What a Weekend...OUCH!
Well, this is gonna be fun. I'm typing this with one hand in a splint. I'm so used to touch typing, it's slowing me down having to look at the keys all the time. But like Chris frequently says, life goes on.
It all started lasted Thursday when I went over to John & Chris's place. The three of us were going on a weekend camping event called "Bonfire" up north (see previous entry for details). John (Brick), was traveling with Bill and I with Chris. Chris wanted to get an early start Friday so I spent the night at his place. The next morning, after some last minute packing, we headed out about 8:30. When we got to Flint, we stopped at a Micky-D's for breakfast. After about a half-hour we were on the road again.
Our final destination was Sterling, MI, which is located about 150 miles South of the "Big Mac" bridge. A very rural area. Specifically, we were camping on private property (15 acres) owned by Tigger and Avatar, a couple we know from the various local cons we go to. After about two more hours we finally pulled into T&A's place (wipe that smirk off your face). Some others had already arrived but we were still able to claim the spot we wanted to pitch our tent.
After we got set up we wandered over to where everybody had congregated under a small tree to catch up on what everybody was up to. It was about 1:00 so the shade was on the small side. As the afternoon wore on, people would shift positions to stay out of the Sun. Unfortunately, as more people joined the group, that became impossible. Most didn't seem to mind, however. Around 7pm or so, we all headed to where Brick and one or two others were grilling up dinner. John has sorta become the defacto "Grillmeister" for Bonfire. We had the traditional fare: Hot dogs, burgers, chicken, etc. Everything was quite good.
Around 9:00, it was time for the main event of the evening, the reason we were all here. The lighting of the BONFIRE! The folks who set it up did a first-class job this year. The took pieces of wood from an old barn that's on the property and made a little house. In the "attic" someone placed a stuffed toy to sacrifice. To get the fire started, a road flare was placed inside the "house". It took a couple minutes, but finally the structure went up in a blaze of...well, fire. It was probably a little bigger than initially planned 'cause everybody who had been sitting around the pit had to move back several feet. Also, some of what little grass there was around the edge of the pit caught fire from the heat. After a few minutes the flames died down enough so we could move back where we were. We had around 20 people or so, so it was a good crowd. About 11:00 Our host, Tigger, called for the Elven Toast.
I don't know the history of the Elven Toast, but the mechanics are straight forward: A group of people get together (the more, the better) with drink in hand (traditionally, something alcoholic but not required) and they take turns making toasts to various catagories. The ones I remember are: A god, a goddess, someone dead, a hope/dream and a boast. Some people give silly answers, but most are serious. The boast seems to be the one most people have fun with. Once a toast is made, everyone yells "YAR!" and takes a swig of whatever they're drinking. There's no real objective to Elven Toast, except, perhaps, to stay conscious to the end if your drink is "loaded". It's kinda like an informal group therapy session; A way for people to get to know you, and you them. As for myself, I try to give honest toasts, except for the god and goddess. The most meaningful one to me this year was, of course, Someone Dead, due to my Ma's passing on 9/2/05. For months I thought about what I was going to say, but when the time came to say it, it seemed so anticlimactic. I couldn't help bu be a tad disappointed by my presentation. But it did earn me a pat on the back by the guy next to me and a very solemn "YAR" from the crowd, so that made me feel better.
I don't know how long the Toast lasted; Time seems to just slip by out there. When it was over some people crashed for the night, but most hung around chatting it up and throwing mass quantities of wood--and a couple sofas--onto the fire. Yep, we'll burn almost anything that gets within reach. Last year we burned a couch, mattress, dresser and I forget what else. But it sure did make a purdy, big fire. With bonfires, the phrase, "Go big or go home" definitely applies. One guy there said he could see last year's fire on a sat photo. How cool is that! I hung around 'til there was only me, John and three others left. I'm not sure what time it was, but it had to be after 3:00am. Discussion had drifted into the "I'm OK, your OK" relm , so that's when I said my good nights and headed off to bed. I was hoping Brick would go with me. That way I wouldn't be woken up when he comes in the tent, but, hey, that's all part of the camping experience, and I wouldn't want it any other way. When I entered the tent, Chris woke up (he crashed hours earlier) and told me he was having trouble getting to sleep because the couple in the next tent were, how shall I put this, enjoying each others company...loudly. I can vouch for this as I passed their tent as they were reaching nirvana. I must confess, that's the first time I've heard such noises live, which I know says something about me, but we won't get into that. Aaaaanyway, I was bummed to discover that my sleeping bag, quilt and pillows were covered with dew, and not the Mountain kind, thank goodness. We had forgotten to close the screen flaps after sundown. So I flipped everything over and crashed for the night.
What is it about camping that gets people up early, even after only a few hours sleep? Is it the fresh air? The early morning light? The chirping of the birds? The lumpy ground under your sleeping bag? Whatever it was, Chris and I were up about 9:30. We were amazed to find John had risen before us...and he was the last to go to sleep! We found him at the grill cooking breakfast...What a trooper! Soon the smell of bacon filled the air; What a wonderful smell that is. Most folks were still sleeping off whatever they were drinking so me, Chris and a few others were the first to savor Brick's cooking. Damn, that bacon was good! I supplemented that with doughnuts I had brought with me, just in case there was nothing else available. By the time I finished, others had shown up (no doubt attracted by the aroma) to sample the goodies. I was just sorry that there wasn't any OJ. Ah well.
Now, remember at the beginning I mentioned I was using one hand to type? Here's how that happened: After breakfast everybody started getting ready to head for the beach (more on that later). Narf Boy wanted to use the porta-potty but didn't want to stand in line--no idea why. When the line was gone he headed towards the can. I thought it'd be funny to get in just before he did; Irony and all. So I started running for he porta-potty and after about three strides I tripped on a tent line and did a face-plant in the grass...SMACK! The result was a fat lip, scraped nose, bruised ribs and a swelled hand. Apparently, I had tucked my hand under my chest when I fell...CRUNCH! It swelled up, but didn't hurt that much so I thought maybe It was just bruised or something minor like that. A couple people thought I should have our resident paramedic, Falcon, take a look at it, but he wasn't around so I went ahead and got ready to go to the beach.
And speaking of beaches...BEACH PARTY! On Saturday we all head to this nearby lake where we spend the day swimming, lying on the beach, playing volleyball, eating lots of food and in general kicking back for the day. I had brought a swim suit, but the water was too cold for my taste, and I didn't want to take a chance and damage my hand further. I also couldn't play volleyball, which bummed me out a bit. Fortunately, I had also brought a book with me so I plopped myself in a chair and did a lot of reading, which was fine. For some reason I don't get to do much reading at home. Around 3:00, people started heading back to T&A's. I was riding with Narf Boy and he wanted to swim some more so we didn't leave 'til around 4:00, I guess.
When we got back, we could hear the sound of gunshots, which meant target practice was in full swing. Another activity I couldn't join in 'cause of my hand, which was still puffy and now looking a bit green. I decided to have Falcon look it over. His prognosis was I had definitely broken something in there, he just didn't know how bad. He gave me a cold compress to ease the swelling and then wrapped my hand in that stretchy-type of bandage. He also advised me to see a doctor ASAP so they could do whatever was needed. But considering where I was, it would have to wait until I got back home.
By 7:00 or 8:00, it was time for dinner. Pretty much the same fair as lunch, but I wasn't hungry then so I didn't care. John wasn't the main cook this time; I'm sure he was glad for the break. As people finished eating, they started filtering down to the fire pit for another rousing bonfire. Nothing special was planned for tonight. Most just wanted to kick back and relax for the evening. After a day of swimming, volleyball, stuffing their faces and playing with firearms, I can't imagine why. Since my hand was out of commission, I couldn't tend the fire, which is something I like to do; I like to get the most out of the wood as possible. So we just sat around yakking and burning more furnishings. I don't know what time it was, but I know I went to bed earlier than last night. Chris had once again proceeded me by some hours, and this time no woopy session was going on next door. And I remembered to close the window flaps so everything was nice and dry. If it wasn't for my hand, it would've been a perfect night's sleep.
Sunday's always a bummer 'cause you know your going home. Brick was up and about when Chris and I got up. Not sure what time that was. The main event for the day was a group breakfast at Hank's, a restaurant/bar about 10 min. away. From there, most of us would head off in different directions. So the first thing everybody did was break camp. It was kinda like watching a MASH ep where they tear down the camp to move elsewhere. Once me and Chris got everything stowed away, we headed out to Hank's. They must've been expecting us as there were two long rows of tables all ready to go. The food there is pretty good, I think. I went for the buffet; Looove all you can eat. Once Chris and I were done, we said our farewells and hit the "super slab" for home.
When we got back to Chris's, we unpacked his van, took a short breather and then we headed off to an Urgent Care Center by my house to have my hand looked at. Amazingly, I was able to get in after waiting only about five minutes. They took a couple x-rays and confirmed Falcon's prognosis. I had broken the metacarpal bone of the little finger. The doctor re-wrapped my hand around a plaster splint and referred me to an orthopedic clinic where they'd do the real work. We were there only about 30 minutes, then Chris dropped me off at my place and cruised on home.
If your still awake after all that, CONGRATES! I'll keep you appraised on my finger affair.
It all started lasted Thursday when I went over to John & Chris's place. The three of us were going on a weekend camping event called "Bonfire" up north (see previous entry for details). John (Brick), was traveling with Bill and I with Chris. Chris wanted to get an early start Friday so I spent the night at his place. The next morning, after some last minute packing, we headed out about 8:30. When we got to Flint, we stopped at a Micky-D's for breakfast. After about a half-hour we were on the road again.
Our final destination was Sterling, MI, which is located about 150 miles South of the "Big Mac" bridge. A very rural area. Specifically, we were camping on private property (15 acres) owned by Tigger and Avatar, a couple we know from the various local cons we go to. After about two more hours we finally pulled into T&A's place (wipe that smirk off your face). Some others had already arrived but we were still able to claim the spot we wanted to pitch our tent.
After we got set up we wandered over to where everybody had congregated under a small tree to catch up on what everybody was up to. It was about 1:00 so the shade was on the small side. As the afternoon wore on, people would shift positions to stay out of the Sun. Unfortunately, as more people joined the group, that became impossible. Most didn't seem to mind, however. Around 7pm or so, we all headed to where Brick and one or two others were grilling up dinner. John has sorta become the defacto "Grillmeister" for Bonfire. We had the traditional fare: Hot dogs, burgers, chicken, etc. Everything was quite good.
Around 9:00, it was time for the main event of the evening, the reason we were all here. The lighting of the BONFIRE! The folks who set it up did a first-class job this year. The took pieces of wood from an old barn that's on the property and made a little house. In the "attic" someone placed a stuffed toy to sacrifice. To get the fire started, a road flare was placed inside the "house". It took a couple minutes, but finally the structure went up in a blaze of...well, fire. It was probably a little bigger than initially planned 'cause everybody who had been sitting around the pit had to move back several feet. Also, some of what little grass there was around the edge of the pit caught fire from the heat. After a few minutes the flames died down enough so we could move back where we were. We had around 20 people or so, so it was a good crowd. About 11:00 Our host, Tigger, called for the Elven Toast.
I don't know the history of the Elven Toast, but the mechanics are straight forward: A group of people get together (the more, the better) with drink in hand (traditionally, something alcoholic but not required) and they take turns making toasts to various catagories. The ones I remember are: A god, a goddess, someone dead, a hope/dream and a boast. Some people give silly answers, but most are serious. The boast seems to be the one most people have fun with. Once a toast is made, everyone yells "YAR!" and takes a swig of whatever they're drinking. There's no real objective to Elven Toast, except, perhaps, to stay conscious to the end if your drink is "loaded". It's kinda like an informal group therapy session; A way for people to get to know you, and you them. As for myself, I try to give honest toasts, except for the god and goddess. The most meaningful one to me this year was, of course, Someone Dead, due to my Ma's passing on 9/2/05. For months I thought about what I was going to say, but when the time came to say it, it seemed so anticlimactic. I couldn't help bu be a tad disappointed by my presentation. But it did earn me a pat on the back by the guy next to me and a very solemn "YAR" from the crowd, so that made me feel better.
I don't know how long the Toast lasted; Time seems to just slip by out there. When it was over some people crashed for the night, but most hung around chatting it up and throwing mass quantities of wood--and a couple sofas--onto the fire. Yep, we'll burn almost anything that gets within reach. Last year we burned a couch, mattress, dresser and I forget what else. But it sure did make a purdy, big fire. With bonfires, the phrase, "Go big or go home" definitely applies. One guy there said he could see last year's fire on a sat photo. How cool is that! I hung around 'til there was only me, John and three others left. I'm not sure what time it was, but it had to be after 3:00am. Discussion had drifted into the "I'm OK, your OK" relm , so that's when I said my good nights and headed off to bed. I was hoping Brick would go with me. That way I wouldn't be woken up when he comes in the tent, but, hey, that's all part of the camping experience, and I wouldn't want it any other way. When I entered the tent, Chris woke up (he crashed hours earlier) and told me he was having trouble getting to sleep because the couple in the next tent were, how shall I put this, enjoying each others company...loudly. I can vouch for this as I passed their tent as they were reaching nirvana. I must confess, that's the first time I've heard such noises live, which I know says something about me, but we won't get into that. Aaaaanyway, I was bummed to discover that my sleeping bag, quilt and pillows were covered with dew, and not the Mountain kind, thank goodness. We had forgotten to close the screen flaps after sundown. So I flipped everything over and crashed for the night.
What is it about camping that gets people up early, even after only a few hours sleep? Is it the fresh air? The early morning light? The chirping of the birds? The lumpy ground under your sleeping bag? Whatever it was, Chris and I were up about 9:30. We were amazed to find John had risen before us...and he was the last to go to sleep! We found him at the grill cooking breakfast...What a trooper! Soon the smell of bacon filled the air; What a wonderful smell that is. Most folks were still sleeping off whatever they were drinking so me, Chris and a few others were the first to savor Brick's cooking. Damn, that bacon was good! I supplemented that with doughnuts I had brought with me, just in case there was nothing else available. By the time I finished, others had shown up (no doubt attracted by the aroma) to sample the goodies. I was just sorry that there wasn't any OJ. Ah well.
Now, remember at the beginning I mentioned I was using one hand to type? Here's how that happened: After breakfast everybody started getting ready to head for the beach (more on that later). Narf Boy wanted to use the porta-potty but didn't want to stand in line--no idea why. When the line was gone he headed towards the can. I thought it'd be funny to get in just before he did; Irony and all. So I started running for he porta-potty and after about three strides I tripped on a tent line and did a face-plant in the grass...SMACK! The result was a fat lip, scraped nose, bruised ribs and a swelled hand. Apparently, I had tucked my hand under my chest when I fell...CRUNCH! It swelled up, but didn't hurt that much so I thought maybe It was just bruised or something minor like that. A couple people thought I should have our resident paramedic, Falcon, take a look at it, but he wasn't around so I went ahead and got ready to go to the beach.
And speaking of beaches...BEACH PARTY! On Saturday we all head to this nearby lake where we spend the day swimming, lying on the beach, playing volleyball, eating lots of food and in general kicking back for the day. I had brought a swim suit, but the water was too cold for my taste, and I didn't want to take a chance and damage my hand further. I also couldn't play volleyball, which bummed me out a bit. Fortunately, I had also brought a book with me so I plopped myself in a chair and did a lot of reading, which was fine. For some reason I don't get to do much reading at home. Around 3:00, people started heading back to T&A's. I was riding with Narf Boy and he wanted to swim some more so we didn't leave 'til around 4:00, I guess.
When we got back, we could hear the sound of gunshots, which meant target practice was in full swing. Another activity I couldn't join in 'cause of my hand, which was still puffy and now looking a bit green. I decided to have Falcon look it over. His prognosis was I had definitely broken something in there, he just didn't know how bad. He gave me a cold compress to ease the swelling and then wrapped my hand in that stretchy-type of bandage. He also advised me to see a doctor ASAP so they could do whatever was needed. But considering where I was, it would have to wait until I got back home.
By 7:00 or 8:00, it was time for dinner. Pretty much the same fair as lunch, but I wasn't hungry then so I didn't care. John wasn't the main cook this time; I'm sure he was glad for the break. As people finished eating, they started filtering down to the fire pit for another rousing bonfire. Nothing special was planned for tonight. Most just wanted to kick back and relax for the evening. After a day of swimming, volleyball, stuffing their faces and playing with firearms, I can't imagine why. Since my hand was out of commission, I couldn't tend the fire, which is something I like to do; I like to get the most out of the wood as possible. So we just sat around yakking and burning more furnishings. I don't know what time it was, but I know I went to bed earlier than last night. Chris had once again proceeded me by some hours, and this time no woopy session was going on next door. And I remembered to close the window flaps so everything was nice and dry. If it wasn't for my hand, it would've been a perfect night's sleep.
Sunday's always a bummer 'cause you know your going home. Brick was up and about when Chris and I got up. Not sure what time that was. The main event for the day was a group breakfast at Hank's, a restaurant/bar about 10 min. away. From there, most of us would head off in different directions. So the first thing everybody did was break camp. It was kinda like watching a MASH ep where they tear down the camp to move elsewhere. Once me and Chris got everything stowed away, we headed out to Hank's. They must've been expecting us as there were two long rows of tables all ready to go. The food there is pretty good, I think. I went for the buffet; Looove all you can eat. Once Chris and I were done, we said our farewells and hit the "super slab" for home.
When we got back to Chris's, we unpacked his van, took a short breather and then we headed off to an Urgent Care Center by my house to have my hand looked at. Amazingly, I was able to get in after waiting only about five minutes. They took a couple x-rays and confirmed Falcon's prognosis. I had broken the metacarpal bone of the little finger. The doctor re-wrapped my hand around a plaster splint and referred me to an orthopedic clinic where they'd do the real work. We were there only about 30 minutes, then Chris dropped me off at my place and cruised on home.
If your still awake after all that, CONGRATES! I'll keep you appraised on my finger affair.