Quotidian times

 Mid-February already after the longest January in the history of man-kind.  Our adventures have been few as we embrace the hygge season.  Plenty of school work for the kids and all four have started their second semesters now.  Sophia did stop home over the weekend with Augie as she prepped for her LSAC exam and a job interview.  Ella is toying with the idea of a camp counselor over the summer, and also had an interview that went well.  Merrick is getting close to making a commitment for his university.  Given our strange weather he was able to get out and golf on the first weekend of February...I think January is the only month he didn't hit the links.  He is heading off to the UP to snowboard this weekend, again odd weather.  Grace is getting plenty of hours at the coffee shop and filling any remaining time with school clubs and social engagements. She is considering if she wants to switch summer Lacrosse teams.  She has been getting a lot of exposure and various programs are still reaching out.  This weekend however was Snowball dance weekend and she headed to the school gym...to support a friend that was volunteering, but it is safe to assume they had plenty of laughs along the way.  As for us 'Rents' we generally putter around the house cooking, cleaning, and napping.

Family Cruising

 

We left the house at 3 am on the day after Christmas for what would become an amazing trip and also an epic travel day clocking in at over 24 hours.  After nearly 8 months of planning we were able to surprise the kids with a Bahama cruise for Christmas break. We were warned of a potential flight impact due to weather and our connecting flight in Dallas. We decided to not change flights (with 6 of us and needing to load the boat on time there wasn't many options anyways.)  With the plane half boarded our flight was cancelled...not just delayed, but full out cancelled..do not pass go, do not collect $200 cancelled.  We were gob struck, but did rebook a different set of flights into Miami rather than Ft. Lauderdale. We arranged for a 1 am limo shuttle from Miami to our Hotel in Ft. Lauderdale. The rebooked flights didn't leave for almost 12 hours...it was a full day of just hanging out in MKE and eating airport food.  As the day progressed, the weather was impacted other flights in the areas as people rebooked and delays were racking up....I was losing confidence that we would make our connecting flight in Philly.  The gate agent said not to worry..it was the pilots last flight of the night and he would want to get home and make up time in the sky.  We did make the connecting an we meet with our placard holding limo shuttle to drive us to the hotel.  The girls bunked together and we dropped them off and headed to our room with Merrick.  The hotel key didn't work, I went back to the desk, security came along with us and when Amy finally got the door to open she screamed and quickly slammed it shut again thinking somebody was already in the room.  It was what we were all thinking an with the lights on and the fan blowing her mind went there immediately.  We were all blasted from the day's travel.  

We slept until about 10:30 and then caught a quick Uber to the boat.  Our check in time was 1 pm...but that didn't matter as we were quickly ushered through security and customs and to the boat (pro-tip: arrive early and ignore the check in times).  We dropped off our luggage, walked around in awe at jewelry stores, bars, 14 story glass elevators, art museums, and the just the massive-hulking opulence of where we were....then we headed to the buffet to feast.  The kids headed off to explore the boat themselves and we later found out that was essentially working the system to bar hop.  We  found them about an hour later after then invited us to Craft Social...a nice little niche bar in the mid section. It was great that we got to the boat early because we almost an additional day to explore before we celebrated with everyone else when we left port.  Merrick and I chilled by the pool and the girls headed off to a bracelet/charm show.  

Each night has its own dress code and we put on our business casual to head to the main dinning room where we were blown away by the service of Vincente and his assistant.  The food was 8/10 but the service and experience were amazing.  Sophia didn't make this first dinner...having passed out about 5:30 pm in her room..blaming the drink package, and I didn't make to long after dinner, feeling the motion of the ocean and just needing to sleep. Merrick and I headed back to our room while Amy and the girls went to a regrettable comedy show.  

Everybody rebounded and was ready early the next morning as we landed in Nassau and loaded on the catamaran for some snorkeling.  It was cool, everyone was glad they didn't it but it was tourist snorkeling: no fins, dead reefs with mostly Sargent majors and a few parrot fish.  I did see French angelfish and some blue tangs; Amy, Grace and Ella saw a spotted sting ray.  The water mid to low 70's and everyone felt it was too cold.  The hour long excursion was a long enough duration.  We did get rum punch (Sophia was having a water day) on the way back but still we decided to walk back to the ship to change, warm up and eat.  Once heavily fortified from the buffet we walked back into town to check out Nassau port area.  We only walked about a 7 block radius and no body feels the need to return.  It was a dirty combination of tourist trinkets, and carnival level barkers.

Back on the boat to lounge around the pool and hot tubs before everyone getting dressed up for Elegant night and fine dinner in the main restaurant.  Merrick had lost track of how many steaks he had eaten by this point.  Dinner went late and after a few after dinner drinks at one or two of the bars we turned in for the night.

By our 4th morning we were way more relaxed and didn't meet for breakfast until about 10 oclock before heading into the beach resort in Bimini.  The weather was cool and even rainy but everyone was still in good spirits and we racked up a sizable bar bill.  I think all the kids made it into the water.  Amy and I weren't that interested in getting wet.  We all lounged around the white sand beach in the big chaise lounges, chatted, and generally chilled out before heading back to the boat hot tubs and buffets. On the boat I dozed in the indoor pool while Sophia and Amy sat in the hot tub and eventually heading to dinner.  At some point in this continuum Ella, Sophia, and Grace got into a fight with an old man in a wheel chair and read shirt.  I think think they were trying to order coffee at the Cafe a'Bacio and took 'his' menu and then words were exchanged...I don't have all details other than Ella initially grabbed the menu, and then apologized to him, and then Sophia slammed the menu back on the table and he had on a red shirt...because he came wheeling past us at dinner....oh, those girls

After dinner was pretty fun.  Merrick wasnt up for anything and hung back in the room, even as the girls literally tried to pull him from his bed to come out for the last night.  Amy and I hit up the Martini bar, with its frost covered bar top, and made our way to the casino.  The cruise is such a social place where everyone is looking to be 'camp friends'  the whole trip we were meeting new people and then continuing conversations with them hours later when bumping into them again...the casino was no different as we talked to the people we had met on the Bimini beach.  The girls found us at the martini bar and invited us back to a Bollywood DJ party they were dancing at....it was pretty cool and we stayed until we were out of place and then headed to the top floor for more dance parting in the SkyLounge. The girls all wanted to quite before Amy...she out lasted all of them.  Sophia and Grace ghosted and Ella hung out so Amy had somebody to dance with and I hung out because Amy didn't have a key to the room.  Back in the room we chilled on the veranda until nearly mid night before calling it a day.

The disembarkment procedure was a little chaotic but we got it figured out an grabbed a cramped Uber back to the airport and started our trip back home and a few days of sealeg recovery.  As if poetically fitting Amy was able to get a picture of 'our ship' heading back out to sea from her seat on the airplane.

Christmas Time EC to R

 

What a season, what a year.  We spent the weekend before Christmas proper in EC.  Driving over on Friday after work.  Ella was already in town still finalizing semester exams and Sophia had been back for a few days.  Merrick and Sophia traveled together with plans of skiing at Granite on the way back from the yuletide festivities.  Ultimately the weekend would wear them out and they would skip this plan.  Everyone was already there when we arrived so we found some spots in the crowd and joined in the merriment.  Ella came out after work..so we the driveway looked like a Subaru lot.  There was easily two more conversations than their were people, but I was part of the one that made Grandma and Becky's jaws drop to table as Sophia spoofed them with her new 'tattoo" as an unforgettable 'tramp stamp"..the timing was perfect.  Saturday Ella worked a double shift so we just went to visit her for burgers and lots of pinball.  We stopped in to see Grandma Judy and Irene, but kept our visits short before heading back to the table of all solutions and lasagna dinner and massive pallet fire.  Back in GB we had an early family gift opening in preparation for the family cruise in the Bahamas but still did all the traditional Christmas eve pool, pull tabs and spaghetti dinner. Merrick and Sophia came back over Christmas day for big breakfast and 5 pounds of hashbrowns and Ella's request before we all headed down to TR to celebrate Christmas in Ron and Jan's new place.  It worked out really well with the big open concept and the fact that all the kids are older and don't really need a separate play room anymore. Kory set up the random spin generator on his phone and the gifts were selected.  Amy got an email about our flights and possible weather issues so we did leave a little early to get that straightened out before our early morning departure.

Christmas Markets..

 Well we are slowly getting the house fully decorated, and of course by we I mean mostly Amy and Grace; I mostly just haul stuff upstairs and down.  Grace has been crazy busy with school clubs and her new coffee shop job.  So we don't see her around much but she is pretty good with giving us a daily update of her day around 9pm just before I head off to bed and Amy starts in on work.  The weather finally turned to winter...Merrick was going to snowboard last Friday...but didn't like the snow conditions so him and his friends golfed on Sunday instead....it has been a warm fall.  Today however is our first blast of sub zero temps.  With our free time Amy and I have been hitting some outdoor Christmas markets..in the middle of the week even as we come to terms with a more emptied nest of a household.

November is a whoosh...

 

Well that was quick...November seemingly evaporated.  In part because the weather was super nice for the season and I think I was fooling myself that winter wasn't upon on us.  Even the sun seemed to shine most days of the month. Alas today is the first Monday of December and it is clearly winter regardless of how November transpired.  Merrick and I got on out and hunted the deer opener.  It was a good season, I had put cameras out the month before and we had 7 different bucks including one absolute beast.  We drove over on the Friday before as is usually and were expecting cold temperatures. The first of November had been on a Friday so the season started as late as possible...with that said the temperatures will quite nice with minimal wind and we were able to easily sit all day in the stands.  I had a nice 8 pointer (and a bobcat) come through and Merrick had a doe and a sixer but neither of us had a sure/ethical shot and ultimately went home with stories rather than any venison.  Merrick and Grandprize were able to walk to Merrick's stand on Friday afternoon while the rest of us checked out our areas.  Brad and Evan showed up in the late afternoon with their trailer and Nolan not until opening morning. The hunting weekend was pretty quite, minimal poetry, zero guitar and pretty early to bed each night.  Maybe everyone is getting older, wiser.  One the way home Sunday I popped a crown much to Merrick's surprise as I was spitting 'teeth' out into my hand while driving.  The work week was short with school in session for everyone (except me) only through Tuesday.  Ella and Sophia came home and Thursday afternoon found us in Two Rivers for pulled pork and Packer's games.  Actually the game was late at we headed home to watch it from our own couch and prep a Friday feast as well.  We had 40 pounds of turkey, much of which went home in ziplocks and freezer/vacuum packs for the college kids.  Bob and Nancy came over with cheesy potatoes and coconut cream pies...and ultimately I would break grandma's pie pan.  It was a good break and a good end to November. 

A weekend in the woods

Merrick had Friday off, but I still had to work before we drove to the hunting woods with plans of arriving in the dark.  Evan was already out there and Brad and Nolan showed up a little bit before us.  Joe and Paulo a little after, and Ramblin' wouldn't make an appearance until Saturday afternoon.  Merrick and I ate along the way at the Bowl & Grill just off H.  I thought it was cool, including the barefooted bowling lady, but Merrick was less than impressed.  Classic country bar with friendly locals sharing BS around a Horseshoe bar and four lanes in the back...again our opinions differed but the burgers were decent.  We set up the tent in the dark and headed to a surprise fire the Bryans had started.  Evan said the fire ban was lifted and we didn't look a gift horse in the mouth.  I hung out around the fire until 10-11ish with plans of bowhunting in the morning while Merrick came to the tent later.  By the time I got back from the stand on Saturday morning camp was starting to stir and coffee was being made.  Merrick packed a lunch and wandered off to his stand to clear some trails and maybe flush a bird on his way.  He later told me that he got spun around..(even after I asked if he had his GPS...no, do you have a compass...no....how you going to get back?....walk back the way I go in...okay I will look for you if you aren't back by dark.)  He did make it back in the early afternoon about the time Grandprize rolled in to see what was up.  The Bryan's packed up early and left, Evan for a wedding and to buy a suit; Brad and Nolan because Nolan was puking in his tent.  Georges went to work on stands and I left Grandprize and Merrick at camp to scout the south end and look for birds.  Scored a woodcock for the second year in a row and we curried that up before dinner and after shooting off some various guns just because we could.  Did try a large load of tannerite in a split tree, but the ammonia nitrate had gathered moisture so the it wasn't going to explode no matter how many times we hit the small target and watched the gray dust poof out the other side.  Sunday morning was as expected, essentially a slow breakfast and coffee and then packing up and on the road by about tenish back to home, back to day dreaming about the next time we get back out there of the big hunt

Homecoming and Going Home

 

We have been busy with all the events that are life, the events that give us pause for reflection and the events the give us milestones of celebration.  We headed back to EC to Celebrate the long and story-filled life of Grandpa Daryl.  He would have liked nothing more than to know that even in his passing that family gathered for the event. We told some great stories and laughed as we worked through the grief in our own ways filling Grandma and Grandprize's house in the process.  

It was a quick trip over and back.  While Merrick chose not to go to homecoming Grace wasn't about to miss it.  Her and her friends were making bouquets at the house and then all met over at Lambeau for photos.  Amy and I went to capture a few shots and had to hit Hobby Lobby on the way for a wardrobe malfunction kit.  Grace was completely unfazed by getting stitched up in the atrium before her gang headed off to chick a filet for a pre dance meal.

Somewhere in those events we also drove north looking for the northern lights, we did see them, albeit wispy and light rather than bold and trippy.  Shelly came for a visit as well, that too was a whirlwind stopping first in EC to pick up Ella and then an over and back trip with Missy in the same day for a quick visit.  Life is made up of all these little moments, the fodder of thoughts as you look toward the night sky and strain for either more boldness or find contentment in the wisps and subtle shimmers of light.