Tuesday, September 05, 2006
Hope you had a great Labor Day Weekend
My wife and I did something we haven't done in years.
Camping.
Well sorta - we spent a night in Cartier Park in Ludington. We faund a pizza joint to deliver to the campsite and I used most of a can of aerosol deodorant getting a fire started.
Hey, I didn't have propane or lighter fluid, okay?
After our early years camping, the wife had developed an aversion to hard, uneven ground, testy kids and the ferociously hot and humid weather of southern Indiana during vacation season. Imagine having a shower and walking back to your tent and needing another one...
Yeah, I know. We're Northerners and for REAL heat, etc ... Bite me. I don't go South in the summer or North in the winter. All I know is 70-75 during the day and seeing your breath when you poke your head out of the tent in the morning is the way to live.
We might've gone camping more often if we'd known how much nicer an air mattress made it...We need to get a bigger tent. I've talked the wife into considering a popup camper for next year. If we get one with A/C, we may even go South sometime.
In October or November, maybe.
Went for a nice long hike at Ludington State Park Sunday. Old farts beware - Trail 3 and 4 to the Big Sable lighthouse is NOT an easy stroll. A bit of a cool and pretty hike through the woods and THEN COME THE DUNES. By the time we got halfway to the light, the wife was cussin' me for suggesting a hike before we hit the beach, and by the time we cleared the last dune, I was cussin' myself. FWIW, we're 50-somethings. We were the "negative example" - "Look dear, THEY can do it - surely you can!" - I commented to a 20-something at the end of the trail that it was hard on a fat old fart.
He informed me that it was just as hard on a young fart. He lied. I'll bet his legs aren't hurting 3 days later...
The upside is that the return path was a 1.5 mile stroll down the beach. When we got back, I spent a blissfull 5 hours parked on the beach. If you've never been in Lake Michigan, the water temperature rarely exceeds 65 degrees, although you can occasionally find a warm spot. Hardy older souls and kids play in the water, teenage girls normally go in only when dragged by teenage boys and most people have sense enough to stay on the beach and soak up the sun and ambience. I go in for refreshing dips when overcooked, unless I'm with the kids or grandkids. Surprisingly, I swim like a dolphin. Comparisons to other cetaceans may be appropo, but I don't want to hear it.
Also, there aren't any exotic aquatic critters looking to make you the main course lurking off shore either. You can keep the ocean. A bonus - cetaceans aren't found in the lakes either, so the chances of being harpooned in a case of mistaken identity is rather less than, say, swimming off the Jersey Shore.
The only downside to the the day Sunday was trying to find breakfast. We went to two places - Old Hamlin and Country Cupboard - and were told that there was plenty of room in smoking, but for non-smoking we would have a wait.
Seems to me someone was missing the point. If non-smokers are waiting and the smokers section has empty places, then they are obviously catering to the wrong crowd. We let them know that we weren't content to wait - politely - and moved on down the road. Hey, I still have a choice about where I'll spend my money.
We settled on a decent little place called Le Serving Spoon - yeah, I know - and had a passable omelet and coffee. Monday morning and back at the ranch, the wife requested that I make her a more than passable omelet. I obliged. Had the kids over Monday afternoon and cooked up hamburgers and hotdogs for all 12 of us.
A good weekend. The wife was worn out by last night. I was too, but less crabby about it.
Baby update - DiL is 4cm dilated and still at home. She saw the doc this morning (9/5) and the verdict is that if Katherine (Her parents are starting to waffle on the name. I'll beat them...) hasn't popped out by Thursday at 7:00, then the doc is going to hurry her along. DiL lost her mucous plug Sunday. She's been in labor for about a week now. Wife says the doctor would be a candidate for reconstructive surgery on his ass from the chewing he'd have already got if it was her.
All I have to say is, "Man, I'm glad I'm a man!"
Camping.
Well sorta - we spent a night in Cartier Park in Ludington. We faund a pizza joint to deliver to the campsite and I used most of a can of aerosol deodorant getting a fire started.
Hey, I didn't have propane or lighter fluid, okay?
After our early years camping, the wife had developed an aversion to hard, uneven ground, testy kids and the ferociously hot and humid weather of southern Indiana during vacation season. Imagine having a shower and walking back to your tent and needing another one...
Yeah, I know. We're Northerners and for REAL heat, etc ... Bite me. I don't go South in the summer or North in the winter. All I know is 70-75 during the day and seeing your breath when you poke your head out of the tent in the morning is the way to live.
We might've gone camping more often if we'd known how much nicer an air mattress made it...We need to get a bigger tent. I've talked the wife into considering a popup camper for next year. If we get one with A/C, we may even go South sometime.
In October or November, maybe.
Went for a nice long hike at Ludington State Park Sunday. Old farts beware - Trail 3 and 4 to the Big Sable lighthouse is NOT an easy stroll. A bit of a cool and pretty hike through the woods and THEN COME THE DUNES. By the time we got halfway to the light, the wife was cussin' me for suggesting a hike before we hit the beach, and by the time we cleared the last dune, I was cussin' myself. FWIW, we're 50-somethings. We were the "negative example" - "Look dear, THEY can do it - surely you can!" - I commented to a 20-something at the end of the trail that it was hard on a fat old fart.
He informed me that it was just as hard on a young fart. He lied. I'll bet his legs aren't hurting 3 days later...
The upside is that the return path was a 1.5 mile stroll down the beach. When we got back, I spent a blissfull 5 hours parked on the beach. If you've never been in Lake Michigan, the water temperature rarely exceeds 65 degrees, although you can occasionally find a warm spot. Hardy older souls and kids play in the water, teenage girls normally go in only when dragged by teenage boys and most people have sense enough to stay on the beach and soak up the sun and ambience. I go in for refreshing dips when overcooked, unless I'm with the kids or grandkids. Surprisingly, I swim like a dolphin. Comparisons to other cetaceans may be appropo, but I don't want to hear it.
Also, there aren't any exotic aquatic critters looking to make you the main course lurking off shore either. You can keep the ocean. A bonus - cetaceans aren't found in the lakes either, so the chances of being harpooned in a case of mistaken identity is rather less than, say, swimming off the Jersey Shore.
The only downside to the the day Sunday was trying to find breakfast. We went to two places - Old Hamlin and Country Cupboard - and were told that there was plenty of room in smoking, but for non-smoking we would have a wait.
Seems to me someone was missing the point. If non-smokers are waiting and the smokers section has empty places, then they are obviously catering to the wrong crowd. We let them know that we weren't content to wait - politely - and moved on down the road. Hey, I still have a choice about where I'll spend my money.
We settled on a decent little place called Le Serving Spoon - yeah, I know - and had a passable omelet and coffee. Monday morning and back at the ranch, the wife requested that I make her a more than passable omelet. I obliged. Had the kids over Monday afternoon and cooked up hamburgers and hotdogs for all 12 of us.
A good weekend. The wife was worn out by last night. I was too, but less crabby about it.
Baby update - DiL is 4cm dilated and still at home. She saw the doc this morning (9/5) and the verdict is that if Katherine (Her parents are starting to waffle on the name. I'll beat them...) hasn't popped out by Thursday at 7:00, then the doc is going to hurry her along. DiL lost her mucous plug Sunday. She's been in labor for about a week now. Wife says the doctor would be a candidate for reconstructive surgery on his ass from the chewing he'd have already got if it was her.
All I have to say is, "Man, I'm glad I'm a man!"
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