July 4TH at The Perin Ranch
When family travels together, friendships deepen and memories stitch us closer together. Coming home to the Perin household in Ohio, my father and stepmother drove up with Brandy and the kids to spend a long weekend together. Lilly, Robert, and their kids, niece, and nephew also stayed and camped on the property. The weekend was full of Jamie pulling kids, adults, and dogs alike in the wagon behind the four wheeler. When Jim hid the golf cart keys, we knew to ask Jane where to find them. Conor’s love to play with sticks and leaves in the pond allowed dad and Xavier to fish nearby. Julia was the only one who was able to convince Conor not to throw Jim’s expensive rocks in the pond. Anabella, Analia, and Idalia fed the fish and caught some in buckets, while Colin was given his own personal pond in the form of a kiddy pool. However, he preferred to drag the dog’s water bucket from the garage to the driveway. Jamie and Lilly had their bonding cousin time, as they always have since kids. Julia and Jim ate the ice cream sandwiches, Brandy made bloody marys, dad drank his two Guinness’s, and Jamie drank Jim’s stash of Coors Light. We were all very classy.
One evening, Lilly, Robert, and the kids started a kickball game. People would span out when Robert or Xavier kicked the ball, and closed in when Analia or dad came up to kick. Analia was given no mercy from her father, the pitcher, whereas my dad did great kicking it out of bounds. Conor was the wild card — he found a way to run around Robert five times before he understood he needed to kick the ball. Once he kicked the ball, dad helped him run to first base. On his way to second base, he decided to run to Brandy and tell her all about the new game he was playing. Just another stitch.
At night, the fireworks were incredible. In all four directions people we lighting up with sky with an explosive enthusiasm. We all watched, many with our chins hanging, as fireworks as good as any you’d pay to see, surrounded us. Lemon was fine as long as she was burrowed, and Jamie made the s’mores. After fireside fun was over, we went inside for board games — particularly, “Secret Hitler.” In “Secret Hitler,” the liberals have to fish out the fascists. Jane and Jim made it easy when they were on the bad-guy team in a way that made us roll with laughter, or drop our head in a bag of Doritos. Dad had no idea what he was doing, even as a liberal. Thankfully, Idalia was there to co-team with him. Analia stole our hearts as a liberal, when she accidentally enacted a fascist policy, and was devastated by her mistake. Julia turned out to be a pro with the help of a couple glasses of wine. Poor Brandy, however, was Jamie’s target. Jamie, as it usually happens, was randomly chosen to be a fascist multiples times. And she preyed upon Brandy’s poker face, manipulating the face of a liberal so Jamie could pass undetected. Brandy, always the liberal, knew not how to defend herself. There is always one person that gets skewered in that game, and Brandy was it.
When we left the Perin Ranch, Jamie flew back to San Francisco to a joyous surprise — her mother joined her. I went back to Dayton to see fireworks with my mother and Bill. I spent an afternoon playing games with my grandma, and an evening with friends at Dublin Pub. I also met Leo and Theo, my cousin’s kiddos at my Aunt Jo and Uncle Jim’s house. Continuing my journey South, I got to drive past John and Brandy’s new house, and stay at Megan’s while visiting Grove Ave, and doing a cannonball in Beth and Linda’s pool. Within a week, I was surrounded by some of my favorite people. It was low key, and I got quality time with everyone. And left all stitched back up.
