With all of the stress I've been experiencing lately including going back to school, going down to part time at work, as well as the usual sprinklings of paying bills, traffic and everyday obligations, Mike and I decided we would get away for the weekend. We packed up our shit and grabbed Olive and headed to my cousin's cabin in Berrien Springs MI for a weekend of drinking, eating my cousin's great homemade food, fishing, 4x4ing, getting in fights with the neighbors, and explaining things to the cops. It was just the thing we needed to recenter and forget about all the bullshit we deal with on a daily basis. We made the drive late Friday night after work and dove right in. Cocktails and bags and 4x4ing, oh my. There were about 8 of us that first night. I made it until about 3:45 (2:45 IL time) and finally couldn't keep my eyes open. I was actually the first one to bed, with the others marching upstairs to the rest of the bunks at about 6 am. The next day didn't start until everyone woke up around 1 pm. My cousin's wife Mandy made us a large scale gourmet breakfast, which we gobbled up to fill our empty stomachs. We talked about the "situation" that occurred after I had gone to bed when the neighbor came down on his tractor to complain; not about the noise, not about the music or the 4x4s per se, but the fact that someone apparently drove on his "5,000$ lawn" (very much a Will Ferral "Big Time Stuff" moment, "I drive a Dodge Stratus!)) Everyone was pretty far gone at that point, but apologized (even though no one actually drove across the lawn) and the neighbor got in his crazy souped up tractor and went back home. Unfortunately, someone decided to give a little shout out to the retreating neighbor which was apparently the straw that broke the camel's back and prompted a call to the local PD. Four squad cars, some "investigating" of the lawn, and a badge flash later, the cops left and everything settled down. After reliving the story and cursing the neighbor Mike took Olive down to play in the water and about half of us went back to bed to sleep away the afternoon.
The evening official started when a few more people arrived (including my good friend Michelle) and Mandy set out to make some Frogmen's stew
After we all gorged ourselves on this incredible meal, we all headed down to the fire. We talked and laughed and stayed out long after the rain started to come down. We reluctantly started trudging back up to the cabin, falling more than once in the mud. We played bags and drank jello shots and road the 4x4s some more. We all began trickling upstairs to bed around 4 am with my cousin being the last man standing. He came upstairs shouting about the sun coming up and how he waved at an early morning fisherman while drinking a beer on the pier.
We all slept until around 1 again and ate another great breakfast. Some of us had to work later in the day and others had other obligations. Mike and I took our time getting ready, packing up and heading home, reluctant to go back to the real world.
We all slept until around 1 again and ate another great breakfast. Some of us had to work later in the day and others had other obligations. Mike and I took our time getting ready, packing up and heading home, reluctant to go back to the real world.