Carolyn, Ashleigh, and I returned from our Bradenton Beach, Florida trip and came back to life as normal and business as usual. We returned to work on Monday, July 25, and we returned to the problems that we were having with Ashleigh at the time. Things were slightly better following our family vacation as Carolyn and I continued with our marriage counseling with Liz, and Ashleigh began her practices with the Beaverettes that she had tried out for and joined in June. But soon enough, we were throwing up our hands once again.
In retrospect, I think Carolyn and I overreacted somewhat, not knowing or understanding how this sweet innocent girl that we had loved so much, could betray us by growing up. Sneaking around with friends and boys just seemed so unlike her and we had no idea how to handle it. We even tried having her go up to Columbus and stay with Briana for a week, thinking this would at least get her away from her friends for a while. She wrote Carolyn and me nice letters and sent them in the mail before returning August 13.
It had put a bit of a damper on the Sons of the Desert tent picnic on August 6, which was quite fun in its own right, being held at my Mom’s house for the first time I believe. We had a grill out and showed 16mm films under the stars, with A Chump at Oxford as our feature.
On August 20, Carolyn’s sister Mel and her husband Brett had a fun first birthday party for their son Brennan. It was held at NCRs Old River park and it was the first time I had been there for many years. They had pizza and I enjoyed playing some minature golf. This is basically where the only photos from this time period were captured.
Birthday boy Brennan
Emma and Alex
This one-year old has a big appetite
With my pal Alex – and as seen at the top of the posting, a sore loser
Carolyn opted not to go with me to an impromptu 15-year Beavercreek High School class reunion held sometime in late August or early September. This one was rather hastily put together and was just a meeting at Wallaby’s bar and restaurant. We had gotten the notice from Julie Jorgenson with a simple request that we just contribute $5.00 to rent out the room. Given the circumstances, the turnout wasn’t all that bad. Unfortunately, I took absolutely no pictures nor have I ever seen any.
Basically, over beer, I socialized with the fellow classmates who had shown up. Of note, I recall that John Pollard was the first person I talked to, followed by Jennifer Grimes (who asked me if I would like to call her by her old nickname that I had administered, Mopp), then Angie Crowder, Cordt Thobaben, Aimee Chopin, Keith Bucholz, and even my old Fairbrook crony Jason Painter. I think I spent the most time with Mopp and Angie and their husbands.
As far as work goes, I was still plugging along at the job that I had accepted at the first of the year as the Point of Sale Coordinator. We did have a couple pleasant diversions around this time, as we held our annual Associate Manager outing in Newport, Kentucky at the Comfort Suites on August 23 and 24. I roomed with co-worker Garry and we had a casino night over much beer. The next day we chose from a variety of activities. I took the easy way out – getting a gift certificate to shop at the Newport Mall where I picked up the DVD of It Happened One Night and headed on home. I also had an additional outing that I attened at the Argosy for the fuel managers on September 20.
Speaking of work, Carolyn celebrated her one year anniversary in August of teaching water aerobics at the YMCA in Beavercreek. She also worked at the annual car extrication class at the Fairgrounds. Ashleigh and I were permitted to attend and break car windows with the best of them.
This gal can cause some damage!
We finished out the summer months with a variety of fun distractions, among them attending the La Comedia performances of Beauty and the Beast and Jesus Christ Superstar, another trip to Indian Lake on September 10, a Murlin family reunion, and my Dad’s car show at the Boonshoft Museum followed by a picnic at his house. Mom, Carolyn, Ashleigh, and I also attended the Pork Festival at the Preble County Fairgrounds in Eaton in September, where we purchased dip mixes, Ashleigh checked out the baby turtles, and we sat on the bleachers eating popcorn watching the world’s worst (and possibly shortest) parade ever.
Ashleigh began her Sophomore year at Beavercreek High School as the summer months drew to a close. We breathed a sigh of relief that she would at least be occupied with school and the Beaverettes drill team. She even went to two Homecoming dances – one with Jason Wenzel, our pastor’s son, and the BHS with a dude named Matt from Carroll High School. Of course her ‘crew’ of friends who were aiding her in all the trouble (Kelly, Ashton, Maggie, Jamey, and Rachel) all went together with her. So ironic that they were all relatively good girls.
Ashleigh’s sophomore school picture
Perhaps as a harbinger of what was to come, Carolyn decided to stay over at her sister Jeanette’s the weekend of September 3rd and 4th. She went over on Friday night and then we met up to attend the wedding of Matt and Jennifer, family friends of Carolyn, in Centerville. They had a nice outdoor service at Benham’s Grove with a fun reception afterward. I tried to get Carolyn to come home that night, but she stayed with Netty and Dustin, who had just returned from Iraq. After that weekend, she did come back – but soon enough she would be leaving for good.
It might not have been the most opportune time, what with the issues going on between Carolyn and me, and between Ashleigh and us, but I chose to take a vacation during my birthday week. It had been eight years since I had been to California and I felt that I deserved this trip – which ended up being quite a good one.
You can read about it here…
Just by the way, that picture is Emma & Alex, not Madi.
Carolyn
April 26th, 2010