I'm not much of a water park person so I was pleased to find that we wouldn't be expected to go frolic about wherever the kids may go. Similarly to White Pass, we provide check in times and rides. Otherwise, take a mental vacation.
The day started at 7am when Mary and I met 8 of our Packwood kids at the gym and geared up with sunblock at the store before heading down the windy backroads of Skate Creek. I'd never gone down the road north past our house and was disappointed in myself! It was a beautiful drive, albeit not for the motion-sick prone. My car crew was a good bunch; mellow but talkative. I had one of the girls I had recently felt was opening up to me a little more so it was nice to have a chance to build that comfort zone. When we got to the park, we still had a good 20 minutes for them to open so the kids got first dibs at everything. Everyone was blown away by its size, stretching far back towards the highway...I came to the numbing realization that all subsequent amusement park experiences had been spoiled by my privileged Cedar Point access growing up. Save for Disney World, I'd yet to find another park that got me jumping for joy. However, they did have some non-water rides and I spent the first couple of hours tagging on groups of kids and my AmeriFamily to go on the upside-down topsy turkey thrills I could find. But by noon, I'd done all I was interested in, and pursued the last of my book. And a mad sunburn. Regardless of sun screen application, no one could seem to avoid it that day. (My knees feel like sticky tape, trying to bend and straighten them around the drying stretching skin.) |
| One of the better thrills of the day : ) |
The day was stress-free, but long. I watched a bird show for some variation, although the presenter was a bit excessive on the patriotism and anti-left slander. He did have a falconer's falcon with whom he falcon-ed with, a 4,000-year old hunting form. And all of his birds were rescues that were kept only after rehabilitation attempts for release back to the wild. So that was neat.
My car voted on McDonalds on the way back and was kind enough to let me make a stop at the store so I didn't fade away on the drive. The girl I'd been getting to know more sat up front. I humored her characteristically sassy attitude about my driving, noticing the insecurity it was constantly covering up. I enjoyed her conversation attempts out of left field and was pleased to see her outlook of me sort of shift before my eyes. We got turned around a few times and stuck in traffic a bit but loud radio tunes kept us perked up. Besides her sunburns, she couldn't emphasize enough how great a day it had been. And I realized, good clean fun doesn't come her way too often.
We made it back before 11pm, all but completely energy drained. As she hopped in the car with her family, I lingered in conversation for a few minutes realizing this could be the last time I see them, as there was a chance they would move over the summer. I crossed my fingers that they'd stay. For many, getting out of this town is a good thing. But in her case, the move did not sound very welcome.
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| I happy, sizzly, red-hot crew. |
The last of the field trips of the year over and done with, I went home well past prepared for bed. Yet the day still had a touch of ironic humor in store for me. After avoiding the water at a water park all day, I apparently still needed my refreshing fix. In the bathroom back home, I reached to turn on the faucet and the faucet - along with the rest of my sink - came crashing to the floor, creating some mini water-fountain attraction in my bathroom and soaking the better part of me. My mind started envisioning a torrential flood ruining all the clean-up and handiwork I'd done on the place over the last couple days as I clumsily tried to slip on some clothes to run next door. When Mary opened her house to my frantic knocking, I just yelled "Justin, I need you! My sink came off my wall!" With a more knowledgeable approach, he ran over and went directly to the pipe knobs, bringing the water down to a trickle, and then a halt. Crisis averted, I thanked him profusely and announced I was going to bed.
The next day continued it's chaotic trope. We'd had an Open Gym clean-up scheduled and I went down early to try and gather my thoughts on what on earth we would occupy the team with. I had plenty of plans for organizing in the fall but as far as foundational cleaning went, I didn't know what we were going to do besides tackle the infamous bleachers that engulf everything. While the morning did start discordantly, we eventually formed a cohesive plan. Still, we found ourselves finishing much earlier than anticipated until Mary asked me if we should put the chairs away in our spare locker room. I paused and then decided otherwise because next year, I wanted to move the toys in the large "closet" into that room so that the large "closet" could be a study space. "So" she asked, "should we clear out the locker room then?" And we were back with a task, tenfold. Broken bins, dusty toys, a workout machine and the golden treasure, a trash bin with a bag full of 3-year (or more) old trash. The smelly kind. When we were done, we'd pretty much move the entire contents outside to be disposed of. I drove down the road to hunt down a place in town so that we could avoid driving to Morton. Having secured permissions at Blanton's, I went to get in my landlord's car (my car being prepped for the home journey) and...it went dead.
And so, while my team dealt with the smelt, I ran back and forth to the thrift store trying to sort out the car issue with Dave, who seemed completely flabbergasted. He insisted it could not be the battery, even after Justin came to look at it and tell me his verdict. I was feeling increasingly guilty with every minute, knowing my teammates were hauling all the shit for my space to do things in the gym. Finally, I just told Blanton's that the car would be sitting in wait, not to tow it, and I went to Dave to return his keys. Later when we saw him in the parking lot, he had a new battery on hand. Oh, not the battery, eh?
So now, less than 24 hours from picking up my parents, I am bracing myself for tricks and turns the world may throw. I just try to take these as signs I have been clinging to planning too meticulously. Lets ride the waves.
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