Your Shore Weekend

I don't know about you, but my shore weekend is going to involve a lot of sun, a lot of sand, a lot of food and a lot of sleep with a few naps possibly thrown in. Where am I going? Well, I won't tell you that (though I'll post about it next week).

But before we get into what's going on this weekend, Steve Lubetkin was kind enough to interview me about the Jersey Shore for his fabulous podcast series. Check it out here.

To kick things off, there's a new nightlife site up for Atlantic City (if you're looking for an impromptu office dance party, click on the site and turn up the music).

Chris Rock's at the Borgata on Friday night.

Bob Dylan's playing the Borgata on Saturday night.

And Herbie Hancock will also be at the Borgata on Saturday night. I wrote a paper about him in middle school and I remember absolutely nothing about it.

The Little Miss Ocean City pageant is on Friday.

The Little Miss Townsends Inlet contest is also on Friday night.

On Saturday in Ocean City, watch out for two dueling divas.

The big events this weekend in Avalon center around the Brendan Borek High Tides Memorial Fund (the same group to whom I donated the proceeds from last weekend's book signing). Friday is the Method Skate Jam at the Avalon Skate Park; Saturday night is a Reunion at the Windrift; and Sunday is the big surf competition. Full details here.

Ahoy! The Hobie Cat races come to Wildwood this weekend.

And, finally, this weekend, Cape May's having an antique car show.

Well, not quite finally. I wrote an article for today's Philadelphia Inquirer about how to buy used furniture. Featured in the article is Heather McCulley, who found her prized dining set down the shore. Turns out her husband is Matt McCulley, who's in charge of the Tri for Our Veterans event that happened in Sea Isle City this year. It also turns out that Matt was quite the troublemaker back in Avalon Campground. He's a shade older than I am, but we figured that we must have crossed paths in the campground pool since our familes had summer places there around the same time. He also worked as a bartender for the OD, and ran or rode his bike to and from the campground to the bar. I'm sure it was great training for you, Matt, for what you do now.

I've been inspired by the folks I interviewed for this story and started looking at used furniture on my own (plus, my budget dictates it). They'd be happy to know that I alleviated my neighbor's trash of a porch set last week -- nothing wrong with it, they just weren't taking it with them to their new place.

I was tempted to do something with this, too:



I wasn't going to take it per say, but maybe go all Office Space(the clip has naughty language) on it. Why? Read the full story here -- the picture is of the offending stereo.

Only three weekend left in the summer season, folks. So if you're a summer shore person, time's running out. Etan Horowitz, a reporter with the Orlando Sentinel, who's down the shore this week, said that the end of season feeling has hit, and I agree.

Yes, the shore is in its peak frenzy, but it's all going to be over soon -- at least until next summer. I have mixed feelings. I love the shore in the fall, so I'm looking forward to smaller crowds (and my personal vacation). But the end of summer is sort of the end of my book sprint. Of course I'll keep writing this blog and talking and writing about the shore -- in fact, I booked my first Summer 2009 event today. But I get this feeling that a time like this is never going to happen again. It was my first book, and it did better than I could have possibly imagined. I never in my wildest dreams hoped that it would get so much media attention, or that I'd have fans coming to my book signings. So thanks again to everyone who made this summer so very special...and enjoy these final three weeks. I know I will.

Speaking of that three month sprint (and so as not to leave on a sour note)...ever wonder what it's like to spend your summer promoting a book while trying to write full time, at the same time? Tiring...



...which is why you need a nice, warm, snuggly pillow :-)