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2003-07-04 - 6:40 p.m. Happy Fourth of July! My family-in-laws decided it would be fun to go to Taylor's Falls, a little town with a state park (both on the Minnesota and on the Wisconsin side) full of fun things to do on the Fourth. So we go. Scott and I get up early (for a holiday), get our stuff together (jacket, since it's cloudy, bug spray, sunscreen and lawn chairs), get to my parents-in-law's home and we're off. Jean and Dick (parents) ride in their vehicle since it was so full of bikes, coolers, towels and other paraphenalia that the backseat was down and their rear view was definitely obstructed (like a U-Haul, for cryin' out loud). Scott and I rode with Amy, Mandy and Mike (my brother-, sister- and niece-in-law) in their car. Now, I'm not really a fan of crowding into a car, but this one is pretty decent sized and it was only an hour trip - should be ok, right? I'll get to that later. We drive about 10 mph slower than the speed limit since Amy keeps losing Dick in the rear view mirror and we have not coordinated where we will be in the state park, so we might lose each other there. We get to the park, finally find a picnic spot and have our picnic. So far so good (thank the lord above for deet, though, or I'd be writing this in a West Nile induced haze). Then we don't have garbage bags, and for some reason the state of Wisconsin does not have them in their parks. WTF? Everyone has garbage. Weird. So, we play a little volleyball. Fun, although I am out of shape - hopefully that explains the funny pop my hip did at one time and which tylenol is currently helping with. We sat around in the shade, drinking some diet coke and talking. Good. Then we have to go to the beach. Yuk. It's ok, though, although everyone in the group gave me a funny look when I brought the chairs along (I don't want to sit on the wet ground if I can help it) and insisted on sitting in the shade. Hey, I knew I was already burnt. So was Amy, and she should be thanking me right now (I know her skin is). Then we go home. In the car. Without air conditioning. It's ninety degrees out. Noone but me has their window down. Now I am sun and wind burned. We get to Jean and Dick's home where it is the same temperature inside as out. At least outside there was a breeze. I feel bad, because I got a little crabby at that point. I can only be so hot for so long before I get crabby or get heat stroke. Since the only beverages of the day had sugar or caffeine, a little dehydration was happening as well. A couple of glasses of water in me and sitting in their basement helped tremendously. Having a sensitive husband helps even more. I think he knew I was on the verge of tears, explosion or maybe a little of both. I love that man! We left in very short order. Of course, I do think he's crazy because he is out mowing the lawn right now. I came into air conditioning and took a shower. I feel so much more like a person. A sunburnt person, but still a person. Until later.
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