters eating our last baguettes (total tally for the 2 weeks was 100!) with the fresh cinnamon and egg beaters. It was not the same as on the beach wearing speedos!Anyway, we had a great gathering for Erik's graduation from High School. Class of 2009! We did not leave as usual on Friday night, but not until Saturday night ca 2300 after he had an ice cream party for selected friends at our house. We did not have the burning of the books bonfire as we did with Stella's graduation. I guess boys do not read books? Just kidding....We had Liza and Scott with Nathan and Daniel (Erik came up with a nickname of Lavern and Shirley....which was not well accepted by Nathan Scott the Knight. We also had Curt and Stephanie (Stella) for the occasion. That was 10 total people, which would not fit in one automobile, so we rented a 9 seater van, put the back seats flat in our van and took them both. We had as much room as we wanted really and took every needful and not necessarily needful thing, but had some lovely comforts there that were pace setting for us--chairs for everyone, lounging chairs back at the cabins and we had TWO cabins, which was also cool. We did not have to have anyone sleeping on the hide-a-bed, which was really great. We still had the oblitgatory tent which housed the youthful couple of Stella and Curt. Weather was just a few degrees shy of perfect, but was really nice. Some days of some clouds, but no days that we could not have sat the whole day at the beach. We were in the first and second trailer of Robs, which we have stayed in now for 11 years. So, we knew just how to do it. We took our electric toaster oven and fans and and many, many books. We kept track of many items for posterity. To quote from our Travel Vacation Journal:Nathan: "Is this a great beach or what? A What...." . "What is your address? I do not wear a dress."High Points: All boys got a toenail painted. Long tradition usually during sleeping to surprise the wearer of the toe nail polish. Stella had razor burn in her arm pits. Mom gave twice a day shots in the behind to a doc friend of ours who was two weeks post-back surgery and should have stayed home instead of drivinig for 11 hours. We also got to visit an ER during the night by Geant store with him--very interesting. One of the 14 children with this family, a 4 year old, literally sailed to Africa as Mom is apt to say on any given day that she wants to float on a noodle in the ocean. Nathan and Daniel joined in my favorite beach attire--nothing. We could not keep any swim suits on Nathan. He stripped constantly and hung out with the family of 14 constantly. They were cool and did not really care. We read collectively 30 books, ate 100 baquettes and ran 149.9 miles. Nathan and Daniel frequently spent quiet time at the park multiple times per day, especially at 0600 when Daniel gets up EVERY day no matter when he goes to bed in the first place....We bought lots of quilts (5) and tableclotthes (10). Our favorite beach food--curry was had 4 times. Our only mishap happened on the way home at 0630 in the AM when a van broke off the mirror on the rental van that I was driving. He zipped by, did not stop, and I got no license plate number and could not catch him as he was going so fast. Interesting to see how much that costs me--we had a 1000 Euro deductible on the rental van, so that will be out of pocket. Maybe USAA will kick in?We went to the Sandy beach once each week, or as Nathan called it, "Playing water beach". It is Le Estrognol, or Estrogen beach as I call it. I find many of lifes items revolve around estrogen anyway! We made two trips to Nice airport to deliver son-in-laws at 0600 in the AM, requiring a wake up call at 0305! But all we do is read, run, eat and have naps on the beach, so it was well tolerated. We were happy to have them for every bit of time we could have them. Only thing that would have been better is if EVERYONE could have been there, meaning Katie and Casey. They should be able to join next year, but the rest of the crew likely not, although Curt definitely accepts a free trip back on old Dad. We will have to check that out and see about it....it is very tempting to get everyone here again, just do not know how reasonable! We may have to search out someplace a tad closer--although it would not be as warm, but maybe Holland? Would have to be later, like August to be warm enough.....then airline tickets would likely cost more though. Tradeoffs!!As I mentioned, we had some wonderful runs--total 149.9 miles in a group of smallest 4, but generally 5: me, Erik, Scott, Liza, and Curt. Our longest run was just over 13 miles, or a HALF MARATHON with no water. We did stop a few times. We actually took a scenic shortcut back from St Tropez on a road "Val de Rian" we thought may go through, which it did, but turned into a dirt road up and over the hills and came out in a Private ritzey place behind a gated community fence. Good thing there were not Dopermans roaming around or we would have scaled a tree rapidly to escape. We had no cell phone. During that same run, we also ran around the Citadel on a trail between the Citadel and the cliff down to the ocean. I have never been there before to see the sights and found it fabulous. I usually am driving people up and dropping them off and driving around the loop to pick them up again as it is quite steep. We were studly and ran up the trail, of course, and were rewarded with great pictures. We are planning on sending it into Runner's World, so you may all see it as a Rave Run. I will let you know if that happens, but we have pictures of use running with St tropez town with the church and port in the background. Very,very cool.Now, depression and real life has arrived. We all feel somewhat jet lagged. I am on call tomorrow and have some VERY challenging cases to do in the OR along with 2 weeks of back e-mail and collected problems. So, it will be tough. Always is. At least I will start it with a lovely state of melonocytic activation with my brown skin tones! I need a vacation from the vacation and then start back to work. Anyway, to all who were there with us, we were so happy to spend time with you away from the world, electronics and stresses and thank you for making sacrifices to spend time with us. Every day on the way home from the store in my swim suit-let with the particular meals warm baquettes in tow, I would close my eyes and suck up every bit of yellow, sunny warmth that I could to store for the coming year and love to see the memories in pictures, yellow-blue table clothes and quilts that we get to sleep under which could only have been better with more of our loved ones there!