Old Man

The easiest way to catch a sunrise is to never go to bed.

June 1st was move in day for Emma and her pals up at UMD. Michele and I agreed to head up there and help unload the Uhaul storage box. We offered to be around to hoof belongings up and down narrow flights of stairs in hundred year old, traditional Duluth hillside housing. It was a fun day hanging out with the girls and hearing the joy of another year of college in the rearview mirror along with the excitement of summer ahead and their Junior year on the horizon.

A little hiccup down at the the storage yard threw us a curveball. While Mia may have taken it the hardest, it was a miscommunication that was no one's fault and we took it with a grain of salt and tried to turn it into a positive. After a nice evening walk along the lake, we got another meal at Texas Roadhouse. Michele and I decided to extend our trip in to an unanticipated overnight. A reservation at a shady hotel on the north side of town and a quick trip to Target and Kohl's got us each a new tooth brush and some fresh clothes to wear for day two. 

When we rustled the ladies from their slumber at the crack of 11:00 a.m., they were all a little weary eyed but wanted to tell us about an epic start to their summer. They reconnected with some friends in town for their own move in and let the libations flow. One cerveza turned into a few while the good times rolled and before you know it, someone hatched an idea to head to Park Point to enjoy a Lake Superior sunrise.

As luck would have it, a professional landscape photographer out of Alaska had a similar plan to take in a sunrise over the still waters of Gitchigami. Their paths intersected to create this perfect end to one chapter and the beginning of the next. Thank you to Damon Stuebner - your keen eye captured a beautiful moment in time that the girls would describe as "heavenly". They did not use the same language to describe their hangovers for move in day two.

As an aside, that weekend I took a major leap forward in my voyage as a father. While others came underprepared for any possible move in day obstacles, I was the only father equipped with a Handyman's Bag of whatnots. When Ella's Dad needed help assembling her shelving, twas I that produced an Allen Key. When Nicole's Dad scoured for a Phillips screw driver, I leant him one.

A tape measure you ask? - "Of course fella's. Grab one from my tool bag." A hacksaw? "In there somewhere." A piece of 550 chord or a zip tie...whatever the need was, it seemed like a little preparedness on my part provided the answer. I know Michele and Emma maybe didn't vocalize it but I'm sure they were proud. 

A window mounted air conditioner proved to be an afternoon project but a welcomed distraction for me while Michele and the rest of girls turned to unpacking and decorating. One final step in securing up the window unit couldn't be fixed in my grab bag of goodies so off I went on a little adventure. Down the hill a couple of blocks and then west on Superior Street another few, I tracked down a piece of window insulating foam that would be just perfect to seal the deal in our daughter's attic bedroom. When I returned, I passed the ladies lounging and taking a break on the L shaped living room couch, I tossed Emma a Blue Powerade to ward off the aftereffects of her sunrise hangover and said to the crowd, "There's a real nice little hardware store just down the way on Superior Street. Burgraff's Ace Hardware. I think you guys would like it."

Man, I'm getting OLD!

The only way I catch sunrises is on the front end - but back in my day....