As we loom ever-nearer to the oncoming Fall and the cold weather that will be quickly behind it, I have no doubt that I will utterly regret the month of August 2008. After the incredibly busy month of July during which I spent two entire weeks traveling in Europe, followed by five days back at work, and then another seven days on the road traveling Michigan, Ohio, and Pittsburgh with my friend Bob, I was simply ready for a nice long rest – so I regrettably spent the bulk of the last major Summer month indoors.
It was nice though to catch up on some DVD’s, alternating between my ABC movies (Melinda and Melinda, Flags of Our Fathers, Going My Way, An Inconvenient Truth, Jitterbugs, The King of California, The Lost Weekend, and Why We Fight) and working on finishing up some seasons of TV shows on DVD that I had earlier started. This is virtually all I did for the first couple of weeks after my return from the road trip.
I worked for a couple of hours on Saturday, August 9, so had spent the night at my Mom’s the night before (although she and Bob – along with Ashleigh and Derek - would just be returning from Myrtle Beach on Saturday). I holed up in the cool basement with the TV show Wings, a bag of McDonald’s food, and the pool table for the night. The eats would also be gliding down freely this month.
Jackie and I struggled with issues all month, especially beginning that very Saturday when I got back from work. We were up and down for the next few weeks, but did not see each other for nearly the entire last week of the month. The few memorable good times during the month – and the only events worth reporting - are some of the times that we were together.
On Saturday night, August 16, we went back over to our friend Heidi’s house for another campfire. As usual, it took Jackie and her talent to get the fire going. We had a great time hanging out outside at the house two doors down from my former residence. It always brings back good memories to be here – both of my childhood home and from my friendship with Heidi in high school.
Very proud of my weiner
Jackie and I actually get outdoors
Heidi and me
The lovely Heidi and Jackie duo make eyes at the cameraman
In fact, after it got late and the wine had been flowing, I made the suggestion that we visit another iconic location from my youth - the woods behind my house. So at 1:00 in the morning, we set out to explore the woods using nothing but a lone flashlight. Boy the woods sure looked different, especially since we couldn’t see anything in them! But seriously, it was much overgrown and although I was able to maneuver us to a couple locations that I remembered well (pictured below) by following the creek, there was one point where we actually did get lost for a few minutes and it almost turned into The Blair Witch Project. Fortunately we recovered our senses and made it back with only a few scratches from the annoying brambles and those all-too familiar burrs on my socks.
A wee hour stroll leads me to the familiar bent tree coming out of the creek back in my old woods
It was not easy to balance on the old fallen tree that I had so often climbed as a punk kid
The ‘scary flashlight face’ effect doesn’t work so well with a flash camera
Jackie’s mysterious disembodied head
Despite the incredibly late nate, the next morning we got up relatively early in order to meet Jackie’s family at the Eagles (another memorable spot from my youth) at 11am for a Sunday morning breakfast gathering. They were celebrating the birthday of their family friend John DeClark (DeClark’s at Town and Country) and so Jackie’s Mom treated us all to some great bacon and eggs…and Grace’s leftover pancakes.
John, me, Jackie, Grace, Jackie’s Mom Evie, and her brothers Jeff and Jay enjoy breakfast at Eagles
The next Saturday, August 23, Mom hosted another game night / cookout at her house. Although Jackie and I had had another flare-up the night before, skipping out on visiting Heidi’s house again for another campfire, she and I did go to this event…our last together. Also joining us were Grace, Christi, and Creed. Since we had missed out on Heidi’s the night before, we stopped there on the way so I could drop off a disc of photos from our campfire night. Ashleigh and Derek came to Mom’s later after she got off work.
The game night was fun, although Jackie wasn’t feeling well and crashed early in the night. The only game I actually played was cornhole. Although Mom and Derek miserably defeated Christi and me, it’s always a good time to toss those beanbags. All of the standard cookout / game night ingredients were there: hamburgers, hotdogs, cornhole, and campfire – as well as a decent turnout that included Grandpa Murphy, Diana, Denise, Adam, Bev & Ed, Susan & Charles and the boys, Karen and her kids, Darlene, and Zac.
Dad also came a little bit later and since it was his birthday the day before, we gave his gifts to him here. I got him the DVD of Beverly Hills Cop and a completely immature and inappropriate DVD set of wrestling’s greatest steel cage matches, which I’m sure he’ll eat up. Then I can borrow it. My family posse spent the night there, with my entourage consigned to the basement.
Adam struggles to compose himself from the post-naptime blahs and prepare for game night VI
Creed dips his toe in the lake
Grace and her Mommy. Grace always held my hand when we walked to the lake, because that’s what we did the first time we walked there at night
Denise, me, and the erect lighter. Christi looks like a wart growing out of my shoulder.
Life-size Christi and me
A final shot of Jackie and me before she turned in
Mom, Adam, Denise, Diana, Bob, Grandpa, Karen, and Abby. Everyone seems to either have their eyes closed or their mouth full.
Bev and Andrew, who is up to no good as usual. Sammy scampers by in the background.
Creed joins Grace in some doll-playing. Sissy.
Grandpa points to his youngest grandchild
Dad and I proudly display the Blood Bath DVD
Derek and Ashleigh on the living room floor the morning after
And that was that. I have only seen Jackie one time since then and we decided on August 30 that it was time to call it quits – at least for the time being. For reasons I won’t go into, we just needed to have some time apart. Although at times we had a fabulous relationship and she is a thoroughly wonderful person, hopefully this will give us the time that we each need. Perhaps we will meet again in the future…
As the world turns, 2008 will continue…
Looks like you guys are having a great time. Can’t wait to have a family reunion again!
Sorry to hear that you and Jackie have parted ways. I thought you guys made a great couple…a couple of what…no, just kidding! You two looked really good together, but it takes more than looking good to have a great relationship. Maybe you’ll get back together again.
Amber
September 6th, 2008
I’m so honored that coming over to my house was one of the few things that you did in August.
Heidi
September 6th, 2008
Well, if you’re going to have a wart growing out of your shoulder it might as well be a pretty one.
Did you encounter any lions in the woods behind your old house?
Chris
September 8th, 2008
That certainly is a scary picture, it’s awful.
Jackie
March 12th, 2010