Afterglow 2016 - Day 3 Monday

 

 

When I awake in the morning and get ready to embrace a new day of Afterglow, I often walk down to the lake to take it all in. Most times I am alone with Mother Nature and my thoughts, but today I was joined by Uncle Dan out in the boat. I waved hello and we exchanged pleasantries. And after he passed by I was once again left alone with my thoughts. But up here, that is not a bad thing.

When I awake and pronounce to the World that I am ready for the new day, I open up the Westerly curtains. This informs Kevin in Cabin #1 that I am ready to spend the day with him. He then makes his way across the makeshift road and enters my cabin with glee. I wasn't yet sure about how my day would start but his started with a journal. I glanced upon the memories past that adorned our fireplace mantle and decided that I was going to create more memories today. And why not? This was the perfect place for it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you are going to start out the day with a beer, why not make it a Rhinelander Shorty? "Made with the original recipe from yester-year, it is a refreshing and malty beer made with only the finest 2-row malted barley and sun ripened hops that create a light and smooth finish." At least that is what I learned from The Rhinelander Brewery. In fact, if they need a spokesman who will work for a case of Shorties a month, then I'm their guy. I promise to spread the good word to anyone within my social circle who cares to listen.

 

One of my favorite things to do at Afterglow (if not my absolute favorite) is to sit out in a boat in the middle of the lake. I try to do this as soon as I get there, lest I forget to do it and have to suffer another year without being enveloped in the true serenity of this moment. Just look at this video and these pictures. How is this not the greatest thing in the entire World? I understand that beauty, good times, opinion, etc. is truly subjective in another man's trash is another one's treasure kind of way. And if you prefer to go somewhere else for your grounded relaxation, then I'm all for it. But I would still like to meet the person who doesn't at least understand the appeal of this place just to try and figure out how they could feel that way. Because I'm not sure that my brain and life experiences allow me the possibility of even considering something like that.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The best thing about Afterglow softball is that everyone can play. Before you think that I am degrading the athletic abilities of anyone pictured here, let me just start out by saying that every last Man, Woman and Child up there is 100x more athletic than I am. And it's not even close. Even a mathlete is better than me on the softball field. But let's not put the focus on me here. What is this - my website?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

  

 

 

 

Home

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There's always a schedule of events at Afterglow. It is adorned to our refrigerator with a magnet when we first arrive on Saturday morning. Most times we don't follow along with the plan laid out before us. But every now and then, we show up for an officially sanctioned event. So was the case for softball today. We changed out of our swim shorts, grabbed our gloves and a few beers and then made the trek up to the KK (also known during the day as the tennis courts/softball field). For it was now time to play ball.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The time had come for a select group of individuals to head on down to the lakefront and immerse themselves in the water. The names may change, but the rage within them always remains the same. Today that group consisted of Kevin, Tommy and myself. When we arrived on the shores in battle mode, we encountered Beege and Dale, both battle ready for the struggle that would be this day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tommy is someone that I think would be good at athletic activity. He's fit, has a good head on his shoulders and he's ready and willing to accept all challenges laid before him. So it kind of surprised me when he flew out softly to short right center. Perhaps I put too much pressure on him by recording his at bat. That has to be it. Because even Hall of Famers only get a base hit a little more than 3 out of every 10 at bats. Maybe I just caught him at one of the times when he didn't successfully get on base.  That has to be it. Because I don't see any other reason for the lack of achievement that takes place in this video.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now Curtis is someone that I wouldn't have picked to be a athlete of biblical proportions. Sure, he's got the body of a majestic Greek God, but that body is rarely good for anything other than raining down fire and brimstone. So when he hit one so far into the trees that only the woodland creatures would be able to find it, I began to wonder if my analysis was correct. Maybe like Babe Ruth, Rob Deer and Matt Stairs before him, it isn't just the most physically fit that can hit them out of the yard. So Curtis did what many people before him at the softball fields did and circled the bases and cemented himself in Afterglow lore. And just like that, the game was over. And we all went on with our lives.