Dudes' weekend

 
So once or twice a year, I invite some of my best (male) friends up to our lake house (aka The Relaxin' Shack) for a 3(ish) day weekend of golf, hiking, steak, scotch, and other fun pursuits.  It's a few days to party, hang out, and generally chill without the responsibilities of the real world.

I used to call it the"guys weekend," but as a screening of The Big Lebowski has become traditional, I decided to re-brand it as the "Dudes' weekend."  This time, we're missing a few of the usual suspects (I'm looking at you, Jay & Gary), but we'll soldier on somehow.

In a few weeks, school will be out and the girls will head up there for the summer... but for this one weekend, the Relaxin Shack becomes the pad of the Dudes, or Duders', their Dudenesses, Or El Duderinos, if you're not into the whole brevity thing.

The New Improved Mr. Mom

Candice is up at the Lake House for a well-deserved weeklong mommy-getaway, and Juliet and I are holding down the fort.  So far, we've kept very busy with school, softball closing day, the SCMS Yard Sale, working on her science project, and just hanging out around the house and playing.  We also watched the solar eclipse last night -- we went down to Seacliff State Beach for a better view, since there are so many trees around our house.

It's been much easier this time than the last extended time "on my own" back on 2008 (I think) when Candice went to Canada during her dad's illness.  Juliet is so much bigger now and is really fun to be with.  We're really having a nice time together.

In a couple days, we'll be heading up the PML to join Candice for a long Memorial Day weekend and our first visit to the Lake House in six months.

Harsh Reality

Well all the trips are done, I'm back home and harsh reality is setting in.

Trips, trips, trips

Got a lot of travel coming up:

• Golf weekend with my buddies in Vegas. THIS should be fun. Short, but fun.
• Few days in Phoenix with the family for spring break.
• Two weeks in Australia with my friend John Michaelenko (who lives there) and Mike T. We're going prospecting for opals in the outback. Not something you get a chance to do every day.

Back in the saddle

After almost two weeks away in Costa Rica.

Mayflower by Nathaniel Philbrick

Engrossing history of the early years of Plymouth colony. Fascinating account of the real history behind the pilgrims, and their relations with the native Americans as well as other English colonies. Turns out there was a war fought between the settlers and the natives in the 1670s, 50 years after the founding of Plymouth colony.

Since I didn't know much about early New England history, this book very interesting to me. Now I feel like I have a basic grasp of what really happened in that era.

(Note: This post was written a long time ago and I just discovered the draft and published it... doh!)

Self-recrimination

Which is of course, pointless, but what do you do when you regret doing something and you've apologized, but your apology has not been accepted? And how through total stupidity did you get yourself to such a point?

Not a pretty sight, for sure. Nothing to do but get up, dust yourself off and try to carry on, hopefully somewhat the wiser. Next time, keep your head about you.... and don't be daft. Your life depends on it.