Holiday Weekend Recap

How does time escape from me so quickly? I've been meaning to write, but I guess that hasn't gotten me anywhere. So much to catch up on.

Kevin was here for the weekend of the 4th. We did lots of stuff! Friday night we had dinner with Karen and J. Then watched fireworks from afar. The spot we picked didn't allow us to see any one show up close (darn trees in the way), but we did see bits of 4 shows total. As we were sitting on lawn chairs in the back of J's truck (can you say, redneck?) watching the fireworks, I was thinking about this country I live in. With all of the craziness going on in foreign policy, I can't say I was feeling very patriotic. But since it was Independence Day, I decided I should focus on the things I like about the US. The one thing I am very, very thankful for in this country is the Interstate highway system. The one freedom I am so grateful to have is the ability to get in my car and just drive.

Saturday, July 5th, class was cancelled due to the holiday so I made all day plans. Kevin, Mom, Dad, and I drove out of the city and rented kayaks to go down the Brazos River. We drove out to Palo Pinto and rented from Rochelle's right on the river. The trip was about five and a half hours total, but we went at a fairly leisurely pace. It was a fairly eventful trip. We stopped to swim, we had to get out and pull our kayaks in a really shallow spot, we ate lunch in the boats, and we were attacked by a snake!

The snake attack was definitely a surprise. We were stopped in a tranquil, slow moving part of the river to eat lunch. Because most of the property along the river is private, we decided to stay in the boat to eat rather than trespass. (Note to self: when I have river front property, post a sign next to my picnic table on the shore that says everyone is welcome.) So we're eating and talking when I look up, I see this snake slithering along the top of the water right towards us! Mom was the closest to it and she yelled at Dad to do something. I was in so much shock, all I got out of my mouth was "Look!" Dad grabbed a paddle and hit the water near the snake. But much to our surprise, that didn't scare it away! It kept coming. True panic is setting in (and the snake has only been near us for a total of 5 seconds at this point). Dad saves the day by getting the snake on the end of his paddle and throwing it a few feet away from us. The short flight the snake took must have been enough for him, because he slithered up a rock on shore and disappeared. After we all caught our breath, we had a good laugh at how freaked out we all were.

The rest of the trip was uneventful in comparison, but I think we all liked it that way. I really enjoyed being outside in a quiet and calm environment. It is so good for my soul to get out of the city. The neat part is we only drove an hour and a half to get there. Kevin and I are talking about a canoeing/camping trip next time.

Naturally, after spending a whole day outdoors rowing a boat, we were pretty exhausted when we got home. Kevin and I vegged out watching Best in Show and Finding Nemo. Sunday we slept late and enjoyed lunch over at Mom and Dad's. That evening we went to Theatre Three to see "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change." It was a very, very cute show.

Kevin was here until Tuesday morning, so I still have to write about Monday's activities. Unfortunately, tonight is not the night. I'm supposed to be reading about negotiations for class tomorrow. Too bad the reading isn't more engaging or enlightening. School and work are keeping my plate pretty full these days. I'm not complaining though, because I really enjoy what is going on in my life right now. I just need to remember to take time out to relax and slow down. That's definitely on the agenda for Saturday night and Sunday morning.

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