drive-in
The drive in, part 2
For those of you paying attention out there in cyberspace… you may remember that we had failed at an attempt to go to the drive in a couple of weeks ago.
The Sunday, the final day of last week's RCGA (Royal Canadian Golf Association, btw) junior tournament at Sutton Creek, everything was going smoothly. All 24 volunteers showed up (early!), and after 3 days of experience, I was confident that the tourney would end without a hitch.
I would have like to stay until the end, and see all the kids and the volunteers (no, I didn't have to wear the pretty red aprons, only 14 volunteers had that privilege…) come in, but William and I had planned another trip to Grand Bend to go to the drive in!
I left the course around 2:30, and had a quick nap. Billy and I packed up and again stopped at A & W on the way to Grand Bend. He did not have a Papa Burger.
I love the drive in, but I also love the drive to get there… the highway part isn't my favorite, I love the tiny little towns we pass… This is Cobbett's Corner…
Here's a closer view of the 'gas station'…
Seriously, the village boasts 7 houses and a 'community centre'… I guess a place where the 20 residents can gather…
We arrived 'without incident' at the drive in around 7:20… the doors (well, gates really) open at 8pm and the movie starts at 9:45pm. We were proud to be the first in line.
A few cars were arriving closer to 8pm… William was playing DS and I was reading a book, when all of a sudden, 'BAM' on the side of his truck! What the? Hmmm… it was Johnny Barker! Our camping friends (Shelley & Hailey)! The guy the golfing benefit was for a couple of weeks ago! What are the odds? They had decided at the last minute to stay at the Oakwood in Grand Bend and go to the drive in! Too cool.
We had a great time chatting in the hour and a half before the movie started…
Both movies were great. We got home around 3:45am…what a great day – life is good!
Let’s start at the beginning
It's a very good place to start…
On Saturday the 22nd William held an event at the golf course to benefit a co-worker who recently battled multiple myeloma… a nasty cancer. They are the couple (they have a daughter too) who are our camping buddies… We had over 50 golfers and more than 90 people for dinner at Sutton Creek.
Although the staff at Sutton really knows their stuff when it comes to tournament planning – it's still quite a bit of work… securing donations, getting golfers, keeping the track of the money – of course very well worth it. We had some awesome people donate prizes and gifts – people who didn't even know the couple! So very generous and appreciated. The weather delayed the start by half an hour, but it turned out to be a great golf outing… I was with Kiki and a couple of older guys and we had a smashing great time on the course.
It was a little hairy during the raffle draw and 'awards' presentation, but I was really proud that William stepped up to do it… he is truly such a great guy.
We raised more money than I expected… it wasn't to cover medical expenses, (gotta love our health care system), but more to help make up the difference in income – he's off until at least the fall, and has only worked sporadically in the last year and a half. I know they appreciated and had a great time as well.
The Sunday after the benefit event was the first of four 'Sutton Opens'. I was at the course at about 7am to sell tickets for me and Kiki's pull cart fundraiser, and I pretty much felt like a bag of poop until 11:00 am… William had a later tee time than me, and he was teased pretty good for his hangover… The format was great (a 'Bramble', taking the two best low net scores) and I couldn't believe the results! All the teams were very close and waaaayyyy under par… I thought our team kicked butt, and we only came in fourth – but we won a few skins had a great time. I golfed with 'Fabulosity' and despite my hangover had a great time.
William and I came home from the Sutton Open and crashed for a couple of hours, then packed up (pop and chips, window cleaner, pillow, blanket, sweaters, book, the DS, etc… and headed to Grand Bend for the drive in! Woo hoo! Shrek 4 and Iron Man 2! We left at 5:30, so perfect as we had to stop for gas and dinner at A & W – gates open at 8pm, so we had plenty of time.
The Papa burger (okay burgerssssss) started to not sit well with William and he no choice but to pull over on the side of the road and enjoy a little nature if you get my drift…
Oh how I laughed! 'Walk of shame!' I know he was suffering, but it was pretty darned funny!
We were about 10 minutes from the drive in and William had to stop again – this time at the Tim Horton's in Park Hill… I think he appreciated the indoor plumbing…
We turned onto the road for the drive in and saw the cars… tons of cars… We knew it would be a busy night, as it was the night before Victoria day (aka: May 2-4) and holy crap – the drive in was packed at only 8:20…
we got in a line of a few dozen cars, and then out came the owner with a bull horn… he was smiling ear to ear… Sold out. Go home. Turn around and drive the 2 hours home… all because William had a bad belly.
Oh how I laughed! Classic! I'll never forget that drive in experience!
Really though - William is so busy at work right now, and we're both so involved at the golf course – it was great to spend that time with him. Won't forget that week-end ever!
Back
We're back.. a day early. There was entirely too much rain… we did get really lucky though. It was beautiful when we walked in the Maitland, and the next day on the walking path, at the drive-in and during meal times. Whew! But seriously when it's thunder and lightening and HAILING it gets a little old. The poor pooch was not happy. She was either wet, in the trailer or having a marvelous time.
It's good to be back….
– because I like having dry and clean feet
– I'm not a big fan of campground showers or toilets
– I like my bedding to be soggy free
– as I enjoy cold beverages without worrying about the ice situation
Here are some pics…
Halia swimming and liking it!
Because of the rock bed, the water looks golden.
I'm sure it was some elusive mystical serpent that was frozen in time by an evil witch or warlock… I have to stop reading children's fantasy novels…
Proof I was camping, in Goderich, with my husband and dog.
At the drive in with Billy (Bert, Fred, Michael, William) Shelley and Johnny B.
On the Menesetung bridge. There were a ton of people fishing below.
There are a few wind farms north of Goderich. There are very cool and gentle looking.
Halia really wanted some of Billy's ice cream. At one time, her head was resting innocently on his shoulder.
Poor poochy was very tired on the way home. She fights it like a little kid… falling asleep while sitting up, then jerking awake… She gets that from Billy.
Sheesh
Three days since my last post! Where does the time go?
Let's see… Friday I golfed in our Ladies 18 hole league and played like a donkey. Great. Friday night Billy and I were treated to dinner at the Keg by MomG and it was awesome, (hello blue cheese fillet…) except I felt pretty crappy all day long and it resulted in a migraine that I was sort of able to stop before it was too intense. It was weird. It was a sight based migraine, (for those who suffer from migraines you know what I'm talking about) and usually mine are smell or scent related. Strange.
Yesterday was mine and KimF ladies match (or as I learned actually 'medal' play… there is a difference) against two pretty good golfers. One who pretty much had the game of her life yesterday, but luckily for me, so did KimF… she also won her individual ladies match. The only contribution I made was a birdie on #8 for a net 1, and a par on 15 for a net 2. That was pretty sweet. It came down to literally the last putt on the last hole… which I missed, but KF made hers so we won by one stroke with a net 63. That's a damned good score in case you don't know… whew!
It was so much stress, not because I so badly wanted to win, but because I didn't want to let KF down… if we tied and had to go play extra holes, we would have been blown off the course due to weather, then they would use 'retrogression' to determine the winner (best holes starting with the last one played) – we would have then lost the match, as KF and I both sucked a bit on the back! Whew!
Billy was at the club so we had a couple of drinks, went home and participated in Rib Fest 2008 (just ribs for dinner, no sides… I felt like Fred Flintstone…) and watched Narnia (we had never seen it before, and I had just read the first 2 books in the series, and the second movie might be at the drive in this week-end… so…) We started to watch No Country For Old Men… it was disturbing to say the least, I had read Cormac McCarthy's The Road, so I knew this one would be equally warped… but my body said No More with about 20 minutes to go. Billy watched it and this morning asked me to finish watching the rest so I could explain it to him… I was like uh… wah? I hardly knew what was going on! Silly man.
Today is Dian's shower and I'm having a vegetable issue, so I'll be late to help set up. I'm sure there will be enough people, but still… stress! guilt! Arg!
I'm really looking forward to this coming week…. (it helps that today I feel better physically than I have in a week, despite less than 4 hours sleep last night)… I have a 7:07 tee time tomorrow with KF, (play ahead for while we're camping) ladies 9 hole league, camping and all the fun that entails as well as a potential trip to the Bend and the drive in.
Awesome, life's good!
A word about the week-end
Okay, more than 1 word…
Friday I was pretty tired from driving all day… how that tires one out, I'll never know… anyways… we pretty much lounged about, and that was nice.
Saturday Billy skipped golf and we had a bunch of things to do around the house. He washed and waxed both vehicles, while I vacuumed and cleaned the inside of the car, and did laundry.
We ate dinner, packed up some snacks and drinks and yes, went to the drive in in Grand Bend… of course we tossed the futon mattress in the back of the pick-up!
I know, I know, to drive for 2 hours to see 2 movies at a drive in, but we totally love it! It was packed as the movies were Indiana Jones and Iron Man (both were really good, pleasantly surprised by Iron Man's awesomeness…) We guessed that there were well over 1,000 people there, many left after the first movie…
The first movie didn't even start until after 9:30, and the second was done around 2 am I think. We decided to be complete redneck losers and catch some z's on the side of the road somewhere between Arkona and Watford (aka: nowheresville and Home of the Silver Stick…).
The most ridiculous part of the entire adventure was us waking up and wanting to leave, (have to pee!) and discovering that there was a guy reading a paper in a van about 10 feet from us… Oh well, suck up the fact that we're losers… we crawl out of the back just in time to be completely busted by another guy in another van pulling his golf clubs out of the back. He laughed at us. Figuratively, seriously; I was mortified (but only for like 2 seconds… then it was pretty funny…) I know I would laugh pretty hard if I saw two ratty looking people crawling out of the back of a pick-up at 6:30 on a Sunday morning…haha
When we got home, Billy and I pretty much showered and went and golfed 18 holes (golfed okay… I am now sporting a fantastic farmer's tan…) then went to MomG's for prime rib. Delicious, fun times.
So, how many of my friends would sleep in the back of a pick-up on the side of the road? At age 34 3/4? I don't know if any would, so am I super classless? I don't think I care about that anymore. It was fun and one of the best week-ends ever! I love my life!
LG 