Lake Panorama Shenanigans

This past weekend was the 2nd annual installment of the retreat to Lake Panorama, hosted by the Flaherty's. The usual suspects were in attendance: Bargie, Yoshi, the Mickey's, the Flaherty's, and us. Two things have become obvious about the lake weekends:

1. We shouldn't bring the Simpson College Yearbooks and play the game, "Who Would You Get With". Lesson finally learned, I think.

2. We make entirely too much food. This year we even scaled back, after cooking enough barbecue last year to nourish a small, impoverished nation. Still, on Friday night: 48 egg rolls for 6 people. You do the math. (Pass the salt & pepper, Yosh)

Regardless, the cuisine portion of the lake weekend is always my favorite. I think it's because I love to cook, and I love to cook for a crowd even more (Thanks, Ida!). Granted, it's not the most inexpensive idea in the world, but it's always satisfying for me to do that, maybe even to a fault. I've been known to go into someone's kitchen, either for a holiday or a dinner party, and just sort of dive in, sometimes without really being asked to. I try to catch myself before I get told to leave. This particular weekend, such a bad habit was welcomed, and we all pitched in and contributed to the cause.

I must admit that I did make more snide comments about the "water quality" of the lake than I should have, both leading up to the weekend, and while we were there. I suppose it's partially because we were still fresh off the Canada trip, enjoying glacier-blue water in the Canadian Rockies. For lakes in the Midwest, you get what you get. The lake had received 6" of rain the weekend prior, so I was a bit of a skeptic going in, with comments such as, "I love the smell of dysentery in the morning." Hey, I call it like I see it. But once we got out on the lake on Saturday morning, I finally warmed up to the idea of tubing and floating, which were the main objectives of the day.

We broke in "Super Mable" out on the lake, with most of us getting tossed at various speeds. Once you're on a tube like that, and you're at the mercy of the boat driver, I think you lose the ability to think before speaking, and whatever comes out of your mouth is sort of a stream-of-consciousness reaction to the conditions. Some pretty funny things get said when you're bouncing around on a choppy lake at 30 mph. I guess I had a few of those moments while on Mable, particularly when Mickey was the boat driver. I think we went right through Ridiculous Speed and straight to Ludicrous Speed. The boat passengers thought I looked like I was crying. Actually, that was the G-forces contorting my face, since we had gone plaid.

The Big Float was in the afternoon. It's really nothing more than 8 people rigging life jackets to fit like diapers, so you have the ability to float and still enjoy your beverage of choice. Always entertaining conversation, the Big Float also features music from Yoshi's iPod, which this year was loaded with the entire catalog from New Kids on the Block. Suddenly E. Coli didn't sound like a bad idea. The only casualty of the Big Float was my digital camera, which I knew better to bring down to the dock, but did anyway. Luckily the memory card was intact and in working order, so that helped a little.

Pork shoulder, baby backs, BBQ Beans, and Thad's famous cold cheesy potatoes (not bad this year, Bargie. Good job outta you!!!) rounded out a fine Saturday feast, which ended early after an appropriate viewing of the cinematic classic "Beerfest". (Who's Barry Badrinath?) After Dixon's famous Biscuits & Gravy and a boat ride around the lake Sunday morning, we reluctantly packed up and left. As always, good times were had at Lake Panorama. Huge props to Tammy for running a 1/3 marathon Saturday morning, and partying like a rock star (yes, that song is on Yosi's iPod) the rest of the day. Most impressive! We'll do it all over again next year, which seems waaaay too far away right now. Here's some of the highlights...

Yeah, bad idea. because this......

Leads to this.

The Grand Game makes an appearance. It's better to put the yearbooks away at this point in the evening.

The girls go for a spin on Super Mable, although Derby was far too easy on them.

Hi, Bargie.


You couldn't handle this Man Sandwich, ladies.

And finally, it was discovered that a couple people in attendance had not yet brought a certain joy in their lives that only comes from watching the movie, "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy". While I will not spoil it for said individuals, I would highly recommend that they go see it. But for now, all they really need to glean from the movie is the following....