Summer Adventures

For the past few years, since we've been living in separate states (or countries), my best friend, Brett, and I have made it a point to get together every summer. We usually try to have some sort of memorable adventure. However, though we can usually remember the adventures, the details of chronology have begun to blur as time goes by. Hence, the need for a short chronicle:

1999 (NYC)

Met in Chicago for a couple days in late April--I with my mom and aunts, Brett presenting at a psych conference.

Went for a week to NYC in mid-May as part of a spring term theatre and dance class (the last class of my undergrad career). Watched a number of Broadway and off-Broadway plays, including Death of a Salesman, Stomp, Fosse, Art, and Cabaret at Studio 54. Also went to a 3:30am opening-night showing of Star Wars, Episode I at the Ziegfeld Theater . Completed the Dark Tower walk, noting the sites and having lunch at 2nd and 43rd (the center of the universe).

2000 (Europe)

Spent much of April at old Theta Chi in Alma.

Most of May, Brett and I backpacked Europe--our greatest adventure to date. Rode the Eurail, and visited Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Hungry, Italy, France, and the Netherlands again. Managed to come in under $25/day for all expenses except transportation. A great many memories in such a short time.

June and July: spent the summer at Brett's doing (or at least, trying to do) webwork and preparing for the move to Hawai'i; worked for Brett's mom out at Glen Lake school; a lot of afternoon Sunfish sailing; Jesse; Jenny got married; Erin; first Wild Weekend.

2001 (Canada)

[Me: Fiji and Australia in early June with my parents.]

Late July: second Wild Weekend. Early August: Canada roadtrip--from TC, up through the UP, across to Montreal, down through northern NY, into Toronto, and back through Alma. Mid August: the week of picking up Steve--the Farmers', Ali's, Steve's. Reunion camp-out at Steve's Quonset in TC after orignal beach camping idea called for rain.

2002 (North Manitou)

[Me: July in Abu Dhabi]

Early August: Camping at Baldy with Katie; legal herb. Sailed from Glen Haven out to North Manitou Island--the Sunfish's final voyage.

2003 (Evening at Steve's)

[Me: Fiji in early June with my parents.]

July: Fateful barefoot Sleeping Bear Dunes hike; cherry "hunny". Going down to see Steve in Ann Arbor, and the evening in Ypsi seeing Adam play, followed by a failure to ride the wave even after 2 hours of nursing it, but coming back for more, and then being oh-so-hungover at the Art Fair.

2004 (Ann Arbor)

July: In Ann Arbor--crashing on Becky's couch; great restaurants and beers; ear candles and Indian-in-a-bag; Frisbee and piglets at the park; Counting Crows and Cake, live; Becky slices her finger (and, meanwhile, Stacy falls down). In TC--Leaves of Grass reunion (except Jenny) at Mabel's; chipmunk in the bear cage.

2005 (Albany)

July: In Albany--The Lionheart; Abbey, Lauren, and Cash; barBQs and my first dinner party; Diablo/Hellfire and D&D ("The Gantry Problem"); Cake and Tom Petty, live; Saratoga horse-racing; the over-valued "Million Dollar" beach and the Lake George hike of the flies; side trips to Boston and Montreal (jeans!); zombie movies.

Early August: In TC--goodbye to the 5th St. house of Brett's childhood and 13 of mine own summers; darts with Adam at Pete's.

2006 (AlbanyII, Boston, TC)

Early July: In Albany--Jackson and Maya; dog-park and river swimming; Matt's pool party; D&D(finished Gantry); Becky's quesadillas.

Mid July: In Boston--me at AAAI-06 conference for a week. Road trip there and back, including a day in Gloucester.

Late July: In TC--Brianne's wedding; days on the beach (with running!) at different points with Becky, Adam, Steve, Michelle, MomII; recovering the firepit; beers in town with Adam; an evening at Long Lake; D&D(thru Triumvirate Keep to portal, past a dragon and medusa into Elsir Vale); renting a 14' sailboat with Steve; a day on South Manitou with my parents and MomII.

2007 (AlbanyIII)

Late June: In Albany--barBQ at Matt's; the Wii is introduced.

Early July: In TC--a yellow sports car rental; frequent evenings at the Loading Dock with Adam, Steve, Pete; Wii; Mackinac Brewing Company with Adam and Steve ("balls and all"); Jenny and little Claire; Fishtown sandwiches; sailing with Adam; Brett's blue honu tattoo; D&D(taking out Skull Gorge bridge).

Late July: In Albany--music in the park; Oliver's (Beast and Samael); Wii; Holly and Brian's; smoking on the fire escape (and dancing in the kitchen); kayaking on the Mohawk; movies, Firefly, and Six Feet Under; D&D(evacuating Drellin's Ferry); CarnEvil and mini-golf with Charlie; road trip to the Atlantic coast and up to Ogunquit, ME.

2008 (AlbanyIV - Summer of Wildlife)

Early July: In TC--barBQs and TV at Brianne and Pete's (Ninja Warrior; Code Monkeys; "Don't drop the egg"); the firepit revisited; Zach's bee-stung clubfoot; D&D(Drellin's Ferry ambush; road blockade); Mackinac Brewing Company visits; an evening of Warner at the Quonset with Adam; Steve's 4-day window; a "new" blue Sunfish and a single maiden voyage; Fishtown's delicious sandwiches (with otters); learning the summer night sky ("Delphinus!"). Breaking up the long road trip home with a stop in Ypsi; Fluffy/HMAW and Aunt Cherie's amazing sack lunch in the car.

Mid to Late July: In Albany--Brett and Becky's new red house; dogs in the backyard; Wii (Mariokart, Metroid, Resident Evil 4); lunches from the Delmar Marketplace deli, with Dog Whisperer; Brett's lyme disease; lazy TV weekends and grilling on the back porch; D&D(into the marsh); afternoon pool and darts at the Lionheart; beer journaling; Tamarin coding; runs in rain and thunderstorms (seeing a deer, only one squirrel, rabbits, and a whistle pig). Saratoga horse racing revisited; Dark Knight; a bat in the house, over and over again; an evening at Matt's; WoW; Brett's fall through the ceiling; ribs and Wii at Holly and Bryon's.

2009 (Albany V)

Late June to mid-July: In Albany--blacked out/seizure on arrival; jetlag with dawn runs; Fluffy+Instant Game one-off by B. (saving the wonder otters); shooting zombies (Resident Evil 4; "Going to shoot ya in the penis!"); brewing Basement Porter; puttering along on my Demeter implementation. Dinner at Shay and Paula's; 4th at Kevin's; B.'s birthday with Annalis and her man; canoeing and camping on Pope Island in Lower Saranac Lake with Holly, Bryon, and Kevin; running Maya on North St.

Late July: To TC--through traffic (2 hours for 1 mile) and stopping in Ypsi to see Farmers, Wellers, Art Fair, and Shadow Art Fair. In TC--MomII quitting her job and selling house; seeing the stars and ISS; walking through Kid's Creek to construction; hanging with Pete, Brianne, and Adam; seeing Jesse at U&I; one dip in the lake at Empire; planning TorLomlin; D&D(taking out Yarshag for 5 hours); seeing my uncle and grandpa (who then got in a car accident); coffee on the pier with Steve; bocce at P+B's; a final sunny day on the Sunfish with everyone on the beach. (Meanwhile in Albany: kennel cough and prep for Anne's wedding.)

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