Zombie Invasion

So there was a small zombie invasion last weekend in N. Ill.  Maybe you heard it on the news? No? The same park district that hosts the kayak race every year also has a zombie 5K obstacle race.  It was something fun and silly.  It's kind of crazy really.  I'd never done anything like that before and really had no idea what to expect.

I expected it to be cool, so I over dressed and couldn't take off one layer.  Not in an appropriate manner anyway.  I expected the obstacles to be more physically demanding than they were.  I don't know what I expected about the zombie part but they hid in the weeds and grass and jumped out at us.  They sprayed us with water guns.  They were laying in the path, they were standing in the path and you had to run around them.  All the while, wearing a belt with three flags (think flag football) and the object was to make it to the finish line with at least one flag.  I didn't so I was doomed to eternity as a zombie.  The zombies looked good and the acting was great.  I was really surprised about that.  You could tell some of the zombies were having a great time too. 

We got in the first heat, we thought that was a good idea so we could finish before the sun started to set.  We knew we were going to get wet, we were trying to avoid getting cold too.  The zombies were a little eager right at the beginning and two us lost two flags right away.  Really, there was no getting away from them either because we were still caught up in the mob off the starting line.  Towards the end we had to cross a creek so that meant the last mile(ish) was in wet shoes.  That was gross then at the finish line you slid down a hill, a makeshift slip and slid, into the orange barrier that served as the finish line.  If you hadn't gotten wet and muddy before that, you definitely finished wet!

One observation:  two different times in open areas with a zombie ahead of me people ran right up against me, touching me so that when we went past the zombie they could get around and sacrifice me because I was in the middle then.  I get it, it's a competition.  But really, is it so serious that you feel like it's appropriate to run into and shove a total stranger?  I heard there were 200 racers, I guess there is always that one person in every group, two in this case.  I wasn't expecting that but I know now so next year the outcome will be different in that situation.

It was all in the name of fun and fun it was!  The results had 35 people so I guess of the 200 or so racers 35 finished with a flag.  We had a few drinks and dinner after and I crawled into bed exhausted and sore.  I went for a bike ride Sunday to get some half century prep miles in.  The weather has been G R E A T up here!! 

Silver Lake Apple and BBQ Fest

We headed back to Silver Lake for the Apple and BBQ cook off  festival the second weekend of September.  We camped at Sandy Shores again.  It's a perfect location for the festival, perfect to walk back and forth.  The campground was just as great this time as it was last time.  We got in Friday night just in time to grab some food.  All the food is bought with tickets.  The tickets are $1 each, non-refundable but they are good all weekend and every year.  I love that!  So many times you go to these festivals and you get nickel and dimed to death with the ticket game but not here! The food was great, we ate there Friday night and Saturday for lunch.  I think everyone had something different both times and I never heard any complaints.  We ended up with only one extra ticket and it's in the camper for next year.

Saturday morning we hit the dunes.  We went out about 10 a.m. and it was perfect, hardly anyone out there.  What a beautiful day too!  It really couldn't have been a nicer day.  It's just so pretty, I could have stayed out there all day.  Sometimes I can't believe we're in Michigan!

We hit the festival for lunch and took in the car and buggy show.  Then it was back to the campground for college football and dinner.

That looks like a ton of steak!  There were 11 of us for dinner though.  Steak and shrimp, it's kind of our usual for camping I guess, but it's always a success.

I was really hoping it would be warm enough to pack my bathing suit one last time.  No luck with that, I packed my UGG's instead.  It was 42 degrees Friday night about 10 p.m. or so.  I couldn't get close enough to the campfire.  Sunday it rained all day so we found ourselves packing up in the rain, once more.  The end of summer dread finally set in with this trip.  There is no denying it now, summer is really over.  It will come again, it always does but it just takes so long!  And I hate the in between.

Our Least Favorite, Favorite Trip

Table Rock Lake is our favorite vacation destination as a family.  We go every year and it's the trip we look forward to the most.  It was our least favorite this year.  It rained.  A lot.  Every day and every night.  Inches and inches and inches.

The trip is the always the same, every year.  Friday we go to the farm.  The sweet corn was ready.  We picked, shucked and froze 50 quart bags of sweet corn for the winter.  It didn't take as long as the pickles!  WE didn't get pickled either.

Sunday, we head towards the Lake and we always stop at Lambert's Cafe for lunch.  We try to get there about 10 a.m. there is always a line.  We've waited as long as long an hour to eat here before, it's worth the wait!

Look at the rain!

 

It was raining, of course.  When we finished we left the truck and trailer and took the car back to Springfield, MO to Bass Pro Shops.  It's the original Bass Pro store and they have several different museums in the now.  It's really worth a trip but with the rain, there wasn't anything else to do anyway.

We always boat Monday through Thursday, with a rental from the State Park Marina.  We finally were able to get on the water Monday about noon.  It rained on us a couple times then the sun finally came out.  Tuesday we hit the water about the same time and it was a great day.  The sun was out all afternoon and no rain!  It did rain all morning but once it cleared up, it was beautiful. 

Wednesday it rained, and it rained and it rained more.  We didn't go out on the water.  We ended up driving all the way back up by Springfield, MO to see Fantastic Caverns.  It's the only ride through cave in North America. 

It rained all night Wednesday night.  The highway around St. Louis, MO had been closed on and off all week for flooding, but it was open Thursday morning.  The mountain bike trails were closed, the fishing wasn't good and we were tired of being rained on.  Everything was wet and dirty from the rain.  We were all crowded under the awning every night and usually every morning.  We left Thursday morning.  Three days early!  By the time we got my parents packed up and on the road, then got ourselves packed up, it was 2:00 before we actually got on the road.  We got home at 11:30.  What a miserable, long, tired drive!  When we finally got home, the weather was great here.  It seems like such a waste. 

Usually Table Rock is our last summer trip.  I hate coming home because it represents the end of summer and back to the monotony of the school year.  This year, I came home early and hated it because the weather ruined our trip.  I told the kids it happens to every one sometime, I guess it was our turn.  Next year will be better...we really, really hope!  Our favorite trip was our least favorite this summer.