Memorial Day Weekend 2020, Day Three

I have to go back to work today, y'all; insert every sad emoji known to man here.

On the bright side, yesterday was another truly amazing day. Hugh, the Man-Cub, Mikey, Kenzie, Craig, and I went four-wheeling in the mountains outside of Pixler (Mama Jill was working, because wildland fires don't recognize Memorial Day and someone's gotta dispatch the firemen to fight them. Boo!).

The three-hour ride took us from the bottom of the dessert floor, up through the scrub oak, and into the aspen and pines before ending at a reservoir, where we ate lunch before turning around and starting the trip in reverse.

It was a very enjoyable day, despite the minor sunburn that I managed to get on my right hand (just the hand! WTF?) and the soreness created by the kidney-jarring nature of riding on the bitch-seat on Hugh's four-wheeler. I think we all know that I will take a day of kidney-jarring over a day at work, anytime.

Anyhoodle, how about some pictures!

But, Most Importantly, This...

“Those who have long enjoyed such privileges as we enjoy forget, in time, that men have died to win them .” 
    -Franklin D. Roosevelt

Memorial Day Weekend 2020, Day Two

Day Two of the long holiday weekend was just as enjoyable as Day One! Granted, any day that starts off without an alarm is already off to a good start, but, follow that up with a steaming cup of coffee and a plateful of donut holes on the porch and you've got yourself a very good start, indeed.

Hugh had a cabinet install to finish up, so while he did that, I puttered around the house, planted a few new flowerpots, and generally relaxed until the early evening. I don't get a lot of opportunity to just chill, so, it was time well-spent.

Once Hugh was finished with his job, we met up with Chris and Jana at Carmen's house, where we celebrated Darren's twenty-first birthday with Jana-made mojitos and a cookout.

 Photo bombed by Darren and the Cub!

I've missed hanging with friends, and, I'm not ashamed to say that I broke every social distancing rule under the sun, because, there comes a point when you have to balance the need for physical well-being with the need for positive mental health; both are equally important.

Memorial Day weekend is definitely becoming a great remedy for my mental health and today should be the cherry on the sundae; on the agenda: four-wheeling in the mountains!

Update to be continued tomorrow.

Memorial Day Weekend 2020, Day One

Our first day of the long Memorial Day weekend has been my favorite so far (bear in mind, I'm only just starting Day Two as I type this).

We gathered up the kids, plus a few extras (Mikey, my niece, and the Man-Cub's...um...girlfriend? Too soon to tell, but, if so, she's a doll and he could do waaaaay worse. Just sayin') and headed to the lake for a fun day of boating.

While the weather was still a bit cool and the wind a bit blowy, we still managed to spend the better part of the day tooling around the lake, wake boarding, knee boarding, and, thanks to The Lesbians showing up partway through the day, kayak paddling.

 

We also got to take this year's edition of our annual Dam Picture (hey, it's been a tradition for a decade; it totally deserves to be a proper noun). While the cast of characters in the photo has changed over the years, it still features as a hallmark of the summer season for me.

Once we pulled off the lake, we headed home for showers before Hugh fired up the grill and produced a feast of BBQ chicken legs, tater tots, and baked beans. The Lesbians showed up with a shrimp tortellini salad that the Man-Cub went gaga over, and, my niece's husband (who had been working during the day and unable to join us at the lake) and mother-in-law (who was visiting from back home) also joined us, and, eventually, Chris, Jana, and Kaley arrived; making it a full house and the season's first unofficial Porch Night.

By the time I fell into my bed, I was exhausted, but, in a really, really good way. I had high hopes for this weekend, and, so far, it has not disappointed!