Easter Games

It's an annual tradition (started long before I came around) that Annie's family celebrates Zombie Jesus Day by getting together and playing games.  There is usually a theme to the weekend (Deal or No Deal, Olympics, etc.). There's usually some tennis (sometimes a tourney).  The weekend usually ends with an easter egg hunt for the kids (and like Xmas, 'kid' is loosely defined as anyone without a child, so I'm still thrown in with middle-schoolers).

I've made references to the manliness of working with my hands over the past few weeks.  Well, these are the secret project I was working on:

Cornhole!  Complete with maize & blue cornbags.

Collapsed Beer Pong (L) & Flip Cup (R) Tabletops.

Unfolded Collapsible Beer Pong (T) & Flip Cup (B) Tabletops.

Ladder Golf!

Somehow, Annie and I got put in charge of the games this year.  So, she came up with a tailgate theme (bringing the best of the Midwest to her granola-y, hippie, Californian family).  I commenced to getting all of those games built and painted.  Don't get me wrong, Annie helped a little (she half spray painted the tops of the bases of the ladder golf... and some of the yellow on ladder golf... and the big M's on beer pong and cornhole [which I outlined for her]).  I also had some help from her uncle and his powertools.  In general, though, most of this was done by me with really simple tools and a fair amount of time!

We split the 20 people into 10 randomly-assigned teams and randomly assigned each team a color.  We asked teams to wear their colors and made everyone play each other until there was an overall winner.  Yes, some people ended up playing beer pong with their grandparents.  Yes, children were screaming at parents to flip cups faster.  (People were allowed to drink whatever they wanted, so the 12 year old wasn't throwin' back brewskies.)

Judging by the volume of the festivities (and my slight drunkenness after adding Jack to my Coke for the drinking games), much fun was had by all!

We needed to build these for our epic Michigan Football Tailgating plans this Fall anyway,
~RoB

Today's Awkward Moments

First of all, let me explain that when I usually refer to my parents, I'm referring to my grandparents.  For most of my life I lived with (and was primarily raised by) my grandmother (by blood), Granny, and her 3rd? husband, Pops.  *Insert Golden Girls / Family Matters / Cosby Show / Walker, Texas Ranger jokes here.*  My mother was always kind of around, but she was super flaky, and it was better that I wasn't left solely in her hands.  Don't worry, when she was around we shared a bedroom (through high school), so we got tons of 1-on-1 time.  Anyway, my grandparents aren't really that old, since Granny had mom at 16 and Mom had me in her early 20s.  My grandparents are probably the same age as your parents.  I digress.

Today, Pops sent me an email, all in bold caps, with the subject: BIRTHDAY.

HAPPY 27TH B'DAY ROB! POPS

Thank you, Pops.  However, I was born in 1985.  This is actually my 26th birthday.  The only father figure I've regularly had throughout my life is apparently a little bad at math, or just doesn't know when I was born.

Other moment, though not birthday related, was during my pre-employment drug screen.
Tech: Sir, you understand this is a urine sample, right?
Me: Yes.
Tech: Are you prepared to donate right now?
Me: Always.

If you've read my blog from the beginning, you'll understand that I likely have some sort of bladder problem, since I pee constantly throughout the day.  My answer was truthful, but it made an already tense situation more awkward.  He just gave me a funny look as if he didn't quite catch what I said but didn't want to ask me to repeat it.  It's like I force these interesting moments in my life now.

Always prepared to pee,
~RoB