As the screen door closed behind my date and me, we heard Dad say “Remember Bumpy, your curfew is 11:00”. I hollered back “Yes Dad”. As we walked down the driveway, John asked me why Dad called me that.
I smiled and said that it was a long story. He said he wanted to hear it so I explained.
When I was a kid, the neighbor kids and my sister Sandy and I loved to play outdoor games. Often it
was starting to get dark and our visibility wasn’t what it should have been. On one particular occasion, I was running through the yard to get to the safe place where I couldn’t be tagged and didn’t see our metal clothesline pole. When I came to, I found myself with my arms and legs wrapped around the pole and all of the kids were trying to wake me up. The next thing I knew my head began to throb and I was moaning. Continue reading
It was my favorite camping place as a child. We would go with another family every year for a week every summer. One year we traveled to Arkansas and through the Ozark Mountains. We tried a few other campgrounds in Wisconsin, but my favorite was Jellystone in Sturgeon Bay.
Some of my more memorable vacations were those spent on Labor Day Weekends. It was always a huge project for me since I was the one who seemed to instigate this event. During the earlier weeks of summer, my family would go camping. I could have stayed in my tent for the duration of the summer. I just loved our camping experiences. I loved having people around me to enjoy, and I loved being outdoors no matter the weather. To me this was summer.
Our family has a wonderful tradition of taking a 2-week family vacation every summer. It first started when we would go camping at Spikehorn Campgrounds near Bailey’s Harbor in Door County. We would arrange for campsites that were next to each other. Each year on New Year’s Eve, I would call the fellow who made the arrangements. We spoke so often, that he would send me an annual Christmas card. 
When our family went camping, it always turned into a massive production. We had a 22-foot screened tent that served as our family meal area, and each family member had their own tent or camper setup. It was reminiscent of a family commune. I didn’t truly appreciate the contributions that each family member made to our camping adventures until I found myself setting up a campsite entirely on my own. 
I couldn’t wait for the next Jr High Dance. I loved going into the dimly lit gym and feeling the anticipation of dancing with a really cool guy. This is pretty funny because I was the biggest wallflower you could imagine.
When I was in school dances were a big thing. We used to have a dance after every football game, basketball games, and at miscellaneous other times. But, the biggest event was always the Junior Prom. 
I was a sophomore and starting my first year of senior high. We were having a dance at the beginning of the school year. I was very interested in a senior guy that I had met, but we weren’t going out. He and I both decided to meet at the dance and I was very excited.
As I remember I was always getting into trouble. I was curious, mischievous, and just plain naughty. I had a knack for bending the rules. I was the middle child and perhaps seeking out attention. I w