"they make slaw in a bag" - joan

Who invented this? I thought this tonight while mom and I discussed cabbage soup. This in regards to how long, and retardedly, it took me to cut up a head of cabbage.

There's been a camping and rapids trip that shall be discussed now! It was super fun and exhilerating. First we tubed down Deep Creek an hour outside west of Ashville, North Carolina (in case you ever want to go). You rent an innertube that has a plastic seat solidly roped onto the doughnut part.

You park right by the Great Smokey Mts. Nat'l Park entrance--yet we didn't get a passport stamp though?!?! Our 5th Nat'l Park this year?!?

Then you hike about 1 quick mile all along the creek where you're watching so many groups of people sloppily and hilariously gipping through the foot deep rapids and mini-waterfalls every 6 feet!

We got to the final tubing drop in and got into the 55 degree water for a wonderful, sauntering and joyous time. Throughout this tubing experience, Casey's mom and dad are flipping all around, bonking on rocks and getting freaked out while laughing entirely. Jesse, our youngest trooper of 11 yrs. old so easily glided over every single rapids and waterfall, most likely b/c she was so lightweight.

On the biggest waterfall drop I flipped out and flopped on out near enough to my tube for such a wilderness thrill! Other times, just about every one of us had our ins and outs with this fast moving water throwing us enjoyably at swirls and drops!

THEN we white water rafted and it was the best rapiding trip I've ever been on! Granted I've only been on a dinky one in Colorado and yet a pretty sweet one in Oregon, the (famous) Rogue River just this summer!

This Nantahala River that took 5 hours to drive to from Cinci, yet in real time it took 9-10 total hours from Defiance to and fro and so many stops (ahh!)... this river...was perfect! The right amount of down time to hop in the water for refreshment, then quickly pull me back in Casey, here comes some more rapids to manuever through!!!!

The last big drop was monitored by an intensely smart business venture of digital pictures being taken of this biggest waterfall ending! As soon as I get some new pic hosting webpage, I'll throw up some cool pics.

Countless kids, dogs (well no dogs actually fell out :), adults, chicks, boys, and men were being popcorned right out of their boats at this point. There was a hilarious sitting point to watch for (and evily root for) extreme popcorn carnage.

Fortunately, no one we saw was seriously hurt. But there were many funny exits and people freaking out, and then laughing about it all. CRAZY!

Anyways, I'm in beegee and it was a fun day. We got Bo back, and I missed him. But not missed him enough to babysit him at this parents house, WHILE GRAMPA IS HERE! We've visited, shared stories, eaten cabbage soup, watched the all-stars, watched Ya-Ya's, went to Finder's and other downtownings.

Got to see Mike's band name on the Howard's venue board. They're playing this Thursday again, and I'm hoping to trick others into dropping me off in BG for the 11 o'clocker---this after a huge Cedar Point trip Thursday of course!

WOO! Time is dwindling, and I just looked a few minutes at Justin's junior high yearbook. It made me want to call some high school buds...alas no time to viz with England so near!!!

So busy, so fun, so fast, so sad, so cool, so summer! So finding out of teaching soph and junior English this coming school year! Guess who's teaching novels with movies all year?! For real, that's all the "non-college prep" English teachers do. You know to expose them to classics, wow, can I be that cheap in teaching? Perhaps.

Side notes: Michelle you go girl! Tracey! My serious workout time begins August 10th-ish! Matt glad you're getting a good challenge at your new job. Poop to no email or blog. Are you and Trace still gametime for us to come down? Wish you guys were here! PEACE!

"it's so weird to be back here" - ben folds (and one of the best concerts I've ever seen. Thanks for taking me to that Matteo!)