Afterglow 2014 - Day 1 Saturday

The night may be a very dark time for some people (except those who have night vision goggles or living in Alaska) but at Afterglow that is when we really come alive. Just look at the festive apparel that the kids are wearing! And oh my - is that a Sombrero? You damn right it is. That's the symbol of rage. We were rowdy and obnoxious and for some reason Mom didn't seem to mind. Why you ask? It's a combination of vacation (all Moms are cool on vacation) and the drink in her hand. Let loose Ma! Come rage with us!

The Sombrero doesn't make the man, the man makes the Sombrero. In the history of mankind, no stronger words have been spoken. Sure, you'll probably come at me with President Abraham Lincoln's "Gettysburg Address" or Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's "I Have a Dream" speech. In your mind you may be right. Those are important words that transcend generations. But this isn't your head pal. This is mine. And in my head I am right. And on top of my head is a Sombrero, so deal with it. Kevin and Brandon know how to get on my good side. To please the man, you must wear a Sombrero. It's that easy.

If I haven't already mentioned this (I'm too lazy to look), we have an Afterglow checklist. Before we leave at the end of the week we need to do many things. Night swimming is one of those things. Beege and Kevin helped me cross that off on the first night.

When I went night swimming with Beege and Kevin, that was the 3rd time on the day. Stacy and Pinkman showed up and also wanted to night swim, so Kevin and I ended up going for a 4th time. You know what they say - the 4th time is the charm.

We usually play guitars around the fire and lead the assembled masses in some rousing crowd pleasers. But on some nights we just sit and enjoy each other's company. Even though it looks like Beege and the fire are all alone in these pictures, please trust me when I say that everyone else is lurking just out of frame. You are never alone at Afterglow. You surrounded by so much family it's uncomfortable.

Kevin decided that it would be a good idea to burn the t-shirt that minutes ago was wrapped tightly around his head. I'm not one to tell someone what to do, but why did the t-shirt have to suffer such an egregious fate? All it ever did was provide you comfort, warmth and avoidance of ridicule from people who would point at laugh at your naked torso. Where I'm from, that t-shirt is a godsend and a friend. And also where I'm from, we do not burn our friends. It happens I guess. Sometimes when you are full of rage you do not think rationally. Did I say sometimes? I meant always. That's why you need to be old enough to and also have a license to rage. It's the law pal. Don't make me call the cops.

All things must come to an end. That's a sad but true lesson we learn too early and experience too many times in life. The first day of Afterglow was coming to a close, but we decided to go out as we always do - raging on KK. All great days of Afterglow should this way. This was day 1 of 6. There would be plenty of these to come but this will always be special. The first night always is. It is 364 days in the making. So we have to rage proper.