Back in Florida...

Uncle Sam calls.  Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end.  Even my dream vacation.  Today I sat through 8 riveting hours of... well... Pentagon-speak.  Talk about a good time!  I can't wait for the next X weeks of it!!  Seriously.  Or not.  Well, I guess it's really a small price to pay for being paid to live in Paradise.  As I write this, I'm at Uncle and Aunt's house in west Florida.  It's so beautiful here... they wouldn't have it any other way for me to stay anywhere other than with them while I'm going to school nearby.  They have a beautiful house, and pool... twist my arm OK?  So I get to stay with them... of course, they are already plotting their Hawaii trip on Orbitz.com and my Uncle  is searching for golf courses to play... it's so great having family members like them.  My Uncle is an absolute riot.  Since I've been back in the states we talk quite regularly.  Can't say enough good things about the guy.  Tonight they are in central Florida for one of his grandkids wedding... kind of strange to do it on a Tuesday, but it's being driven by the school year... he called me tonight at 11:45 to report that he needed a 6 to win his hand at Phase 10... otherwise he was being beaten handily by his 8 grandsons... I'm sure the wine wasn't affecting his card playing at all... anyway- I'm jetlagged.  And it sucks.  I haven't made any effort to get over it since I got back from Hawaii.  Almost like my body is telling me I belong back in Hawaii... I agree.  But that still doesn't change the fact I have to be up for work in 4 hours.  Yesterday, on my drive out, I stopped by and saw my sister and her family... she made lunch, and then we all swam in their little temporary pool that they bought for the kids... Played a little Marco Polo (or a lot) I forgot how competitive my brother-in-law can be until he stepped on his oldest trying to escape my 'Marco' reach... watching the middle one squint her eyes and track her 'Polo' targets perfectly was one of the highlights... and sitting with my sister afterwards was another.  We talked about how sometimes I feel like I'm on another planet from my parents... at least in regards to relationships.  I'll spare you the details, but I'll just say this- I'm 13 years older than my parents were when they married.  So I've got 13 years of maturing as a single man... (maturing may be a stretch)... but they had kids on the T-Ball team when they were my age... (me!) so sometimes, it's difficult for them to deal with my singleness.  It's strange... seriously... almost alien... I tried to talk to them about something that was on my mind... and because I haven't seen them much in the last three years, it's like they have this pent up message that they want to get across to me... GET MARRIED!!!  Not that they said it directly... oblique would be a better word... but the message was definitely received... Sister asked me if I told them to take a hike... strangely I didn't.  5 years ago I would have.  This time... I just swallowed it.  Of course apologies and we-love-you's followed... but sometimes I wonder if it's my fault that my parents don't understand me.  Well... enough.  Sleep is necessary.  Or I could always just sleep in class tomorrow... that's the best idea I've had all day.