Afterglow 2009 - Day 5 Wednesday

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Pete was drawn to our table like a bug towards the neon zapping light. While we ate, enjoyed each other's company and told stories of memories passed, he circled around the table and snapped pictures. Thanks to him I have these pictures to share with you.

It was no surprise to anyone at Afterglow that 2009 had a bit of Mexican flavor (because we were all wearing sombreros.) So on Wednesday when we had Taco night, everyone saw it coming. Kevin couldn't come over for dinner, which is why he gives a thumbs down.

The weather was still being a bitch and refused to warm up for us, but we didn't care. We yelled out, "screw you weather! We'll go swimming anyway!" And then Timmy put a bucket on his head. Soon after that we disrobed and went swimming in the big pool. It was not a lot of fun. It was cold, but at least we went in today.

Most everyone in attendance had a sombrero, which was courtesy of Aunt Sandy and her recent Dollar Store purchase. I have a good amount of years left to go before I die, but I'll be damned if I ever see $10 dollars spent in a better way. We got more fun and use out of those sombreros than anyone else in the history of mankind. Not only were they not that noticeable on your head, but they also fit perfectly into the Mexican theme of the evening. We were strangely in place for a couple of white kids in Northern Wisconsin eating burritos.

The cure for cancer has yet to be discovered. But the cure for coldness from the big pool is the warm water of the little pool. We all know this far too well, which is why we almost always follow up a swim in the big pool with a soak in the little pool. It was very nice.

I was playing ball with Maddie and Nate McLouth, and the ball ended up rolling underneath one of the cars. You would think that one of these kids would be little enough to squeeze underneath the car and capture the ball, but they didn't even try to do that. Instead, they tried to be overly complex in the retrieval of said ball and got out a broomstick. They struggled for over 10 minutes while I sat and watched. I could have been the adult in charge of the situation and assisted the kids in their quest, but instead I sat back and laughed. I'm going to Hell.

After our roadtrip into town, we had no choice but to go back to Afterglow. How did I make that sound like a bad thing? Where the hell else could we go up here that was half as fun as this place? Uncle Dan was at his usual place on the picnic table, so my brothers and I surrounded him for this sweet ass picture.

In many ways I am like my Mom, but most noticeably in the way that we behave in family settings. We step back from the crowd and take lost of pictures. It's like an addiction that is constantly fed by pushing the shutter button and committing another memory to film. And we are both powerless to stop it. It's a hell of a drug.

Tim and I went to town. And when I say we went to town, we WENT TO TOWN BABY! I believe that we were going there to buy some more booze, so it was only fitting that we brought the last remaining bottles of beer with us to drink in the car. If you are the government, a Mom or God, then feel free to frown upon our actions right now. Everyone else can understand that when you are driving in the Northwoods where there is no traffic, you're allowed to have a few beers while driving as long as you don't have more than 3. It's an unwritten and assumed law. When we got to town, Timmy wanted to buy moccasins, so we went to one of the local tourist traps. While there, I found these fuzzy hats. We had no choice but to put them on our heads and do gangster signs. It's like some supernatural force compelled us to do that. 

This little light of mine. I'm gonna let it shine. This little light of mine. I'm gonna let it shine. Hide it under a bushel - NO! I'm gonna let it shine. Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine. Nothing can stop Timmy's light from shining down on the people around him.

I don't know why Timmy is doing that. It was build your own taco night, so he knew that there was no meat inside that tortilla shell. But yet he was freaking out like Sally Field in Mrs. Doubtfire when she found out her nanny was really Robin Williams in a granny suit. The whole time? The whole time? THE WHOLE TIME!!!