OBX 2026

We returned to the Sea Gypsy for our beach trip this year and were rewarded with a week of beautiful beach weather, and unlike last year we thankfully didn't have to ride out any hurricanes! We did have some sad news right before our beach trip started this year, Mom Mom's cat Morse sadly passed away, and despite Noa's best efforts, we didn't find another cat to bring home from the beach.

The water was bathwater hot the day we arrived (not bathtub hot – that's just a dad malapropism), but was much cooler the next day, so Elaine and I were the only ones to truly brave floating in the ocean, though Owen did give it the old college try. We had fun playing games – marbles, Flip 7, puzzles of course, bocci, Owen's new corn hole set, and Owen almost beat Don at golf this year with a remarkable comeback, but just lost out on the second playoff hole. 

Jeff flew down again, and Owen, Don, and I flew with him down to Ocracoke. We had planned to land at the Billy Mitchell Airport right by Cape Hatteras, the eastern most point of the Outer Banks, but as we made our landing pass we saw that the runway was closed for resurfacing, so we detoured to Ocracoke for lunch. Owen got to fly the plane as co-pilot on the way down, and he kindly gave me a turn up front on the flight back. We had to dodge a few storms on the flight back, but it was a great little adventure.

We celebrated Owen's 19+1 birthday, had lots of walks on the beach, Noa and I had our photography adventures, Elaine spied some cool sandcastles, and we all can't wait for another trip to the beach next year!

(click here for all the pictures)

Nineteen Plus One

While it's hard for all of us to accept that Owen is no longer a teenager, Noa seems to be taking it the hardest. Not because they object to Owen growing older per se, but because they reject 20 as an age in principle. After all, no additional milestones are unlocked upon turning 20 – you still can't drink or rent a car – but despite the absence of new found privileges, you're cast off from your cohort, and that seems wrong. And so, Noa declared that for the next year, Owen would be considered 19+1.

It was an interesting year for Owen. He declared multiple majors while growing his hair multiple inches. He rekindled his love of baseball (or rather, blew up the group baseball chat) and continued to grow the St. Mary's softball club (though still not enough to field a full team). He had his first fender-bender (and out of solidarity, his parents had one too). Owen got his first paying job and opened an IRA. He got jury duty (and had to request a deferral). Owen went to Miami for Spring Break (with his father and grandmother in tow). He learned the importance of comfortable shoes and hydration. 

But mostly, Owen just continued evolving into a young man that cares deeply about the world and its people, despite what some people are doing to said world. And while we wish that things in this timeline were a little brighter, we trust that with Owen eventually on the job, we'll get there.

So happy birthday, our not-so-little man. We love you so, so much. 

1. The loan sharks are coming!
2. You get one warning for vaping. If I have to tell you a second time, I'm getting the manager...
3. This is the drone you've been looking for.
4. "An alien came up to me the other day. Big alien. Strong alien. Tears – green tears – running down his face." 
5. If only there were some way that Washington could win the pennant...
6. St. Mary's does not cancel classes for snow. Snowcrete, however, is a different beast entirely.
7. The USA is really lucky the DR couldn't use ABS in the WBC.
8. One doesn't simply walk to Mordor, but you can get there by listening 15 minutes a day.
9. 2026 is all about living the dream... if we define "dream" as an absurdist social simulation game.
10. And in the immortal words of Aunt Mae in Spiderman, Brand New Day, 

    You are a really special person. And I would hope that that will make you feel really great about yourself, but I know sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes you'll be really lonely. And sometimes, becuase you're special, people can do dark and monstrous things to you. But this is what I want you to know: You're beautiful and the people who love you, they love you not because you're special, we love you because you're you. Remember that, even when it feels like you're totally alone. That's your deepest responsibility. Never forget that, no matter how powerful you become.

    
    

Permitted

While Noa has enthusiastically supported friends in their quest to obtain their driver's license (Noa aced Maryland's test as a sophomore) and has provided numerous, unsolicited driving tips to their parents and sibling for years, Noa has been reticent about acquiring their own permit since they became eligible last year. We were patient for the first six months or so, but facing a summer free of work, either paid or volunteer, and only a single one week class (to work on the college application process which they've also been avoiding), Allen threw down a gauntlet: Noa had to get a permit before we left for Iowa (with the hope that they would drive once we were there).

This was more challenging than anticipated. Having obtained all the necessary documentation (Allen's been burned at the DMV before) and working around some scheduling issues in order to take the test, it still took Noa a few tries before they were able to pass the exam, despite getting 100 percent on the online practice tests. In their defense, I would assert the DC's DOT's is mistaken and in fact HAWK is not an acronym for High-intensity Activated Crosswalk.

Nevertheless, Noa persisted and was awarded a DC learner's permit two days before we we left town. However, given the brevity of our time in Iowa and the absence of deserted parking lots or other safe spaces for inaugural driving attempts, Allen and Noa decided to wait until we returned to DC, where they were free to venture out to the former RFK parking lots to work on all the turns as well as proper distancing from ice tea containers (Allen has a method!!!).

We are trusting the process, and accept that the process takes time. Still, Noa has a full 2 years to get the 50 hours of supervised driving under their belt, so hopefully, they'll be driving confidently in time for our 2027 Iowa visit...