QotD: Memorial Day

How are you spending this Memorial Day? How will it differ from Memorial Days past?

I used to go to the Sasquatch Festival, over at The Gorge in George, Washington (yes, there really is a town called George here) but didn't feel like it this year. It's super-hyped/promoted nowadays and part of the appeal was that it was a little-known event where some big names came and the crowd was cool. I guess I'm a snob now, and that's okay with me. I saved cash and gas, so I'm well on my way to saving the world.

Yesterday we could have gone and done something, which I wanted to because I'm feeling better. But my kid said his band was coming over to practice at 1pm. They didn't show up til 6, so I was a bit pissed (so was my kid)... we waited around all day and could have gone and done something instead. I feel like the day was wasted. I told them all to work out their times better and to respect the fact that their practices affect adults too. (I have to stick around... I'm not about to let 5 teenagers alone in my place for huge chunks of time.) Then they spent the night and were a bit too loud. I told them to keep it down at 2am, and they did, but I should have told them sooner.

So today, I'm kicking out the kids by noon and my kid and I are headed to foothills of the Cascades to do some light hiking* up at Wallace Falls, which is close to me. It won't kill him. Hopefully it's not too muddy. Pepper tends to get stuck in mud.

* What I used to call going for a walk, is now considered hiking if you are doing it on a dirt trail in places like the foothills of the Cascade Mountains. So hike we will, even though we will just be walking around on a dirt trail, in the woods, following a waterfall. Per The Mountaineers, I will bring my Ten Essentials: things like matches, a compass, some extra food and water, etc. Sounds a bit lame for a simple walk in the woods/mountains, but I cannot tell you how many times the news around here tells about someone getting lost while on a 'simple walk in the woods/mountains'. Going for a walk used to be so easy.