Price of gas: $3.75 (watch Ike’s influence)
Stevens Point, WI to Wausau to Eau Claire to Stillwater, MN
Another night of great sleeping at Janie’s… it is sooooo quiet out here. There’s no traffic at all. It’s wonderful.
It takes a while to get going this morning. There’s stuff to dump on Janie from both mom and Aunt Kathy. A delightful fall mobile, a silver purse, a green a white striped apron… don’t you wish you had relations like this? Janie and I start talking music again, and pretty soon we’re trading songs… clearly I need to burn her another CD. Janie loved the Low Stars CD last night. Yay! She’s given me some good music, but I need the names of these bands, I’ll never remember…
Finally out the door, back to the chocolate place (presents) and then to Wausau.
A little family background might be helpful here. Back in the day, we’d come about every-other summer to Steven’s Point for summer fun and playtime on the Wisconsin river, where Grandpa & Grandma lived. Uncle Jim & his kids lived right around the corner – when Matt blasted his music in high school, you could hear it at Grandpa’s, it was that close. Kathy & her family live about a 3-hour drive away. We’d visit the whole family. Maybe it’s because we were closer in age, but we got along better with Aunt Kathy’s kids than with Uncle Jim’s.
When I was in high school, my grandpa died, and I went back for the funeral, stayed three weeks, then drove home with my mom. I was 16 and on my own, so I did my best to befriend the Miller boys, who by then were all in college. For whatever reason, Greg and I started writing periodically. He even sent me a six-pack for one of my college birthdays. We’ve kept in touch over the years more than I have with any of my other cousins. As we’ve all gotten older, I think relations are easier – there’s certainly been way less drinking on this trip than any other family visit – but still, there’s a lot about these people I don’t know.
Wausau is where Greg lives with his wife and two kids. I feel honored that Greg took the day off! Greg and Becky have the most immaculate house with two male youth in it I’ve ever seen – even the kids’ room is spotless. We chat in the kitchen until Becky comes home, and then take off for brats and deep fried cheese curds, as I haven’t had any during my Wisconsin visit. (The kids are at school.) Fortified, we tackle the back yard, camp chairs & pops in hand. I almost manage to drift off for a nap, but Greg keeps me awake. Ah, it woulda been so good. I have to leave almost as soon as I meet the kids to move on to Eau Claire, but at least I get to meet them.
Matt, the youngest of Jim & Bernie’s kids, lives in Eau Claire with his wife Laura and their daughter. The last relation – Jeff, who is second oldest of Jim’s – lives about 5 minutes away, but I can’t reach them, so I don’t get to see him. Matt & Laura’s daughter – in stark contrast to all the other kids – is ecstatic to have a complete stranger come visit. She’s told all of her pre-school friends about having a visitor. She jumps up and down and gives me a hug when I arrive. She tells me she’s going to sit next to me at dinner. She takes my hand when she gets out of the car. I’m in love! What a sweetheart.
I’ve been avoiding politics as a topic with the relations, as it’s just smarter that way. At least of our parental generation, I know full well we disagree on most things and all a discussion would do is cause hard feelings. There have been little thrusts into politics, but very much skirting the edges. It’s a little easier with my generation and both Becky and Matt bring up some fairly direct questions. It’s good to realize that my generation is not entirely of the same mindset of the older generation. That’s all I’ll say about that.
Matt’s daughter cries as I’m ready to go (break my heart) but eventually recovers and gives me a hug goodbye. I help her put a band-aid on her owie, but I think it’s a stalling technique to get me to stay. I’m trying to figure out… if Jenny and Matt are cousins, are their kids second cousins, or third cousins?
75 more agonizing minutes to Kathy’s, and finally in the door close to 10. Apparently there have already been calls going back and forth – Janie has found some of the “stuff” left behind, and my mom has warned Kathy there’s more coming back for her.
Uncle John fills me in on his mining prospecting in Ontario, CA, and then they head for bed while I catch up on emails and Internet. There’s been drama upon drama back home, so I don’t get caught up until around 1 a.m. I start hiding stuff… there’s too much to rely on the time I’ll have tomorrow morning to get it done. I’m just happy to get this stuff out of my car, it’s taken up a bit of space!
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