And I'm bummin' in a good way. We're ushering out the final days of summer at the Jersey shore, and it's a great week. Siblings, cousins, grandparents -- all under one roof. As we close in on the end of our time together, part of me would like to start the week all over. But not a very realistic plan. School is just around the corner, and a jam-packed fall schedule is waiting to get its grip on us. Plus, if I have to look through my mess of a suitcase one more time in the search for the house keys ......&^%$#

So we'll savor the last few days. We've had a pretty good weather week. We used a couple of rainy days to go bowling, do some shopping. Saw "The Help'' -- really liked it, but loved the book -- and "Glee: The 3D Concert Movie.'' The under-21 crowd gave the latter mixed reviews. Love the music but too short, they said, and the movie didn't fulfill its promise of letting the audience get to know the characters.

As for summer at the beach 2011, we give an enthusiastic thumbs up to fried Oreos, early morning bike rides, Mack & Manco's pizza, Rummikub, beach-blanket time, books and boogie boarding. Thumbs down to "Free Hugs'' crop tops, seaweed, the few men who still insist on wearing super-skimpy suits (yuk!!) to the beach, and one or two tense family moments -- nothing serious, but put several households from different states together for a week, and there's bound to be a moment or two of drama -- and not having our dogs with us!

To the beach!