I live at the beach and prefer to vacation at other beaches.
I love islands, staring at the ocean, turning my back to the mainland with all of it's congestion, crowds, politicians and cities.
Shrimp boats, lighthouses, Palm Trees, seagulls, salty air, Piers and seafood platters are necessary ingredients in my happy life.
The love of my life can talk me into going places like Disney World but that's purely a testimony to the depth of how smitten I am of Sarah.
She did talk me into going to Ireland, which had never occurred to me at all, but thankfully we mostly visited quaint sea villages that serve "cockles and mussels" and the Pubs have bands playing songs about the sea.
When work requires me to leave the island, I curse as my dark side goes public.
There's only one thing I've voluntarily, willingly and excitedly left the island for (well other than Sarah's house before we were married and she lived two islands to the west) and that is Athens, Georgia.
When I was 12 and my brother David was 11, my Dad took us to witness the Beloved DAWGS of Georgia play the demonic team from Houston.
I still vividly remember sitting in the Sanford sunshine, my hand on Dad's knee and David's hand on his other knee, and while we were already raised to be DAWGS, I really became one that day.
In no time at all I had children of my own and first took them to watch Georgia play Kentucky in Lexington until we made it to the island and got season tickets.
Every weekend in the fall became a wonderful celebration of family, friends and football.
So it's funny today.
This is the first home opener I've missed in 26 years but I'm on island with the love of my life ... who already knows I'm going to drive her and her girls absolutely crazy when the game starts.
"What's wrong honey?" she's already asked. "You seem bothered."
I'm not bothered.
I've got my game face on.
The Beloved DAWGS of Georgia are playing and I'm 12 years old again.
I'll be watching with my Dad, who died several years ago, my kids ... one of whom is there and the other two wishing they were ... the holy host of friends who've celebrated Game Day with me from New York City to the epicenter of the Universe in Athens for four and a half decades ... and Sarah and her girls who'll think I've lost my mind screaming at the television, hunching over in despair or jumping up and down in delight.
I find myself full of emotion sitting in the bright sunshine on the Beloved Back Deck with the Palm Tree with the oyster face, coconut bra and grass skirt smiling at me under Fran's thousand shades of green.
I miss being in Athens today but I love the Now.
We're going to the Beach.
Afterwards we're coming back.
Then it's all GOOOOOOOOOOO DAWGS! SIC EM! WOOF! WOOF! WOOF! WOOF!
