Burn, Baby, Burn

Where has the summer gone? I can’t believe we’re in the third week of July already! This only strengthens my resolve to continue to have as much fun as I can before the snow and the cold come flying in, stranding me in my apartment for four months.

I continued my summer of fabulousness by learning how to properly kayak on Saturday. Rachel and I were out on Gray’s Lake from 9 to 5. It was so much fun! I learned how to do a wet exit (getting out of your kayak when it’s flipped over), a cowboy rescue (rescuing yourself if you flip), partner rescues, different strokes to maneuver the kayak, draws (moving your boat from side to side, instead of forward), how to prevent flipping, and even how to stand up in our kayaks (we also balanced our paddles on our heads and put our arms out to balance). We had so much fun that we’re hoping to go out to Red Rock Lake in August to do a full day of just kayaking (minus lessons). Maybe we’ll let Paul and Nick tag along, too.

After the kayaking, we went back to my brother’s house, rinsed off and packed up the car for camping. Nick had been watching episodes of “Man vs. Wild” on the Discovery Channel, so he was super-duper excited for his first camping trip. Unfortunately, the flat, calm campgrounds equipped with picnic tables, fire pits and running showers were a far cry from the wilds of the rainforest that Nick had envisioned. But all of his little friends were there, so he soon forgot about being Bear Grylls (the host of the TV show) and focused on soaking all of the other kids with cupfuls of water. He was also quite excited to eat Cheetos. My sister-in-law has an intense hatred of the snack, so he views Cheetos as somewhat of a rare delicacy. As you can see he, helped himself to quite a few…

Unfortunately, Rachel and I did a poor job of applying sunscreen—as in, we didn’t—so we were bright red for most of the weekend. I am still pretty crispy today. I bear a striking resemblance to a lobster. Minus claws, of course.

Well, this week will be spent preparing for KP’s visit. I love it when my mom comes to town, there’s always a whirlwind of shopping and dining. We’ll rent movies and veg out. She has an undying love for George Clooney and Matthew McConaughey, so they will be featured prominently in our movie picks. I think my mom reverts back to being a teenager when she hangs out with me. Actually, I think most people revert back to teenagerdom when they are around me. My friend Brandy says I have the sense of humor of a fifteen-year-old boy. She might be right…

Peace and Love