Encampment '19

What's up, gang.

So this weekend, Kris and Courtney took Abby and the rest of the Girl Scout troop up to some random campground for the annual Girl Scout Encampment.  It's like Boy Scout Camp, except waaaay toned down.  They go on hikes through the woods, shoot BB guns, do a shit-load of arts and crafts, and get to sleep in large cabins in the woods.  Probably learn about different animals and what-not, I don't know.

Abby and Allie, on the way to Encampment

.Alayna, who is no longer in Girl Scouts (she had enough of it and didn't want to do it anymore), and I, therefore had the weekend to ourselves and got to do whatever we wanted.  One can't go too crazy with an eleven-year-old, but we did the usual:  bought a bunch of junk food and snacks, rented a few movies, went out to eat a few times, etc.

Anyway, I'm gonna do my damnedest to caption these pictures Kris took from this year's big Encampment trip, but I warn you in advance:  I wasn't there for any of this.

Enjoy. . .

Okay, so that's Allie - one of Abby's friends - along with two other members of her troop.  Although, looking at these doo-rags, I wonder if they're some sorta gang.  Like the Lil' Crips or something.

I have a feeling we're going to be a lot of selfies in this post.  Call me crazy.

Danielle, randomly hanging out with Lonnie's kid.  I always forget that chick's name.

Making some sorta craft in what appears to be a large bunkhouse. . . ?

Ella and Abby, doing something with duct tape.

. . .oooooh, okay.  They made handbags out of duct tape.  Whatever floats their boat, I guess.

The Troop, assembled.  If you've followed this blog at all over the last few years, these are the same kids who have been together since they were in kindergarten, so there may be some familiar faces here or there.

The next morning, multiple troops assembled out in the woods for a flag ceremony.

Ella is not amused.

Those chicks better not let that shit touch the ground, that's all I'm saying.

Who knew one could have so much damn fun during the Pledge of Allegiance. . .

Meanwhile, back in Midland, Yours Truly snapped this pic of some fall foliage - and a flashy Ford Focus - before heading off to the local record store (Radio Wasteland) for some morning shopping.  It's awesome having a kid who's old enough to stay at home on her own - God knows that chick loathes record shopping.

Chow time.  Can you imagine how much it would suck to be forced to eat a meal at this table?  Good grief. . .

Look.  More arts and crafts.

What the hell is this?

This looks nice and safe. . . frickin' sharp toothpicks all over the damn place.

Jumping 'rope' with some twisted up garbage bags.  Way to go, Girl Scouts.

Sent this pic to Kris halfway through the day, knowing she'd be losing her mind by this point in time in the weekend (dealing with that many damn kids running around screaming, freezing cold in the woods. . . that sounds like Hell to me.)  Mixing this type of vodka with apple cider, and then heating it up, is one of her favorite fall drinks.  And then, of course, there's a dog thrown in, for good measure.

Checking out a shooting range. . . 'cause what could be better than handing a bunch of guns to a Girl Scout troop?

(They're BB guns, but still.)

Shooting BB guns is so much fun. . . kinda jealous.

Pretty sure this was Abby's first time doing this. . .

Time for a hike through the woods. . .

I wonder how many kids they lost on this trip?

I guarantee you some stupid kid fell into this pond.  No question about it.

What is that, a stump that's been carved into something?

Abby points out. . . a birdhouse?  What is that thing?

Seriously, what the hell are these things?  I'm so f***ing confused right now.

Heading down the Stumble Stairs.

These walkways remind me of our hike up in Tahquamenon Falls. . .

After I came back from the record store, Alayna and I ran a few errands, picking up groceries, buying some costume stuff, and checking out more Halloween decor.  I bought a string of these super-bright - and super-fragile - vintage-looking orange lights from Target.  After stringing them up, I immediately decided to buy two more strings in order for them to go around the entirety of the dining room.

Cleaned out the garage and got it slightly more festive for an additional hang-out room for our upcoming Halloween party.  The guys like busting out a game of poker sometimes, so I figured since we have furniture in the Study now, they'd need additional space.  All it takes is a space heater (which we own) for this garage to be a fully-functional social room.

For dinner, Alayna settled on Chinese food (she always gets to pick when it's just us - I think that's in the Parenting Bylaws.)  I googled local Chinese joints in town and this one came up as the highest-rated. . . and it was an all-you-can-eat buffet-style restaurant.  I'd have to be pretty stupid indeed to not pull the trigger on something like this.

We gorged ourselves on awesome Chinese food for, like, twenty bucks.  I'm definitely eating at this place again.  Holy crap was it ever good.  Probably not something I should do often, though, or else I'd weigh like 400 lbs.

Look - they donated stuff.  No frickin' clue.

- Brian

Halloween Pre-Season

Abby pouts her way through Halloween City.

What's up, CyberSpace.

We got an early jump on the whole Halloween thing this year.  I mean, really early.  Like, mid-September early.  After a month and a half of drudgery, we needed a frickin' holiday to look forward to.  Aside from Christmas and St. Patrick's Day, Halloween's the biggest thing this family of ours does.

So a week or so ago - since we're weirdos and 'cause it was Saturday and we just don't give a f*** on Saturdays in this family - we dug out all our old Halloween decorations out and began sprucin' up the ol' homestead:

Abby the Witch.

This year, they decided to utilize the big, vacant building next door to the Guitar Center I frequent to house a Halloween City.  They did a few years back, but haven't since, so this was welcome news, since it's literally a two-minute drive from our garage to their parking lot (I could jog there, and that's saying something.)

Of course, they're not getting a lot of traffic yet (we actually showed up before it was officially opened and were turned away by puzzled employees who most likely wondered why anyone in their right mind would want to costume shop in the middle of September), but we go back once and awhile to shop around for ideas and decor for the house.

Played with resin-molded cat skeletons.  Of all of the things in the store to pick up and obsess over, this is what my kids were interested in.  They threw a fit when we told them we weren't buying them.  I guess we've raised psychopaths, who knows.

Kids in a Halloween costume shop?  Utter chaos.

As it were, both girls want to dress up as cats for Halloween this time around.  Kris and I were really expecting both girls to want to go as Elsa from Frozen - because that movie, for whatever reason, is straight-up crack for little girls - but we fortunately were able to dodge that bullet.

Abby busts a move in the middle of the store.  Like usual.

Cat costumes are pretty cheap and easy to throw together:  buy a pack of accessories (ears, tail, maybe a collar or some furry gloves to wear), dress the kid up in a leotard or tights or whatever, and draw a nose and whiskers on their face.  Booya.  There's your cat.


Kris and I could think of many shittier things our kids could've requested this year.  We gladly pounced on the cat idea.

Anyway, I'm sure there'll be more to follow as Halloween season heats up (or cools down, whatever sounds more weather-appropriate.)

Stay tuned. . .

Abby wants to go as a white cat this year. . .

Alayna as a black cat.

- Brian