Summer 2017 has been one for the ages. We embarked on an epic month long road trip that took us to Vegas, the top of volcanoes, approximately 13 Chic-Filets, and back in time to when Mindy was in high school. We pushed the limits of the mini-van and the patience of our children. We almost ran out of gas in the middle of nowhere in 110 degree heat and I pulled my hamstring at least twice. The van increasingly got a lean toward the north because of all of the commemorative magnets Mindy collected along the way. We emerged from the exhaust of the journey with a toughness forged by the road and longing to set out again. But I'm getting ahead of myself, let me take you back to the beginning....
The first notable stop on the journey was Las Vegas. We made a point to stop here so Cam and I could partake of the glory that is summer league NBA basketball. This was a highlight of the trip for me and I'm hoping to make it an annual tradition. If you are an NBA fan and haven't done summer league, then your life is incomplete. But, Vegas with children is a totally "different" experience. If you have found yourself late at night, sitting by yourself at a black jack table in Circus Circus then you have also experienced the most depressing place on earth. For the most part, Vegas consisted of a lot of sweating and shielding of little eyes. And the only thing that was won was a stuffed crab from a carnival game. I will say though, that Carter seems to dig the vibe of Vegas. We arrived to the hotel pretty late in the evening and barely even walked through the Casino before heading up to our room. As we were getting ready for bed, Carter leaned back, put his arms behind his head and exclaimed, "so, who's ready to go downstairs?" It's times like these that I'm sure Carter is going to be a blast in college.
After Vegas, we worked our way up to the Sacramento area. The centerpiece there was Mindy's 20 year high school reunion. That night I mostly tried to separate from Mindy, so I could pretend that I had gone to school there and make people uncomfortably question their memories as much as possible. After the reunion, we spent our days exploring the factory infrastructure of greater Northern California. My main take away was that if Miss Grossman could have just gotten Ronald Regan to endorse her stickers instead, then most people wouldn't have even heard of Jelly Beans. For most of you what I just said is gibberish, but trust me when I say that it could be true. By night, we lived a squatters life; persistently taking advantage of the kindness of our friends and family. A genuine thank you to everyone who housed us and took time out to hang out while we were there. People be taking us sailing under golden gate bridges, to Giants games, to botanical gardens, to shooting ranges with handguns designed to kill bears. It was a blast.
After Northern California we made our way down the coast to my old stomping grounds. Everyone but Carter made an afternoon stop at Pizmo beach for a quick swim; Carter found his way to "Fizzmo" beach where he gleefully taunted the ocean until he was shivering too much to continue. We spent a super relaxing week at my families house, where Mindy and I got to sleep in every morning out in a trailer while somebody else cared for our children. During our time there, we swam every day, the Dodgers never lost, and we solved the mystery of the zodiac killer. But I know the highlight of the trip for the boys was getting to play the video game Road Blocks Jail Break with their older cousin. It takes a little while to get used to your children becoming criminalized, but after a bit it becomes quite cute. I mean, how could hearing your 4-year-old talking about stealing a "Lambo" and completing a "heist" at a jewelry store not make you smile? And honestly, I don't even know what a Bugatti looks like, but I do know that allegedly we saw about six on our way back to Texas. And because the apples don't fall too far from the proverbial tree, I will concede that a highlight for me was playing a bunch of NBA2K with my friend. And in reality "Playing" is more of a euphemism for what occurred while I was there; let's just say that I like to envision my friend having nightmares of John Wall relentlessly coming off a high screen and dicing up his defense like a hot knife through butter. That thought really makes me smile.
So, needless to say, it was hard to leave the PS4 behind and head out to Maui to celebrate 15 years of being married to my beautiful bride. Too many incredible moments to chronicle them all, but ones to remember definitely include the lecturing lifeguard, child masseuses, blow hole water parks, and secretly sipping the good stuff from our hydroflasks. Mindy, I always have fun with you and am so blessed to get to share life with you. Here's to the next 15 years and many more awesome vacations.
And then after Maui it was a return to reality. That looked like a 20 hour car ride home. And the next day back to work. But in my heart the vacation never stops. Plus, I learned you can always secretly sip whiskey out of a hydroflask.
Don't make me pull this car over,
Father
PS - Most special thank you to our parents for taking care of our dependents while we were off living the island life. You guys are the best!
Thursday, August 31, 2017
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