bruises? sunburn? abraisions? . . . bring it on!

It was unfortunate that the 4th fell on a Friday, which meant I really only got half of the day off. My mom got a worse deal because she's off on Fridays anyway. Oh well, it still felt like a break.


Ryan and I got to Collegedale around 7, in time to meet Ryan and Jaclyn for supper before the fireworks. We didn't quite go all way to 4-corners, but sat across from the Little Debbie thrift store. I liked the way the colors all showed from this 4-second exposure. The length of exposure shows three different explosions all superimposed on each other.

Depending on the brightness (mostly due to color) and when I clicked the shutter, some of the fireworks lit the sky enough (with a 2-second exposure) to show the group watching.



Jaclyn and Ryan hung around Friday just long enough to come out on the boat with us. We were pleasantly surprised to arrive to a full parking lot, but seemingly mostly-empty lake. We all had really good water.

Mary Jane started us off on two skis. She's powering through the lake in this picture. I've decided that in this wireless age, we need ropeless skiing and wakeboarding. The pictures would be so much better! No faces cut off . . .


Randy slalomed and wakeboarded. He makes the best faces because getting the best jump comes from holding your tongue just right.

Ryan put us all to shame, of course. He makes the water look like it's . . . well . . . not water. Someday I'll be that good. He actually went after Jaclyn, but I already laid out this blog and I'm not changing it!

I love the way the water looks when you "freeze" it.

We had a really good time out there. I hope everyone else isn't as sore as Ryan and I are. I must not have gotten the sunscreen sufficiently on my right arm, because it's sure toasted.

I can't wait to see Jaclyn's pictures, because I didn't get any pictures of Ryan K. wakeboarding. I kept waiting for us to turn around so he wouldn't be backlit, but he didn't go for that long. After a couple of years off the wakeboard because of his knee, he didn't want to overdo it.

Jaclyn has a routine when she wakeboards. Ryan K. said he's finally got it all figured out. You can just tell when you've got a classic Jaclyn shot of her wakeboarding. I don't have a squatting one this time, but this one's probably better. Jaclyn carves up the water like she's on one ski.

Another "classic Jaclyn." I'd like to think I bring it out in her. =)










This is the face I always make when I wakeboard. I guess I'm concentrating on landing!








Hey look, I smiled! Hey look, the rope's in the way of my face!








I'm not even trying to push him in this time! We already look tired and we haven't even tubed . . . or played tennis yet . . . =)

Ah, tubing . . . Why is being dragged behind a boat on a small piece of inflated plastic so much fun? I'm pretty sure it's that you're not ever sure how or when you'll fall off, but that it's inevitable . . . if you're me.

Ever since I completely flipped over with my tube twice when boating with the Fords in 2001, I've been kind of a tubing legend (in Ryan's eyes). I actually tried to talk Ryan into intentionally flipping, but we never did it.

One of my most memorable tubing moments was on that same day when Lindsey looked over at me from her tube and said, "If I lose my contacts, you're driving back!" That's how you know it's fun.

Ryan and I did find time (a few seconds) to relax in between being slung from side to side. I was testing out ideas for a sail on my tube in this picture.

I fell off my tube at one point while watching an osprey. I didn't see Ryan flying rapidly toward the side of my tube until it was too late.

Tubes are fun when they're stationary too. I didn't quite get enough height for a whole backflip, but it was close!





Ryan insisted that I wear these glasses, if only for a moment. I'm scanning the sky for birds. If only I could see past the clouds . . . oh wait, those are just scratches on the lenses . . .


Because the sunburn and back pain hadn't quite caught up with us, Ryan and I headed to SAU's tennis courts at 2:30 for some tennis. We both played against Eric Baerg in one set and lost. =(







After the one set, I went back to Heilmans' and took a shower while Ryan played a set against Andrew Bauer and beat him.













Ryan still wasn't tired, so he decided to wear Xavier out too. I came back in time to photograph their set, which Ryan won 7-5.








I took my life into their hands laying on the court to get shots from this viewpoint. I only almost got hit once.

Stay tuned for a blog from either Ryan or me of our visit with Grandma Dut, Aunt Tonda, Bobby, Joy, Ella, and Evan (& Harley) from today.