Big Ships and Fireworks

“Isn’t the ship amazing?” my husband Tom asked as we headed for the USS North Carolina.

“It’s....big,” I answered as we climbed on board.



My husband loves ships. Especially if they served in World War 2. His eyes were glowing as he took everything in.



It was the fourth of July and we were in Wilmington, North Carolina. Before checking into our hotel we decided to check out the ship. While Tom was admiring the weapons on the ship, I was wondering why people weren’t wearing their red, white, and blue. Tom sort of had red, white, and blue on. He was sporting a Beavis and Butthead shirt. The kids definitely were. It bothered me that I couldn’t bring Natalie’s matching shoes to coordinate better with her outfits but Tom put his foot down and went, “No. One pair is all she needs.”

I snuck in another pair.

He wasn’t pleased to find them.

“What are these?” he had asked, as they tumbled from the suitcase.

“Oh, wow, I guess Natalie threw them in there!” I said, but I’m an awful liar so Tom knew it wasn’t the truth.



The good thing about the ship was that there were a bunch of things to push. I love pushing buttons.



I didn’t even know Tom took this picture. I was too busy pushing buttons. Tom finds this amusing that as a grown adult, I still like messing with things. He didn’t even feel the need to push buttons. What’s wrong with him?



Natalie started pushing buttons. That’s my girl.

Anyhow, after the ship my sister-in-law’s husband was all, “Wanna see the studio where Dawson’s Creek was filmed?” I had to stop myself from shouting, “YES!” Instead I bobbed my head and went, “That would be lovely.”

So...



Here is the building.

It’s not much, is it?

I craned my neck as if I expected to see Katie Holmes before she got kidnapped by Tom Cruise.

I found out later that tours are offered in there and you can see the boat Pacey had and Dawson’s bedroom.

Maybe another time.

I’d probably have to go with someone who liked Dawson’s Creek though. No one who I was with watched it. I tried to explain the show and just got blank looks. Someone thought that it was a gay show because they thought Joey was a man. So..anyone wanna go on a Dawson’s Creek tour with me someday?

We explored the area. I was amused by this street sign.



Wouldn’t it be fun to live on Princess street?

I love Wilmington. I’d live there, if we could afford it.

We checked into our hotel and this was our view:



See those boats? I wish I knew someone with a boat.



We weren’t far from the USS North Carolina.

Later that evening we sat by the pool waiting for the fireworks.



Yes, Natalie is changed. Her fourth of July outfit had a unfortunate accident with a slice of pizza.



The fireworks were shot off from the battleship we were at so we could see them nicely.



Natalie wasn’t totally sure if she liked the fireworks or not.



These people in front of us kept kissing whenever a firework went off. It got to the point where Tom and I were leaning over to each other going, “I wonder if they’re going to kiss...”



And then, we brought two tired kids to bed. Tommy was not happy sharing a bed with his sister.

“She smells,” he argued.

“She does not,” I insisted.

“She’ll hog the covers!”

“She won’t.”

“If she does, just take them back, you’re bigger,” Tom, ever the solution man, said.

In the end they slept well.

And I went to sleep dreaming about knowing someone who owned a boat.