Father’s Day weekend

What does Father’s day mean to me?  Well, nothing really.  But I do enjoy our annual weekend tradition.  Every Father’s Day weekend we gather up the kids and families and head out to camp all weekend.  I did very little with my cell phone as well so I more or less disconnected from everything for a few days.  I did use it some, check scores for the Sox games and such, but did very little Facebooking and of course texting, which is a given since most of the people I text were there with me.  My mom, wife and brother, that’s pretty much the extent of my texting.  Told you I didn’t have crap for friends.  But I’m ok with that, less people I have to deal with.

Friday

Actually, we’ll go back to Thursday night.  The kids were with their mother so I texted her to find out if her JackAss could meet me in the morning since she was working Friday.  He said he had to go to Fort Wayne early in the morning so I asked her who was watching the kids.  She said she was going to leave them alone for a few hours, but it was ok, because she would leave them a cell phone.  My kids are 9 and 7, too young to be left at home by themselves for that long.  So I told her I didn’t have time to drive all the way out there and asked them to meet me that night.  Then all of the sudden JackAss’ story changes and he’ll be home after all and will meet me at 10am.

So back to Friday, I wake up to a text from JackAss that Tina left with his keys in her purse so now I have to drive all the way out there to get the kids.  I don’t believe his stupid ass but what can I do.  I go get them.  I meet up with my brother and his family at my mom’s at 1:30 and after some maneuvering of supplies and a quick lunch, we head out.  I rode with my brother in his new Jeep pulling a trailer.  My son and his son rode with us.  And my mom just about lost all the men in her family in one fail swoop.  Here we are, doing 65 down a highway and this idiot in a truck starts to pull out, see us and stops, right in front of us.  Had he not made up his mind to go ahead and go, we would not have been able to clear the rear end of his truck.  My wife, who was following, said she thought she was going to lose her husband right in front of her.

We arrived at the Indiana Dunes state park and got all the tents set up, pulled out our chairs and relaxed and waited for the rest of our family to arrive.  That’s my brother and I in the pic, doing the relaxing.  It’s one of the few pics we took this weekend.  We apparently matched up our wardrobes before we left.  Anyways, we picked out our lots last fall when we were there so we knew what to reserve at the beginning of the year.  We grab a couple of spots between a restroom and a playground.  And right next to the restroom, was the path that led to the beach.  They were pretty huge lots, not quite big enough for 3 so they only made it 2 with a lot of extra space.  Which was good because we ended up, with a pop-up camper, and 4 tents.  Including my tent, which they call “the Mansion”.  It can be divided up to 3 rooms, plus has a screened in porch.  My brother’s tent is about the same size without the porch, and then 2 smaller ones.  We got all set for the evening, grilled some burgers and hot dogs for supper and hung out around the campfire till bed.  We had 14 people stay the first night.

Saturday

Cheri and I woke up, didn’t sleep worth a crap.  We use this huge air mattress bed that my mom used to use before she got the popup.  It stands at about 3 feet tall, all air mattress.  It’s the only way Cheri can survive with her back.  But we set it up in the tent on a slope and it was hard to roll over so we didn’t sleep well.  We got up and had some breakfast.  Cheri got hooked on “Amish Crack", or at least that’s what my niece called it.  They were donuts but I guess they bake them.  She loved the Caramel Cinnamon ones, she couldn’t put them down.  After breakfast we packed some food and drink coolers in our car and headed down to the beach.  Samantha played in the water with my niece and nephew while Trevor pretty much stuck to the beach and dug in the sand.  He went into the water here and there, but for the most part, he dug just outside the water.  It wasn’t as horribly humid as it was supposed to be so it wasn’t bad.  It was still too hot for Cheri because it kicked her ass.  We were there most of the afternoon until Cheri and I had to leave to go meet her mom and give her our son back because they were heading back to Virginia.  The air condition in the car (and some sweet tea’s from McDonalds) did Cheri some good.  She got some of her energy back before we got back to the campground.  But she was still tired.  We got back to an announcement by the DNR that their was a pretty big storm coming with possible hail.  So we buttoned down the hatches and waited.  Then decided to eat while we waited so we grilled our marinated chicken under the back van door and Cheri cooked her potatoes in our screened in porch through a little bit of rain.  By the time everything was done, the rain had stopped and we gathered around and ate.  Played some cornhole and had some smores.  But just as it was starting to get dark, more rain came.  Along with some thunder and lightning.  So we headed to bed early.  Little did we realize the night we were in for.

We turned our bed so we weren’t fighting the slope and we were looking forward to a good nights rest.  Until we started to get dripped on.  We started turning on lights and somehow, the rain was getting under the rain guard and running down and dripping on us.  So I made multiple trips out into the rain in my boxers trying to throw towels down between the rain guard and the top of our tent.  We also cut small holes in the top of the tent so Cheri could direct the towels where we needed them.  Eventually we got everything stopped, at least from dripping on us.  We also took time between fighting the rain to take a picture of my kids, you know, to torment them with later.  We told Samantha she was probably dreaming about her boyfriend.  Mainly because she gets upset it you call anyone her boyfriend.

So for those who know me and have been around before this blog, this would be the 2nd time in the last 3 years that we had a huge rainstorm nail us.  Not last year, but the year before (2010) we got the tents set up just before a huge storm hit us all night long.  Ended up being tornados in the area.  I spent that evening standing up against the wall of our tent while the kids slept so it didn’t get blown over.

Sunday

Today, we had eggs, bacon and sausage when we got up and then packed up and headed out.  Sometime this week, we’ll have to run over to my mom’s and set up the tents and clean and dry them.  We got home, unloaded and then realized that we didn’t have any laundry detergent so Samantha and I ran over to Walmart and picked up some detergent, and a few other essentials.  Samantha took her money and decided to buy a movie with it.  So we came home, had some lunch and watched her movie together while Cheri crawled into bed and slept all afternoon.  Camping really drained her.  After the movie, I turned on the White Sox game and fell asleep on the couch.

It sounds like we didn’t do much this weekend but that what I like about our camping trips.  It’s nice and relaxing and I always have a good time with my family.  I’m not sure Cheri wants to go back again, but we’ll see.  She secretly loved it too, she just won’t admit it.

I did spend a little time this afternoon setting up a FB page for this blog.  So head over and like it to be notified of new blog posts and maybe get a little interactive with me.  I haven’t found where I can get the html to put it on the side bar yet, but when I do, I’ll add it over there.  Until then, you can go here:

http://www.facebook.com/RandomThoughtsFromARandomGuy

Wore out

We are wore out this evening.  Friday night, Samantha had a ball game so we spent a couple hours out there.  Saturday morning was the MS walk, which went great.  Cheri decided she was going to try to do the 2.5 mile walk so we headed out and did it.  She took off, she’s a much faster paced walker than I am.  I annoy her because I just take my time and stroll while she’s off to the races.  I guess I’m just never in a hurry.  She made it, the whole 2.5 miles, but with consequences.  Her feet hurt, but worse her left hand went into a spasm and froze in a fist.  She took some meds after the race and eventually got her hand back.  I’ll make another post about the walk itself when I get around to downloading the few pictures that were taken.  But we all survived.  Our walkers included Cheri and I, Samantha and Trevor, my mom and my grandmother.  That was team Laws.

We got done, had some lunch and sat around most of the evening.  We were both feeling pretty good.  I figured it wouldn’t hit until this morning.  But all we did was walk and I walk all day long at work so I figured I’d be ok.  Well, this morning rolled around and we both actually didn’t hurt.  We were rather pumped.  Then at 2 today, Trevor had a game so Cheri and I were out at the diamonds again for a few hours of coaching.  Not sure what happened.  But between me standing on the field all game, and Cheri standing in the dugout all game.  It wore us out.  We went to grab some lunch and just some quick groceries and came home so we could relax.  We weren’t tired, but our bodies were extremely exhausted.  Just as I’m about to fall asleep on the couch, I get a phone call.  My step dad needed help moving a fridge.  So I went and did that and eventually made it back home.  Odd thing was, once I was up and helping with the fridge, my exhaustion went away.  So I’m not sure what happened there.  But I came home feeling pretty good.

We’ll see how I feel tomorrow.  Maybe I can get back to some regular posting this week.  I have a practice with my team on Tuesday, Samantha has a game Thursday, Trevor has a game Friday, and both play Saturday.  So maybe I won’t get back to regular posting.  I’ll try to get the MS walk post done tomorrow.

Uh Oh!

Well, I’m off to a lovely start of the evening.  Once again, I’m at the ballpark and brought my laptop with me.  I pulled up, parked the car and walked Samantha over to her diamond.  I went back out to my car and was going to move it to the outfield fence on the diamond that Samantha is practicing on so I could watch while I blogged.  But apparently, my car had other plans.  I got in and it won’t start.  It’s turning over but won’t catch.  I called my step-dad to come look at it, since I don’t know jack about cars.  I know, a guy who doesn’t know about cars, take away his man card.  Bite me!  Anyways, I’m awaiting him to arrive.  Hopefully it’s a cheap, quick and easy fix.  Cheri is really hoping so since she will have to drive me to work along with the kids to school tomorrow if not.  He’s here, be back in a few with hopefully good news.

You can’t keep my car down.  Apparently she just wanted to sit in that spot for a few minutes.  She must have needed a break from that long drive here (10 minutes).  Who knows?  But I’ve had this car for 9 years and it’s paid off so I can’t afford to have to go buy another one.  My stepdad thinks it just got flooded.  He pulled up and got out.  I figured I’d try to start it so he could see what it was doing.  And it started right up.  I apologized for bringing him out, good thing he doesn’t live far.  He said it was fine, he had the niece and nephew over so he was happy to leave for a bit.  Although, now I’m going to have to apologize for narcing him out because my mom reads the blog.  Sorry Randall.

Insane in the Membrane

Just a quick one today because I had one song in my head all freaking day.  Which is rare because I listened to my spotify for about an hour and a half and usually I’ll pick up something there and start singing it.

Good thing I work alone, it’s not a pretty song to be singing out loud.  It’s noisy enough in the factory that I can pretty much sing as loud as I want and nobody will really hear me unless they come walking up to me.  I have been know to serenade a few people when I know they can hear me.

While I was listening to my spotify (which I am listening to now) I was texting lyrics to my wife if it was a song she would know.  I only had to text her 4 songs in that hour and a half.  She wouldn’t have know most of them.  She doesn’t listen to a lot of rock so most of it was that.  Here’s what I texted her, see how well you do.

1. “My life, would suck, without you”  She got that one right away.  She even told me the singer, I want to say Kelly Clarkson but if you would have asked before she told me that, I wouldn’t have had a clue.
2. “And I will always love you”  Another easy one for her.  I believe her text said something about Whitney coming back to sing to her.
3. Here’s where it got tough for her, let’s see how well you do.  First I sent “I can smell a pig from a mile away”  She accused me of calling her a pig.  So I sent “Riding at night cuz I sleep all day”  She said she didn’t know so I told her it was Kid Rock.  Then I sent “I’m not straight out of Compton, I’m straight out the trailer”.  I had to tell her it was Cowboy.
4. This last one was easy for her, let’s see how well you do. “Let’s get rich and give everybody nice sweaters and teach them how to dance.”  She got it right away considering she introduced me to that song on a mix tape she made me.  Anybody?  It’s a great song, I’ll see if I can find it for you.

That’s all I got for you today but keep your eyes peeled for a special post coming soon, probably next.

I lied, I have more for you.  I typed this out and saved it in order to send once I got back home to an internet connection.  My phone rings, it was the lady in charge of the local ballpark.  She had tried to talk me into coaching a new team a few nights ago.  I told her that I would help out but I wasn’t sure that I wanted to be he head coach.  Well, she roped me into it.  She asked where I was.  Um, at the ballpark watching my daughter’s practice.  Great, why don’t you come on up to my office.

So now I’m coaching Trevor’s team.  While I’m excited, I’m also very nervous.  She told me that she would take care of contacting all my kids about practice and so forth.  All I had to do was coach, which is all I want to do.  She gave me phone numbers of people to call if there were any problems with the parents (not the kids, the parents).  That’s just kind of pathetic.  So now I’m busier than before.  Damn!  There went all my sitting on my couch, doing nothing time.

Flashback Friday

For Flashback Friday, I figured I’d go back to some Easter memories since it’s Easter weekend.  I described here what our Easter traditions are now.  I don’t really remember a lot as far as traditions go.  I remember my dad being in passion plays.  I remember getting to hold palm branches but I don’t remember why, as in, in the actual play, or if they just let the kids hold them.  I don’t remember anything about the plays, obviously I know the story, but I don’t remember my dad actually performing.  For all I know, I don’t remember anything right.  I have a distinct memory from his funeral that my mom says never happened.  So who knows.

Every Easter morning, my brother and I would wake up.  Well, my brother woke up, then woke me up.  He always got up at the asscrack of dawn.  And our job when we woke up, was to find our Easter baskets that the Easter bunny hid.  I don’t remember a lot of years of searching, but I remember one hiding place.  It was probably the best place it was ever hidden.  I think we had to ask for hints because we could not find them.  Wait a minute, we asked my mom for hints but how did she know where the Easter bunny hid it?  I’m so confused.  Ooohhhh, she probably went to make breakfast and realized they were in the oven.  Wait a minute, my mom doesn’t know how to use the oven so that couldn’t be it.  Anyways, I remember them being in the stove.  We got the usual Easter baskets, colorful, weaved, with Easter grass.  Usually loose jelly beans at the bottom, that must be where those cravings come from.  All kinds of candy, maybe a toy or some kind of an item that meant something.  I want to say matchbox cars were in there for years.  Always a chocolate bunny.

My brother, me and my 2 cousins on Easter - 1985

This went on for years.  And my mom loved that tradition, she loved giving, to us or anyone.  She still does.  She truly is in it for the giving, wait until I talk about Christmas.  I remember being the know it all teenager, you remember those years, where the only thing that matters is what you think.  You don’t care what anybody else thinks or how they feel.  I remember just sitting in the living room, and my mom was trying to get us to go look for our baskets.  I just sat there, knowing I was taking away her fun, intentionally taking it away.  I figured eventually, she’d just take it from it’s hiding spot and give it to me, and she did.

I look back now at how I must have made her feel.  And I hate that I did that.  Certainly not WWTJD (What Would Teenage Jesus Do).  I was an ass, I was selfish, I was a teenager.

But here I am, doing the same things to my kids.  Although we use Easter buckets now and no grass.  But my wife and I hide their buckets every year   And they love it.  And it’s the tradition that they know.  Until they become teenagers, and treat me like I did my mom.  I’ll complain to her, and she’ll just smile that knowing smile.  Because inside, she remembers how she felt.  And she’ll be sad because of that.  Or is that her evil smile, and inside she’s laughing her ass off.  Yeah, it’s probably that one.

He Shoots the Three, and Scores

I won an award, I’ve made it, I’m a top mommy!  Oh wait, not that one and you know, I’m not a mommy.  Red bestowed it upon me to give me the 3 award.  What this means for me is I have to tell you 3 things about me, shouldn’t be too hard.  And for me to pick 3 other bloggers that I want to know about.  That will be a little more difficult since I follow so many.  As I’m relatively new to all this, there are only a few of you that I’ve even talked to via comments.  Take Red out of that takes half of those out. I need to get out there more apparently.

So to start off, 3 things about me, hmmm. 

1. To my family, “traditions” are huge.  Each holiday, we do the same thing every year.  You name a holiday, and I can tell you when and where we’ll be.  An example – Easter – Meet at my mom’s for lunch, after lunch, everybody but a few of us walks down to the river and it doesn’t matter if it’s 20 below out, your going.  The few that stay back hide eggs in the backyard and I’m talking 300+ eggs for everyone.  River people come back and the kids go looking for eggs.  Hang out for a bit and then head home.  Every holiday is preplanned like that.  My grandmother once asked me if I’d carry on the traditions after they were gone, I said “Hell No, the traditions are dying with you”.  But in reality, we’ll all still be doing them, which she knows.
2. I’m a square.  I may lose readers after this one, but I’ve never done any drugs (other than doctor recommended), none.  I hadn’t even smelled pot before this year (stupid neighbors).  There is reasons for that, one, I’ve never desired to try any but also, I’ve never had a lot of friends so I was never peer pressured to try any.  Being a loner is not always a bad thing.
3. Back in high school, I took a trip to Wyoming with a group of other teens.  We spent one day hiking on “The Grand Tetons” mountains.  Elevation is 13,770 feet (2.6 miles)  We left from the base of the mountain in shorts, and had to hike though huge snow banks when we got to the top.  It was pretty wild.  You couldn’t walk straight up on the snow because of the slope of the mountain, you had to walk across and zig zag till you got to the top of the snow.  If I recall correctly, I got in trouble on the way back down because rather than do the zig zag, I sat on my backpack and rode it straight down.  Digging my feet in just before I hit the rocks at the bottom.  Out of the 25 or so teens that made the hike, I was 1 of the only 3 that made it all the way to the top.  Wish I still had that kind of energy.  My brother wussed out on the last mile.

Well, there’s 3 things about me.  That was a little tougher than I thought it would be.  Mainly because I’m pretty much an open book.  I really don’t have many secrets but that’s mainly because I generally don’t care what people think about me, therefore, why would I care what you know about me.  To prove it, feel free to ask me anything in the comments.  I’ll answer.
Now for the 3 people I’m giving awards to, this is a little tougher because there’s so many that I follow.  I’m going to try to show some love to the other Dad’s out there blogging about their adventures.  I don’t much about them or their blogs as I’ve only been reading them for a few weeks, but I do know that I enjoy them.

1. Wag The Dad – Because he’s a dad, and takes on various topics from a father’s perspective.  He pulls no punches and is funny as hell.  And apparently likes to drool in the shower, haven’t tried that yet.
2. Daddy Scratches – Because he’s a dad, and I loved his last post about the Harry Potter books.  And he’s not afraid to tell his kids no, which is a rarity anymore.
3. Telling Dad – I’m really new to his blog, but I like what I’ve seen so far.  And I read where he is F-bomb free which is cool.  While I don’t mind cussing, I tend to cuss a lot outside of my home.  I just can’t bring myself to do it in my blog.

So there you have it, showing some of the dad’s some love.  Be sure to check them all out and be sure to check out another (soon to be) Hoosier, Red’s blog “Doesn’t Speak Klingon”.  Thanks for the award, it was greatly appreciated.