On Labor Day weekend, Randy, Trey, Bailey, and I went to my dad and Sandy's house for the long weekend. We hadn't been there since June, so it was high time we made the trip. I also wanted to see Sarah Long and get my hair cut one last time by my hairdresser before she sadly moves to Virginia. The weekend was filled with all of our favorite things: the trampoline, playing with "Grandpa Erts," breakfast with Sarah, and banana pancakes made by "Sanny". The highlight, however, was our day trip on Sunday to Triangle Lake. This is where Sandy and her kids spend many weekends over the summer, and we had never taken Trey out there. We didn't camp because I wasn't prepared to pack for a camping trip, but that worked out okay because the day trip was awesome.
Trey is all charged up to jump on the trampoline.
I'd like to talk for a few minutes about our dog. For those of you who know me, I am not really an animal person. I don't really dislike animals, but I could handle never having one in my house again. Ever. However, for those of you who know Randy, you know that isn't really an option. We lost Tango last June 2012, and, while I loved Tango, I felt lucky that I got a six month reprieve before Randy started searching for a new dog. Enter Bailey.
Here are some pictures that give you an idea of his personal space issues:
Here is Bailey with Julie's father in law. This is how Bailey is...pretty much all of the time.
Basically, Bailey and I are having some relationship problems. I don't like him very much and he wants to fix that, pronto. He is frequently in my space, wanting attention, and licking me constantly. He drives me effing crazy. When we were at my dad's over Labor Day, Randy left to go fishing early (like 4am early). I had already slept shitty that night because a) I always sleep shitty at my dad's house and b) Bailey had Randy up all night so the door across the hall kept creaking open and closed all night long (side note: we split up the kid and the dog when we stay there so we are in different bedrooms). Randy brought Bailey to me at 4am and left for his fishing trip (we don't trust the dog to be unsupervised in the house). Bailey proceeded to whine for the next 30 minutes and even mark the rug that was in the room. I could have killed him. I really did not want him to wake Trey up, and I also wanted to get some more sleep myself, so I put Bailey out in the car at 4:30am. He's a dog. He can handle it.
When I brought Bailey back in at 6:15am, after walking him a little bit, he proceeded to poop in the house. Let me just say that Bailey, while being one of the most annoying dogs ever, does not poop in the house unless he is trapped. I quickly took him outside and walked him around to try to get him to finish the job. No go. I brought him back to the deck, put the handle of his leash under a leg of a bench, and went inside to clean up. When I came out to walk him some more, he got all hyper and was jumping around. He brought his skull right up my eye socket and gave me a good whack resulting in a nice bruise on my eye. I was pissed. Still, he wouldn't poop anymore. I brought him back inside, sat back in the recliner, and he proceeded to squat and try to poop RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME. I yanked him to the front door, mid poop, and took him outside again. Still no poop. This dog is really making me angry. I bring him back inside and go get dressed for my haircut. I decide to walk him one more time before I leave for my haircut, and as I walk him across the lawn, his collar somehow comes off the leash and he runs away. #$%&*^#@$!!!!!! A downside of Bailey, of which there are many, is that he won't come when called. While my dad and Sandy live on a nice sized property, Bailey, of course, made a dash for the road. The highway isn't that far away. I went back, got some meatballs in a dish to try and lure him to me, and got my keys. I drove up and down the road, becoming later and later for my haircut which was 30 minutes away, yelling out his name. As I turned around on the road to go back to my dad's, I saw him standing in front of my dad's driveway. I drove back, opened up the hatch, and he came running for me. I got him in the car, took him back to my dad's (no meatballs necessary, thank goodness, because the little effer didn't deserve them), and tied him up to a tree with a wire lead/cord that Randy brought with us. I put water out (because I'm not cruel), got in my car, and raced off to my haircut.
When I came back two hours later from my haircut, this is what I found:
OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!!
This is an OMG of anger and frustration, not fear and panic that the dog is gone.
Needless to say, he had spent most of my haircut in the house with my family, but of course when I got there he ran off again. I decided I didn't care and that he would come back eventually. Which, unfortunately, he did.
Later, I decided if he was going to run off and come back, I might as well enjoy it. Trey, Bailey, Max (my dad and Sandy's dog) and I went out to play in the yard. Bailey got himself into the river for a little swim. That was kind of cute.
Then he proceeded to run off again and after about 10 minutes, I wondered if I should worry. Trey and I went around the yard yelling, "Baaaaayyyyy-Leeeeeeeeeeee!!!" over and over. Eventually, he came back. Bummer.
On Sunday, Randy, my dad, Trey and I went up to Triangle Lake to meet Sandy, Erika, and John. For those of you who are new blog readers or don't remember the story, Sandy is my dad's wife, but she is also my aunt. She was married to my mom's brother, Jerry, who died from cancer in the early 2000's. After my mom died in 2005, my dad and Sandy found love with each other. So.....Erika and John are my cousins AND my stepsister and brother. Neither label sounds right to me, so I just don't really call them anything except Aunt Erika and Uncle John to Trey. Anyway...
Again, for those of you who know me, you know that camping is not really my thing. People ask why and I usually (quickly, mind you) list off: bugs, sleeping on ground, and dirt. However, I could get used to camping like this:
Range, BBQ, another BBQ, another BBQ, kitchen shed including counter,
refrigerator, and portapotty.
Coffee maker and microwave in the kitchen shed
View from the "kitchen" down to the lake
Inside Sandy's tent
This is a big blow up mattress.
Not the kind of dinky blow up mattress we have, but a really comfortable one.
With sheets, pillows, and a comforter.
The ladies on the dock next to the party boat which we were lucky to ride on
Trey and Randy playing in the shade
In the afternoon, we all went out on the party boat. It was so nice to be on the water in the sun with our drinks in hand. The only thing missing was a toilet...
Connor, John's son, even taught Trey how to drive the boat
He's a natural
I think this was the first time that Trey and Randy have fished side by side. Super cute.
Trey loved being in the water. He started with his clothes on...
Then he moved to just his diaper...
Then just went in the buff. Here he had to get out because Randy was trying to catch a fish he spotted. Certainly don't want any stray hooks floating around a nakie boy.
Of course, before we left we had to make s'mores. Trey is in love with marshmallows right now after going camping with Randy, and he especially likes s'mores.
I can't think of a better way to end the summer: sunshine, water, boats, and family. It doesn't get much better than that.
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