So yesterday, I was thinking to myself about all the things that my family used to do on Labor Day weekend.  Well, not ALL the things...mostly just one thing.  But it was a huge thing that we looked forward to every year.  My whole side of my dad's family and us got together and camped at the amusement park that was an hour's drive from us.  We'd load up the trailer, tents, sleeping bags, etc. and head out.  We'd meet up with everyone there, and all camp together.  We'd buy a 3 day pass, which back then was hugely affordable in comparison to nowadays, and have so much fun!  My sister and I would wake up at the crack of dawn with the rest of our cousins, and we'd wait, and wait, and WAAAAAIIIITTTTT, till we heard to them starting up the rides and testing them out...and then the countdown was on.  We could barely choke down breakfast due to our excitement.  And when the park opened?  Well, our parents didn't see us until lunchtime and then closing time.  We were much too busy to stop for dinner!  Oh the rides, the rollercoasters, the log flume, the merry-go-round, the ferris wheel, the sky tram....so, so, SO much to do....and so little time.  Food?  What was that?!  I remember going through the haunted houses so many times that they weren't scary anymore, so much as just silly and it made us laugh so hard!  I remember taking my first rollercoaster ride on the big coaster with my dad when I was 5 (I BARELY met the height requirement) and it scared the shit out of me cuz I almost fell out since the bar didn't go all the way down to my lap.  I didn't ride another coaster for a few years after that.  Silly me!  Oh the thrills that I missed because of that fear!

I remember one labor day when we were camped out there in the trailer, my sister and I had walked over to the community showers and were walking back in our towels and flip-flops/barefeet.  My sister got in the trailer first and then I reached out to keep the screen door open and I got electrocuted.  Not just a little shock...but as in my entire body was buzzing and my fingers couldn't move and were locked on the handle of the screen door.  I started to just hang there on the door...vaguely hearing my mom telling me to stop playing on the door, and then exclaiming that something was wrong, that I couldn't let go.  I remember my sister taking a flying leap and knocking me to the ground.  I remember feeling worn out and tingley for the rest of the night.  Apparently, I needed to wear flip-flops in the damp grass before grabbing hold of the metal door.  Haha.  That was a scary experience.  But it wasn't scary enough to keep me down the rest of the night or following days.  The only thing that changed was that, even though I was wearing proper foot gear, I made someone lift me into the trailer from that point on.  I didn't want to risk another electrocution!  Yikes!

Those were certainly the fun times.  Back when my grandparents were both alive, and keeping the family together.  My grandfather passed away around 1992 and my grandmother passed around 1998'ish.  After that, the family just never got together anymore.  Of course, by that time, also, my parents were divorced, but we were always invited to family get-togethers.  My dad never showed up to them.  Long story there.  But after grandma died...there was just never any reason to keep in touch.  Now, I don't even know where any of them are, or if they're ok.  I imagine we'd hear from someone if there were a death...at least, I'd hope so.  But who knows?  I do miss the get-togethers.  I miss all of my cousins.  I never really got to know my cousins on my mom's side...so we're not close.  But the ones on my dad's side...we were always hanging out together.

But those are whole other stories.  This was about my memories of Labor day weekends of the past.  Fond memories.  Fun memories.  Amazing memories.