Holiday
We just spent a few days up at Clear Lake in northern Iowa with my family.We rented a house on the lake, just like we did in Blackduck, Minnesota two years ago, and cruised around on a pontoon while drinking beer and making pathetic attempts at catching fish (except for my dad; he caught fish). We didn’t get to town until almost midnight on Friday, as Chris had a workshop all day and we got caught in some crazy rainstorms that send many a less-fearless driver to the shoulder. Of course, we pull up, and Big Ed is waiting in the street to direct us in, despite the fact that I had received no less than three texts from my sister-in-law about Ed falling asleep in his camp chair. Midnight is really past Big Ed’s bedtime, for reals, but his love for directing parking is limitless.
The house had three bedrooms: one for my parents, one for us, and one for my brother and sister-in-law. My other brother, Jake, got a pullout. I guess when you turn 30, it’s full on Real World rules, because Andrew and Liz snagged the better bedroom since they got there first. When I say “better”, I mean that their bedroom had both a double bed and a door, neither of which Chris and I had. We got child-sized bunk beds in a room with no door. It was like I was in high school and my parents reluctantly said my boyfriend could come on vacation with us but they wanted to make sure there would be no privates touching, ever. Not, you know, like we’ve been married for almost five years, even if Rev Em was the officiant. Fine, if you guys don’t want grandkids, that’s your decision, KIM AND ED.
Also, Kim said that my grandma told her that she read on Twitter that I got fake boobs for my birthday. Grandma, I was being sarcastic. That, or you thought that when I tweeted that I got a part-time job, you thought that the only job I would be able to get on my own was a boob job. I still have the same little boobs, Grandma. Don’t worry. Also, turn off caps lock. I miss you!
ANYWAY, Clear Lake is long-established as a popular vacation spot, the Dirty Dancing of Iowa, if you will, which means there is a hell of a lot less watermelon carrying but some rich people. I mean, there’s totally a town and gown vibe. It feels like every inch of property is a) developed and b) covered in nautical or patriotic decor. We cruised around the lake and gaped at people’s second homes, favorite activity of middle-class people everywhere. Jealousy, we has it. Listen, though, Clear Lake is this totally idyllic, picturesque hamlet. I mean, there’s a town square with a bandshell and on Sunday morning there were legions of people just out and about, NO JOKE having picnics and racing sailboats and riding pegasuses and stuff. The weather was 80° the whole time we were there, maybe even a little cooler at night, and it was heaven compared to the 100°+ humidity of St Louis.
Us? We don’t really do the whole regatta thing. We just drank booze and pontooned around and ate chips and dip. Those of you who were born and raised outside of Iowa are really missing out on the sour cream dip varieties available thanks to Anderson Erickson Dairy. I mean, there’s a whole world out there beyond french onion, and your chips are really missing out. Every now and again we docked at the Marina and went to the Tiki Bar, which, coincidentally, has the best fried cheese curds I’ve ever had outside the Iowa State Fair. They were worth listening to only Jimmy Buffett and country the entire time we were at the bar. This guy just swam up in his jeans, I think.
We also borrowed a friend’s jetski. My mom bought me these boss water shoes that may come in handy should I ever decide to float the River Des Peres.
Have you guys seen those frozen drink pouches? They are called *snort* Dailys, and they are giant juice-pouches with booze in them. They’re totally sugary and headache inducing and full of win. It’s like someone just knew about my struggle to tart up my Capri Suns with a syringe and wanted to grant me a wish. My mom bought me and my sister in-law some while we went shopping at stores that sell things with rhinestones and feathers and animal prints. Kim hooked it up the whole trip. This lady knows how to keep her kids stocked in chips and dip and peach cobbler. Ed, too. The man pretty much took us on a tour of fried cheese curds of the lakeshore and played stellar boat captain.
There are few better feelings than skimming along a lake, the cool wind washing over you, and the sun gleaming on the water. It is pure joy. I felt so lucky that I got to spend a few days doing so with my family.
See the whole Flickr set here.
(On August 4th, 2010 at 4:30 pm)
ha! I saw those pouches in a store the other day and thought of you and your Capri Sun dilemma.