Afterglow 2006

Jenny got even when she snapped a picture of me doing my pirate impression and set the flash off mere inches from my face. For a minute I was seeing stars, and not those fancy Hollywood overpaid Nancies. I mean actual stars, as in solar bodies millions of light years away. These things were blinding the S out of me.

I left the safety and serenity of the campfire in search of a place to, uhh, expel the liquids that had accumulated in my body. In laymen's terms, I had to go #1. After my search was over, I found myself near the playhouse and this sweet Tigger flag. I did my "Buddy Christ" pose in the darkness of the house, then returned to the fire.

Beeeeeege!!! Once again, nothing else comes to mind as I sit next to him and chill out by the fire. I wish I could say something classy and inspirational, but that just wouldn't be my style.

These crazy kids hang out and enjoy each other's company as the night slowly slips away. Greg, Scott and Rick sit silently by the fire and wait for their Mom's to tell them that it is past their bedtime. But since there is no bedtime at Afterglow, they were free to hang out by the fire as long as they wanted. This really is the life.

If you are using Internet Explorer, you will hear the Afterglow Choir featuring Uncle Greg singing the timeless song "More Beer." Unfortunately, I haven't figured out a way to get the audio working in Firefox. I suggest you open this page in Internet Explorer so that this masterpiece can enter your brain. I promise that you will never be disappointed by an impromptu performance by Greg.

Jenny finally agreed to be featured in a picture on the assurance that I would leave her alone for the rest of the night. I don't feel like I was being overly drunken and belligerent, but I can understand how annoying it can be to have a camera flashed in your face every ten seconds at night. It must have sucked.

One word (adjective maybe?) that I could use to describe my cousins would be gung-ho. The Urban Dictionary defines the word gung-ho as "a borrowing from Chinese used in English as an adjective meaning 'enthusiastic.' " Although I am pushing 30, I still remain closely connected with today's youth and their hip and unconventional jargon.

This girl is named Katie. She is Big Mark's little sister. Yes, the same Mark that I shared a bed with on the evening on Day 4. On the night of Day 6, she was a little bit under the weather, so to speak, and she was a tad bit annoying. Needless to say, the look on my face is truly genuine as I too was under the weather and not in control of my actions. I was a bit terrified to be that close to her at that moment.

The drunken picture taking continued as I posed for an unmemorable picture with Mark Chapman. Neither of us knew what to think or do, so we both did whatever came natural to us. The results were certainly undesirable for everyone who was there, and I sincerely apologize.

These crazy kids hang out and enjoy each other's company as the night slowly slips away. Brian, Kevin and Tommy sit silently by the fire and wait for their Mom's to tell them that it is past their bedtime. But since there is no bedtime at Afterglow, they were free to hang out by the fire as long as they wanted. This really is the life.