Zup'in Canada - Part 11

Entertainment

            I found there were four forms of entertainment on this trip. Three of which will be retold here, and the other will take up its own section. There was no television set to watch or radio to listen to. The only humor I had was in the form of human comedy from my relatives.

            The first was Uncle Keith and his obsession with twisty tie clean up. At first, there wasn’t much on the ground, and none of our group threw any there. However, from past groups on the island, they showed up as we walked over and disturbed the Earth under our feet. Everywhere he went we would hear one or a combination of the following: “Another twisty tie.” “Wow, there’s another one.” “Where are all of these coming from?”

            It was amusing, and there were enough of them for him to find the entire time on the island. I kept thinking someone was pulling them out of the bag and throwing them back on the ground for Keith to find later. But I know it wasn’t me, and if it was another relative they never owned up to it.

            Keith was also obsessed with making the fire every day and washing every day. I don’t think there was a day where he didn’t rinse off. He’s a cleanly man and likes things in order. He also didn’t shave the entire trip, which is very unlike him. It took his daughter to make a deal with him that she wouldn’t shave either.

            The second funny incidents came from Rene after she had a few shots of tequila and whiskey during the course of the day and got back to camp. Uncle Bob, Rene, Tommy, and I decided to head back to Zup’s lodge and have a beer and take some to go (each beer was Labatt’s Blue and cost $3). On the way there, as Bob was driving us back to Zup’s, Rene said one of the rememberable lines of the trip. Through squinted eyes, holding her hat on her head, she stated, “Look. I can paddle real fast!” Then she proceeded to make a paddling motion. Tommy found it amusing, and laughed all the way back to the resort.

            At the lodge, Rene told Tommy she thought one of the dock boys was cute and called him her “Cabana Boy,” which made Tommy laugh the entire camping trip. When we returned to camp, Rene made everyone laugh as she talked through squinty eyes. By the end of the night, Bob and I were almost caught up to her – which was the night I stayed up late with Tommy and caught a tick.

            The third laugh we all had came from Tommy. It seems Tommy sleep talks and walks. This time, however, he didn’t walk, but he did talk and make motions in the middle of the night. He had the night moves. The first time I only heard it, being too tired to turn over after hearing Keith ask Tommy if he was alright. The second time, Keith tapped me on my back to turn over and watch Tommy play characters in his sleep.

            The first time it happened, I heard muffled talking. I listened without turning over thinking it was Keith and Tommy talking. Then I realized it was only Tommy. I couldn’t understand what he was saying, and I overheard Keith say something to Tommy. The next morning, Keith told us all Tommy was sitting up in his cot, doggy paddling like a dog over and over, mumbling something. I started laughing and blurted out, “Yeah, he was saying, ‘Throw me the stick! Throw me the stick!’” We all laughed, and thought he had to of been doing it because of Dawson the yellow lab. Tommy wants a dog, and I think he was acting it out in his dreams.

            After dinner the next night, we were wondering if Tommy would act anything out again in his sleep. He did, and this time I saw him. Instead of playing fetch, he was fishing. He was sitting up in his cot, reeling in his line as if he was catching a fish. Over and over he pulled back and reeled. It was hysterical, and Keith and I just watched for a bit then went back to sleep. Like I said, Tommy always had a pole in the water, even in his sleep.