Things I am not doing: I am not calling home for messages. I am not reading texts or emails on my phone. I am not scrolling for news. My phone, in fact, is in my bedside drawer at the hotel. The hardest part for me: not doing Wordle.

Going for walks is an allowable do nothing activity so strolling – as distinguished from scrolling….– around the cute beach-side town of Rehoboth, Delaware a couple of hours east of Washington, DC is allowed. Shopping, not so much. Reading t-shirts in a shop, okay. “If a man says he will fix it, he will. There’s no need to remind him every six months.” Now that’s worth an appreciative look. “I’m going to go stand outside, so if anyone asks, tell them I’m outstanding.” “Exercise? I thought you said extra fries.” That could be a Thrasher’s reference but more on that later…..

Maybe I’d better explain. I travel a lot. It’s my work and most trips are filled with story-gathering activities round-the-clock. Have to do all the must-sees and track down those unknowns off the beaten track. Lots of planning, organizing, researching – even the restaurants have to be studied. So the idea of a do-nothing vacation had a lot of appeal. Relaxing. Stress-free. Laid-back. I just didn’t know how much work it was going to be.

Restaurants are tricky. Rather than seeking out the umbrella-clad cocktail du jour, I was much happier hanging out at a local bar mid-day with my go-to Fireball over light ice. I’m an exercise fiend at home but here, raising a glass from the top of Whisky Jack’s bar – could any name be more perfect for what I was seeking out? – was about as much exertion as I could muster. The resultant smile on my face almost pushed me over the top. I think I was getting the hang of this do-nothing concept.

Rather than research the de rigueur restaurants of Rehoboth, I opted instead to stop for ice cream and the area’s famous Thrasher’s French Fries. Reading the weird ice cream flavors in the street-front parlor that boasts 100 different flavors was almost as much fun as reading t-shirts: “I Don’t Give a Fork,” “May the 4th be With You,” and “Better than Sex.” Reading a hundred ice cream flavors is time-consuming. How fortunate there was nothing I actually needed to DO.

Sitting on a boardwalk bench with my fries – somehow unlike any other (Thrasher’s refuse to provide ketchup because, I assume, that would tarnish the original flavor) – and people watching. Does that count as an activity? So many different humans going in so many different directions, all so intent on their own drummers – it was exhausting to watch. I was just happy to stay exactly where I was, watching the seagulls, busily squawking and hurtling toward a dropped French fry. Seagulls are actually more exhausting. I felt even more of a need to just unwind.

Truth be told, at one beach bar it was so bright and noisy I found it very hard to chill out the way I’d envisioned. Next time – dark, quiet and low key. So first night out, big mistake.

Feeding – so to speak – my preference for down-and-dirty restaurants as opposed to white-tablecloth, the comfortable and casual Gogg’s perfectly matched my mind-numbing mood on night out number two.

Alright so there was a menu with 100 rums, rivaling the 100 ice cream flavors. Could get testy. Resisting the threat of stressful decision-making angst, I simply opted for my favorites, thus enjoying the novelty of such variety while avoiding indulging in executive-level anxiety. A win-win. I didn’t have to do anything but eat and drink.

But, of course, any further activity-involved nightlife did not qualify. Back to my do-nothing balcony. Listening to waves never disappoints.

So yes, there are arcades in Rehoboth I didn’t go to. I didn’t bike-ride on the Boardwalk. I avoided mini-golf. Although I did at times find myself lusting after all the emails I wasn’t reading. Again, hard work to do nothing.

The next day, on the beach again, I didn’t for one minute miss playing frisbee while relaxing on my chaise lounge.The one exception to my inactivity, however, was to indulge in one of my most fun undertakings: diving into waves! I allowed myself that delightful diversion before returning to a renewed level of slothness. And maybe one more relaxing drink at Whisky Jack’s.

So is this all much ado about nothing? You bet!

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I began a recent getaway to the waterfront village at the Holiday Inn Express & Suites Ventura Harbor, where the family and I checked into a beautiful king suite, overlooking the water and hundreds of beautiful boats.

The large room was highlighted by a huge, king bed, comfy sleeper sofa, big screen TV, cozy lounge chair and an office desk with high-speed Internet. The suite also came with a small refrigerator, microwave, Keurig coffee maker and a spacious bathroom with walk-in shower. One of the best features of the room was the private patio, overlooking the harbor. From here we could sit and watch gorgeous yachts and fishing boats bob in the water about 50 feet away from us.

When not lounging in the room we were enjoying Harbor Village, where restaurants, shops and water activities abound. To get to the village, we walked about 5 minutes along the sidewalk lining the harbor. This lovely stroll passes hundreds of old fishing boats, yachts and sailboats docked in slips or heading out to sea. The walk also passes Ventura Harbor Boatyard, which uses massive cranes to pick up boats of all sizes out of the water. This fascinating sight gives visitors a cool behind-the-scenes look at the process of repairing and cleaning boats.

At the village we found lots of delicious food options, from seafood and Italian to Greek, Cuban, Sushi, American and more. We were craving fish and chips for lunch and ended up at Brophy Bros., a local favorite specializing in fresh seafood. This was a fortuitous find because the food was wonderful. The fish was light and crunchy and the poke was deliciously marinated in a soy dressing and served on a bed of cabbage, mixed greens, daikon sprouts, snow peas, crispy wontons.

After lunch we walked to Ventura Boat Rentals and rented a pedal boat shaped like a big white swan. We then pedaled our way around the harbor, cruising near million-dollar yachts and old sea ships; waving at large, curious sea birds; and looking for fish in the water. The swan boats can hold up to 4 – 5 passengers, dependent on weight limitations and they also come with lights for a fun or romantic night cruise. Our hour-long voyage was not only exciting, but was also a great workout on the legs!

Our next stop was Coastal Cone ice cream parlor, where we split a giant hot fudge sundae and walked across the street to the sandy beach to eat it. After devouring the scrumptious dessert, we played on the sand dunes and explored the tide pools near the long, rocky jetty. We then strolled along the uncrowded shoreline, before heading to the hotel.

For dinner we were back at Brophy Bros. for more fish and chips and a memorable bowl of Cioppino stew with shrimp, which fish, clams, and a rich broth, all topped with parmesan. After our meal we sat on our patio at the Holiday Inn and watched the sun slowly fall into the Pacific Ocean behind the bobbing sailboats.

In the morning, we enjoyed a full, complimentary hotel breakfast, which included burritos, oatmeal, bagels, coffee, juice and yogurt. With our bellies full we strolled to Channel Islands National Park Visitor’s Center, where we learned about the fascinating Channel Islands National Park. Known as “The American Galapagos,” the park encompasses five remarkable and remote islands off the Ventura coast: Anacapa, Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa, San Miguel and Santa Barbara. The Channel Islands and encircling waters are home to over 2,000 plants and animals, of which 145 are found nowhere else in the world including the Island Fox.

Established as a National Park in 1980, each of the islands is a fascinating world unto itself. World class diving, hiking, kayaking, sea cave exploration, photography, snorkeling, camping, wildlife and wildflower viewing, the Channel Islands offers uninterrupted time with family and friends while relaxing to the soothing sounds of the natural world. To get to the islands, most people use Island Packers, the official company taking visitors to the islands.

We concluded our visit with a handcrafted chocolate bar from Top This Chocolate, a customized shop using only luscious premium chocolate made with 100% cocoa butter. Here I watched a skilled chocolatier make me a divine and decadent milk chocolate bar with walnuts. She began by pouring the chocolate out of a big machine into a mold and then used a top secret technique to transform it into a firm, incredible bar rivaling anything I’ve had a See’s Candy.

More information on visiting Ventura Harbor Village

More information on staying at Holiday Inn Express & Suites Ventura Harbor

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Welcome Home

It’s Veteran’s Day this Monday, November 11.

When I was a kid I played with GI Joe action figures. I built fortresses out of mud hills and created battlefields with green plastic soldiers. I watched war movies and thought it would be so cool to actually go to battle so I could put on camouflage paint, lob smoke screens and grenades and fire bazookas. When I was in High School I joined a military cadet training one summer … I signed up to be a man … to be one of the cool kids.  It was a physically grueling summer. On the first day we were out of breath after a half mile jog. We could hardly carry our fake wooden rifles. Every infraction translated to pushups, sit-ups or laps around the soccer field so after a week we developed real muscles and stamina. By the last day we were running with our rifles above our heads for miles and we were doing 50 pushups easily. We were quite proud of our accomplishments. We thought we had done it all to prove how strong we were but during the last night we got hazed. Yes, we were beaten up by the upper class men. We were in shock. We were blindfolded, then pushed into the “armory” where our sadistic officers took turns beating us up with stomach punches and paddles on our legs. Except for our heads and arms we had to cover our bruised trophies underneath our clothes for weeks. We were sworn to secrecy so I never shared this traumatic experience to anyone until I was already married. This was just make-believe army training but that was enough for me.

Ask a veteran about his/her time in active duty and chances are, he/she will want to keep that experience to himself/herself. You can only imagine how much more difficult it must have been at the actual battlefield where bullets zingged past … amidst the bloody sprays of his unfortunate comrades. Imagine the never ending nightmare of the hell he/she went through. Nightmares that continue to haunt veterans to this day.

I studied this in my Trauma Counseling class. People are familiar with PTSD or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder but we who study Biblical Counseling would rather call it PTSM — it is not a Disorder … it is not permanent. Instead, it is a Malfunction of the brain. Because through the deeper understanding of our relationship with God, even this is curable. We don’t erase it from memory but we grieve through it and move on.

This Veterans Day, please thank our heroes for their sacrifice. Welcome them home.

TGIF people!

Joke of the Week

Thanks to Lois of Whittier, CA for sharing this joke.

Don’s Puns

Funny Video

Sent by Dean Guzman of Vancouver, B.C.

TV Symbols

Shared by Art of Sierra Madre, CA

Parting Shot

Thanks to Don of Kelowna, B.C. who shared this:

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