The Redneck Yacht Club

Before we had kids, you knew summer had arrived when every Sunday started out by loading up a cooler full of beer and hot dogs and heading to the lake. Some friends of ours have a cabin on a local lake....and by cabin I mean a 35 year old mobile home with several coats of paint, and the luxury of running water (cold only) and a toilet!! Sundays ended late, with a belly full of beer, crispy skin and a light head. Mondays were spent nursing a hangover and sunburn while trying to get through a 8-9 hour shift at work. A song came out a while back by a country singer named something or other called the Redneck Yacht Club...it reminded me so much of the lake crowd, I still chuckle when I hear it. Sometimes the 'lake crew' ventures to the Ohio River and spends the day, stopping to float in the water or lay on the sand bars.

Many hours are spent around a campfire, cracking jokes, sharing stories, spreading rumors, teasing and harassing, solving the world's problems and arguing over the St. Louis Cardinals and the Chicago Cubs, or rival NASCAR drivers. Embarrassing things are said, that one rarely repeats in mixed company, such as tasteless insults and sexual innuendo. Laughs are always guaranteed. Sometimes there are squabbles, but generally a good time is had by all. Even when there is no conversation at all, just staring at the fire, watching the water or staring at the stars. It's good company.

Of course boat rides, skiing, tubing and the likes are enjoyed by all, but what we all enjoy the most is each other. The boats aren't fancy and the skis are old...the beer is cheap and hot dogs are the main food supply. Everybody brings a little something, usually whatever your garden is providing at the time or some sort of snack. Sunday we ate fried rabbit. It was awesome!

Since we had kids my hubby and I don't make it out there much. And these days the beer drinking is mostly replaced with swimming with kids, retrieving snacks and general parenting. But it's still a good time. We are the Redneck Yacht Club. A little older, a little slower, a little bit more responsibility on our shoulders....but still kickin' up our bare feet in dirty water.