Afterglow 2009 - Day 8 Saturday

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When I got home Coach Gordon Bombay wouldn't leave me alone. He typically is all over me when I am home all day (or all week in this case) but when I get back from a few days away from him, he clings to me in fear that I'm gonna leave him again. I feel bad leaving him all alone (Paul was home to feed him) but it's not like I can take him with me when I go places. But I go away so much (you've seen all of my trips and adventures right here on the website) that I hope he is used to it. If I didn't feel like he couldn't handle it, I wouldn't leave him alone.

After all of the goofy pictures that were taken of the Uncle Greg family, it was necessary to take a nice one. And this time include Stefani, because she was absent from those pictures despite living with them for the week. I personally like the goofy pictures better, but you can't always be goofy. It doesn't work (except for me).

This would be the last picture I took at Afterglow, and also the last time that I would see the lake before Afterglow 2010. As you can see, it's not the greatest picture ever, but it certainly serves its purpose. What purpose is that? I have no idea. But I have 7 more months to figure that out before heading up there again.

I didn't get a picture of Uncle Rick and his family before (probably because they had yet to take one) so I took one now. As you can see from Aunt Maria and Susie's hair, it was a little windy out. And Tommy looks cold, probably because he doesn't have any meat on his bones. Today wasn't great, so it was good we were leaving.

At this point (July 2009) the Back Alley Burners had yet to form the greatest band in the Universe, but that didn't mean that Kevin and I weren't already cousin best friends. Not even my hangover could prohibit me from having a good time in his company. Kevin already made my heart feel better, but I needed a little something to trick my head into feeling better. Which is when I attacked it with a cold blast courtesy of free popsicles that needed to be eaten up. I'm not one for wasting food, so this frozen treat hit the spot and cheered me up that morning.

The Kurutz siblings stand next to each other on the pier on pretend for just a second that they like each other. Except that everything I just said is a complete lie. Being a chronic liar does have its consequences. These siblings get along as much as me and mine do. They all rule. Who do you think taught us all to be so cool?

These are Kevin's parents Dale and Carol, who are 2 of the 5 members (Beege and Gary didn't make it up this year) of his "real" family. I'm sure that he loves them dearly, but I bet that he's glad to have been also accepted to the Kurutz/Reck family.

I've previously mentioned how Kevin really isn't a family member, but everyone treats him like one. Despite the fact that I call him my cousin when I name drop him into conversations, he calls my Mom "Mom." That doesn't make sense, but we roll with it anyway.

My Mom truly us the greatest person in the entire world. Not only does she have the patience to put up with me and my siblings, but she also teaches preschool kids, volunteers helping the poor, goes to school at night to get her teaching certification, buys lunch meat and stocks the fridge with diet mountain dew and pays for Afterglow. Every now and then I offer to help her out with any of these tasks, but every time she turns me down. If I make it to Heaven it will be because for whatever reason, she wanted to spend eternity with me, and she will have asked God for a few extra passes (for me and my siblings). So I got that going for me. I hope she can get a few more for my cousins...

So this is the end of Afterglow 2009, but on the way home from Afterglow, we stopped in Sheboygan to see Timmy play in The Hype Machine at Brat Days, which is on the next page. 2009 will always be remembered as the year of the Sombrero, and I get excited thinking about how we plan on topping that next year. I'm sure that we will figure something out, but if we don't I know that we will still have an amazing time at Afterglow in 2010. As of today (January 20, 2010 when I am writing this) there are 185 days until Afterglow. I know you kids always get on my case about my tardiness to get these pictures and words up here, and although I promised to have it up by the end of 2009, 20 days into 2010 isn't that bad. I've certainly done worse (as Stacy and Kevin can tell you) and I once again thank you for visiting Pookon.com. Have a nice day!