Maizun Horseshoes Tourney

I wanted to do a post today about my Saturday Nephews Adventure but when I was emailing the pictures to my work this morning I forgot one. I can't do a proper blog without all the pictures people!!!

But...here's a fuzzy preview:

Now I'm going to jump back in time a couple of weeks and write about the 2nd Annual Maizun Horseshoe Tournament.

(Mr. Bitter, this might be a long one and as you are self proclaimed non reader of posts venturing past 4 paragraphs, I suggest you skip to the end and see the picture of my cousin - that's really the only reason for the whole thing.)

First, I'll start by saying we got caught in THE WORST rainstorm EVER during our drive out there. OMG, the windshield wipers were on the fastest setting and still we could only see about 5 feet in front of the car. Very scary! I was hugely grateful the G-Man was driving.

Okay, so we drove through the majority of the rain and by the time we got to the homestead it was mostly spittling and looking like it would blow over, which it eventually did.

Cuzin Ryan had volunteered to umpire this year and did a bang up job of organizing teams and "the schedule". Last year's we were very unorganized and save for a couple good rounds of Giant Jenga and Scrotum (acutal game name, not me being a rude pig) and maybe two or three people actually tossing a horseshoe (some at the last minute!), it was more of a drinking tournament than a horseshoe tournament. Case in point, G-man and I were asleep by 8:30 due to heavy "pounding" of beer and margaritas upon our 3pm arrival. Slightly embarrassing but makes for a great story.

This year we managed to make it not only to the end of the tournament, but also to the botched pool toss (I tried to through the G-man into the pool but he squirmed his way out of my grip and ended up pushing me in instead - that was the moment I learned my watch was waterproof up to 30 meters. Yeah!!). We even lasted through to the walk to Cuzin Ryan's house, the water and advil ritual and some chit chats before crawling into "our" bed reserved especially for us at the Cuzin's house. It was the inaugural sleepover and I do have to say it was a very comfy night!

Neither G nor I did very well in the tournament. Although I had a fantastic partner in Aunt by Marriage "Leaner", we were down at the end of the first round. Though I wasn't "into the tent for the night drunk" I was a little saturated (mmmm....margaritas) and it didn't bode well for my horseshoe toss.

Overall it was a gloriously fun event. Some of the other quick highlights:

• losing my crystal earring in the pool only to have Cuzin Todd miraculously find it!
• seeing my OAK with a margarita....
• liquor store/A&P run for more Tequila and Margarita mix with Cuzin Lisa and some 17 year old kid driving us
• super yummy beef brisket
• brisket sauce on Zoey's head
• trying to clean the brisket sauce off of Zoey's head before Dordi came home
• did I mention Margaritas?

I'll close with the aforementioned photo of Cuzin Ryan. Enjoy!