XTREME! Fireworks

This weekend I journeyed to my family's lake house. Well, I used to consider it my family's lake house, but ever since my uncle moved up there full time it's more like my uncle's house where my family sometimes goes. I haven't been up there for about 5-6 years, but as a child we were up there all the time. It's a little place in Indiana, on the borders of Ohio, Michigan and Indiana. Lake George is the name. I was very excited about heading back there because it's probably my favorite place in the whole world, but also a little apprehensive because from what my sister told me of her last visit, it has pretty much become a place for all my uncle's buddies to hang out and not a family place anymore.

I left on Saturday at about noon, driving my mom's huge honkin' Explorer because the bastards at the BMV didn't send me my registration renewal stickers in time. (They came today. Phew!) It takes about 2.5 hours to get there, but there was a 1/2 hour backup because of all the holiday traffic on the toll road, so I arrived at 3, which is actually 2 Indiana time. It's nice to gain an hour going, but it sure sucks going home.

I was instantly amazed at all the renovations my uncle has made. There is a whole brand new garage and the building that used to be the garage/barn has been transformed into a cute little guest house. He built an awesome deck that goes halfway around the house and is the new hang out spot. We all used to chill in the front yard by the lake, but now the deck is where it's at. Even the lake looked different, and the trees. Everything was changed, but somehow still welcomingly familiar.

I immediately started drinking, and we just sat around the deck and hung out. By the end of Saturday there was 17 people there.
Me.
Amy, Brian and Tate.
My mom and her boyfriend Gary.
My uncle Dave, the owner. He reminds me so much of my Dad. Looks-wise and personality. He's so much fun. He always cracks me up.
My cousin Amanda and her 4 year old daughter Ari (short for Ariana).
My cousin Matt, his wife Angie, and their 1 year old daughter Marisha.
My cousin Michael, I think he's 21, who I haven't seen since he was a kid. We used to pick on him so bad. Heh. I liked it though, because for once I wasn't the youngest one when we were kids and I could finally get in on some torture. *grin*
My uncle Mike and 3 of his friends (who I barely even saw because they were hanging out on the lawn and they left on Sunday morning before we were even up-- what a bunch of old farts.)
It was a full house! We were joking that it was like a family reunion, which it was. It was so nice to have everyone together again. I've always felt so much more comfortable with my dad's side of the family. They are so much fun and so much more laid back than my mom's side.

So, Saturday was spent drinking and watching everyone play "The Washer Game", which consists of setting up two boxes about 10 feet apart and trying to throw washers in them. Heh. I only played once, a) because I sucked at it and b) I didn't get why everyone thought it was the best game ever invented. LOL. We also ate a ton. Everyone had brought a bunch of food. We had a cooler full of 40 pounds of meat... and I'm not exaggerating.

Then at night we took the pontoon boat out to watch the fireworks show. They set up like a little barge on the lake and have all the fireworks strapped to it. Of course my uncle feels he has to get as close as possible. LOL. We were probably 200 feet from this boat and the fireworks were exploding right over our heads. I swear some of them would have come right on the boat. The current kept pulling us closer to the barge, which was of course on fire, and my uncle had to keep backing up. A police boat actually came and parked right in front of us so we couldn't get any closer. LOL. It was good though, because the show itself was a little boring, so we needed to be right on the edge of catching on fire to spice it up. *grin* It was XTREME! baby!

Sunday was more of the same. Relaxing, eating, drinking, playing games. We went swimming, which I haven't done in a looooong time. It was fun though. Tate loved it, even when he would get a face full of water, he wasn't scared. He's so cute. My mom was being annoying as usual and spazzing out any time I would get more than 2 inches from him. Nevermind the fact that he was wearing a life jacket and the water was only up to his waist. *rolls eyes* We went for another pontoon ride that night and Brian and Michael fished. Mikey caught a gar, which is a huge skeery fish with a lot of teeth. He went back in the lake. Brian didn't catch anything.
Mom and Gary had left earlier in the day and Amy, Brian, and Tate left that night. Mikey, Matt and I started watching South Park: The Movie. Damn, that movie is fucking hilarious when you're drunk off your ass. *grin* Then Angie, Amanda, Mikey and I played Uno until the wee hours. Mikey kept making me draw four and so I started kicking him and calling him a turd. *snort*

Monday was spent lazing around the house. I was exhausted from too much drinking and not enough sleep and I wasn't looking forward to driving home. And it was HOT! I think it was about 90, which felt ok sitting on the deck with the breeze, but as soon as I started to pack my shit up I was sweating buckets. I put off leaving as long as I could. I didn't want to go. I could have stayed up there another week. Said my goodbyes to Uncle Dave and Mikey, everyone else had already left, and I was off.

I really hope to get back up there this summer. I love it there. I think it's my favorite place in the whole world. I took some pics, which I might try to post once I get them developed.