Bill and Cathy McArthur Spring/Summer/Fall 2009: 9
Monday, July 6 , was a really nice day. Bill looked over various forecasts early in the morning and emailed Joe Link about the possibility of a Cape Island circumnavigation. Cathy went to the gym. Bill did 3 crossword puzzles and exchanged phone calls with Joe to arrange the trip. Bill left from our beach at about 11:00 AM and picked up Joe at his beach on the way around the island. The conditions were perfect and the kayak trip was very enjoyable. Here are the split times for the trip:
Bill and Joe stopped for a PowerBar break at the Coast Guard beach in Cape May harbor. When Bill got back, he took an outside shower. Linda Keech had called to report that Jim Sosna's operation went well. We went to dinner at Black Duck and enjoyed the usual excellent meal. We seem to forget how great the food is there.
Tuesday morning, we stopped by Cape Camping to buy toilet chemical on the way to picking up the RV for a few days as a spare bedroom/bathroom. Afterward, Bill went out for a 5 mile run. He didn't look at his GPS watch as he went, so he was surprised later by his negative splits:
Cathy went to the store and was back by the time Bill finished his shower. Bill worked on getting the RV systems functional. We ate lunch on the deck during a very nice early afternoon. Afterward, we visited Jim Sosna in the Critical Care Unit at the hospital. We were glad to see that he was recuperating well after his operation. We worked on packing the RV after we got home. Cathy went to the 5:30 PM aerobics class while Bill watched the DVRed Tour de France coverage. We went to dinner at Louisa's. Somehow, one of our entrees got lost in the shuffle, so they comped us a tomato and cheese plate and didn't charge us for the late entree. It doesn't matter to us when entrees come out at different times since we share them, but appreciated getting a good meal for a total of $35.
Wednesday was the leading edge of the McArthur reunion. Cathy went to the gym for the morning class. Bill drove to Ace Hardware to get a bag of conditioner salt and then went out for a windy and somewhat rough kayak paddle down to the canal and back. He took an outdoor shower on arrival back home. Katie and Eric arrived around noon. We ate lunch indoors because of the wind. Tom and Rachel arrived at about 3:30 PM and Son Bill, Stacey, Sarah, and Billy arrived around 5:15 PM. We had baked chicken and Bill's pasta with raisins and pine nuts for dinner after Eric went to bed. Bill took Billy down to the beach to let him run off his excess energy. We had a beautiful sunset. Son Bill and Bill made a quick trip to Rite-Aid for some necessary supplies. After some struggling to get kids to bed, everyone turned in at a reasonable hour.
Thursday morning, Bill started with a pre-6:00 AM 5 mile run with negative splits again. Shortly after Bill got back, Son Bill and Katie took off on their morning runs. Bill, Stacey, and the 3 older kids went down to the beach to play some T-ball and dig in the sand. Bill received some presents for Father's Day and birthday: a gift card from Dick's from Son Bill and family and the three seasons of "Arrested Development" from Katie and family. After lunch, Tom went for a bike ride. Cathy took some time off while the rest of us took two cars over to Wildwood, via Starbucks, so the kids could do some rides on Morey's Pier. The rides were followed by ice cream. Later, the young adults went to Cape May for cocktails at Congress Hall and dinner at Tisha's. Bill and Cathy ate dinner with the kids. Cathy gave them baths after dinner.
Friday morning, Bill left before dawn on a 10 mile kayak paddle down past the first jetty at Cape May Point. He fought a bit of current on the way down and a lot of north wind on the way back. Son Bill and Tom went out for a 27 mile bike ride. Bill and Cathy drove to the Lobster House to buy 2.5 pounds of shrimp and 1.5 pounds of scallops for dinner. Some of the crew had WaWa hoagies for lunch and we all ate outside on the deck. After lunch, everyone except Tom, Cathy, and Eric went to the Cape May County Zoo. The day was very pleasant with lots of sun and a refreshing breeze. Tom and Cathy prepared and marinated the shrimp and scallops for. We grilled kabobs with the shrimp and scallops (3 minutes on a side) for a great dinner on the deck. Stacey and the kids had made a flag cake for dessert. It was a most beautiful evening. Some of us watched the pilot for "Arrested Development" before turning in.
Saturday was a great day! Bill, Son Bill, and Katie were up early and left the house at about 6:30 AM, heading for Avalon via Starbucks. They registered for the Avalon 5 miler. The weather was perfect for a race. The three ran together until the last 50 yards when Katie pulled ahead and finished first. The two Bill finished together. Here are their splits:
Son Bill and Katie set the pace for the race. The three were all pleased to be running together and felt good about their time. They stopped at Starbucks again after the race on the way home. Cathy went to the gym for the 9:30 AM class and then to the ACME. Alex, Phil, and their kids were at the house when the runners returned. Everyone went down to the beach. Bill brought the double kayak down and took Rachel and Sarah for rides. Then, Bill and Son Bill took Billy for a ride. We all returned to the house when Eric awoke. Everybody cleaned up and posed for some family pictures while all seven grandkids were in one place. We had lunch on the deck. After lunch, the Stoops headed into Cape May to their rental house, shared with Paul and Joan and their two girls. Tom took Eric for a long walk. Cathy, Stacey, Rachel, and Sarah went to get their nails done. Later, Bill went with Son Bill and family into a very windy Cape May. They walked around a bit and the kids got ice cream. Bill got his third cappuccino of the day. When they returned, we grilled chicken and veggies for dinner, eaten in the Solarium. After the kids went to bed, we watched an episode of "Arrested Development."
Sunday morning, Bill rode his bike to 227 Windsor in Cape May, where Alex and Phil and family were staying with Joan and Paul and family. When he got there, he walked with Phil down to the beach to join the other folks. He went into the waves, carried buckets of water for Garrett, and just enjoyed being on the beach with the family members who were there (JoAnn, Julie, Dave, Jillian, Trips, Paul, Joan, Elizabeth, Janie, Alex, Phil, Erin, Bridget, and Garrett). Bill had to buy a seasonal beach tag for $25 to get on the beach. JoAnn hosted lunch at the other rental house at 438 Perry Street. All of the crew from our house joined the scene at that point. Afterward, Our household headed to Wildwood and the water park. It had become a hot summer day, perfect for getting wet. We all enjoyed the park. Rachel rode all of the adult water slides. Bill did his share of water slides, including riding a tube through the closed tunnel slide that he has been too claustrophobic to do previously. Son Bill and Stacey's minivan left a bit earlier and stopped at Starbucks on the way to dropping Bill back in Cape May. Bill rode his bike home. Alex and Phil picked up take-out from Panico's and brought it over to our house. We all had a great meal on the deck and watched a gorgeous sunset. It was another great day at the Shore.
Bill and Cathy
