If you read my trip reports from last December’s Disney trip, you might recall this nugget:
This has really been a tale of two trips – the parts where Aly has “been a shit”, as my mom used to say about me with some regularity – sorry mom, but it’s true, you did say that about me a lot, and I’m sure deservedly; and the parts where we’ve been able to have fun as a family, where Aly has had lots of fun.
In the afternoon, we decided to turn left on M-22 instead of our usual right turn when departing The Homestead, and headed towards Leland in search of more beaches. Using a handy guide to the National Lakeshore provided by the national park attendant when we bought our seven-day pass, we spotted one called simply “County Road 651 Beach” – used our GPS to help find County Road 651, and pulled up to the small parking area on a beautiful summer day.
Rachel called Aly over to show her the Petoskey stone that she just found, and Aly was delighted to have found her first Petoskey stone. You can see the actual stone in question in the third picture, which shall become important in a moment.
We did this scenic drive twice during our stay in Glen Arbor. The first time, Aly was ready for a break and we only stopped at two of the overlooks because crankiness was disturbing the scenery (that’s pouting in the first picture). It’s a pretty drive even if you can’t stop and get out of the car. The first overlook gives a view through the trees of both Glen Lakes. The next overlook includes the Dune Climb, as well as panoramic views across at least 180 degrees.
We had a chance to take some pictures downtown after meeting with Santa, even though it was bitterly cold and windy on this day. No coats on our kids, though – that would ruin the pictures, wouldn’t it?
Note the attractive photographer in the reflection
The day began with a DEFCON 2 Aly meltdown, so we ended up skipping MK this morning and giving her some down time in the room while I grocery shopped. I can’t believe we’ve been in Florida for three days and no MK yet, but such is how your life changes when you successfully (open to interpretation, of course) procreate.
i was going to accuse him of sending me viruses again, but i figured that was not the best way to act with him if i want to someday gain his virtual friendship
http://blog.ifttt.com/post/9919161101/ifttt-is-alive
This is a REAL KILLER APPLICATION! I am surprised by the lack of attention from the geek tech sites. IFTTT really helps herd the internet cat cluster-fuck!
Dear Mom and Dad,
I think I owe you an apology. Probably more than one, really, but this will have to do for now. They say it takes a big man to apologize, and I think I’ve got that part covered. It takes an even bigger man to admit his mistakes in person, but sheesh, I’m not Andre the Giant. This is the apology letter that I will never write to you directly, but will instead publish on the internet so I feel better about myself without actually having an intimate conversation that would require acknowledging real feelings or generating any resolution for you. My chosen online peers tend to affirm whatever I post, so this seems like a surefire winner for my self-esteem, which I know is what you would want for me, if you were around to read this. Not that you’re dead, just that you won’t see this since we’re not Facebook friends.
That’s probably the first thing I should apologize for – I’ve always talked down Facebook so that you wouldn’t join and I’d have the awkward situation of deciding whether to accept your friend request or not. “I’m not sure Facebook is for you, Mom, I think you need a .edu email address to get an account.” Sorry, that was pretty selfish of me, feel free to join Facebook anytime, though I’m not sure that Facebook is open to retirees yet – probably soon though!
