Mother Of All Posts
14/09/21 07:31
The missus is sure going to miss her corn on the cob and her watermelon now that summer is over. I've been having a bit of watermelon myself lately but only because we've had no other fruit in the house. Who doesn't like a stone cold plum or nectarine right out of the refrigerator in the middle of the summer? I can never get peaches to ripen quite right so I've avoided them while shopping. I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong. Plums are good too but they seem to ripen too fast. Once they get squishy, they really get squishy. Too squishy to eat.
I don't even know if there is such as a thing as a seeded watermelon any more. They used to be so much bigger than they are today. Maybe it's one of those "I remember walking to school as a kid when the snow was up to my chin" kind of things. I also don't remember spitting watermelon seeds at my brothers and sisters as a kid but I also can't imagine not wanting to do that sort of thing. It's juvenile and, quite frankly, the kind of thing that kids excel at. If there was a time when we were warned about such things, it must have come and gone in the time it took to issue the warning. You nip it in the bud. That's what you do.
I half expected not to see hummingbirds this morning when I got out of bed. I've been keeping track of their arrivals and departures the past few years and they are usually gone around the 5th of September or so. Yet, here they are. I sometimes wonder if their delayed departures are, in a way, a modern day story of the canary in the coal mine. In other words, a harbinger of things to come in the wake of the many warnings by the fear mongers about global warming. If I'm seeing them a week from now I'll entertain such notions but not before then.
The only question I have now is, do I change their sugar water concoction before I leave on vacation or not. I have so many other things to do before we get out of the house that adding one more thing which may or may not be necessary might be a bridge too far. The missus did the lion's share of the packing yesterday and I get to move it all into the car today. We'll be taking our smaller cooler on the trip so that should help free up some much needed space for everything we're wanting to bring. It seems to me that the missus packed more than is necessary but ain't that always the case.
I'm calling the hummingbird food unnecessary because you can bet your bottom dollar that those little fellas will be gone, maybe long gone, by the time we return. The sugar water that I have out there for them now is maybe a week old so that may just tide them over until they pack their bags for points south. I'm still trying to get my head around the idea that a bird the size of my thumb will fly a thousand miles or more before reaching their destination somewhere in Mexico. God bless em is what I say. We did all we could to keep them supplied with the best sugar water we could over the course of the summer. It's now time for someone else to step up to the plate.
I'm a little worried about the Ev man. He hasn't been himself these past couple of days. I told them that he needed to stop doing whatever it is that he's doing. I'm not sure why the missus doesn't see what I see. You'd think a mother would be tuned into that sort of thing when it comes to knowing the wiles and ways of her child. He needs to shake it off and shake it off in a hurry. Maybe that means getting a good night's sleep. Sometimes, time is the best remedy. That's all it takes. It's to the point, quite honestly, that I wouldn't want to see him behind the wheel of a car in his current condition. He knows I know. That may be enough.
I understand that he's anxious about this and that as it relates to our trip. That has to be tempered with the excitement that goes along with getting away for a little vacation. No? We'll see. Today is another day and I'm expecting to see a new and improved Ev man when he comes out of his bedroom this morning. I was a little concerned earlier today when he came into the house totally unexpected at the hour of 5:30am or so. I thought he was in his bedroom fast asleep. He didn't say much but went directly to his bedroom after saying something about being out in his car. He sounded fine, which was good. It's still early.
Whatever it was with the Ev man, it seems to have passed. He seems to be himself again. Maybe it’s being here at the lake and on vacation that is doing the trick. Maybe it’s being away from the maddening crowds at his place that’s doing the trick. Whatever it is, he needs to keep doing it. Did I mention that we’re on vacation? We did it! We got out of the house, on the road, and out of town. Good stuff!
I wish we had a pancake mix. I’d whip up some pancakes for the family in a heartbeat. I think that’s just what the family needs. Not sure about the carb thing but we’ll not worry about that seeing as we’re on vacation and not giving a whole lot of thought to such things. Blueberries would be good in the cakes. Bananas are good too but we have none. Some people like chocolate chips in their pancakes. No thanks.
We wanted a nice spaghettti dish on our first night here at the lake and that is what we had. Ev enjoyed his dish immensely and we were happy to see him sitting down to a meal that he didn’t have to prepare for himself. Truth be told, I think he doesn’t prepare a lot of meals for himself and there has to be a shelf life for take-out. No? I mean, it must get old and get old fast. It’s fine if you’re on the run or on the road but that aside, it’s for the birds.
I’d hoped to add a little protein to the meal and the Ev man and I drove up to Bean’s to see what we might find. We were interested in meatballs and inquired about same. They had them but they were busy as all get out so they couldn’t assure us one way or another of what we might find on the ingredient list. We walked away with them but the Ev man decided that it was a reach to eat them without knowing about possible allergens so he passed.
I would have made garlic bread but I don’t think anyone was interested so I didn’t even mention it. If the missus was concerned about cooking the spaghetti using lake water, she didn’t mention it. We’re cooking with gas here so that’s an interesting change. The missus was toiling away at the stove and all I could hear was the click click click of the gas burner. I think that means she needs to adjust the knob one way or another to stop the clicking. I should look that up. I’m not sure what it means others than to say it’s annoying. Annoying is never good.
I took one look at the boat we’re supposed to be using and it looks to be a handful. A handful in the sense that it’s a big boat and maybe closer to a mini barge if I do say so myself. I’m sure it’s a relative measurement comparing it as I would to other boats I’ve used in the past. I think it’s true that if you can drive one boat, you can drive any boat. It’s more of a navigation thing anyway. Less driving and more navigating. Stay left of this when you’re heading north and right of that when you’re heading south. Got it.
What was that noise we were hearing in the middle of the night here? I can’t even describe it as I sit here the morning after. I can’t tell you if it sounded man-made or not. I can tell you that I wasn’t interested in getting out of bed to find out. I think the missus picked her head up off the pillow to maybe make more sense out of what she thought she was hearing. I’m sure she thought I was asleep or she would have had me investigate. I wasn’t about to disabuse her of that notion so I kept my own counsel. Zzzz.
This is the third time we’re staying at this house on Assembly Point. I took some comfort as we were getting ready for bed that I thought I wouldn’t have to get used to the bed as it were. You know how it usually takes a night or two to get used to such things. And, you don’t sleep all that well until you get over it. Or, get used to it is probably closer to the truth. I’m a firm believer in muscle memory and I was counting on it to give me a good night’s sleep. So far, so good, is what I say.
I am not used to using this keyboard. My fucking fingers are all over the place. My back is starting to hurt and I’m thinking my time at the keyboard may be running short. I have other distractions to keep me busy including reading, this Spelling Bee thing Nancy has me doing, biking, boating, and god only knows what else. I’m the only one up and out of bed at the moment so I think I can hang in there for a little bit longer. Thank the baby Jesus for auto correct on this keyboard. Onwards!
I always look back at my keyboard time while on vacation and it sounds like so much prattling. It’s a different vibe for sure. It’s a different feel all around. Did I mention that there is a young woman named Kierstan living in the basement here? Not sure what that’s all about but it is what it is. She was in the garage doing something or other when we arrived yesterday so we got to meet her. She seems nice enough. Was there anything I might have gleaned from the fact that she has a German Shepard and she drives a Jeep? Maybe a little. Yep, she has a wild side. Ya think?
We look down at the lake here at the house. It’s bright sunny morning here and there is a slight southerly chop on the lake which glitters through the blinds like nobody’s business. It’s like looking into one of those kaleidoscope thingies where you think you;re tripping but without the drugs. Who cares if there’s a road between us and the lake. Yes, it’s a distraction but nothing more. Why is it that everyone I see walking looks like they’re out of some rehab joint? Just curious.
Bumbling Biden is going to be giving some speech today on vaccines and whatever. That mother fucker best keep any ideas he has about mandates to himself. He doesn’t have the authority to force mandates on the states and we’re not living in crazy land like Australia. But the left is setting up to see to it that people who don’t get the vaccine will be ostracized and left to die by the side of the proverbial road if and when it comes to choosing between those who have been vaccinated and those who have not. So much for the Hippocratic oath.
It might be putting the cart before the horse. Here they are forcing everyone to get the jab and we have no long term studies on anything. Just yesterday, Fauci said something about maybe it’s a good idea to do a study on the effects of women’s menstrual cycles after women reporting serious issues. Young men are still having heart issues after getting the jab and nobody seems to give a flying fuck about that issue. Just get the jab and don’t ask questions. Fucking enough already!
Joey’s speech has come and gone. What a fucking loser. He said something about forcing people to get the jab and suggested that is any governors getting in his way will have to deal with him. Who the fuck does he think he is? Everyone is up in arms and most of the red states have already threatened legal action. We’re going to take Joey out back behind the shed and give him a good thrashing. A well deserved thrashing at that.
We got out in the boat yesterday for the first time. There was a slight wind that was really just perfect for our maiden voyage in a boat that we had never been out in before. An apt comparison might be the difference between driving a sports car and then taking a Winnebago out on the road. When I see little old ladies behind the wheel of a Winnebago, I think to myself, how hard can it be to drive one of those suckers?
We went in and out of our favorite bays and out and around Long Island before heading back to the dock. The trip was probably 45 minutes long and everyone felt good about the fact that we were out there and doing what it is that we came up here to do. Seeing the Ev man behind the wheel and feeling good about behind the wheel was all we needed to feel good about what it was that we were doing as a family.
We had a pretty good run of homemade meals here at the house yesterday. I like to think that we’ll eat out more than in when we;re on vacation but just the opposite seems to be happening. I threw together a nice batch of piping hot blueberry pancakes for breakfast and, for the Ev man, a couple of eggs right on top in place of syrup which we didn’t have and didn’t need. I cooked up another half dozen pancakes to throw in the refrigerator after we were done just to use up the batter.
I’m liking the assortment of pots and pans we have available here at the house. Oh, and Ev came to the conclusion the other day that you have to leave pasta to cook longer than the instructions on the box recommends if you want something other than an al dente dish. He LOVED the pasta that I cooked the other day where I let it cook until it’s soft and Uber pliable. Lessons learned. Right? Following the instructions on the box just doesn’t get the job done when it comes to pasta.
For dinner, I whipped up some grilled cheese and tomato sandwiches and served them with a nice batch of tater tots. The sandwiches came off the grill looking every bit as good as you might find in the fanciest of restaurants. Maybe it’s the gas stove, or maybe it’s the rarified air here in the Adirondacks. The tots tasted a little too processed but once dipped in ketchup they were the bees knees. I saved the other half bag of tots for the bacon cheeseburgers that I’m planning to make maybe today.
I haven’t had much a hankering to go fishing nor has the Ev man expressed a desire one way or another. There is a fishing pole in the boat and I have to say that maybe I’d like to cast the line out a few times off the dock here at the camp but that comes from a place that maybe doesn’t need to be revisited. At least not this trip. I’m not sure I ever thought I’d see the day when I didn’t want to go fishing when visiting my old haunts from my childhood here on the lake.
I have to give a tip of the hat to Uncle Wally for making the boat possible. We thought we’d be without a boat after finding out that he sold his boat. We were caught unaware to say the least. Not that I ever want to take anything for granted because I do not. We’ve always used his boat when visiting the lake and have always been eternally grateful. Having his boat has always been part of the landscape and when that all went poof, we we’re back to square one and, quite frankly, boat-less.
The lake was pretty rough on Friday so we waited until late in the afternoon to take the boat out. There were actually white caps deep into the bay here out in front of the house so that should tell you something about just how rough it was out in the open water. Ev and I would have been fine but the missus is a fairy weather traveler. Any bumping and grinding at all just doesn’t cut the mustard with the missus.
Even though the white caps had given way to mere 2-3 foot swells by the time we went out, the missus was still a bit apprehensive. It’s not like we were out and about in a dinghy for chrissakes. This boat was solid in any weather and really not given to any bumping and grinding no matter the conditions on the lake. We’ve committed to getting out on the boat at least once a day so out we went last evening bumping and grinding or no bumping and grinding.
We made a bee line for Sandy Bay which is probably a 15-minute drive by boat. We anticipated that there wouldn’t be too many boats about in the bay and we weren’t wrong. We went about the job of selecting just the right buoy where it was deep enough to jump in without fear of breaking something and shallow enough where we could see the beautiful sandy bottom of the bay that makes this spot so special.
Then, the task at hand was to have the Ev man secure the boat in place by grabbing a buoy and snaking a rope through the eye of the buoy while the boat still bobbed up and down in the swells. My job was to drive the boat up to the precise spot next to the buoy where the Ev man could do his thing. Try doing that while behind the wheel of a Winnebago. We lost sight of the buoy under the front of the boat for a few minutes but didn’t abandon our task knowing what we knew about the structuring of the pontoons on the underside of the boat. So far, so good.
By the time we secured everything in place, each of us had our our demons to exorcise before we could even think about getting in the water. Was it deep enough to jump in? Diving was out of the question and that we all agreed on. I put my feet in the water at the back of the boat and we were a good few feet off the surface of the water so I only got my feet wet every other swell or so. As I suspected, the water was probably warmer than the air. The bay was mine for the taking.
Ev joined me before long and he finally made it to the back of the boat where he attempted to use the ladder to get into the water. He was first in the water and judging by the look on his face I would say that he wouldn’t have wanted to be anywhere else in the world given his druthers. This is why we’re here, I reminded myself. I wanted him as far away from his everyday life as possible and Sandy Bay was just the Nirvana, or elixir, that I had in mind. Mission accomplished.
The missus was another story. Isn’t she always? Hell, she had her noodle and everything else that she needed to get into the water and never look back. It didn’t matter that the men in her life were in the water and up to their necks in the fine waters of Lake George, the Queen of American lakes. She was having none of it. She wanted to go in, but the spirits of the bay were saying nay, nay, nay. Not today, sweet thing. The Ev man and I be beckoned to her time and time again but our voices drifted off into the ether never to be heard again. They fell on deaf ears as it were.
I was disappointed but she was doing what she wanted to do so who was I to insist that she do anything different. Once back at the camp I went about putting on pasta and throwing together meatballs for a spaghetti and meatball dinner. Ev had been hankering to have spaghetti again after having an enjoyable spaghetti dinner on our first night here at the lake. I put it all together and served dinner with a nice side of garlic bread, a new container of our favorite Parmesan cheese, and a glass or two of ice cold milk to chase it all down.
Ev has been doing most of the driving while out on the lake and that’s just what the doctor ordered. He’s in his element here on the lake and he’s a natural behind the wheel. He has me take over when we’re in tight spots or when we’re about to dock the boat. That has more to do with his not knowing the boat and less to do with his abilities to manage same. Were we here longer, I would insist that he take over those boating duties that give him pause and that would be that. He would be over it once and for all.
He has a good sense of his momma’s comfort level so he’s not off and running at breakneck speeds while driving the boat. I’m not sure that this particular boat is capable of breakneck speeds but we’ll not be going there this vacation so that’s that. It’s not our boat and we’re going to be respectful of the fact that it is ours to enjoy but not to abuse. There was a time when we would go out of our way to find the biggest waves to ride or maybe a time when we would trip the light fantastic or the equivalent just for the fun of it. These days, not so much. That’s for the better, I think.
There’s a real cast of looney tunes walking, riding their bikes, and making their way one way or the other up and down the road here in front of the house. The get-up’s are something to behold. One person is covered head to toe in clothing that seems designed to avoid any exposure to sunlight. A vampire maybe? Another fellow thinks he’s the hunchback of Notre Dame but covers some serious ground despite his apparent physical limitations. Another woman walks her dog daily but avoids eye contact and has little to offer other than a quick wave of the hand when pressed.
I suspect the lot of them are used to people like us coming and going the entire summer long. They do only what’s perfunctory and as little of that as possible. Their worst fears may be that we come and stay. We’re just far enough away from the road where they can cast a suspicious eye up in our direction while passing by without arousing any suspicion. Nonetheless, we lock our doors at night in case their curiosity gets the best of them while the world sleeps. Even that doesn’t mean that we don’t sleep with one eye open.
I’m thinking of entitling this post as “Man Overboard.” That has more to do with the length of the post than anything else. It also seems somewhat fitting given our time here at the lake. The “overboard” part is all about boating and has a nautical twinge to it if I do say so myself. The reality is less nerve wracking than the word suggests so I may give a little more thought to that between now and the time I post this write-up. Maybe “All Aboard” is more appropriate. Mother of all posts? We’ll see what today and tomorrow brings.
And the beat goes on. I’m getting out of bed this morning and I noticed that the missus is sleeping upside down. Her head is down near my feet. I could have kicked her in the head when I was getting back into bed in the middle of the night. Her back has been bothering her so I get it. She thinks it’s the bed and that’s fine. I offered my side of the bed to her but she declined. When all else fails, sleep upside down.
I never got around to seeing the sisters this time around here at the lake. I’ve had a week to get around to it but it was an epic fail. I think I wasn’t up for family and, in the words of the Ev man, we just hunkered down. We managed to get about and about on the lake every day so that’s good. We had a boat of sorts that worked out better than anyone maybe anticipated. The seats were plush and that suited the missus just fine.
I’ve always looked askance at the pontoon boats but now that we’ve had one to use I’m of a different mind. It is like sitting in your living room so that was no surprise. Navigating in and out of docking spots is a little like maneuvering a Winnebago so it took a little getting used to. I had Ev do most of the driving and he was down with that. That meant I had a little less of a comfort level when it came to docking but after a few dockings, with each one bing better than the last, I was good to go.
I knew I was golden when we took the boat over to fill up the tank at the end of the week and I eased that puppy into the spot like nobody’s business. I had the gas pumps on my left and a classic 1960’s Chris Craft on my right side where the owners were on deck sprucing up. I gave no one cause to think out loud, look at those noobs. No one had to stand at the ready to push us away if we came too close. You can be damn sure they were on alert.
This was a busy marina and they had maybe the misfortune to hav maybe the worst spot in all of the dock spaces. No one, and I mean no one, wants the spot next to the gas pumps where veterans and newbies come and go all day long. It’s not the veterans you have to worry about, believe you me. A docking gone awry could sink a vessel in the wink of an eye. With boats flying off the shelves these days due to excessive demand, there is cause for concern when and where operators of these boats haven’t a clue as to what they’re doing behind the wheel.
I was telling Uncle Wally that we filled the tank of the boat and it came to $59. That’s a far cry from the multi-hundred dollar bills that we used to see when we filled his boat back in the day. I don’t know if we got better mileage with the outboard on the pontoon boat or, maybe more likely, we didn’t put as many miles on the boat as we thought we did. We did as much boating as we wanted to so there’s that. There might be such a thing as too much boating but we never came close.
I made Evan and the missus a nice breakfast yesterday of bagels and eggs. Ev had bacon with his but the missus passed on the pork. Ev likes his eggs like me, runny and warm. The missus takes her eggs cooked hard. I actually put her eggs in the microwave to make sure her yolks were thoroughly cooked. Some home fries would have been nice but we had none so it was a hard pass. I’m guessing we may have the same this morning but without the bagels. Maybe I’ll scramble the eggs for something different.
I ended up giving Uncle Wally one of my Air Tags from the four pack that I purchased. The missus asked me after the fact why I hadn’t consulted with her before doing that. No, my little darlings, it was not intentional. I didn’t not consult you because I thought you might push back on the idea. You’ve not been involved in the Air Tag business from the start so I felt no obligation one way or the other to consult with you before giving one to Uncle Wally. I think Uncle Wally was quite impressed once he got the darn thing up and running. So impressed was he that he felt obligated to give me a Trump Bobblehead when we were on our way out the door. Well, okay. If you insist.
I took a few video’s while we were out boating. I sent a couple of the funnier ones to Mrs G and the missus’s sister. I did it without getting consent from the missus, do you detect a pattern here, and we all had a good laugh after the fact. I mean these were laugh out loud videos with the missus screaming nonsensical words when we were going over bigs waves or other. Her sister Debbie rah-rah never did come up to the lake despite every intention to do just that. I think Debbie rah-rah would have liked the boat and god only knows she loves swimming in Sandy Bay (Seventh Heaven.)
I feel good about the fact that the Ev man and I managed to put the cover back on the boat. The owner said something about not needing to do that but rain is in the forecast this week so I think we saved him the trouble of coming up to the lake to put the cover back on. The Ev man and I got off to a rough start not knowing which end was up when it came to the cover and, out of frustration, I told him that he could go back up to the camp and I would figure it out. Not very nice, I know.
He insisted that we have another go at it and we finally put a plan in place to git er done. I felt bad about letting my impatience getting the better part of me but I put all of that in the rear view mirror and we kept plugging away until all the I’s were dotted and all the T’s were crossed. I’m glad he didn’t let my exasperation get to him. Truth be told, I think he’s a little more even keeled when it comes to this stuff. That’s a good thing because what the situation called for is exactly what he brought to the fore. Thank you for that, my good man.
In all the time we’ve been here these last seven days, we’ve not once awakened to a glassy lake surface. I get up before daybreak so if we’re going to see one of these days, I’d be the first to catch a glance. But no, every morning brought a slight chop which only picked up in intensity with every passing hour during the day only to settle down during the evening hours. Well, this morning we finally have our glassy surface. The one day of the week when we’re planning to leave to go back home. The Lord works in mysterious ways?
I don’t know what this is all about but the three of us have all had seriously weird dreams while staying in this house. The Ev man was the first to pipe up about his dreams earlier in the week. The missus and I talked about our dreams last night and I told her that mine were just as disturbing as hers without getting into any details. My dream was so weird that when I got back into bed after getting up to go to the bathroom that I went back to bed and tried to pick up where I left off. Not because I enjoyed the dream, but rather to see if I couldn’t find some resolution. Sometimes that works, and sometimes it doesn’t.
I don't even know if there is such as a thing as a seeded watermelon any more. They used to be so much bigger than they are today. Maybe it's one of those "I remember walking to school as a kid when the snow was up to my chin" kind of things. I also don't remember spitting watermelon seeds at my brothers and sisters as a kid but I also can't imagine not wanting to do that sort of thing. It's juvenile and, quite frankly, the kind of thing that kids excel at. If there was a time when we were warned about such things, it must have come and gone in the time it took to issue the warning. You nip it in the bud. That's what you do.
I half expected not to see hummingbirds this morning when I got out of bed. I've been keeping track of their arrivals and departures the past few years and they are usually gone around the 5th of September or so. Yet, here they are. I sometimes wonder if their delayed departures are, in a way, a modern day story of the canary in the coal mine. In other words, a harbinger of things to come in the wake of the many warnings by the fear mongers about global warming. If I'm seeing them a week from now I'll entertain such notions but not before then.
The only question I have now is, do I change their sugar water concoction before I leave on vacation or not. I have so many other things to do before we get out of the house that adding one more thing which may or may not be necessary might be a bridge too far. The missus did the lion's share of the packing yesterday and I get to move it all into the car today. We'll be taking our smaller cooler on the trip so that should help free up some much needed space for everything we're wanting to bring. It seems to me that the missus packed more than is necessary but ain't that always the case.
I'm calling the hummingbird food unnecessary because you can bet your bottom dollar that those little fellas will be gone, maybe long gone, by the time we return. The sugar water that I have out there for them now is maybe a week old so that may just tide them over until they pack their bags for points south. I'm still trying to get my head around the idea that a bird the size of my thumb will fly a thousand miles or more before reaching their destination somewhere in Mexico. God bless em is what I say. We did all we could to keep them supplied with the best sugar water we could over the course of the summer. It's now time for someone else to step up to the plate.
I'm a little worried about the Ev man. He hasn't been himself these past couple of days. I told them that he needed to stop doing whatever it is that he's doing. I'm not sure why the missus doesn't see what I see. You'd think a mother would be tuned into that sort of thing when it comes to knowing the wiles and ways of her child. He needs to shake it off and shake it off in a hurry. Maybe that means getting a good night's sleep. Sometimes, time is the best remedy. That's all it takes. It's to the point, quite honestly, that I wouldn't want to see him behind the wheel of a car in his current condition. He knows I know. That may be enough.
I understand that he's anxious about this and that as it relates to our trip. That has to be tempered with the excitement that goes along with getting away for a little vacation. No? We'll see. Today is another day and I'm expecting to see a new and improved Ev man when he comes out of his bedroom this morning. I was a little concerned earlier today when he came into the house totally unexpected at the hour of 5:30am or so. I thought he was in his bedroom fast asleep. He didn't say much but went directly to his bedroom after saying something about being out in his car. He sounded fine, which was good. It's still early.
Whatever it was with the Ev man, it seems to have passed. He seems to be himself again. Maybe it’s being here at the lake and on vacation that is doing the trick. Maybe it’s being away from the maddening crowds at his place that’s doing the trick. Whatever it is, he needs to keep doing it. Did I mention that we’re on vacation? We did it! We got out of the house, on the road, and out of town. Good stuff!
I wish we had a pancake mix. I’d whip up some pancakes for the family in a heartbeat. I think that’s just what the family needs. Not sure about the carb thing but we’ll not worry about that seeing as we’re on vacation and not giving a whole lot of thought to such things. Blueberries would be good in the cakes. Bananas are good too but we have none. Some people like chocolate chips in their pancakes. No thanks.
We wanted a nice spaghettti dish on our first night here at the lake and that is what we had. Ev enjoyed his dish immensely and we were happy to see him sitting down to a meal that he didn’t have to prepare for himself. Truth be told, I think he doesn’t prepare a lot of meals for himself and there has to be a shelf life for take-out. No? I mean, it must get old and get old fast. It’s fine if you’re on the run or on the road but that aside, it’s for the birds.
I’d hoped to add a little protein to the meal and the Ev man and I drove up to Bean’s to see what we might find. We were interested in meatballs and inquired about same. They had them but they were busy as all get out so they couldn’t assure us one way or another of what we might find on the ingredient list. We walked away with them but the Ev man decided that it was a reach to eat them without knowing about possible allergens so he passed.
I would have made garlic bread but I don’t think anyone was interested so I didn’t even mention it. If the missus was concerned about cooking the spaghetti using lake water, she didn’t mention it. We’re cooking with gas here so that’s an interesting change. The missus was toiling away at the stove and all I could hear was the click click click of the gas burner. I think that means she needs to adjust the knob one way or another to stop the clicking. I should look that up. I’m not sure what it means others than to say it’s annoying. Annoying is never good.
I took one look at the boat we’re supposed to be using and it looks to be a handful. A handful in the sense that it’s a big boat and maybe closer to a mini barge if I do say so myself. I’m sure it’s a relative measurement comparing it as I would to other boats I’ve used in the past. I think it’s true that if you can drive one boat, you can drive any boat. It’s more of a navigation thing anyway. Less driving and more navigating. Stay left of this when you’re heading north and right of that when you’re heading south. Got it.
What was that noise we were hearing in the middle of the night here? I can’t even describe it as I sit here the morning after. I can’t tell you if it sounded man-made or not. I can tell you that I wasn’t interested in getting out of bed to find out. I think the missus picked her head up off the pillow to maybe make more sense out of what she thought she was hearing. I’m sure she thought I was asleep or she would have had me investigate. I wasn’t about to disabuse her of that notion so I kept my own counsel. Zzzz.
This is the third time we’re staying at this house on Assembly Point. I took some comfort as we were getting ready for bed that I thought I wouldn’t have to get used to the bed as it were. You know how it usually takes a night or two to get used to such things. And, you don’t sleep all that well until you get over it. Or, get used to it is probably closer to the truth. I’m a firm believer in muscle memory and I was counting on it to give me a good night’s sleep. So far, so good, is what I say.
I am not used to using this keyboard. My fucking fingers are all over the place. My back is starting to hurt and I’m thinking my time at the keyboard may be running short. I have other distractions to keep me busy including reading, this Spelling Bee thing Nancy has me doing, biking, boating, and god only knows what else. I’m the only one up and out of bed at the moment so I think I can hang in there for a little bit longer. Thank the baby Jesus for auto correct on this keyboard. Onwards!
I always look back at my keyboard time while on vacation and it sounds like so much prattling. It’s a different vibe for sure. It’s a different feel all around. Did I mention that there is a young woman named Kierstan living in the basement here? Not sure what that’s all about but it is what it is. She was in the garage doing something or other when we arrived yesterday so we got to meet her. She seems nice enough. Was there anything I might have gleaned from the fact that she has a German Shepard and she drives a Jeep? Maybe a little. Yep, she has a wild side. Ya think?
We look down at the lake here at the house. It’s bright sunny morning here and there is a slight southerly chop on the lake which glitters through the blinds like nobody’s business. It’s like looking into one of those kaleidoscope thingies where you think you;re tripping but without the drugs. Who cares if there’s a road between us and the lake. Yes, it’s a distraction but nothing more. Why is it that everyone I see walking looks like they’re out of some rehab joint? Just curious.
Bumbling Biden is going to be giving some speech today on vaccines and whatever. That mother fucker best keep any ideas he has about mandates to himself. He doesn’t have the authority to force mandates on the states and we’re not living in crazy land like Australia. But the left is setting up to see to it that people who don’t get the vaccine will be ostracized and left to die by the side of the proverbial road if and when it comes to choosing between those who have been vaccinated and those who have not. So much for the Hippocratic oath.
It might be putting the cart before the horse. Here they are forcing everyone to get the jab and we have no long term studies on anything. Just yesterday, Fauci said something about maybe it’s a good idea to do a study on the effects of women’s menstrual cycles after women reporting serious issues. Young men are still having heart issues after getting the jab and nobody seems to give a flying fuck about that issue. Just get the jab and don’t ask questions. Fucking enough already!
Joey’s speech has come and gone. What a fucking loser. He said something about forcing people to get the jab and suggested that is any governors getting in his way will have to deal with him. Who the fuck does he think he is? Everyone is up in arms and most of the red states have already threatened legal action. We’re going to take Joey out back behind the shed and give him a good thrashing. A well deserved thrashing at that.
We got out in the boat yesterday for the first time. There was a slight wind that was really just perfect for our maiden voyage in a boat that we had never been out in before. An apt comparison might be the difference between driving a sports car and then taking a Winnebago out on the road. When I see little old ladies behind the wheel of a Winnebago, I think to myself, how hard can it be to drive one of those suckers?
We went in and out of our favorite bays and out and around Long Island before heading back to the dock. The trip was probably 45 minutes long and everyone felt good about the fact that we were out there and doing what it is that we came up here to do. Seeing the Ev man behind the wheel and feeling good about behind the wheel was all we needed to feel good about what it was that we were doing as a family.
We had a pretty good run of homemade meals here at the house yesterday. I like to think that we’ll eat out more than in when we;re on vacation but just the opposite seems to be happening. I threw together a nice batch of piping hot blueberry pancakes for breakfast and, for the Ev man, a couple of eggs right on top in place of syrup which we didn’t have and didn’t need. I cooked up another half dozen pancakes to throw in the refrigerator after we were done just to use up the batter.
I’m liking the assortment of pots and pans we have available here at the house. Oh, and Ev came to the conclusion the other day that you have to leave pasta to cook longer than the instructions on the box recommends if you want something other than an al dente dish. He LOVED the pasta that I cooked the other day where I let it cook until it’s soft and Uber pliable. Lessons learned. Right? Following the instructions on the box just doesn’t get the job done when it comes to pasta.
For dinner, I whipped up some grilled cheese and tomato sandwiches and served them with a nice batch of tater tots. The sandwiches came off the grill looking every bit as good as you might find in the fanciest of restaurants. Maybe it’s the gas stove, or maybe it’s the rarified air here in the Adirondacks. The tots tasted a little too processed but once dipped in ketchup they were the bees knees. I saved the other half bag of tots for the bacon cheeseburgers that I’m planning to make maybe today.
I haven’t had much a hankering to go fishing nor has the Ev man expressed a desire one way or another. There is a fishing pole in the boat and I have to say that maybe I’d like to cast the line out a few times off the dock here at the camp but that comes from a place that maybe doesn’t need to be revisited. At least not this trip. I’m not sure I ever thought I’d see the day when I didn’t want to go fishing when visiting my old haunts from my childhood here on the lake.
I have to give a tip of the hat to Uncle Wally for making the boat possible. We thought we’d be without a boat after finding out that he sold his boat. We were caught unaware to say the least. Not that I ever want to take anything for granted because I do not. We’ve always used his boat when visiting the lake and have always been eternally grateful. Having his boat has always been part of the landscape and when that all went poof, we we’re back to square one and, quite frankly, boat-less.
The lake was pretty rough on Friday so we waited until late in the afternoon to take the boat out. There were actually white caps deep into the bay here out in front of the house so that should tell you something about just how rough it was out in the open water. Ev and I would have been fine but the missus is a fairy weather traveler. Any bumping and grinding at all just doesn’t cut the mustard with the missus.
Even though the white caps had given way to mere 2-3 foot swells by the time we went out, the missus was still a bit apprehensive. It’s not like we were out and about in a dinghy for chrissakes. This boat was solid in any weather and really not given to any bumping and grinding no matter the conditions on the lake. We’ve committed to getting out on the boat at least once a day so out we went last evening bumping and grinding or no bumping and grinding.
We made a bee line for Sandy Bay which is probably a 15-minute drive by boat. We anticipated that there wouldn’t be too many boats about in the bay and we weren’t wrong. We went about the job of selecting just the right buoy where it was deep enough to jump in without fear of breaking something and shallow enough where we could see the beautiful sandy bottom of the bay that makes this spot so special.
Then, the task at hand was to have the Ev man secure the boat in place by grabbing a buoy and snaking a rope through the eye of the buoy while the boat still bobbed up and down in the swells. My job was to drive the boat up to the precise spot next to the buoy where the Ev man could do his thing. Try doing that while behind the wheel of a Winnebago. We lost sight of the buoy under the front of the boat for a few minutes but didn’t abandon our task knowing what we knew about the structuring of the pontoons on the underside of the boat. So far, so good.
By the time we secured everything in place, each of us had our our demons to exorcise before we could even think about getting in the water. Was it deep enough to jump in? Diving was out of the question and that we all agreed on. I put my feet in the water at the back of the boat and we were a good few feet off the surface of the water so I only got my feet wet every other swell or so. As I suspected, the water was probably warmer than the air. The bay was mine for the taking.
Ev joined me before long and he finally made it to the back of the boat where he attempted to use the ladder to get into the water. He was first in the water and judging by the look on his face I would say that he wouldn’t have wanted to be anywhere else in the world given his druthers. This is why we’re here, I reminded myself. I wanted him as far away from his everyday life as possible and Sandy Bay was just the Nirvana, or elixir, that I had in mind. Mission accomplished.
The missus was another story. Isn’t she always? Hell, she had her noodle and everything else that she needed to get into the water and never look back. It didn’t matter that the men in her life were in the water and up to their necks in the fine waters of Lake George, the Queen of American lakes. She was having none of it. She wanted to go in, but the spirits of the bay were saying nay, nay, nay. Not today, sweet thing. The Ev man and I be beckoned to her time and time again but our voices drifted off into the ether never to be heard again. They fell on deaf ears as it were.
I was disappointed but she was doing what she wanted to do so who was I to insist that she do anything different. Once back at the camp I went about putting on pasta and throwing together meatballs for a spaghetti and meatball dinner. Ev had been hankering to have spaghetti again after having an enjoyable spaghetti dinner on our first night here at the lake. I put it all together and served dinner with a nice side of garlic bread, a new container of our favorite Parmesan cheese, and a glass or two of ice cold milk to chase it all down.
Ev has been doing most of the driving while out on the lake and that’s just what the doctor ordered. He’s in his element here on the lake and he’s a natural behind the wheel. He has me take over when we’re in tight spots or when we’re about to dock the boat. That has more to do with his not knowing the boat and less to do with his abilities to manage same. Were we here longer, I would insist that he take over those boating duties that give him pause and that would be that. He would be over it once and for all.
He has a good sense of his momma’s comfort level so he’s not off and running at breakneck speeds while driving the boat. I’m not sure that this particular boat is capable of breakneck speeds but we’ll not be going there this vacation so that’s that. It’s not our boat and we’re going to be respectful of the fact that it is ours to enjoy but not to abuse. There was a time when we would go out of our way to find the biggest waves to ride or maybe a time when we would trip the light fantastic or the equivalent just for the fun of it. These days, not so much. That’s for the better, I think.
There’s a real cast of looney tunes walking, riding their bikes, and making their way one way or the other up and down the road here in front of the house. The get-up’s are something to behold. One person is covered head to toe in clothing that seems designed to avoid any exposure to sunlight. A vampire maybe? Another fellow thinks he’s the hunchback of Notre Dame but covers some serious ground despite his apparent physical limitations. Another woman walks her dog daily but avoids eye contact and has little to offer other than a quick wave of the hand when pressed.
I suspect the lot of them are used to people like us coming and going the entire summer long. They do only what’s perfunctory and as little of that as possible. Their worst fears may be that we come and stay. We’re just far enough away from the road where they can cast a suspicious eye up in our direction while passing by without arousing any suspicion. Nonetheless, we lock our doors at night in case their curiosity gets the best of them while the world sleeps. Even that doesn’t mean that we don’t sleep with one eye open.
I’m thinking of entitling this post as “Man Overboard.” That has more to do with the length of the post than anything else. It also seems somewhat fitting given our time here at the lake. The “overboard” part is all about boating and has a nautical twinge to it if I do say so myself. The reality is less nerve wracking than the word suggests so I may give a little more thought to that between now and the time I post this write-up. Maybe “All Aboard” is more appropriate. Mother of all posts? We’ll see what today and tomorrow brings.
And the beat goes on. I’m getting out of bed this morning and I noticed that the missus is sleeping upside down. Her head is down near my feet. I could have kicked her in the head when I was getting back into bed in the middle of the night. Her back has been bothering her so I get it. She thinks it’s the bed and that’s fine. I offered my side of the bed to her but she declined. When all else fails, sleep upside down.
I never got around to seeing the sisters this time around here at the lake. I’ve had a week to get around to it but it was an epic fail. I think I wasn’t up for family and, in the words of the Ev man, we just hunkered down. We managed to get about and about on the lake every day so that’s good. We had a boat of sorts that worked out better than anyone maybe anticipated. The seats were plush and that suited the missus just fine.
I’ve always looked askance at the pontoon boats but now that we’ve had one to use I’m of a different mind. It is like sitting in your living room so that was no surprise. Navigating in and out of docking spots is a little like maneuvering a Winnebago so it took a little getting used to. I had Ev do most of the driving and he was down with that. That meant I had a little less of a comfort level when it came to docking but after a few dockings, with each one bing better than the last, I was good to go.
I knew I was golden when we took the boat over to fill up the tank at the end of the week and I eased that puppy into the spot like nobody’s business. I had the gas pumps on my left and a classic 1960’s Chris Craft on my right side where the owners were on deck sprucing up. I gave no one cause to think out loud, look at those noobs. No one had to stand at the ready to push us away if we came too close. You can be damn sure they were on alert.
This was a busy marina and they had maybe the misfortune to hav maybe the worst spot in all of the dock spaces. No one, and I mean no one, wants the spot next to the gas pumps where veterans and newbies come and go all day long. It’s not the veterans you have to worry about, believe you me. A docking gone awry could sink a vessel in the wink of an eye. With boats flying off the shelves these days due to excessive demand, there is cause for concern when and where operators of these boats haven’t a clue as to what they’re doing behind the wheel.
I was telling Uncle Wally that we filled the tank of the boat and it came to $59. That’s a far cry from the multi-hundred dollar bills that we used to see when we filled his boat back in the day. I don’t know if we got better mileage with the outboard on the pontoon boat or, maybe more likely, we didn’t put as many miles on the boat as we thought we did. We did as much boating as we wanted to so there’s that. There might be such a thing as too much boating but we never came close.
I made Evan and the missus a nice breakfast yesterday of bagels and eggs. Ev had bacon with his but the missus passed on the pork. Ev likes his eggs like me, runny and warm. The missus takes her eggs cooked hard. I actually put her eggs in the microwave to make sure her yolks were thoroughly cooked. Some home fries would have been nice but we had none so it was a hard pass. I’m guessing we may have the same this morning but without the bagels. Maybe I’ll scramble the eggs for something different.
I ended up giving Uncle Wally one of my Air Tags from the four pack that I purchased. The missus asked me after the fact why I hadn’t consulted with her before doing that. No, my little darlings, it was not intentional. I didn’t not consult you because I thought you might push back on the idea. You’ve not been involved in the Air Tag business from the start so I felt no obligation one way or the other to consult with you before giving one to Uncle Wally. I think Uncle Wally was quite impressed once he got the darn thing up and running. So impressed was he that he felt obligated to give me a Trump Bobblehead when we were on our way out the door. Well, okay. If you insist.
I took a few video’s while we were out boating. I sent a couple of the funnier ones to Mrs G and the missus’s sister. I did it without getting consent from the missus, do you detect a pattern here, and we all had a good laugh after the fact. I mean these were laugh out loud videos with the missus screaming nonsensical words when we were going over bigs waves or other. Her sister Debbie rah-rah never did come up to the lake despite every intention to do just that. I think Debbie rah-rah would have liked the boat and god only knows she loves swimming in Sandy Bay (Seventh Heaven.)
I feel good about the fact that the Ev man and I managed to put the cover back on the boat. The owner said something about not needing to do that but rain is in the forecast this week so I think we saved him the trouble of coming up to the lake to put the cover back on. The Ev man and I got off to a rough start not knowing which end was up when it came to the cover and, out of frustration, I told him that he could go back up to the camp and I would figure it out. Not very nice, I know.
He insisted that we have another go at it and we finally put a plan in place to git er done. I felt bad about letting my impatience getting the better part of me but I put all of that in the rear view mirror and we kept plugging away until all the I’s were dotted and all the T’s were crossed. I’m glad he didn’t let my exasperation get to him. Truth be told, I think he’s a little more even keeled when it comes to this stuff. That’s a good thing because what the situation called for is exactly what he brought to the fore. Thank you for that, my good man.
In all the time we’ve been here these last seven days, we’ve not once awakened to a glassy lake surface. I get up before daybreak so if we’re going to see one of these days, I’d be the first to catch a glance. But no, every morning brought a slight chop which only picked up in intensity with every passing hour during the day only to settle down during the evening hours. Well, this morning we finally have our glassy surface. The one day of the week when we’re planning to leave to go back home. The Lord works in mysterious ways?
I don’t know what this is all about but the three of us have all had seriously weird dreams while staying in this house. The Ev man was the first to pipe up about his dreams earlier in the week. The missus and I talked about our dreams last night and I told her that mine were just as disturbing as hers without getting into any details. My dream was so weird that when I got back into bed after getting up to go to the bathroom that I went back to bed and tried to pick up where I left off. Not because I enjoyed the dream, but rather to see if I couldn’t find some resolution. Sometimes that works, and sometimes it doesn’t.