Weekend in Lanseboro!

 We had a nice weekend in Lanesboro. Our main reason to go was to Kayak on Saturday down the root river. 

I'll have to post photos later. 

We Set up camp at Eagle cliff campground. Which was new to us. We don't rally like campgrounds but wanted to try somewhere new. They also offered transportation to drop us off and we could get out with our kayaks right at the campground, kayaking past our tent! 

We tried out the new cots with the single layer air mattress on top. It was smaller than our regular queen air mattress. Plus, between the plastic of the cot mattress and the full size mattress it would rub every time you moved and made a crunching noise. We figured out that putting a thin blanket between the two eliminated that noise, but not until after night two and we were ready to pack up! I'll get a bigger mattress for the top too and have more room to move! Let's just say, it was not the restful sleep I wanted! Didn't really save much time either since we had to still blow up one mattress, but up higher off the ground which was a plus! I do like the extra storage for stuff under the bed like putting shoes there. 

We kayaked from 11 to 3pm, the other trip would have been 5 hours. Maybe next time?  We brought a small cooler and then a bag of snacks. We really didn't eat all that much. 

Friday we went to a brewery after setting up our tent. We just had the food truck pizza that was pretty raw and small. Then picked up pie from the pizza place that was just okay. 

We did have a nice fire that night and the neighbors sprayed a fogger, so no bugs for us! We actually stayed out pretty late at the fire. Still had 2 leftover sticks of purchased wood. 

We went out to dinner to get Prime rib Saturday night after a stop in the afternoon at a brewery in Lanesboro. Ate and then came back and went into the tent. It had rained a little on and off and everything was wet/dew covered.  Our neighbors were up and playing weird loud music till quiet time, 10pm. Only downside of campgrounds! It still wasn't bad listening to others. Entertainment! 

Packed up and came home by noon. Just in time to watch the Vikings and Chiefs win! I should have enjoyed the 85 degree weather, but when you're not at the lake, it felt HOT! Probably should have taken the boat to the river. 

This week till Thursday will be nice in the 80's and then rain, but still 80 until the weekend and it will rain every darn day. Guess that's our plan is to be home!

Jodi

 My good childhood friend passed away on Tuesday, September 10th. Addiction is a terrible thing and took her far too soon. While I didn't have much or really any contact with her since high school I thought of her often.  8 years ago in the fall, we were messaging of FB and then we ended up talking on the phone for about 2 hours catching up. It was good to hear her voice. I came across a few photos from HS and sent them to her via FB in 2022, so we had a small amount of contact and then that was it. While she said to stop by in Albertville where she was working at the outlet mall and lived, I never wanted to stop. I had known since age 20 that she was more interested in drinking than just about anything else. Not what I wanted to do or hang out with. I feel bad for saying that, but we had different lives. We had a H.S reunion where she looked so good and healthy finally. She had gained a lot of weight right after H.S from all the drinking, but had surgery about 10 years ago to lose the weight. She looked like she was getting her life on track via photos. Always so pretty, happy to see you and a wonderful happy personality.

 It was such a shock when I noticed her sister's post yesterday afternoon that she had died. I saw her mom's post a few days ago and wasn't sure what was going on. I would have never thought the posts were cryptic message about her in the hospital fighting for her life. I'm guessing from posts I've read from others it was liver failure. She had to kids a boy and girl. I think they are in H.S or one might have graduated. Still young to lose their mom. I'm pretty sure she was divorced, but looked like living maybe with a boyfriend from photos. 

Jodi you weren't supposed to die so young my friend, 56 forever now. 

This is how I'll always remember you. Back in 1986 forever young... 

I met Jodi when I was in 5th grade going into 6th.  She and her brother would be waiting for their mom to pick them up from summer school. We were both their late because I had to either walk or roller skate home, but instead I would go to our family friend house down the road from the elementary school to play with Jennifer their 4/5 year old daughter instead of going home. We had the same teacher in 6th grade and she quickly became friends with me and my other friends. Jodi made lots of good friends over the years. She was just that friendly person that had a big group of friends. We moved down the street from her when I was in 8th grade. Rode the bus together and hung out all the time, mostly at her house. We'd swim all day long in the summer at Schultz lake walking back and forth to each other's houses before we could drive. We worked together at Holiday for a year and then came graduation and we drifted away. 

First Ken/Stephen my first BF died a few years ago at age 52, now Jodi at 56. I'm losing good friends. Another 2nd grade childhood friend died in her 40's. All too young... Never would I have thought they would be one of the firsts in our graduating class to die. We've had 2 others, but that's it. Also another girl down the road that was a grade older and taught me baton died really young. All these people I used to know gone sooo early. We are all supposed to live to 80 or beyond.  I always think after a death, who will be next? I would have never imagined any of it being my good friends. 

56 is the number!

 I hate getting older now. My body is feeling it! Or is it still the injury from July? Yep that too! 

I had a wonderful long weekend with Steve Celina and Logan  and of course Don too. We drove out to Milwaukee on Thursday after working in the morning with just Logan and the car packed with camping stuff and all his clothes. What we couldn't fit in our car Celina and Don took with them. It all worked out as we got all his stuff and things he forgot to his apartment. Senior year in college with graduation in May!! 

Steve and I stayed the night in Logan's apartment on an air mattress in his living room. It's pretty quiet there. We cleaned it since it had gotten pretty dusty over the summer. Purchased some supplies he needed for the year, but saved the food buying till yesterday. We also sprayed peppermint oil and got some raid to get rid of spiders and crawling bugs. There wasn't that many thankfully, but any bug is too many. Steve also sealed up all the cracks with white caulking in the bathroom and his bedroom. We purchased an under the door strip for his bedroom and installed that. Got him a new shoe rack and another bar for hanging up clothes in his closet and hung up a few pictures and posters. 

The next day, we headed to Door county and meet Celina and Don at the Winery before heading to the campground. We mostly cooked our own food, but did eat a few meals out on my Birthday BBQ and then a few drinks at Breweries/ Wineries then a dinner out in Milwaukee last night followed by more drinks. 

Door county was nice and the weather perfect! We couldn't have asked for a better family vacation other then to have Kendra, Paul, Evan and Madelyn with us. 

Here are a few photos, which I'll have to add later. Internet is not connecting!! grrr..