This posting will be the last in the series of ‘missing links’ of 2006. I began the website on September 13 and thereafter chronicled two vacations from the summer that had just ended, but didn’t pick up the time period in the middle, so here I bridge the gap between August 6 and September 12. My Myrtle Beach posting did mention that in between the two vacations I opened our first Marketplace store on July 20 and that Ashleigh attended the NYC (National Youth Conference) week in Colorado of July 23-28. We left for Myrtle Beach the next day. What it did not mention was that Briana spent her first week at Woodland Altars from July 16-22.
Ashleigh and her group, members of Bear Creek, on their last day in Colorado, July 28
I believe that we drove straight through on our way home and were comfortably back at my house on Sunday the 6th. Christi and Creed came over to visit us and our incredible tans that day. It was back to work on August 7.
Briana, me, and Creed on our first day back after Myrtle Beach. Note the ridiculous tan on Sunday, August 6.
Christi on the August 6 visit tries on a derby hat. Creed and I would get our chance in the photo at top.
On Saturday, August 12, we held our annual Sons of the Desert tent picnic at my Mom’s house. We had a great cookout and started our films outdoors at 9pm when the sun went down. This was the third and final picnic at my Mom’s house. The turnout was pretty good with the Sorkins, Rosenfelds, Jenny & Larry, Linda and Carolyn, my boss Sue and her husband Bruce, Bruce’s brother Les and his wife, Ron, my Dad, Aaron & Denise (who was bulging with a little boy inside her belly, who would be breaking forth a month later), and of course Mom & Bob all present. Conspicuously absent (at least from the photos) was George. Bob built one of hit patented bonfires to go along with food and film fun. Among the 16mm movies we featured that evening were Our Gang in Fly My Kite, and Laurel and Hardy in Perfect Day and Pardon Us. We would only hold two more meetings of our tent after this.
Tent members chat by the bonfire
Denise is clearly in her last stages of pregnancy as she looks into Ellen’s fire-eyes
Gene and Dad in some after-dinner conversation
Ron, Jenny, and Anita chat while they wait for the films to roll
Bruce and Sue get comfortable under the stars
Larry Smith, our Keeper of the Celluloid
Aaron entertains Irwin’s granddaughter while Irwin looks on
It seemed as though Ashleigh had been on almost constant vacation since early July, but she had one more to take: with her Mom, Nana, and Briana on a trip to Michigan. She was gone again from Saturday, August 25, through the following week.
Ashleigh, who had now had her license for nearly three months, drives Briana to Joy’s house on Friday, August 24
The next day Christi, Ash, and Briana are on their way to Michigan
While Ashleigh was gone, we celebrated my Dad’s 59th birthday two day early with a dinner at Red Lobster on Sunday, August 20th. Later that week, we had our very last co-manager outing on Wednesday, August 23 – an overnighter in a hotel with a Reds game the next day. I had a good time partying it up with the co’s, but the next morning after a quick breakfast, I reported to work instead of going to the Reds game. Since Sue was unavailable that day, I worked and got a bonus day off at another time.
My Dad wasn’t the only one to have a birthday in August. Bob was celebrating his 50th on August 28th. My Mom threw him a surprise birthday bash on Saturday, August 26. It was a great party that lasted pretty late into the evening. There were lots of friends and family bringing him gifts. I made him a set of 3 CD’s entitled “Bob Is Fifty” – featuring lots of his favorite rock songs, along with some recommendations from me. For the time being, I cannot locate photos from this suaree, although I’m certain some exist. When I come across them, I will add them in.
Labor Day was on September 4. I have no photos or record of what we did on this holiday, but I have a fleeting memory that Mom hosted this again – just a little over a week after the party for Bob. I also recall that this was the last of the Labor Day events that actually took place on Monday rather than the Sunday before.
I had been keeping so busy with my vacations, walking and dieting, soaking up the sun, and being with family that I was comfortably easing my way back into the single life – for the first time since 1994. I was also keeping in close touch with my friend Jimmy. We had decided to move forward with a Laurel & Hardy publication called The Wax Apple. We then decided to put the magazine on hold and start out with a website. We designed this together, but Jimmy was doing most of the leg-work and ‘tweaking’ of the site until it looked right. I began assembling articles for to put up once it went live. In the meantime, I asked Jimmy if he would set up a personal blog for me, so that I might have something to occupy my time and keep me from spending money on eBay and Half.com.
I chose the theme of the blog, and he helped me with some of the odds and ends in its design. I named it The Terrible Catsafterme. I made my first posting on September 13, 2006 – the same day my first nephew was born.
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