Summer was here and gone, but for once I squeezed every last drop of juice out of it.
For the first time in 3 years I did not attend either FLASHBACK WEEKEND or GLAMOUR CON. I went camping in WI during FB and was moving the weekend of G CON. And it was certainly a moving experience. I had researched moving companies and 2 mos ahead of time reserved and scheduled with DONE RITE VAN LINES 3035 N Rockwell Ave. Chicago and once they finally got their truck down my alley which took an hour because they didn’t have the brains to move the dumpsters so Shelly took that task on herself, I was already $92 in the hole, or at least they thought. Luckily I didn’t give them a deposit or any financial information. After they took a look at my rather small one bedroom apartment which had everything packed and taken apart, the leader” gave me a new estimate which was $500 more than the original quote, and then said they needed to bring on a 4th man at another $110 an hour for 5 hours.
Now I moved in there in the cold of winter at zero degrees with only 1 friend helping, I think I know how long it takes to pack a van and move it ½ a block down the street and unload it. I told them not so politely to FUCK OFF and leave. I sent them out of there. So DON’T EVER USE DONE RITE !
So being behind schedule I did something I never thought I’d do in my life. I walked over by U-Haul and hired 3 big black dudes off the street and scheduled them for early the next morning. It was $125 per man flat. Then I rented a truck from Chicagoland Truck Rental who have never done me wrong and the next day these men moved me out and into a spacious 3 bedroom with a large deck and dining room, just down the street from where I was living for 2 years alone.
Ironically it was my former landlady and friend that found me this apartment. So thanks Bobbie. Now I won’t have to miss you or move back west of the lake.
But as of now we are still unpacking and getting set up, and that’s mostly due to our schedules the last 3 weeks.
Labor Day weekend Jeff Brown came up and we all went to Naperville for the Final Fling where Cheap Trick would play later that night. We were to meet my friends Mike and SuZn there and we were in Naperville a little too early for our tastes. It’s a pretty little town but the people are WEIRD. All of the guys smoke cigars it seems and all of the woman were carrying around little dogs much like or just like the style of Paris or Britney. I guess they read US WEEKLY and watch TMZ a lot. But finally Cheap Trick came out and rocked the park. We all had a really good time and went home late and then it was Labor Day and Shelly and I tried to unpack after Jeff drove homeward.
On Tuesday I returned to work for a 2 day work week and Thursday early it was off to Las Vegas to the Ritz Carlton located at Lake Las Vegas. Sculpted from the rugged desert terrain of Southern Nevada, Lake Las Vegas Resort lies nestled within the desert mountainside just 17 miles from the world renowned Las Vegas Strip. Boasting world class hotels and spas, championship golf, and spectacular residential communities from amongst the finest builders in the nation, Lake Las Vegas Resort offers both guests and residents alike an unmatched experience centered around the 320 - acre privately-owned lake. www.lakelasvegas.com where our company was holding its 25th Anniversary Party. They flew us all out there on their dime. Air fare, lodging and most meals and cocktails were provided. No expense was spared. The resort alone offered everything one would desire and I actually didn’t leave it except to go boating on Lake Meade something that has long been a dream of mine since I first drove over the Hoover Dam in 2003. For myself this was the highlight of the trip.
Sunday morning after breakfast I was on the second flight of our group out of the City of Sin and we nearly missed our flight due to the line at security. But of all the people in line in front of me it was none other than, Kevin “Silent Bob” Smith, his wife and daughter Harley Quinn. I couldn’t believe it. I looked him in the eye at one point and in a low key voice said “Silent Bob”, and he just raised his eyebrow and kinda snuck a smile. Ironically not half of the people in my group knew who Kevin Smith was. Once we got to our gate our flight was already boarding, in fact my group had already been sat. If we had not been so late I would have talked to him for a moment and at least got a photo with him and put him on the phone w/ Shelly. Shelly incidentally screamed over the phone when told her.
It was good to be at home and I new work was the next day but it’d be a short week because we were taking off Friday and driving to WI to go camping at Camp Sweet Minnihaha and canoeing the Sugar River. They were also holding the annual 7th Annual WI State Sugar River Rally for The Brothers of the Third Wheel, www.btw-trikers.org .
Sweet Minnihaha is located in a peaceful hidden valley on the shores of Sugar River near the famous Sugar River State Trail.
Nestled along the Sugar River, just three miles south of Albany, Sweet Minnihaha provides a relaxing atmosphere away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Camping facilities include electric and water hookups, showers, and dump station. The camp store includes a Rec Hall, game room with jukebox, pool table, video games, firewood, ice, and canoe, tube, and bike rentals.
My old rock n roll friend, camping friend and all around good friend Jeff Windisch (formerly Jeff Stiph of MARAZENE) joined us with his girlfriend Melissa. We had some beer, a little tequila and I made some huge strip steaks I bought earlier that day. After dinner we went up to see Capt. Jack & The Lucky Dogs band perform before calling it a night around the campfire.
We were up and making breakfast early on Saturday being that we were to be the first out on the canoes. Since 2004 the river has been low. However in 2004 when Jeff and I camped at the same spot alone it had just flooded and the grounds were very wet with lots of mosquitoes. The river was very high then and it was a great day to canoe. Ever since they would only let me take the 15 mile trip since the river was so low. And that was only due to my experience as a canoeist and with this river that the management would permit me to do so.
This trip was more like the 2004 trip Jeff and I took than the low water trip Shelly and I took 2 mos. prior. In fact a lot of the campground was still flooded which meant that not only would it be a more challenging voyage that it had been in years but the current would be stronger and the storm damage as far as fallen trees and other obstacles would prove to be much more difficult to get around.
Our ride with canoes left just about 9 AM and we arrived at the drop off point about 20 minutes later. It was a little overcast and not quite as warm as what I’m used to when canoeing. We shoved off and the river almost seemed to have its way with us from then on. It was higher than I remember and I’ve canoed this 15 mile 6-8 hour trip for almost a decade. Trees were down and branches were a lot lower than usual due to the heavy storms that had swept through the area in recent months. So with Shelly in the front of our canoe which was fiberglass She would take the first hit of branches. Or if she got around them I would take the hit, and it HURT. About an hour into it I lost my prescription sunglasses which made it difficult for awhile as my eyes adjusted not only to not having much clarity but to the sunlight which they are sensitive to as well.
The obstacles were many and at one point Jeff in his metal canoe was the first to take a dive as he and Melissa attempted t get around a big tree. When the currents are this strong a downed tree will slam a canoe sideways into it and tip. Well Jeff being the gentleman that he is took the fall ad saved the things he had on board as well as his girl from going into the Sugar River.
Not too long later we nearly went in but our balance worked together in an almost telepathic way to keep everything inside and only some of the water in.
We enjoyed most of the trip and at Albany where there is a dam that creates a lake I did my typical slide down the spillway and we were getting near the end of the journey and getting wiped out. The water was cold, damn cold and everything was wet.
….to be continued
