Bramble Tamble

I said in this space over a year ago:

I tend to think that the Great Outdoors would be a whole lot better if they were inside.

This still holds true, some 16 months later. My reactions are a little less violent these days when forced to go outside, but it's more of a quiet resignation than an actual enjoyment of everything the outdoors have to offer, especially when it's only dropping down to 70 at night. I still made the most of it this year, planting flowers for the first time and whatnot, and that was fairly rewarding until the recent heatwave crippled my sunflowers. (My peppers are still hanging on, though.) And sunflowers are ass-ugly when they start to wilt.

Saturday night, my brother-in-law asked Wife and I if we wanted to come to the local lake where he was camping and cooking out. He had his boys and a niece and nephew with him, so we figured it'd be a good time to take Son with us to see and play with his cousins.

And it was a good time,for all involved, especially the part where I had one of those folding fishing chairs with the two cup holders and the feet with a cooler full of cheap, domestic beer sitting alongside. Cause, you know, I like my beer like I like my women.

Son did drag me out into the woods once, following his cousins, and I really thought I was too drunk to make that 50 foot climb straight up carrying one of his cousins' bikes up with me, but I'll be damned if I didn't make it without busting my ass.

So, the night ended well, though Son was a little cranky by the end of the night because he's afraid of the dark. The aftermath, however, was that my wife had such a great time that she's got these plans to buy a tent and some other camping supplies, since the lake and campground is only about 3 miles away. I guess she's going to make an outdoorsman out of me yet. Wish me well, and buy stock in any product that has DEET in it, since I'll probably be using a lot of it in the coming months and years.