The weather was really too cold to say it was an excellent time to head north. When I had originally planned our trip… I had hoped that extreme warmth would lend to us going up to Wisconsin and the Sturgeon Bay area. Then cutting across the UP, hitting some beach up north etc.
Once I saw the forecast was for highs in the 70’s that whole week… I knew I was doomed! It was the coldest week of the Summer!
I changed our plans to hitting lower Michigan shores on the first 2 days. It worked pretty well. The waters were nice at New Buffalo and Warren Dunes… But as we headed up to Sleeping Bear… It started to get a little chilly! The water at Sleeping Bear had to be 55 degrees! Crazy kids were about the only people to be seen in swimming around. I went up to my neck, and really hoped to use some goggles to check out the crystal clear water…. But man… It was too cold. I said the Heck with that and sat on the beach assisting in our massive architectural projects with sand.
Mackinac Island is a tourist trap… Not much else to say about that. We rode bikes… Bought too much fudge and left. Is there anything else to do?
One big plus.. Big Boy resturants… After doing Mackinac Island… We stopped at a Big Boy for dinner. Man! That is some eating! They dont mess around with portion size! I HAD to buy a T-Shirt!
Annette’s family cabin:
First off, let me say that we are long overdue in saying thanks to Annette’s Mom and Dad for their generosity. They let us stay at the family cabin on the tail end of our Michigan trek. Any apprehension about feeling welcome was blown away! These people know how to host! Actually, they could take it to a professional level! It was also nice to meet their friends… Renee and Jim (Memory is fading… I know Joe was the oldest boy, and I am sure Jim was Dad’s name!) were totally cool with us invading their space as well!
If only Aiden could have dealt with not being in the “click” of boys… I am sure my son was a little on the outside that weekend… And that stress probably led to some fights with the other kids. Not defending Aiden… Just realizing that kids start to mass and run in packs. If you are not in that pack.. Its either fight or flee. So, I think Aiden was a fighter when put in a situation he did not like. Lets just hope that’s not how he handles these things in school!
One of the things that threw Angela for a loop was the bedding situation at the cabin. The upstairs was a giant bunk-house with 13 or so beds. Everyone shared this space at night. I am sure that this was the item that Ang was generally not digging. Ang is flexible… But, man… Her sleep is sacred. I could tell this was trying to her. Not sure what complicated it. We had big beds, and generally, nobody was noisy or annoying… But I think the weirdness factor for her was what kept her uneasy. (Me, I can sleep anywhere… If they had said “Sleep Outside”… I would have obliged)
I know now that she has overcome how uncomfortable she was… 2 days ago she said that when we go back to the cabin (Notice, she did not say “if we ever”) that it would be after a day or 2 at Warren Dunes, and then hitting the Dunes again on the trip home. So, I found that to be a good sign.
Other things. Mom pointed out that it sucks that I dont have all those great pages like I used to with family and house pictures. I am working on that soon. I wanted to show off some pics of my renovations… And was not able to do that with the Picasa site.
Ran into Teri and Richard Wells at the Delavan Fall Festival today. Really strange! But it turns out that Teri just got a new car, and was trying out the navigation system. They had read about the fall festival and decided to check it out. Clint and Shawn were said to be doing well.
Summer and Aiden both participated in the kiddie tractor pull. Summer was 3rd in her class… So close to getting a trophey! Aiden was by far the smallest kid in his… But he still did pretty goo with the weight he was asked to pull. I think he finished in the middle of the pack.
Picture on the left. Kids getting balloons from a really tall Honest Abe at the Delavan Fall Festival.
Quick News:
Just about finished the back porch. Pictures of the finished product in the coming days.
Installed a new overhead microwave myself. This is a crappy job to do solo! Trust me!
Ordered Ang a new iPod off of Apple.com. Refurb Nanos go for 100.00 with free shipping. Dont tell her… She as been complaining openly about missing it… I am going to restore her old settings, and leave it in her car.
My car is all fixed up. Got the body shop to heat up the bumper and reinstall it for No charge. That was a good thing… The girl at my work who did it has been FREAKING OUT!
Ang registered for the AERC (I think that is it! The group that she rides all these endurance rides with) National Championships in October. She qualified with all of her mileage at the Sante Fe ride. As luck would have it, the championship weekend is being held in Indiana… So, it is very assesible for her and Vera to participate in. (The event can be in California one year, George the next) This was just good luck!
You have a beautiful family. You deserve all good things in life. My most sincere apologies for the past. I was suffering and in anguish from the events I went through before I ever met you. Though it’s been almost 23 years since I saw walk down the hall to the elevator, I won’t forget the good times.
Our lives seemed to have turned out quite amazing and I hope you can forgive me for any pain I put you through. I am truly sorry.
Well… Wow… Didn’t see this until now. I dont regularly check this page, and this comment was laying in wait for approval.
Kinda caught me off guard. Check your email.