Honbons: And A Running Cam-mentary

Last weekend was a Honbon weekend. My favorite kind of weekend. A mentally everlasting few days of sweet treats and giggles. Have I mentioned I love these people?

This time around we gathered in Virginia Beach because The Man won’t give Will vacation until November. I think this was a great spot for our Honion, as it provided that lush Virginia greenery with those East Coast beaches you just have to love. We enjoyed a lovely view and various outdoor activities as well as an abundance of fresh seafood. As usual, we didn't take enough photos so I've stolen a few from Laurie.

We made the eight-hour drive up on Wednesday and arrived just after dinnertime. The happy Hon’s came barreling out of the house to offer hearty hugs and their valet services. We all clammered into the living room and immediately sat in a semi-circle, smiling at each other, anticipating the goodness. This is where we met Cam. Cam is a longtime friend of the Hon’s and is Will’s current roommate. Cam talks a lot with an exceptional amount of enthusiasm and I couldn’t help but smile at him as he fervently introduced himself. It happened that Cam’s twin brother was proposing to his girlfriend that night so we all sat around waiting for the confirmation phone call and learning all about life with a twin.

Will, Katie, and Cam were all staying at the house with us, though they came in and out throughout our visit as they all had to work and had different schedules. Perhaps the pending excitement of Day 1 woke me up early Thursday morning and I saw the kids off for their days at the office. “Have a good day!” I told them as I settled into the sofa with my coffee. I could get used to this.

We adults spent our day mostly indoors as it was grey and rainy. Laurie and I went for a quick kayak ride during a brief dry moment of sunshine and then Mom followed suit. While making notes to write this post I realized we didn’t do much of anything. We left the house a handful of times and otherwise spent all of our time sitting on the sofas, talking and laughing and snacking on treats. Oh so many treats. Actually, more treats that normal. It was almost sickening.

We did venture out for dinner and met Will and Katie for seafood at a neat place on the water that featured motionsickness tables that swing while you eat. Here we played Trivial pursuit, laughed at the waitstaff, and harshly judged Will for polishing off the last of the appetizers. We came home to my experimental Key Lime Pie who’s result was a lime green platter of goo. I got so tickled trying to chisel through my ingenious “pretzel crust” while Don commented that it was a “self healing” pie. We capped off our night with the most lengthy game of Shanghai to date.

Friday was sunny and warm. We adults enjoyed a long walk on the beach while the kids headed off to work. We had another day of snacking and chatting before meeting up with Will, Katie, and Cam for dinner. We were an obnoxious crowd; pushing together tables, needing extra plates, and lighting Tiki Torches ourselves. The food was the best though and we plowed through our hearty meals with gusto. Dad turned his food pushing onto Cam who’s appetite rivals Will’s. Cam and Dad chatted all through dinner and again, someone finished off the appetizers. 

What’s wrong with you, Will? 

I rode with Cam on the way back to the house and he talked about soccer with the most vigor I’ve ever seen. Cam is accidentally adorable. We returned home to continue our Shanghai Tournament and I thought it a good time to bake some cookies. I’d prepared some dough and brought it along in a giant Ziplock bag. 

“I love chocolate chip cookies!” Cam told me earnestly. I could see the truth in his eyes. “I make some kind of chocolate chip something every night. Every night.” 

I suddenly became concerned about my dough. Would it live up to Cam’s adoration for all things chocolate chip? What if my cookies flatten? What if this oven is hotter than the one at home? My concerns began piling. Cam talked incessantly while we rolled the dough into small balls and lined them up on the pan. “I didn’t wash my hands,” he informed me, dropping another sphere onto the sheet.

Cam was quick to offer his chocolate chip insights. “I can tell already, you didn’t add enough chocolate chips.”
He was right. I’d run out and didn’t bother to buy more, thinking no one would notice. 

“I’m concerned that your dough is too floury. Now make sure you take them out as soon as they start to sink.” 

I watched the oven closely. Terrified to let Cam down.

Cam was not blown away by my cookies.

During our kids round of Shanghai, Katie and I got so sleepy we could hardly remember our cards. Will bobbed his head to tunes and Cam shrieked and squirmed in his chair, nervous about his hand. “I just need one card! Oh don’t go out. I can’t believe this is happening!” I was so tickled by Cam, realizing the best word for him is “wholehearted.”

The next round of cards separated the men and women. Mom and Laurie joined Katie and me at the nap-time table and we moved through each round almost lifelessly. We were all so sleepy. The men folk however, took their competition very seriously and sat silently around the table, focused on every play, every card, every move. Their eyes darted around the table, beads of sweat formed on their brows and not a word was spoken. Except for Cam. He was still chatting and floundering around in his chair.

On our last day, Will and Cam got up bright and early to go duck hunting. Katie hung around for breakfast and then disappeared off to finish up some work things. Laurie took me out for one more kayak ride through the windy canals that open up to the bay. We all sat around the pool for a bit before Will accidentally corralled his Clampett-like family to the beach with him where the lot of us set out chairs and towels though all he had wanted was a quick dip in the cold, nearly-northern water. It was a perfect day outside and we slumped on the beach farther into the afternoon than we meant to. There was a brief napping period during this day and once Katie rejoined the gang, we ventured into town for The Neptune Festival.

The Neptune Festival is a yearly celebration that takes place on the boardwalk in Virginia Beach. There's all kinds of entertainment including crafts, sand sculpting, snack foods, live music, and some of the best people watching around. It was very Myrtle Beachy here and the festival attracted a similar clientele. We wandered through the masses for a bit before I followed Will and Kate to pick us up some dinner. We met back up with our folks in a grassy arena near the main stage. We sat on the ground in a line and ate sandwiches and listened to tunes. Don offered a riotous commentary of passersby while “Prop girl” danced alone in the corner, twirling batons, hula hoops, and her striped grim reaper blades. 

We spent our last night consuming more cookies and of course peanut M&M’s. Dad swears Don ate six cookies in one sitting and then we realized that Don has a cookie in his hand in almost all of our mental pictures of the weekend. A cookie after breakfast. A cookie on the way to the car. I remember pulling up to the dock in the kayak and Don came down to tie us off with a cookie held between his teeth.

Dad forced the lot of us to get up early so that he could get on the road by 8:00. We said our goodbyes and piled into the truck, pulling out of the driveway while the Hons waved goodbye like pageant girls.

As of now I’m coming off of my Honbon High which is being tragically smothered out sooner than normal on account of this whole “real life” thing I’ve found myself in. But really, the Honbon High lasts a solid two weeks. Fourteen days of deep thinking about life, replaying old stow-ries, and finding yourself grinning foolishly in public spaces. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. These folks make life make sense.