What a Trip - Part 2

Our front porch and morning coffee haven- Relaxation Central

The Chosen Family

My wonderful son Wes. He makes me awfully proud to be his father.

My younger son Alex and his friend Mike Brown - Both Naval Academy "Firsties" or seniors graduating in May 2010.

Me - obviously enjoying myself at the beer tasting tent

Hi All,

3p Thursday 17 September 2009

If you have not read part one - stop now and go to it below then come back to this post.

I left off that I had surprised Ann and Dave. That was my arrival night, Thursday 3 Sept. Naturally I was exhausted from the long flight and I had barely closed my eyes - in my own bed- when I was fast asleep. Christine had Friday off so we took our good time getting up and had coffee on the front porch. My it was wonderful and soooooo relaxing. GG our dog was right at my feet and had actually jumped up on the bed that morning and kissed me awake - she was just as happy to have me home as I was to be home. Christine and I enjoyed our coffee and made up out to-do list for the day which included helping Dave and Ann get the final touches of the beer Fest set up. Chairs/tables out and washed, food prep along with last minute beer buying etc.

We got cleaned up and went down to Ozzie's where Christine works and surprised Linda. For weeks Christine had been fretting over where everyone would be sleeping in the house. We ended up with 3 less than she thought in the end - but she had been complaining to Linda about where she'd put everybody. She walks in ahead of me and starts to complain about another person needs a place to sleep and where was she going to put him - Well Linda goes into comfort mode and Poor Christine blah blah. I slip around the door asking "Where was I going to sleep?" Well she SCREAMED when she saw me so much she even scared Christine and the other employee. It was a joyous occasion. (I must be able to make woman scream - is that a good or bad thing? ) ( I guess it would be better if they were screaming out my name during you know what HAHAHA)

Well we visit for a while but it was off to do our chores. We then headed down to Ann and Dave's and put in a long day getting the Fest ready. Poor Dave worked with a bum knee and was limping around all day - I could empathise with him like no one else could. We left there mid afternoon and returned home to clean up and get ready for the rest of the day. During this time, Christine had been keeping tabs of Alex's trip back from Annapolis with his friend Mike Brown as they were coming for Beer Fest as well. We knew he was due in around midnight. For the life of me , I don't remember where or what or if we ate that evening for dinner - but I do know we returned to Ann and Dave's with more beer and we started the Beer Fest a day early with some marvelous selections of craft beers. We got home later that evening and the jet lag was kicking in so I went to bed.

At midnight - almost on the dot, Alex and Mike arrived. Christine gets out of bed and greets them. Christine tells Alex she needs him in the bedroom and just as he enters the room , she flips on the light - now he sees a figure stirring under the sheets and I rise up and throw the cover back saying Hi Son ! Alex Screams - Clasps his head with both hands in wonderment and then literally leaps on top of me yelling Dad ! Dad ! He gave me some huge hugs and kisses and is just incredulous that I had returned. He was so surprised and happy. Poor Mike is standing there not knowing how to act. It was a wonderful moment and I can still see it.

The next morning is Beer Fest Day with last minute cooking to accomplish. My sister Ann and Dad are to arrive about noon. They get there in separate cars as Dad was coming from Chicago and then going to Pittsburgh after the party. Christine gets Ann to the bedroom and I'm hiding in the bathroom - She tells Ann to go turn on the light and she'd be right in . Well Ann turns the corner and ( yes you guessed it ) she screams too then hops up and down just screaming like her name was just called on "The Price is Right" and she got to "Come On Down."

Well Dad being hard of hearing - doesn't hear the commotion at all. He's in the living room talking to Christine, Alex and Mike. Ann joins them and I slide up and just stand beside him and with my hand on his shoulder. He casually looks at me then realizes what he is seeing - OO OO OO - was all he could say - we embrace and it was great to have my Dad back home. SO now everyone is properly surprised and we get our last minute stuff together and head on down to the Beer Fest to surprise the rest of the Chosen Family. I say Chosen Family as it is a saying that Drew coined - we are born into families and we have no choice on who they are -but we choose our friends and they are our Chosen Family. Well put Drew.

Well the same routine is hide in the van - get them distracted with other things and I slide up to surprise. They got Drew and Vickie cornered and engaged in a conversation and I came from around the food tent and Dad told me Vickie said - " Am I seeing a ghost? " well of course she wasn't and she leaps into my arms while Drew is just standing there and laughing on how they got fooled. Our friend Gary was inside cutting potatoes for the fryer and Sam set him up. I came in and Gary just dang near killed me with his bear hugs and smiles. We had a good time just laughing and it was off to get a beer in to my hands and to watch for the arrival of other Chosen Family members.

I was helping Tim - our conspiracy theory friend from Tennessee set up the Beer Tasting station when we decided it was time to take a break and go for a walk to the Point. This is where the original road between Louisville and St. Louis passes over the now demolished Blue River bridge.( this is such an old road that the next location on the road is know as Stage Stop - so you can figure how old this road actually is) On the way back, We learn that Tom and Julie had arrived and Christine was escorting Julie out to the Point to find the rest of the crew. Well I hid behind Tim and she sees everyone then says - "Who's That" I step out from behind Tim saying "Who Do You Think It Is" and her reactions was " Noooo Noooo" she just couldn't believe it. Everyone kept telling me that they enjoyed being in on the secret and then watching for the reactions of those being surprised. Well we move off to find Tom and he's over by the beer tasting tent and I sneak up on him. He looks at me and then looks twice and then embraces me as well. He doesn't give a big whoop or much reaction - just OK Scott's here so we can get the party started and where's the beer ! My Kind of Guy. Beer first.

The next of the Chosen Family to arrive is Kevin and Lisa. I'm hiding in the food tent and Lisa is on her way to it with a big tray in her hands - I tell Alex to go rescue the tray before it lands on the ground and he takes it from her and walks into the tent with it. She follows to help get it out of the container. Alex sets it down and slides back, I slide in and I say let me help you - she's still looking down and she says- No that's OK , I repeat my offer and she looks up at me and literally looses it. Screams, hugs and kisses flowed. She screaming -Oh My God, Oh My God (OK getting close to women screaming out my name - Note to self - change name from Scott to God) Kevin of course has been clued in by now so his surprise was not the same. As I leave Lisa to see Kevin, Lisa says Kevin will probably think I saw a snake or something. The first words out of Kevin's mouth were "I thought she saw a snake"- Too Funny.

Well the last people to be surprised are Rick and Cathy. Unfortunately this is not a happy moment for anyone as Rick had just learned 3 weeks earlier that he was in stage 4 of pancreatic cancer. His health was deteriorating rapidly and we all knew this would be Rick's last Beer Fest. Rick and Cathy had just returned from a wonderful vacation in Mexico when it became obvious something was wrong. They were to be married the following weekend after Beer Fest but he passed away early Monday morning. We buried Rick on Friday Sept 11. I was honored to have helped carry his casket to the grave site. For those who don't know Rick, he was a Marine, a hard driving, cigarette smok'n, guitar playing, crusty voiced singing, Harley riding, Corvette car hauler and one of the nicest guys you could imagine. He didn't deserve this - who does, but at 57, it comes as a hard blow to us all. We miss him and ache for his presence among us.

Well before I get to choked up,

Rick and Cathy arrive and I'm stunned to see the change in him as is everyone else. We greet and he's surprised and very much pleased that I came back. Cathy is a walking zombie and she's just as fragile as Rick. However, Rick had a good day and we all posed for the Chosen Family picture which I have posted.

I will end here for this post but there is more to come. Later my friends

Love Scott