Eagles and Loons Make for an Interesting Combination

I'm sitting outside the parking lot of a coffee shop that closed at 5 PM. As far as we know, this is the only place around here to get internet for my classes. This does not even begin the story of my online adventures in Eagle River. Sadly enough, this is the least of my stresses. It's been cloudy ever since we arrived, on the cold side, and more than a teaspoon full of stress. Though today, it was sunny, and we got the jet skis and boat. Yet the I did not sufficiently prepare myself for staying cooped up in a house with four very 'active' children who had to be watched so they didn't eat more toothpaste (my brother Andy ate half a small tube within the first 20 minutes) or pound on the big screen plasma television while watching cartoons (again, Andy). Andy, who can be the sweetest little boy in the entire world, basically leads the hellions in parade throughout the cabin. He nearly got crushed between the boat and the dock in his attempts to jump ship. With children fueled by sugary soda and less than ideal snicky snacks, my day revolves around waring the small ones out so that by ten I can have some semblance of peace in the house.

But it's not all bad. It's not too cloudy at night, and the sky is beyond gorgeous. I sit out on the dock and willingly freeze my ass off for it, but it's worth it. And we got the boat and the jet skis today, so I can escape there as well. The jet skis offer a wonderful diversion - it's hard to do anything but laugh manically as you're going 70 over the water. And I get to hang out with my padre, which is fun. Oh, and I'm helping my little brother Bobby learn how to read. (He's got this gigantic Dick and Jane book. The first thing I said to him when we sat down to read was 'Remember these names, you'll make fun of them when you get older.' ) The cabin's gigantic, the beds are comfortable, I have books, and unlike the majority of our party, I'm allowed to go on the dock without a life preserver. Life is good.

So in all, this is pretty much another normal vacation. Screaming children, potential for untimely accidents, limited access to the internet, and an all around lessons in patience and the art of dodging social interactions by hiding in a boat with a book.