August 27, 2011 My Trek To Buy A National Parks Pass

"Bang bang, on the door
You opened, not knowing what for
If opportunity, rears its head
Will you answer, or stay home in bed"

- The Day Is Coming by My Morning Jacket

This story is completely true. It is a cautionary tale about that important decision we must make everyday. Should I get up or stay in bed? or as the Clash once asked "should I stay or should I go". On the morning of August 14, my dog Oslo woke me up by nudging me with his head. I was fucking exhausted. I had plenty to do but once again it was raining outside so I decided to do nothing today. He kept bothering me so I got dressed and took them to the beach. I stopped at the Indiana Dunes Visitor Center to buy a National Parks pass. Damn, they only except cash. Off to find an ATM. It took awhile but I found a bank on Route 12 in Pines. Stopped to get gas in Beverly Shores and saw a food stand across the street. It turned out to be a gourmet pizza truck...a converted Studebaker fire truck...The Rolling Stonebaker. So I ordered a Choke and Shroom pizza with a Goose Island root beer. Great choice, my day takes a turn for the better.

After my early lunch, we head toward Kemil Beach. As we hike up and over the big dune to get from the parking lot to the beach...I hear something glorious...the sound of surf...waves breaking and crashing down. We run down the dune to the shoreline. The waves are choppy at times but the bigger ones are 4 foot rollers with some whitecaps. Too bad a park ranger is walking the beach to keep people out of the water. In I go with Oslo jumping the waves and Roxie stays more cautiously behind us. I tell the ranger I'm just letting them drink. All of a sudden one of the bigger waves catches Oslo and carries him right past me toward the shore...I see him dog paddling and start to laugh...then I realize I better let go of his leash or I'm gonna pull him backwards into the surf. When he finally lands in shallow water...he looks completely freaked out and turns to look at me with a goofy WTF just happened expression on his face. I'm laughing so hard I just fall into the water and hug him. I was so proud and happy for him...my dog just bodysurfed a wave...one of my favorite things to do in life. We hiked back over the dune. I picked up my parks pass. We headed home from our big adventure.

Sometimes you just have to change your plans, you never know what can happen out there. Here's how Roxie & Oslo looked on the way home...