All roads lead to roam: Friendly Weekend

I socialized twice this weekend, though with the same people both days.

Amanda has been working and back in school and our time together the last few months has been quick texts at 2 a.m., occasional things our kids are at but not one of the other of us, and the infrequent afternoon chat via phone or messenger when she is supposed to be studying. Once, she wrote an entire paper while chatting with me. I think I may have managed to refill my water bottle during that same time frame.

Katy has been up to her neck in soccer and swimming is about to get started again for both families, and though soccer ended just this past week, tryouts for the next season are tonight! With our older kids getting older, our hang out time has become precious! Alex and Emma are working this summer and so is Elan, Chandler and Ben are looking for jobs and Ben has music 3 times a week, Jake is at work 10 hours a day most days and Rho has already moved out.

They, along with Gina and kids, all made it to what was supposed to have been Ben's last concert on Tuesday night (he's since been asked to do a solo performance next month and then the director asked him to stay on with the jazz band through the end of the year). I think he did great! Afterward, Gina had to head home (it did run a full hour over...) and our three families went to eat.

I won't get into THAT fiasco, other than to say that Logan's Roadhouse tried to charge me $10 for a GRILLED CHEESE sandwich and a handful of soggy, cold fries. They said they had no idea how to ring it up. IT'S ON THE MENU. I didn't make up a newfangled food, I just wasn't very hungry and it was after 9, a burger sounded about the same as eating cement and I didn't want to risk whatever might pass as a salad the last 45 minutes the place was open. Anyway, some 30 minutes later, after they changed my ticket from 'club sandwich' to 'fried pickles', we left. I won't be back. It involved 3 of the wait staff AND the manager and was just short of rocket science to not charge $10 for 2 pieces of bread and a slice of cheese. It wasn't even buttered. Birdie ate the SAME THING and it was $5. And that included his drink.

We enjoyed hanging out so much (despite the billing incompetence) that weekend plans were quickly changed around and Katy and family opted to camp on the lake and we met up Saturday for a couple miles of hiking topped off with a couple of hours of hanging in hammocks, chatting and snoozing topped off with dinner at a Mexican place that was super yummy. A multitude of woes can be remedied with hot cheese dip.

Sunday, we met up at Amanda's and swam for a long time, then Sammy's mom and dad took us all out on the pontoon near sunset, a thing I always enjoy. Back at the house, we ate dip-based snacks and grilled and had a very eclectic variety of things. Hot dogs and sausages, pilaf, baked beans, mac and beef... Everything was great, seasoned with copious amounts of earlier sun and lake water and shoveled in between loud board games, dancing children, dads sipping whiskey and talking music, moms plotting the next gathering, dogs splayed all over the deck. Mosquitoes attacking everyone but me...