Getting Ready for Camping

I'm looking forward to our annual canoe/camping trip this weekend. We go to Indian River every year with a large group of friends that Nick grew up with. The age range is broad, from babies to elders. The purpose? Just relaxation! There is no real agenda, although Saturday is generally reserved for the river (canoes, rafts, or tubes, as the mood dictates). The rest of the time, we will be enjoying the shores of Burt Lake, and eating way too much great mexican food (yes, it tastes even better cooked over a campfire).

Nick is busy trying to figure out how to cram all our stuff in one Saturn Aura. (Boy, we were really spoiled with our bigger cars.) Then Thursday we are outta here for the wekend....

Reminiscing

The closure of I75 last week required me to take a different route to work. I decided to travel south on Coolidge, then follow Schaefer all the way to my office at Michigan Ave. That takes me right through the "old neighborhood", and I have found it both unnerving and strangely comforting. What is unnerving is the preponderance of urban blight. But, that isn't all I see as I drive by.

I remember the corner well, with Federals, Cunningham's, A&P and Wrigleys taking up the space from the corner to the Mercury Theatre. It is barely recognizable now. There is a hole in the ground where Wrigleys was, and the signature neon sign of the Mercury Theatre is just an empty lattice. Biffs is now a coney island, and there is still a bus stop just off the corner (where I used to wait patiently to see my friend Debbie's purse dangle out the window to let me know she was on the bus). The steeple of Precious Blood church still stands proud, although the name has now been changed (I think to St. Peter Claver parish).

It's hard to imagine now that I used to walk from Immaculata to DeMotts Drugs (on 7 Mile and Sorrento), then over to Mount Carmel (now Sinai Grace) to deliver dietary trays to the patients at the dinner hour. Then I would walk home to have my own dinner.

And, while I am on the subject of reminiscing, let's not forget that today is the 40th anniversary of our first walk on the moon. I seem to recall holding 3-week old David while I watched it on the TV.

Remember what else happened that year? Woodstock, Chappaquiddick, Richard Nixon's inauguration, the Beatles' last public appearance, the Manson murders, the premier of Sesame Street, to name a few.

Is this what getting older is all about? Remembering lots of first time events that happened before most Americans were born?

Sisters Lunch

Every few months, the four sisters in the family get together for lunch. We meet in Port Huron, and spend a few hours just catching up. The conversation goes from jobs to health to getting the latest on family and friends. We eat, drink way too much coffee (at least I do), laugh, and reminisce. (It always fascinates me that the four of us can have different memories of the same events.) Our birthdays fall in February, July, September and December, so there is always something to celebrate as well. We have a great afternoon.

My hat's off to the very patient wait staff at Bob Evans. We look forward to seeing you again in September.

Golf

I play golf once a week in a chapter of the Executive Women's Golf Association (EWGA). This is a national organization dedicated to teaching women to play golf for fun, competition, and business and social networking. Today was our chapter championship. We played at the Majestic golf club in Hartland. The weather forecast wasn't good, and when I arrived at the course at 7:30AM it was pouring rain, with lots of lightening. We were delayed about 2 hours. It wasn't a good start.

When we finally teed off, some patches of blue sky were trying to peak out. It ended up being a glorious day. And, though I didn't play well enough to advance to the regional championship, I did take third place in my flight.

I also won a prize for being closest to the pin on hole #16. The best part about it was that I beat out the best girl in the chapter to win it!

After a very long day, it was nice to bring home some mementos.

The Moon

I generally don't consider myself a superstitious person. There's something about a full moon, though, that really makes people weird. I was first advised of this phenomenon by my girlfirend's parents, who owned a bar. They insisted a direct correlation could be made between bizarre behavior by their customers, and a full moon. (I don't know how they figured this out, considering the bizarre behavior I have seen in bars as a general rule, but they knew the difference for sure.)

Today it was a brutal day at work. Patients seemed impatient (no pun intended). Insurance companies weren't responding. Physicians were short-tempered. Staff and management were both having their issues. And, in the middle of it all, I got a call from the Hubs telling me our insurance would no longer deal with our local Kroger pharmacy. By day's end, I had not yet finished the one thing I had set out to do at 7AM. I did have several new things on my list, though.

I got home later and tireder than normal. When I checked the calendar...a full moon!

OK, it was yesterday...but, close enough for me.

Fireworks

Next to Thanksgiving, I think the 4th of July is my favorite holiday. They have many similarities, actually. Both are uniquely American. Both involve hanging out with family and friends, eating lots of good food.

But the 4th of July also has fireworks, which I will go to watch any chance I get. Last night, we went to Lake Orion to watch their display. We set up our lawn chairs along Lapeer Rd., and waited patiently for the show to start. Beside us was a young family, with two little boys. They were sure the fireworks were never going to start, and nearly drove their parents (and us) crazy, while they were waiting.

When I was their age, and we laid on a blanket at the park in Port Hope, it was all about the colors, and the loud explosions. But now, there are so many shapes and sizes to enjoy. The boys' mother began to point out the shapes "Look, that one looks like a flower....that one's a heart...etc."

The boys picked up on the game easily. One yelled, "Hey Mom, that one looks like a 6!" And, not to be outdone, his brother soon shouted, "That one looks like a eyeball!!"

And a good time was had by all....