Wednesday, August 16, 2006

The Dells: Days One and Two


Hi all,
Thanks all for your comments in my previous posts. I promise to digest them fully and compose pithy responses as soon as I'm not exhausted, emotionally and physically.

So far everyone is still alive. On Day One I did have to read my mother the riot act and nip some of her bad behavior in the bud before the "vacation" really got off the ground. She cried, which in my mind was a success since it meant she heard me and knew I meant business. It's like the motivational speaker Sigourney Weaver played in Jeffrey: "Now I'VE got the bat!"

Day Two: my niece-in-law Bridget and I spent the day at Noah's Ark, America's largest water park. AWESOME. This water park has everything a reasonable person needs: water rafts free for the taking, sun, good weather, water slides, deep-fat-fried Twinkies, and beer. I'm exhausted from this all day outing, but at least we were away from the crazies, and had some time to chat one on one.

When we got back, I got to listen to my sister-in-law sob about what a jerk my brother Rich is to live with. I was like, DUH! Try being his little brother during your developmental years, and then we'll talk about emotional scars, honey!

I'll try to provide additional stories as the week develops. There are sure to be more tears, further damage to already strained relationships, and possibly a few broken bones.

Love,
CP

10 comments:

jin said...

Good to hear from you!
I was worried you had lost it already & were shut up in a white walled room.....

Gotta say it....
Deep fried twinkies?!!?
UGH! :-P

Melinda June said...

Tell Marg, George, and Bridget hi. Keep finding those delightful diversions from Camp Houck and all will be fine, dear. Three down, four to go.

So did Donna trump your childhood memories with a cancer story?

Dale said...

Only reasonable people go to water parks so you're safe there! It looks awesome.

It ain't a family hoedown until there's tears, twinkies and meltdowns all around...keep going!

Dino said...

Noahs Ark sounds like a great place. So I'd advise when things go bad go back.

echo said...

Water parks are the work of the devil - evil, over-chlorinated cesspools of embarassing moments! Families are the work of the devil! Siblings are...to be regarded with disdain, scorn, and regret for what might have been... If you and G need an extraction unit, let me know, CP. I'm just 100 klicks away...

Dale said...

That's what I meant to say Echo.

Old Lady said...

CeePee! Bring back some cheese!

Anonymous said...

It must be the season for family togetherness - I'm off to the middle of nowhere, Nebraska for a family reunion. 4 days in a cabin with the religious right! I looked on Google and it is 30 miles to the nearest coffee shop. As I am driving down, I decided to bring my own coffeemaker, grinder, beans, etc. I will sit amongst the cornfields and drink good coffee with my sister.

Coaster Punchman said...

J: I know Twinkies are against your religion, but it's amazing what some funnel cake batter and a vat of animal fat can do.

M: I've been keeping close tabs on Donna's stories, and while the C word has not been mentioned this time, she has developed a new theme of childhood abuse by her schoolteacher nuns and her parents. Absolutely everything she says somehow brings her back to that topic. It's scary.

D: Do you know that song "We've Only Just Begun"?

K: I kind of would like to live at Noah's Ark.

E: How soon can you be here?

OL: I've eaten my weight in cheese curds. Unfortunately, they were not deep fat fried, which is a Wisconsin specialty. Try them sometime if you ever get a chance.

TW: All I can manage to say is, Oh, Wendy...

Cup said...

I just returned from a five-day excursion with mi madre. We, however, did not go all glam like the Punchmans in the Dells (didn't you love that song as a kid?). Instead, we went to San Francisco, where any enterprising girl can find a good sale when emotions and mommyisms begin to run high. But maybe we all need a cocktail (or seven) to ease back into our realities.