Sometimes the vacations are best when you don’t need them. I’ve been feeling great lately, relaxed and enjoying the summertime. Work’s been pleasantly low-stress and I’ve been wearing flip-flops and short the last couple of weeks. So when I left for the airport last Wednesday afternoon, I didn’t feel the usual relief of starting a vacation.

Instead, I relaxed right into the trip. Flew from La Guardia to Newport News, Virginia ($50 on AirTran!), and then rented a car for the three-hour drive to the house my mom had rented on North Carolina’s Outer Banks. It was the first time I’d driven on my new New York license, and the first time I’d driven any distance at all since last August. Pretty crazy to go almost a year without driving, but that’s living in NYC for you.

Once there, I did a whole lot of nothing. Took naps on the beach, enjoyed watching cable TV, hung out with three of my little sisters, and ate good healthy cooking.

I made a dent in “Fast Food Nation,” which I’m finding fascinating. It’s one of those books that you have to read passages out loud from if there’s anyone around, because the facts are so astonishing.

I brought the volleyball net and set that up two days on the beach. I gave my little sisters some lessons and we played some doubles. Monica said it was her favorite part of vacation, and both she and Isabella are talking about playing this winter for their school teams.

Mike took me out surfing on Saturday, which was a blast. I rode his long board, which makes it gloriously easy to catch waves. I was able to stand up a few times and get some good rides. I haven’t done it since last summer on the Cape, and I joked with Mike that if I continue to improve at this rate, we’ll really be tearing it up when I’m 60 and he’s 80.

On the evening of the fourth, we had a beach bonfire and watched the fireworks. There are some pics of them in rotation on this site’s homepage. Interesting results from experiments with the digital camera.

On the ride home, we had some interesting discussions about yin and yang, and explained the basics of bank accounts, investing, and inflation to Monica. After Mom and the girls fell asleep, Mike and I listened to an electronica show on a college radio station.

Now, I’m glad to be home, especially since my dad outfitted my apartment with a couple of fans while I was away. Stay tuned for more relaxing, more volleyball, and hopefully some summertime concerts… maybe some new songwriting efforts, too. I’d like to do some more of that.