If you hadn't surmised, I was on vacation last week. I won't bore you with details, but I will bore you with pictures and bullet narrative.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
A multi-million-dollar business closing got postponed, so I left the office at noon, cleaned the house for two hours, popped into the office to take care of a small project, went to the drinking club for two hours, then took six of The Seven to eat and to the playground for a few hours (rough task after four Oberons) while Marie and Abbie (12) got the house ready and finished packing:
Friday Morning
Up at 4:40 a.m. Rustled kids out of bed at 5:20. On the road at 5:45 to drive the entire stretch of Michigan's lower peninsula: my house on the Indiana border to Mackinac Island, where we caught the ferry at 11:30 to take us from the mainland to the island.
Max (3) on the ferry:
View from the ferry; Mackinac Bridge in background, back of Jack's (11) head in foreground:
Friday Afternoon
Law seminar while Marie and The Seven explored Mackinac Island on bikes. The Island has tons of tourists, but it has taken severe measures to remain remarkably quaint--no cars allowed, no mini-golf courses and other ruts of tourist areas. I don't think anyone could deny that it's the most romantic spot in Michigan. It's so charming, it almost feels fake, but it's not. A PBS travel documentary calls it "The Mecca of the Midwest." Here are shots of its famous Grand Hotel:
Friday Evening
We stayed at the Grand Hotel three years ago, but my wallet couldn't take that severe of a jolt this year, so we grabbed two rooms at the Island House (though two rooms at the Island House cost more than a room at the Grand Hotel):
Dinner at The Pink Pony, overlooking Lake Huron. View from our table:
Back to the hotel pool, where we raced (freestyle), wrestled in the water, sat in the hot tub and sauna, and apparently got reported for misbehavior (only two other families in the pool house--both one-childers--so we're guessing one of them didn't like our loud ways). The bellhop, whom I tipped decently for bringing up my bag earlier, came in, saw only Marie, me, and The Seven, and asked if I saw anybody acting weird and misbehaving. I said, “No, unless the person was referring to us. We were racing and wrestling in the water.” He shook his head and smiled, then left. My wife summed it up best later, “People with only one child sometimes have a warped view of the world.” The same could probably be said of people with seven children, with one major difference: we also know what it's like to have only one child.
Saturday Morning
Up early for some reading in the lobby of the semi-elegant Island House (I love to read in nice surroundings), then corralled Tess (2) so she wouldn't wake up everyone else. Down to the docks to look at all the boats, with Tess saying over and over, “Uk, anuder oat. More oats!” I realized later that most of the boats had people sleeping on them. I hope they liked the 6:45 a.m. wake-up.
Saturday
To Houghton Lake, Michigan's largest inland lake, for my annual week with 40 in-laws. We reserved a cabin for Saturday to Saturday. The proprietor forgot, and gave our cabin to somebody else for the weekend. He felt bad and gave us three rooms at East Bay Lodge for the night.
My sleep mate on Saturday night (Meg--6):
Sunday
Up early for reading, then a nap, then Mass, then McDonald's, then transfer The Seven to our cabin. Quite a hassle. I was exhausted. Another nap. Then started to greet in-laws and the annual Houghton Lake visit got into full swing.
Picture of our cabin (not quite as nice as Island House):
Monday
Up at 5:30 to get Jack (11) ready for a field trip with his grandfather to see the Kirtland Warbler. Yes, Jack is a nerd, but also a very good athlete. Odd mix, that kid. He wants to play for the Detroit Lions. In the off-hand chance that doesn't happen, he wants to be a priest. He wondered if he should put off seminary while he pursues the NFL. I assured him that God would understand and, besides, he might make a better priest if he played college football or NFL football first.
Rest of Week
Reading and writing, but plenty of time with my kids bopping in and out of the cabin. Translation: Great vacation time, and it only took me three days to reach this point. Primary books during the week:
Murray Rothbard, Economic Thought before Adam Smith: An Austrian Perspective on the History of Economic Thought (it helps me to understand a subject matter by approaching it through history (my best subject); this book is helping me understand economics, just as the historical works of Etienne Gilson helped me understand philosophy).
Paul Claudel, I Believe in God (great book if you're looking for nuggets of quick religious insight rendered beautifully).
Bertrand de Jouvenel, On Power (helping me understand why we'll never have a small federal government).
