2 posts tagged “plans”

I hate to admit it, but this is the last week of summer. For me, anyway. The end.

It ends (for me) next Monday, Aug. 11, when high school football practice starts. The kids wear only helmets for the first three days (no, they aren't naked out there; you take me way too literally) and can put on full pads starting on Thursday.

It's a fast pre-season. They have a scrimmage on Aug. 22, and the first games are on Aug. 29.

So I'll be following that, and girls volleyball will start, too. So, essentially, this is my last free week.

Time is ticking away, so I'm out to make the most of it this week. First up, on Wednesday and Thursday, I will return to that clothing-optional beach south of Green Bay. S and her husband will be there. This time my wife will come along. I asked her about it on Sunday, and she said she hadn't decided; I took that to mean she would stay home. (She didn't go the first time I went there, last month.) But Monday, after work, she said she'd come along for the ride, "as long as I can keep my shirt on." I told her, "No problem."

We'll get there Wednesday afternoon, put up the tent, enjoy the little pond there (it's on a former farm) and enjoy the rest of the day with S and her husband. They will have a campfire at night. On Thursday, we'll take everything down, pack it all up and drive back north. We may do a little shopping in Green Bay, but not much. From there, we'll drive back north to visit the nursing home and my mom. Then we'll go out to dinner--it's just happens to be our anniversary, and we have a favorite place for a steak dinner.

By the way, my wife prepares the directory for the women's club at her church. They were going to hold a planning meeting Wednesday to go over changes for this year's booklet. She wasn't sure whether she could get out of it. I said she should simply explain to them, "It's our last chance to go to the nude beach this summer," and they would understand. Honesty is the best policy, right?

Over the weekend, I'm going to be covering events at a local festival. They have a number of things going on, and that's going to consume a lot of the weekend. But we also want to go to a powwow that takes place at the old Indian village west of us, about 40 miles away. We've been to powwows there several times, and they are always colorful, exciting events. A lot of fun with the camera. But this other event just sucks up a lot of time over the weekend. And the events are in opposite directions from our home. That doesn't help, either.

****
As for the Ren Faire last Saturday ... we had a good time there, and it was a nice day. I took a bunch of pictures, and I'll work on them tonight. Hopefully, I can get them posted before driving south on Wednesday.

Incidentally, while I am following "As the Favre Turns" in Green Bay, I don't plan to stop at Lambeau Field or the practice field during our trip. To put it simply, I've got more important things to do. I like football and I like the Packers. But spending time at that farm with my friends is way more important to my happiness.

(Note to self: Remember the bug spray!)

I wrote a post a month or two ago about "seeing a face" in my dreams. I saw someone in real life recently.

Her face was nothing like that face. She was about my age, a little rounder, curly blonde hair. She was in a local store, passing out samples of some breakfast sandwich. Of course I needed a sample. Should have gotten two.

She knew who I was. She seemed to know my political leanings (which I rarely hint at in the paper) and talked about the Democratic race ending and that she hopes the party will be able to pull together come November.

She knew me. I didn't know her. I saw her nametag, but it didn't stick in my memory. Since then, I've been ... thinking about her. You knowwhat I mean? She was nice to me and seemed to like me.

Most likely, that's how I will leave it. Unless I see her again and we get to talking. I would like that. Would like someone to talk to. And be with.

I noticed recently that our cat, Charlie, seems to be lonely. She keeps coming up to our other cat, who will have nothing of it. Charlie has been here about three months. The other cat, Maggie, has 15 (human) years of seniority. I think Charlie just wants a feline friend. Someone to play around and pal around with. Someone who won't snarl and swing her paw when she gets too close. Charlie doesn't have any feline friends. Poor kitty. I think she needs one.

And as for myself ... I'm hoping to expand my horizons, too. This weekend, I had planned to attend a neopagan gathering in central Wisconsin (not the one I've visited before--that one is further south). They are holding a Summer Solstice event there, with workshops. I wasn't going there for the workshops, but to make new acquaintances. Maybe even strike up some new friends. Maybe even someone who I can play around and pal around with.

I would have just driven down there for the day--they have an area there where you can camp, but my plan was to drive there in the early morning, spend the day and drive back after dark. I'd guess it's about three hours away. My car gets fairly good gas mileage, so that wasn't a concern. And I think it would have been a good investment.

But all those plans changed on Monday, when I learned that the local Little League will play its championship games on Saturday. Yeah, the same Saturday. The rule of thumb I go by is as follows: If I don't cover it, it won't get done. (Like a lot of things here.) So I have to pass up this gathering. I feel bad. I was really looking forward to meeting the people down there. Maybe next time. They hold occasional events down there, and maybe I will get other chances.

Meanwhile, that other neopagan event, in southern Wisconsin, is coming up in early July. After the disappointment from the day before, I made a point of taking some time today to send in my check and registration form. They have had lots of rain down there lately, and if it looks like another wet week, I may just stay up here. But I want to go. I first went down there in 2005. A memorable time; that was when S and I first met. In 2006, I took my wife along. It didn't work out--she was unhappy, and we only stayed one day. In 2007, I was focused on cleaning out my mom's house and decided not to go. This year, I want to go badly.

Finding S during that visit in 2005 was a miracle; I don't expect anything like that to happen again. But in terms of meeting others and getting to know them ... yes, I hope it works out.

One other thing. I have lots of blog friends. They are good friends. I would like to meet them, too. Most of them live far, far, far away. The closest ones are hundreds of miles away. Some are on the other side of the continent. Others are on the other side of the ocean. Even on the other side of the world. So far away. But they are dear to me. Very dear. Now I want to find someone much closer.

Will I ever meet any of them? It's hard to tell. Not in the near future. Someday? Who can say?.