You can't always get what you want

This was supposed to be my big thrill time- a full 10 days off work, all paid. I have never worked where you had enough vacation and my current employer starts you with one week paid and one day off per year additional vacation time. It took me a while to earn enough days to cover all the regular times I take four or 5 day weekends and still have a week off. I was really looking forward to it.

Things started out ok with a hot time in the old house on Friday celebrating my freedom. Saturday we were going to join some friends that were camping out behind a buddy's house and party with them. When we got there with our breakfast donation the feed was pretty much over but there was plenty left so we fired up the frying pan and made our own, which is pretty much SOP for those who sleep in with our group, so that was ok.

People were chatting and planning the next meals, making the super secret bbq sauce for the venison and the next days pig, running to the store, riding the two mechanical mules on the back property and just toddling on through the day.

We sat a little back from the main group as we smoke. We ate our breakfast, cleaned up our mess and watched. We didn't know what the plan was so we didn't have anything to add. No one asked us if we wanted to ride on the mules, would run to the store, help with the fire or anything and it seemed like when we did try to talk to people they wouldn't look us in the eye and wandered off after short answers.

We tried to confirm our trip up north with our friend, Ma. M had to work and couldn't be there. She said M forgot about it and when she reminded him about it didn't want to ride up for just one night. Plus the bridge is under construction and no one wants to ride the grate if it can be avoided. That was a big bummer for me. We haven't seen much of M and Ma this year and we both had looked forward to some one on one with them along with fire building and card games. I think she felt badly because she had really wanted to go and made a big deal out of it but her mate said no. She wandered off to the store again.

One of the girls went to get her bike and it had a tail light out. The mate was asked to help with locating the fuses and fixing it but when he was done we were back in our seats with no one to talk to. I tried to get a card game going but only one person wanted to play so that got blown off.

After that we just sat and listened to them gossip about the the guy who was there without his wife giving a lady a ride on the mule and what the wife would do if she showed up. It was pretty high school and we were finally bored and ignored enough. It was getting hot or I was getting a flash and I used it as an excuse to head for the air conditioner and list some ebay auctions.

We said that if we came back we would bring corn on the cob for dinner, said our polites and left. We didn't go back that night. I called the next morning to see if they still wanted to go ride the ponies at the sisters with the kids but they were going to hunt geodes. The point was made that it would involve walking up hills and being out in the heat so, of course, I said I guessed I would'nt be going along and I hoped they had a great time.

But the person I was talking to I trusted to be straight with me and I asked her if she would answer a couple questions. When she said yes I asked if I had bad breath or smelled bad and she laughed and said no. I asked if we had offended someone and she said she didn't think so. I told her we felt out in left field and were not sure why did she know anything and she had no answer.
It was just so weird. These people are our friends and we both felt like we were being tolerated instead of welcomed. If it was just me I would write it off to hormones but the mate felt it, too. So now I have to find out what the deal is and I don't even know who to ask! ARRRGGHH!

But that is ok, life goes on. We went home, cooled off, watched the news and I re oriented on the refugees coming to Michigan.