Take a shot now...

Here's one of those quick "just got to post something" posts that will probably give Randy (lostncove) a reason to take a drink.

I just got back from Wisconsin/Bears in the Woods/Chicago. I'm really glad I had the extra day to hang around in Chicago before my flight. The flight was surprisingly full for a Monday night.

I had a great time, and more details will be forthcoming. Pictures will have to be developed, as I left the digital camera in my still unpacked apartment. Wisconsin was lovely, lots of trees and billboards for places offering cheese. The leaves were just beginning to turn, and I'm sure for the next two weeks it will really be beautiful.

Last night in Chicago it was a cold (for me) 40 degrees. Tonight in Houston it's 73. It was good seeing the skyline and Lake Michigan again before I left, and I met a ton of great people that I already miss, both in Chicago and in the cabin in the woods.

Sleep now, details later, and back to the grind. Ahh, weekends.

On Wisconsin! (Part 1)

Thanks to Eric (ericdabear) for the new user icon from the Bears in the Woods cabin.

You know it's been a good weekend when you didn't crack open the laptop once. The laptop travelled from Houston, to Chicago, to the Wisconsin Dells and back, but it stayed in sleep mode and never saw the light of day except to be X-rayed at the airports.

It's also good when you keep thinking, man, I really needed more time. So many people that I've read for a while and a few I hadn't, and the vibe between everyone was cool. The scenery was beautiful, and it was great to get away from it all for a few days.

I landed in Chicago around noon, and was picked up by John (blithwulf). it was good to see him again, and with the flight coming out of Houston, and entering Chicago at the same gates as a my trip a few months ago, it was like deja vu all over again. (On the flight I had a great talk with this nice, grandmotherly-like lady who was probably the same age as my mom, but had a different quality about her. Very pleasant.) We gathered up Lee (tironsshadow) and Roger (aadroma) and made our way out of the city and into the wilderness.

Illinois roads suck. Their were 5 toll plazas just to get out of the state. I have no idea why they put tolls on interstates anyway, it's just stupid.

We get into Wisconsin and every town has a store that is proudly claiming it's cheese. it's enough to make me gain a ton of weight. The land was rolling and the trees were mostly green - just a hint of the fall that's coming. The temperatures were unusually cold. Still, once we got to the cabin, and made all of the requisite "Crystal Lake" type jokes about movie serial killers and the doom that comes to people who seem to have no problem with premarital sex. Hmm, has anyone ever done a Jason-type movie about a bunch of gay men? There would never be that last survivor, because who would be the virgin?

We got to the cabin and there was hosts Nick (uberdaddybear) and Matt (polomex) welcoming us in. Inside already were Jim (jrjarrett), Dave (drmrdave), and Don (hylandr). I can't remember exactly how people arrived but everyone asked how I arrived, coming with the "Chicago Crew". I think John's Texas plates that he still has threw everyone off. Trust me, I'm not driving all that way for a weekend.

I carried the banner for Texas, though Lee could relate to what I was saying, being from West Texas. I'm sure that my love for this state did wear on a person or too, but hey, it's my reference point. Questions arose about Chris (oakleycub). Was he able to come? Why not? Etc. trust me, if I could have gotten him there, I would have. It did allow me to be a free agent and to be able to play a bit of a social butterfly, getting to know a little something about everyone in the cabin. It was nice.

I'll admit that it was interesting to know that when I signed up in April, there was several people who through the course of many months changed their mind and pulled out. I was a little hesitant about going, knowing that it would be a bit of a different crowd than I originally thought would be there. Still, I was pleasantly surprised, and I was happy to get to know these people. They are all wonderful and I've already mentioned I want to see them all over again.

The cabin was warm, and food was already being prepared for the evening's meal. I can't remember the order, but people continued to trickle in, including Chad (glbear99) and his husband Rob, Erik (randomcub) and Dennis (denminn) and, after they were in a car wreck in Milwaukee, the Atlanta Crew of Eric (ericdabear), Joe (joezer), and the cute Stephen (dakoopst). I started talking to Dennis about politics, and knew I needed to add him on LJ (among others). it was nice to have someone who held some similar opinions.

We got settled in, and everyone was sort of feeling each other out. It was certainly a far-flung group of people, and many had never met the others. There was sort of a faction thing set up, from whence you arrived - I was both independent and attached to the Chicagoans - it was a bit strange.

Well, as usual, this will have to be a multi-part story, as I need to get to work today. back to the mundane life. - more to come.