Afterglow 2015 - Day 8 Saturday

Some of Timmy's ashes are buried at Memory Point at Afterglow and some are buried in the woods at Ken and Mary's. Aside from visiting them and the menagerie of animals roaming the grounds, that is the reason that keeps us coming back here year after year. And like last year, Frosty the turkey followed me into the woods. No matter how many times it happens, you never get used to it.

A few years ago we buried Timmy underneath this tree stand in the forest. This year, we all signed the back of this stone tablet and Ken nailed it to one of the posts. We said a few words and then headed back to the house. It would have been nice to sit out here for a while in reflection, but the bugs were just too much to handle. Sometimes beast wins in the battle against man and you have to go.

We said our goodbyes to Ken, Mary and the myriads of animals and started the treck back home. We made a stop in Stevens Point for bathroom and gas and they had the coin shelf game. Jenny Reck and I cannot simply ignore this challenge. We pumped our hard earned money in and got nothing in return.

It was a long an arduous drive, but we made it back to The Mothership in one piece. The drive home from Afterglow is always the worst. Not only are you worn out from a week of rage, but you just don't want to be back there. But nothing great ever lasts forever, so I would just have to deal with it.

Brandon came to pick Jenny up and I said my goodbyes to my roommate for the week. It's always a good time hanging out with Jenny Reck. But when I get to do it all day, every day for a week straight? Well that's just the bee's knees. I mean, it's the best.

I also got to spend the week with my Mother, who deserves a special spot in Heaven when all is said and done because she is a Saint for putting up with me and Jenny. Most people cannot handle even a few hours. She had to do it for so many hours.

The only thing that is good about coming back home from Afterglow is getting to see my pal Korben Dallas again. This week is the most time that we spend away from each other. And while I think that he's fine to be rid of me (because all cats are jerks), I miss him every day up there. So when I walk in the door, I give him a big old monster sized hug. And then he bites me and runs away. We have a complicated relationship. But it's one that is worth fighting for. Even if he stares into my soul and sits in my sink. We have problems.

Ken and Mary (Sarah Butler's parents) live in Tripoli, which is kind of on the way back home from Afterglow. Timmy and Sarah dated for many years and I consider Sarah (and her Mom and Ken) family. That's why we try and stop and see them on the way home. While there I took a selfie with the turkey Frosty and snapped pics of the other dogs and cats that roamed the indoors and outdoors.

Even though I was home from Afterglow, I figured that there was still time for rage to be had. After all, it was still a Saturday night. Even though the Afterglow Blues were setting in real fast, I still decided to go balls to the walls until the wheels fall off. And apparently they did, because I put a soda in the freezer and forgot about it. When I remembered and opened it up, it exploded all over my kitchen. So here I was, cleaning up a mess and being sad that it would be another 350-some days until I would be back at Afterglow. Hell of a way to spend your Saturday night, right? I thought my vacation was over. But wait! There's more! There was one more day of rage.