Sharks and Ships

A theme week that appears is going to continue. Amidst a flurry of activity around the home front Shark week sneaked its way in like a remora to our busy lives. Not to go unnoticed we donned our appropriate attire and watched some of the new footage to come out this year. We again loaded up the family truckster, which is getting accustomed to racking up the miles this summer, with luggage and technology and headed out early on Friday morning with a bearing set for Ohio. Piled the kids into the truck at about 3 am and we were off. Pretty smooth sailing all the way to Tom and Jane's place and with an ipad, gps, dvd player and two cell phones with internet capability (and likely gps as well) we had more technology than the first space shuttle, so finding Defiance, Ohio should pose no problem. The kids traveled well and we all got a little gitty in the final hours on the road as we spun tails of the elusive "snagglefart." At first Sophia was intrigued by the snagglefart, having never seen one. Merrick immediately hated the snagglefart, in true Grouchy-smurf fashion, "I hate snagglefarts" He warmed up to them later and even thought that he would eat a snagglefart burger if we could find one on a menu. Sophia thought that snagglefart might be a figment of my imagination, particularly when I mentioned that there were only adult snagglefarts and no babies. Saturday found us on Tom and Jane's Sailboat on Lake Erie (Sandusky Bay) there was a little wind but enough to go out and give the kids a taste of sailing. That night we stayed at Castaway Bay, a big indoor water park near the harbor and after waterslides and sailing ships the kids themselves castaway the day for dreams of night. Sunday we were back on the docks and Merrick was right at home, hollering to Tom before boarding "Ahoy Captain!" Sunday was much better for sailing and enough wind to heel the boat with just the head sail, the kids were a little less interested in the boat leaning on it side but Lisa Captained the boat around the bay. Sophia also gave one of her arcade trinket winnings, a pirate flag, to Tom for his boat. Sophia got a little 'fuzzy in the head" from the boat but a little swimming in the pool at he yacht club seemed to be the perfect cure for sea sickness. We got up early again on Monday morning and hit Chicago traffic and our own travel wall--I think we are staying home for a while and give the rubber tramping a rest--although next week is a Tall Ships festival so we will see what happens...