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Greetings from OCNJ #CoffeeTalk

Good morning from Ocean City, New Jersey! After driving through a nor’easter yesterday and unloading the car in a downpour, we arrived at our beach rental. Of all the years we’ve packed up the car and come to the beach, I don’t recall a rainy day ever, so I guess we were due.

Fortunately we went to Costco yesterday morning and picked up appetizers and dinner fixin’s, so we hung out here, snacked and played games, ate chicken Caesar salad, and then watched some TV.

It wasn’t until I was getting ready to go up to bed that I realized our towels hadn’t made it. I had two laundry baskets full of beach towels, bath towels, dish towels, wash cloths, and bathroom hand towels. I guess because they were in laundry baskets, no one realized they were supposed to go in the car?

So no one would get confused (ha!), I was careful to put everything to go in the car together, away from all the other boxes and bins I have yet to unpack in my bedroom — the suitcases, sheets, pillows, quilts AND THE TOWELS were all grouped together by the door of my room. Paul did a final walk-through to check on lights and things, so I never bothered to go back upstairs to double check.

You’d think I would have learned my lesson 5 years ago, when we came to the beach for a blogging event and unpacked the car only to discover that my entire suitcase hadn’t made it (including my toiletries and makeup.) That time, Paul actually drove home and retrieved it — 2 1/2 hours each way in Friday night rush hour traffic. #heisakeeper

Last night, he asked if I wanted him to go back for the towels, bless his heart. I laughed and said of course not. Surely we can find towels here somewhere.

It’s just so frustrating — all the lists, the time spent doing laundry, counting out 5 of everything, rifling through boxes in the garage, packing bins and baskets with linens for an entire household. I had even set certain things aside before we moved, knowing it may be hard to find stuff in the new house. I actually had a bin I packed when we staged the house with all the sheets we would need for this week, and it’s been sitting in the hall closet of the new house since before moving day. I thought I was so prepared.

I can only be mad at myself. It seems so obvious to me those stupid towels were meant to go in the car, but they can’t read my mind, and a simple walk-through on my part would have revealed the oversight. It didn’t even occur to me to double check, as I stood in the kitchen crossing everything off my packing list. #theirony

At least, as Paul pointed out, it was the towels that got left behind, not our bedding. Now THAT would have been a real bummer.

And then as if the towel debacle wasn’t enough, I woke up this morning to find that my gmail inbox had been deleted. I don’t know how that could have happened — it’s certainly a first.

They’re all in my “trash” folder, so I can retrieve them, but I use this account for everything — business and personal, and  I use my Inbox as a to-do list. I archive everything that I’m done with but want to keep so it’s easily searchable, and I delete all the junk religiously. I get A TON of junk email and promotional emails. My point is, to go through my trash to find the important emails that I need is a huge task. Some of them are gift cards that haven’t been redeemed, work emails I need to respond to, contracts, and things like that — so I definitely need to go through and try to find as much as I can!

I’m baffled as to how this happened. I wonder if I did it accidentally on my phone — batch-checked all the emails in the inbox and clicked the trash icon? I know sometimes I accidentally delete individual emails so I guess that could be what happened. It’s a mystery!

In more positive news, our beach rental is gorgeous — much nicer than last year’s house although not quite as large. We used Airbnb once again, and since I have a bad habit of waiting until late in the season to start looking, we didn’t have a lot of choices in our price range and the location we like. We really lucked out with this one. The owner even left a bottle of J.Lohr cabernet and a handwritten note on the counter to welcome us.

Hopefully the weather this week proves to be more inviting than the current forecast predicts, but at least we have a pleasant place to hang out inside if necessary.

This morning is actually quite nice, although very windy as the nor’easter moves out. It started out cloudy, but now the sun is out and the wind is dying down.

I went for a solo walk on the beach, and then we went out in search of towels. We found some, but let’s just say it was an expensive mistake. Ahhh, well…. such is life. What can you do?

I hope your weekend is off to a better start than mine, haha! Have a blessed Sunday!

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52 Responses

  1. Oh, I hope this is the only blips in your vacation. Lord knows, you need some relaxation and fun after the moving!!!
    It reminds me of the time we went on a short trip, and I accidentally packed Rob’s jeans for me. Needless to say we had to go shopping…and we still laugh about it to this day! That’s the good thing about these blips—they end up being great stories!!

    XOXO
    Jodie
    http://www.jtouchofstyle.com

  2. Well I think we’ve all had these crazy moments vacationing😜.  Hope the weather cooperates and you enjoy a great week!

  3. There is a TJ Max near Stone Harbor and a Walmart in Cape May Courthouse. Have a fabulous week in OC!  Being down here truly is my happy place. 

  4. Jo-Lynn, I go to OC, NJ often and you should be able to rent towels. I always rent towels and sheets since I don’t have the room to take them down Of course, you could buy some as well Hope you have a wonderful vacation!

  5. I saw your stories on Instagram this morning. The beach looks just beautiful… Even with the ominous clouds (which I hope were on their way out). I’ve read that there are two types of people (yah, only two, lol)… Beach people and mountain people. I’m definitely a beach person. I could sit and watch the ocean all day! Have a wonderful vacation!

  6. Bless your heart!  Like you, I make lists and check things off as I pack them.  After we got to NC I discovered that I had forgotten Java’s arthritis pain pills and nightly vitamins.  I was not happy!  With his bad hip and knee, that is something he really needs.  I could have gone to the vet up there, but it would have been very costly, so we opted not too.  I could tell that he needed them, unfortunately, especially with the steps he had to maneuver to go out to potty and the hardwood floors.  And we too, had to unload in the rain, but the weather improved after that.  I sure hope that the weather stays nice and y’all have a great time.  🏖🏊🏻‍♀️🍷

  7. I’m so sorry for the frustrations you’ve encountered at the start of your trip. Don’t let it steal your joy. You have your family together at the beach. What could be better?

    I did something similar on my phone. 2 years ago my husband and I took a Southwest trip and I took all of our photos on my phone. At some point I accidentally deleted my entire camera roll. The only pictures we have are what my husband took on his phone (not many!) and what I had posted on Facebook. Talk about feeling stupid. If only I had saved those pictures to an album everything would have been fine. I religiously go through my camera roll and save to albums now!

    Have a great week!

  8. I hope your beach trip only gets better & better after yesterday’s mishaps! The towel thing would stress me out too but my husband would point out (as he has on many trips when I’ve left something behind “it’s not like we’re in a 3rd world country.”). Then he helps me get what I need and life gets better. Your husband sounds very similar! Have a wonderful week!

  9. Welcome back to OC! Live here year round, so happy to help if I can (we met briefly last year over ice cream!)- there are definitely Linen Rental companies in the area who can help. If you are buying new, there is a Kmart in Somers Point or Walmart/Boscovs/TJMaxx at Exit 36 of GSP or lots more at AC Exp exit 12- Target, Marshalls, Macys, Sears, BBB. Honestly, happy to loan a few beach towels and dish towels towels, etc too if needed!

    Save the shopping for later and enjoy the decent weather right now!

    1. Hey Carolyn, thank you! We actually went out to Hoy’s when they opened at 8am and bought towels. I’m sure Walmart would have been a lot cheaper, but I didn’t think about going further. We needed them right away so it worked out. But yeah, pricey! I need to learn about the linen rental companies for next year. Packing all that stuff is for the birds. It barely fits in our car, even with a roof rack.

  10. I can sooo relate! I always make lists for trips: a list for each person, and then a list for the family. One time we arrived at our campsite and discovered that we had no sleeping bags! 🙄

  11. Hi Jo-Lynne,  just a comment on email.  I actually have three separate gmails. One is for shopping. One is for personal/business use and the third is for when I have to provide an email to a website but don’t want the junk mail I know I will receive. I don’t even monitor the third box. This has helped cut down on the clutter somewhat. Another reason for doing this is security. I used to work for a bank and email fraud perpetrated against our customers was rampant. Separating personal email from shopping at least ensures that if one account in compromised, I don’t have to change everything.

    Another email, tip is never to use an easily guessed name for your account. Also, it might interest you to know that gmail is actually more secure than man other email sources because it offers multi-factor identification. For example, you can set it up to receive a text if someone changes the password on your account or accesses your email from a new device. Hopefully you have used all of the security options available to you. What happened to your email was probably a glitch but it could potentially be mischief so be on the lookout. On that cheerful note, have a great vacation!

    1. Thanks, Wendy. I do have the two-factor authentification set up. I have to wonder if it’s something I did accidentally when I was up in the night checking the thermostat. I use my phone as a flashlight, but not the flashlight feature. My email is so bright, I usually open that up and use it, and then read anything new, and go back to bed. LOL.

  12. I understand how you feel.  Even though my daughters are 19 and 22 years old the responsibility of packing sheets, towels, etc. falls in my lap!  And I have to double check my own work!!  I love Ocean City though-we are leaving next Saturday for a week and thanks to you I will definitely remember towels!  Enjoy your vacation now that you are there and unpacked.

  13. I can relate. The first time my family went to Disney World, we left the suitcase that contained my kid’s clothes at home. J Lohr is my favorite wine. Enjoy your vacation!

  14. We just returned from our beach trip this week. On our way to the beach our SUV broke down and we had to be towed by AAA to nearest service location. We didn’t get to the beach until late in the day and I felt really bummed that we basically lost a day of our vacation. But all you can do is try to get into a better mindset and move on I guess. We ended up having beautiful weather and the rest of the week helped to wipe out the first day’s events. Hope you have a wonderful week with your family and enjoy the beach and the new towels!

  15. As I’ve said so many times that’s why you are our favorite blogger. You are the real deal & we can identify with you. Now relax and enjoy the rest of the week. When you go home keep those packed for next year. 🙂

  16. Glad you made it safe and sound even without your towels( now I know why I double check the trunk before we pull out. I’m a bit of a fanatic on that) but can definitely happen to the best of us:). I’m sure you’ll have a great trip… we had a very muggy and misty weekend but back to sun and very hot temperatures for the week pushing over 100. Hope you see some nice weather but being on a beach with peace and quite may be all you need…. 
    PS have you ever seen the show The Middle? They always leave without their snack bag even left it on the side of the road lol…
    Have an awesome time!

      1. Oh it’s a great show… Patricia Heaton plays in it and it’s a show many of us can relate too. A family with everyday crazy living. Just wrapped up the show in its final season,

  17. Oh no! So sorry to hear about the towels!  Glad it was an easy fix – costly I’m sure. I’m like you writing lists etc. So grateful to be about to go on vacation but so much to get done before you leave. (Work related and Home too) I wonder if it’s really  worth 😉. Hoping the weather starts to cooperate for you! Enjoy!!!

    1. Yeah, I’ve wondered that myself… this is for the kids, honestly. I love the beach, but I’d rather stay in a hotel in Cape May. The kids wanted the Ocean City boardwalk, so here we are. 🙂 It’s all good. I’m sure it was just a temporary glitch. I do love it here.

  18. Enjoy your family vacay! Finally back from Europe and trying to catch up with all the laundry and house stuff! It’s interesting to hear all the stuff you have to pack for your rental. We’ve done beach vacays for years in rentals ( house and condo) and have never had to pack literally everything. That sounds like a huge task and I’m so impressed! Don’t think I’d ever want to do that but maybe that’s the way it is up there. We’ve only rented in the south where everything is there for you, kind of like a hotel that provides the linens and towels but without maid service daily! Ha! Enjoy your family time! These are treasured moments for sure. 

  19. Hoping you are able to buy some towels without much of a hassle and enjoy your week. It’ll be good for you to be away from your new house and all that unpacking and decorating for a little while; a chance for you to truly decompress and unwind! ☀️🏖 
    The ocean is one reason I can’t imagine living anywhere else. (I’m 8 minutes from the beach). There’s something so calming and centering about the looking at the waves and feeling the breeze off the water. 
    Enjoy! 

    1. That sounds about perfect to me! Last year, I mentioned to Paul that I’d love to have a vacation house down here. I guess our new home cancels those plans… not that they were real plans. I looked at the cost of real estate and was flabbergasted. We would definitely have to rent it to even consider such an investment, but it’s a moot point now, I guess! Maybe when the kids are out of college…

      1. Next year bring the family out to Southern California! Lots of options near the beach (Airbnb, hotels) . I’m in the Dana Point/Laguna Beach area which is great, or you could go to northern San Diego county (Carlsbad or La Jolla area is so nice for vacationing too). 😊☀️ 

        1. Girl. I wish. I’ve been to Dana Point/Laguna Beach — stayed twice at the Ritz Carlton for a blogging conference, and one other time I was out that way for a Bosch press trip. I knew you were in southern CA but didn’t know you were right there. It is pretty much the most beautiful place I’ve ever been with the possible exception of Costa Rica. You are so lucky to live there!

  20. I hope the forgotten towels and deleted emails are the only bad things to happen. Fingers crossed the weather clears up for some beach time! 

  21. What a story! Glad you found some towels and didn’t need to use paper towels to dry off all week! Sunny days ahead! Enjoy!

  22. Sorry for the rough start but Enjoy your beach time and new beach towels🏖! I’m sure you will laugh about it next year when you go to pack up again!  
    OC is great but if you do have a rainy afternoon you should check out the shops in Stone Harbor if you’ve never been- and Cape May is always a fav spot of mine as well😄

    1. Good to know. I think it’s a jersey shore thing. We’ve rented here (or been guests at rentals) for 23 years and it’s always this way. But I’m happy to hear there are some rental services for linens – I will look into that next year. It is just too much stuff to pack.

  23. Your trip sounds like my latest trip. We forgot the towels also. Good thing a Walmart was close by. I also had the same thing happen with my gmail. I thing goggle updated something and it had to do with email. I have lost all of mine forever. I tried to talk (email only) with them about it. They only made it out to be my fault. I know I didn’t do it.

    Have a nice trip, you already have the bad stuff out of the way

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