Sunday, April 10, 2011
Friday, August 21, 2009
In the Land of the Golden Dome
Yaay we're here, we made it! After a 6 hour drive we're now staying in South Bend and will be moving Drew back in tomorrow =)
I apologize for my updating fails.. haha - when i get back i will have time!
I apologize for my updating fails.. haha - when i get back i will have time!
Friday, August 14, 2009
Bois Blanc (Day 5)
Okay, so these days up on the island are most certainly gonna run together, and I'm sure you guys don't really care when I wake up and all, so from here on out ill do what I can to just include some highlights.
Today was our first real day up here! Brilliant sunny weather, no clouds, about 75 degrees or so? Very pleasant =) woke up hella early though cause I couldn't sleep.. So up at 8 I was. Only my grandpa and my uncle Peter were up so I sat with them, mostly listening to their extremely interesting conversation, slowly sipping on the warm coffee (the first I've had in literally 5 years. And as Chay pointed out to me, I fail at coffee making.. Hahah) people started lumbering into the room around 9.30 and we brought out the bagels and foods.
The View
Drew and I decided to brave the lake (which we had been told was colder than ever this year, which is an ominous sign as it is pretty damn cold all the time) we sorta waded around as our legs got used to the temperature, played some frisbee, stacked some rocks. After a while it really just felt refreshing, and not like ice cubes were nibbling at our legs.. =)
Lunch was the classic ring bologna sandwiches and Jays potato chips : staple foods of the trip for SURE, and absurdly delicious.
Ring Bologna Sandwiches Yum
Om Nom Nom
The rest of the day was spent cleaning, picture taking, and messing around with a new internet connection. A year ago, I was down on the beach with my ipod touch and all of a sudden.. There was wifi. WTH. Turns out that we were picking it up from another, more inhabited island like 2 miles away!!! So this year we have conquered it by setting up an antenna and hooking that antenna into a wireless router for the cabin xD. Not the fastest, most reliable internet in the world (part of the reason these blogs are so late) but internet nonetheless!!
Setting up the Internet - aka the the outside office
Drew Helped
A Licky-Licky!
Flawah =)
Path Down to the Beach
We had our first beachfire tonight too, roaster marshmallows, told stories, played with high power lasers.. You know, the usual stuff hahah! A few meteors from the previous shower last night lingered in the sky, including perhaps the longest one I've witnessed to this day, which lit up the sky for no less than 8 seconds! Completely incredible. I felt so small, so insignificant staring up at that sky.. There were practically more stars than there was black space.. Just breathtaking.
Then back inside to read a bit, and sleep!!
Today was our first real day up here! Brilliant sunny weather, no clouds, about 75 degrees or so? Very pleasant =) woke up hella early though cause I couldn't sleep.. So up at 8 I was. Only my grandpa and my uncle Peter were up so I sat with them, mostly listening to their extremely interesting conversation, slowly sipping on the warm coffee (the first I've had in literally 5 years. And as Chay pointed out to me, I fail at coffee making.. Hahah) people started lumbering into the room around 9.30 and we brought out the bagels and foods.
The View
Drew and I decided to brave the lake (which we had been told was colder than ever this year, which is an ominous sign as it is pretty damn cold all the time) we sorta waded around as our legs got used to the temperature, played some frisbee, stacked some rocks. After a while it really just felt refreshing, and not like ice cubes were nibbling at our legs.. =)
Lunch was the classic ring bologna sandwiches and Jays potato chips : staple foods of the trip for SURE, and absurdly delicious.
Ring Bologna Sandwiches Yum
Om Nom Nom
The rest of the day was spent cleaning, picture taking, and messing around with a new internet connection. A year ago, I was down on the beach with my ipod touch and all of a sudden.. There was wifi. WTH. Turns out that we were picking it up from another, more inhabited island like 2 miles away!!! So this year we have conquered it by setting up an antenna and hooking that antenna into a wireless router for the cabin xD. Not the fastest, most reliable internet in the world (part of the reason these blogs are so late) but internet nonetheless!!
Setting up the Internet - aka the the outside office
Drew Helped
A Licky-Licky!
Flawah =)
Path Down to the Beach
We had our first beachfire tonight too, roaster marshmallows, told stories, played with high power lasers.. You know, the usual stuff hahah! A few meteors from the previous shower last night lingered in the sky, including perhaps the longest one I've witnessed to this day, which lit up the sky for no less than 8 seconds! Completely incredible. I felt so small, so insignificant staring up at that sky.. There were practically more stars than there was black space.. Just breathtaking.
Then back inside to read a bit, and sleep!!
On the Road Again (Day 4)
Okay, so I may or may not kinda fail at updating this regularly.
If you're not to big on the whole reading thing, good news for you, today shall be mostly a picture/small updates post while I try to catch up!
Today was a day of travel! Awoke at the brisk hour of 6:30, packed up the last of our remaining stuff scattered about, said goodbye to my grandparents =( and hopped in the car for the joyful 8 hour drive from Des Plaines, IL, to Cheboygan, MI!
Said Drive
View Larger Map
Now we've done this just about every year of our lives, so we were for sure prepared. Spent the time listening to my stash of podcasts and new music, watching movies on the computer, sleeping that weird, uncomfortable position that puts your arm to sleep while you lean on it hahaha, and staring blankly out the window at the miles and miles of fields, trees, and complete lack of hills all around us. For as long as the drive is, it's a pretty nice one =) Here are some shots from the journey:
HUGE Quary dug in the middle of the flaat flat land in the drive
These signs were literally spaced every few miles or so. I guess fireworks are big here. That face still scares me.
The Road Ahead
Fast forward, and we're in Cheboygan! A smallish, homesy kinda town. The next big leg of our journey was to buy groceries. Not your normal shopping trip mind you, we're going to an island that has no grocery store so we need to take everything we're gonna need, with us. For 10 people. For 2 weeks. Thaaat, is alot of shopping! I shall spare you the details, but it was quite the task.
Next step: the ferry ride over to the island. We always make bets about how long exactly the ride will take (mine was 43 min.. it took 42 gaah!!)
Cheboygan Welcome
The Ferry!
Drawbridge Opening for Us
On the Ride
Once we made it to the island itself, we stopped to have some customary ice cream at Hawks Landing (the general store), then drove over to the west end of the island to the cabin! Some deer welcomed us on the way =)
Deer!
Unpacked toooons and tons of groceries, then finally, after more than 12 hours: We. Were. Here. We all collapsed onto the comfy couches and chairs, smiling.
Tonight was the last big night of the Persied Meteor shower too, and because the sky up here is the clearest I have ever seen anywhere ever, we spent the night staring up into the sky. SO WORTH IT! We saw at least 30 glowing hot meteors shoot across the sky. Couldn't really capture any of them on film though, sadly.
But I did get a shot of the milky way!
And Some Star Trails =)
Then, after an exhausting day, it was not at all hard to go to bed.. tomorrow is another day!
If you're not to big on the whole reading thing, good news for you, today shall be mostly a picture/small updates post while I try to catch up!
Today was a day of travel! Awoke at the brisk hour of 6:30, packed up the last of our remaining stuff scattered about, said goodbye to my grandparents =( and hopped in the car for the joyful 8 hour drive from Des Plaines, IL, to Cheboygan, MI!
Said Drive
View Larger Map
Now we've done this just about every year of our lives, so we were for sure prepared. Spent the time listening to my stash of podcasts and new music, watching movies on the computer, sleeping that weird, uncomfortable position that puts your arm to sleep while you lean on it hahaha, and staring blankly out the window at the miles and miles of fields, trees, and complete lack of hills all around us. For as long as the drive is, it's a pretty nice one =) Here are some shots from the journey:
HUGE Quary dug in the middle of the flaat flat land in the drive
These signs were literally spaced every few miles or so. I guess fireworks are big here. That face still scares me.
The Road Ahead
Fast forward, and we're in Cheboygan! A smallish, homesy kinda town. The next big leg of our journey was to buy groceries. Not your normal shopping trip mind you, we're going to an island that has no grocery store so we need to take everything we're gonna need, with us. For 10 people. For 2 weeks. Thaaat, is alot of shopping! I shall spare you the details, but it was quite the task.
Next step: the ferry ride over to the island. We always make bets about how long exactly the ride will take (mine was 43 min.. it took 42 gaah!!)
Cheboygan Welcome
The Ferry!
Drawbridge Opening for Us
On the Ride
Once we made it to the island itself, we stopped to have some customary ice cream at Hawks Landing (the general store), then drove over to the west end of the island to the cabin! Some deer welcomed us on the way =)
Deer!
Unpacked toooons and tons of groceries, then finally, after more than 12 hours: We. Were. Here. We all collapsed onto the comfy couches and chairs, smiling.
Tonight was the last big night of the Persied Meteor shower too, and because the sky up here is the clearest I have ever seen anywhere ever, we spent the night staring up into the sky. SO WORTH IT! We saw at least 30 glowing hot meteors shoot across the sky. Couldn't really capture any of them on film though, sadly.
But I did get a shot of the milky way!
And Some Star Trails =)
Then, after an exhausting day, it was not at all hard to go to bed.. tomorrow is another day!
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Get in the Choppah!! (Day 3)
*Sorry kids, picture's aren't uploading for some reason! Will add them as I can though!*
** Update - YAY pictures work!!
Who would have guessed it? Another day of glorious sleeping in! I suppose I have to replenish my sleep banks from being at work every day at 730 sometime eh?
Drew and I spent the day with my grandparents while my parents were out shopping for supplies for the island (stage one of the shopping that is, more on subsequent stages later, i assure you)
We watched TV, shared pictures of what we've been up to back at home, told college stories and just kinda hung out =). Way more fun than it sounds though, believe me! xD
Sometimes, actually every time I go on a trip like this, I wonder what it would be like if we had never moved out to the west coast. I try to imagine what my life would be like, who would I know? Would my personality be crazy different? Who knows.. i have come to find that essentially everything I know would be completely, totally different. My friends, school, life experiences.. Everything! Its a bit unfathomable really.. But I would have been closer to my family - probably would have helped give me a better sense of an extended family and what its history is.. Yet in all honesty, I couldn't imagine my life to have turned out any other way than it has so far.. I wouldn't know what to do with myself, wouldn't know the people that I've grown to care so much about (including you guys =) I think ill stick with the way things turned out haha.
Okaaay, so enough mind wonderings. Continuing the tradition of incredible meals we've had so far on this trip, I was today fattened up by an awesome Italian sandwich from a shop down the street we allllways visit while here - take that Benson. Can anyone say "overeating?" The rest of the afternoon drew and I spent playing computah games. First and foremost, World of Goo. GET IT!! (right here!! http://2dboy.com/games.php ) So so sooo fun!! Maybe I will review more of it in some spare time.. But as of now, do a google search and check it out. Nothing but praise for it =)
Play This!!
http://2dboy.com/games.php
and This.
http://www.thesims3.com/
The second game is a little more mainstream, The Sims 3. Now I had never played this game before so didn't really know what to expect. Basically drew and I didn't make it much father than designing the house. Actually, we didn't make it past that at all. Very fun!! (though much more so with .. Let's just say lots of money at your fingertips =) we ended up with a jet in the front yard, and called it a day.
Ever since my grandpa retired, he's been into building, testing, and flying model airplanes. Obviously as a mechanical engineer, I am completely fascinated by these little crafts and support the hobby fully =) the newest addition to his fleet is a helicopter, so he took it out flying to give us a demo. Soo cool!!
The Lab & "Yellow Barron"
Taking Off!
Airborn
Some Crazy Stunts - Watch Yourself!
A Mechanical Engineer's View
We ordered out for dinner, mmm deeliciousfish!
Played a game of scrabble, (mom and I won :) ate some ice cream, tried to catch the meteor shower (failed.. man Chicago has so much light pollution.., packed up a bit for departure tomorrow, then SLEeep!
Totally Won Scrabble :]
** Update - YAY pictures work!!
Who would have guessed it? Another day of glorious sleeping in! I suppose I have to replenish my sleep banks from being at work every day at 730 sometime eh?
Drew and I spent the day with my grandparents while my parents were out shopping for supplies for the island (stage one of the shopping that is, more on subsequent stages later, i assure you)
We watched TV, shared pictures of what we've been up to back at home, told college stories and just kinda hung out =). Way more fun than it sounds though, believe me! xD
Sometimes, actually every time I go on a trip like this, I wonder what it would be like if we had never moved out to the west coast. I try to imagine what my life would be like, who would I know? Would my personality be crazy different? Who knows.. i have come to find that essentially everything I know would be completely, totally different. My friends, school, life experiences.. Everything! Its a bit unfathomable really.. But I would have been closer to my family - probably would have helped give me a better sense of an extended family and what its history is.. Yet in all honesty, I couldn't imagine my life to have turned out any other way than it has so far.. I wouldn't know what to do with myself, wouldn't know the people that I've grown to care so much about (including you guys =) I think ill stick with the way things turned out haha.
Okaaay, so enough mind wonderings. Continuing the tradition of incredible meals we've had so far on this trip, I was today fattened up by an awesome Italian sandwich from a shop down the street we allllways visit while here - take that Benson. Can anyone say "overeating?" The rest of the afternoon drew and I spent playing computah games. First and foremost, World of Goo. GET IT!! (right here!! http://2dboy.com/games.php ) So so sooo fun!! Maybe I will review more of it in some spare time.. But as of now, do a google search and check it out. Nothing but praise for it =)
Play This!!
http://2dboy.com/games.php
and This.
http://www.thesims3.com/
The second game is a little more mainstream, The Sims 3. Now I had never played this game before so didn't really know what to expect. Basically drew and I didn't make it much father than designing the house. Actually, we didn't make it past that at all. Very fun!! (though much more so with .. Let's just say lots of money at your fingertips =) we ended up with a jet in the front yard, and called it a day.
Ever since my grandpa retired, he's been into building, testing, and flying model airplanes. Obviously as a mechanical engineer, I am completely fascinated by these little crafts and support the hobby fully =) the newest addition to his fleet is a helicopter, so he took it out flying to give us a demo. Soo cool!!
The Lab & "Yellow Barron"
Taking Off!
Airborn
Some Crazy Stunts - Watch Yourself!
A Mechanical Engineer's View
We ordered out for dinner, mmm deeliciousfish!
Played a game of scrabble, (mom and I won :) ate some ice cream, tried to catch the meteor shower (failed.. man Chicago has so much light pollution.., packed up a bit for departure tomorrow, then SLEeep!
Totally Won Scrabble :]
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Blurt! (Day 2)
Quite the chill day.. As you may be able to tell by the fact that I didn't even get up till at least 12:30!.. So I shall keep it short =)
The big event of the day was going to see my auntie Cindy's apartment for the first time. She has down syndrome and has been living with my grandparents since she was a kid, but has just gotten a place of her own, so it's really cool! =) She was so proud while showing us all around, and rightly so - tis a nicer place than we expected. She lives in a community of people, all very nice, not too far from here. Very neat place though =)
Cindy's Place
Soo, once the tour was through, that was basically the day. We took a quick shopping stop at Lands End, then made our way back home and really didn't do too much! Just like vacation should be =)
A while back I bought a timer remote control/intervalometer for my camera online so that I can shoot bulb, long timer, and time lapse shots. I knew it wouldn't arrive at home before we left for vacation, and I wanted to use it on the Island to shoot some star photos, so I had it shipped here. (Also, as I just learned, there is a meteor shower tonight - a perfect time for some practice!) Anyway, that arrived today so I spent the afternoon fiddling with it a bit - should be fun =)
Sprinkler Frozen in Time
More leftovers from last nights awesome dinner, then a board game night. We tried out this new game, Blurt, which is quite like Taboo. A "reader" rolls a die then draws a card and reads the definition on it. The other teams have to try to blurt out the word that goes with the definition as fast as they can. Whoever gets if first can then move however many spaces were rolled on the die. The words were a bit easy, but it was still fun! Then time for some nightly news, some Conan, and sleeps.
Blurt Board
The big event of the day was going to see my auntie Cindy's apartment for the first time. She has down syndrome and has been living with my grandparents since she was a kid, but has just gotten a place of her own, so it's really cool! =) She was so proud while showing us all around, and rightly so - tis a nicer place than we expected. She lives in a community of people, all very nice, not too far from here. Very neat place though =)
Cindy's Place
Soo, once the tour was through, that was basically the day. We took a quick shopping stop at Lands End, then made our way back home and really didn't do too much! Just like vacation should be =)
A while back I bought a timer remote control/intervalometer for my camera online so that I can shoot bulb, long timer, and time lapse shots. I knew it wouldn't arrive at home before we left for vacation, and I wanted to use it on the Island to shoot some star photos, so I had it shipped here. (Also, as I just learned, there is a meteor shower tonight - a perfect time for some practice!) Anyway, that arrived today so I spent the afternoon fiddling with it a bit - should be fun =)
Sprinkler Frozen in Time
More leftovers from last nights awesome dinner, then a board game night. We tried out this new game, Blurt, which is quite like Taboo. A "reader" rolls a die then draws a card and reads the definition on it. The other teams have to try to blurt out the word that goes with the definition as fast as they can. Whoever gets if first can then move however many spaces were rolled on the die. The words were a bit easy, but it was still fun! Then time for some nightly news, some Conan, and sleeps.
Blurt Board
Rock the Night Away (Day 1)
And so begins our vacation!
Awoke around 9ish to a deserted trailer - everyone had already gotten up and headed inside for showers and some food. Groggy, I slipped out of bed.. Er.. Out of the sleeping bag, and squeezed into the camping-sized shower.
After a quick breakfast we headed off to mass. I don't know what it is, maybe a break in the monotony of home masses all the time, but I always pay more attention when we go to mass here. It's always worth it, very good homily =)
The rest of the day was very chill, just a quick lunch of genuine, grandmother made food before we headed off to my auntie Rene's house for a family gathering =). Met up with my cousin, Chris, and caught up a bit. We (inevitably) ended up moving over to the xbox to jam a bit with rock band. And soon enough, both my parents AND grandparents joined in/took over hahah!! To anyone who hasn't seen their family playing something like this all together, I highly recommend - So funny!!
Driving to auntie Rene's House
Rock Band!!
Drew's Too Cool
And Mom's too Hard Core
But Were All Loving It =)
My grand uncle, who is a priest here in chicagoland, did the honors of saying grace before an outstanding feast of a dinner. After many laughs, embarrassing stories of crazy things my dad did "back when he was a kid,"and waay too much strawberry shortcake, back to the rock band we went!
Then, in true midwesten style, rain started pouring down. The streets turned into floods - you could hardly see 5 feet in front of you. Then, not 20 min later, we were outside taking family pictures in the bright sunshine. Welcome to the Midwest Wroblewskis, hahah.
Family Pic
As always, the visit was too short.. Just as soon as we were all warming up to one another, it was time to go =(
Back at grandma and grandpas house, heads were nodding, so we watched some news caught up on some TV and talkin, got our short internet fixes, then sleep came with ease =)
Awoke around 9ish to a deserted trailer - everyone had already gotten up and headed inside for showers and some food. Groggy, I slipped out of bed.. Er.. Out of the sleeping bag, and squeezed into the camping-sized shower.
After a quick breakfast we headed off to mass. I don't know what it is, maybe a break in the monotony of home masses all the time, but I always pay more attention when we go to mass here. It's always worth it, very good homily =)
The rest of the day was very chill, just a quick lunch of genuine, grandmother made food before we headed off to my auntie Rene's house for a family gathering =). Met up with my cousin, Chris, and caught up a bit. We (inevitably) ended up moving over to the xbox to jam a bit with rock band. And soon enough, both my parents AND grandparents joined in/took over hahah!! To anyone who hasn't seen their family playing something like this all together, I highly recommend - So funny!!
Driving to auntie Rene's House
Rock Band!!
Drew's Too Cool
And Mom's too Hard Core
But Were All Loving It =)
My grand uncle, who is a priest here in chicagoland, did the honors of saying grace before an outstanding feast of a dinner. After many laughs, embarrassing stories of crazy things my dad did "back when he was a kid,"and waay too much strawberry shortcake, back to the rock band we went!
Then, in true midwesten style, rain started pouring down. The streets turned into floods - you could hardly see 5 feet in front of you. Then, not 20 min later, we were outside taking family pictures in the bright sunshine. Welcome to the Midwest Wroblewskis, hahah.
Family Pic
As always, the visit was too short.. Just as soon as we were all warming up to one another, it was time to go =(
Back at grandma and grandpas house, heads were nodding, so we watched some news caught up on some TV and talkin, got our short internet fixes, then sleep came with ease =)
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