Relaxing at Home

 I finally got to meet my sweet little newest great-nephew last week, and it was the highlight of my week.

 

By Allan Olson

This past weekend was a wonderful weekend to stay at home. Of course, it would be foolish to think that I actually just stayed at home – that’s not likely to happen. However, I didn’t spent any time in the woods geocaching, nor did I make it out hunting for anything else.

The plan for Saturday was set about three weeks ago – we were going to the haunted house in Bena that night. Earlier in the week my niece called me to ask if I would make caramel rolls for them on Saturday if they came over to help. Since I had all the necessary ingredients except the ice cream for the caramel, I said I would, as long as they agreed to help. My niece and her friend showed up early and brought a dog that Marcus agreed to watch for the day. I had the bread dough sitting out, rising (although a whole lot slower than it did the last time I made rolls in June). While we waited for that to happen, they went to town to do some shopping and dropped Nikolai off at the big video gaming thing. A few hours later my wife and I went to town and picked up a couple kids from a friend’s place for them, and after one other quick stop we were on our way back home.

At home, it became a waiting game for the girls to get back to help with the caramel rolls. At one point I threatened that if they didn’t show up soon, I was just going to put the dough in bread pans and make bread. (I really wouldn’t have, but they didn’t need to know that.) When they did arrive, I put Nikolai to work getting my counter ready, and then I instructed the girls on the process while I made the caramel. I have to admit, it worked really slick; they did all the work of getting the bread ready while I prepared the caramel, and since I already had three pans ready, everything went really smooth – much better than if I didi everything myself. Once the rolls were completed and sampled, it was time for our visit to the haunted house.

This was at least our third year at NightScreams in Bena, and once again it was quite entertaining – at least for me – watching everyone scream and run while I walk through laughing. My niece and Abi’s friend were the worst in our group, as usual. Both of them even tried backing out at the last minute, but it was too late – the tickets were paid for, and they were going. For me, I guess I don’t have the fear that others do – of clowns or scary bloody things, or other such horror-related items. I can usually spot them lurking in the shadows before they come out and so greet them pleasantly, which of course results in them not bothering me and instead seeking other victims to prey on behind me, which makes it all the more entertaining for me. 

Well, everyone made it all the way through the haunted house without anyone having too much of a meltdown, and then we all headed back to our respective homes.

Sunday was spent mostly inside the house. I didn’t really get a lot accomplished in the morning, aside from reading and making French toast for everyone. In the afternoon I took my daughter’s friend and her little brother home, and then after a stop at the grocery store we headed home again. At home, I decided it was time to go through the hunting stuff – deer season is less than two weeks away, and I will have one or two(?) new hunters this year as well. Marcus has been working on completing the online gun safety course, and I still need to get Abigail through it and caught up on her homework. While reviewing the hunting/cold weather gear, we learned that Marcus will, thankfully, fit into Nik’s old boots, which still look practically new. That saves me the expense of having to purchase two pairs of winter boots this week. I found enough outdoor stuff to outfit the boys (except for long-johns), but I will need to get more stuff for Abigail if she ends up going, starting with snowpants and other outerwear.

The weekend was pretty fun and yet relaxing, but I have to say that the highlight of the entire week was getting to see my great-nephew, who had just so happened to stop by my wife’s office. She called me to bring her something and didn’t tell me that she had company, so I walked in and put her stuff on the desk and was getting ready to leave because she had customers, when I spotted my niece and her family sitting quietly in the corner, waiting to see if I would notice them. I did, and quickly went to meet and greet the newest member of the family. Surprise!

For this weekend, there’s going to be more hunting preparations. I told the kids that I want all the outdoor gear packed and in the vehicle this weekend, and in addition I want them to start getting their stuff packed. Aside from that, nothing else is planned, so maybe we will just stay close to the house… or maybe we will go for a drive as a family and grab a couple “close” caches that we’ve yet to find. That has yet to be determined.

Please remember to watch out for the buses that are carrying our most precious cargo. Also, snap a photo or two to preserve a lifetime of memories. Thanks for reading, and have a great week! Feel free to drop me a line at cltimes1@arvig.net or stop by the office for a visit.