2 posts tagged “cousin matt”

Torch Lake weekend, as usual, was quite the success. Kerry's aunt's family has side-by-side places on this enormous and pristine inland lake, one of Michigan's biggest. And every year, Matt clears it out for a long weekend of whatever the hell we want. Some of the more prominent names from years past were unable to attend, but it was still very much a solid three days (for us) of much-needed relaxation and imbibinous impulses.

The drive up Thursday was a nightmare. In one stretch, it took us 1 1/2 hours to move about 10 miles. It was a joke.Thankfully, Lamont was a good boy on the ride up.

 

We arrived late Thursday, hung with Aunt Liz, crashed, had breakfast the next day, took a walk with her, Kerry, and the dog, and then chilled while people started to arrive in the afternoon. Friday night was drinks and bonfires, while Saturday incorporated more of the same. One notable inclusion was Matt's signature rack of lamb, which we enjoyed in a near utopian state on Saturday. No photos of that, only a smile on my face as I recall it fondly.

There was a day of hanging out on the dock ...

 

 

... and much of the same on the patio ...

 

... Scout joined us for dinner Friday, hoping that something would fall to the floor.

 

I headed out Saturday morning to meet Tom in Leelanau for the annual fly-in/pancake breakfast/car show at Woosley Memorial Airport in Northport. There, single-engine planes fly in amid the breakfast backdrop. It may sound unconventional, but it's actually kind of cool, at least I think.

 

 

 

The food is choice ...

 

 

... and visitors can get up close and personal with the aircraft.

 

 

 

 

Naturally, we've been drawn to the cars in the past. This Jeep was a pretty sweet rig, complete with a mounted outboard motor ...

 

 

... as was this bomb Caddy.

 

 

 

Yet another delightful weekend in Michigan's north country, thanks to Matt's incomprable hospitality and some picture-perfect weather.

Probably gained a good 12 pounds in one night last Saturday when the call for dinner was carny food at the Livonia Spree, an annual festival/fair event in Kerry's and Matt's hometown. We hauled ass out there at about 6 or so, before hitting the booze-fest that would turn out to be Rian's party that night.

Started dinner with what Matt called the carnival's answer to the amuse bouche, the corndog. This was my first corndog experience. Greasy motherfuckers, but damn well worth it.

 

The Spree offered so much way in the way of chow and beverage, including these beauties:

 

 

 

We avoided most of that stuff and headed straight for the heavy hitters. Kerry and Matt threw down these bad boys,

while I opted for some steak and cheese action:

It's carnival food, man. You have to choke some down at least a couple of times in your adult life.

And speaking of carnival activity, it's been about 20 years for all three of us since we stepped foot in one. We looked forward to finding a Jack Daniels mirror or maybe those roach clips with the long feathers attached. We had no such luck. As the times change, so does the shit that one would consider tacky. It looks like air-brushed ghetto bullshit is the new stoner mirror:

 

At least Matt managed to get in a serving of vegetables, even if it was slathered in butter. Tell me that shit doesn't make you hungry.

Bye-bye carny dinner. See you in 20 years.