hnatusko family reunion

so i have to say that the long weekend was pretty dope. it went by way too fast.

my sisters, my sister's husband [read "rick rizzi" in jerky boy-esque voice], casey and i flew to hotlanta, and took our chevy equinox out to my cousin's absolutely astonishingly large and beautiful summer home on lake lanier. we're talking "ralph lauren ad" gorgeous. we're talking "boats passing by on the lake slow to no-wake-zone-speed to gawk" large. we're talking "our husbands will be spending the weekend wallowing in their inadequacy" fabulous.

when we arrived, we were slightly stunned, not only because of the sheer grandiosity of the house, but for the fact that... it wasn't done! each of the five large bedrooms has its own full bathroom, but only two of the full baths and one of the innumerable powder rooms had a working toilet. it felt a little like being on the swan, too: no mirrors either. no beds, no blinds, no food, no kitchen stuff, no towels. once we arrived, everyone just got to work putting things together: blowing up air-mattresses and making beds, assembling target coffee pots, and appointing the kitchen with lotsa nice gadgets and gewgaws. it quickly became cozy.

we basked in the sun on the double-decker dock [say that five times fast] and each member plummeted at least once from the upper level into the deep, bath-warm lake. younger cousins employed a more artful form of jumping: 13-year old christopher contorted while catapulting himself at least three times a minute [to be 13 again!]. natalie, a national champion-winning cheerleader, shrieked while performing perfect front tucks into the drink, [yes, she had blades]. ever in my standard chicken-shit/partypooper style, i waffled on the precipice, but when my aunt wallene [who'd believe she's 60] jumped wearing her trademark lipsticked grin, i had little choice. the peer pressure was intense from the throng below; my mom plucked her bionic hearing aid and leapt to join the floating family below. even my impeccably-groomed, impossibly southern-belle beautiful aunt cindy risked life and mascara and plunged.

it was actually quite wonderful. the mommas reminisced about family vacations of yore in destin when everyone kind of just did their own thing: some at the water, some napping, some eating, some boating, some jetskiing, some out doing whatever's clever. everyone slept until they were sufficiently rested, then lolled about in their pajamas -- hair and boobs askew -- in the kitchen pretending instant coffee was real coffee. guys and gals pitched in without urging or suggestion to clean the kitchen and prepare meals. at night, the families convened to listen to impossibly loud wildlife in the forest on the wraparound balcony, drinking a sundry wines and beers.

we had a great time playing games and making asses of ourselves [especially on polish heritage night! nastrovia!] but mostly, we all enjoyed imagining we live together in one big home without the formalities that being a guest or host bring.