Seething

I threw the boys in the Jeep last night to go catch some creek chubs.  When we pulled into the park there was just one car in the lot.  It was a group of skaters that I knew would stay up in the parking lot.  Good news, nobody by the creek.  Undisturbed me and undisturbed chubs meant that those poor little bastards would be easy pickins!  I helped the boys out of the Jeep and instructed them to stay away from the creek and the woods.  I've been catching flack from the sarge for the patterns of red bumps that seemed to increase on each of their little bodies after each of our recent trips to the park.  They didn't argue and headed straight for the playground equipment with Luke throwing a "Hope you catch some good bait, Dad!" over his shoulder.

After watching them land at their jungle gym of choice and making sure that I could keep them in sight, I set up at a spot near the entrance of the park.  Deep little run with tall grass on both sides of the creek.  A good chub spot.  I was just getting my first little chunk of crawler on the hook when a van pulled up in the lower parking lot not too far from me.  I watched as 8 people poured out of the thing with a huge dog muscling his way through them like it was after a squirrel that only it could see.  I didn't even have time to sense that my night had just completely gone to hell.  That big ass, dumb ass dog instantly flew straight at me as soon as its front paws hit blacktop.  I was the squirrel.  As I watched the grizzly dog bear down on me, I felt my fight or flight instinct start to rev, but it read the situation and said, "You're on your own, buddy!"  Even better, all 8 of the van people screamed at the blur of fangs and slobber with a panic that made me think, "Dear Jesus!  This thing's about to clamp onto my throat!"  It didn't, but it barged right in and clumsily threw itself all over my precious fishing spot with the people right behind it.  They crowded around me, stomped around on the bank, and leaned over the creek, asking, "Are there really fish in here?"  "Not anymore!" was the obvious answer, but instead I patiently explained about the chubs and that I use them for catfish bait, and then gave up the hole and moved up the creek.

I dropped my line into the second hole when yet another vehicle pulled up with an even bigger dog.  "You have GOT to be kidding me!"  This stupid thing, too, flew right at me.  It practically knocked me into the water as it barged past me and plunged square in the middle of the hole that I was fishing.  I had to quick get my hook out of there for fear that I would snag the beast.  Incredulous, I turned around to look for its owner.  A Courtney Love type walked up laughing, "Stupid dog!"  Yeah, stupid dog.

I grabbed my stuff and walked further up the creek.  The dog matched me pace for pace, but it was still in the creek and it was destroying every hole that I hoped to fish.  Courtney, the grizzly, and the Mystery Machine gang all fell in tow, too.  What the whaaaaaaaaat?!

Before I could skip around the whole miserable crowd to a couple of holes near the back of the park, I turned and saw Lincoln standing with his shorts down.  When I asked him what he was doing, Luke casually told me, "He pooped in his underwear."

If this was a test, I failed.  I was throwing my arms around and saying all kinds of crazy stuff to myself.  A closer inspection of Lincoln revealed that the mess was completely down both legs, all over his shoes, and in the treads because he had apparently walked in it.  Trying to clean the boy up in the glorified outhouse of a bathroom that they have at the park was the cherry on top of my sundae of an outing.

I strapped Lincoln bareback into his car seat and headed for home.  As I motored out of the park, I noticed Courtney Love facing me and apparently watching me leave.  Despite my intense frustration, I felt bad.  Other than being a little thoughtless and maybe ignoring leash laws, they were pretty innocent in the whole thing.  Just curious and friendly, really.  I could have handled it better.

I still wasn't ready to talk to anybody for a good hour after it happened because, apparently, bait fishing is super important to me.  In the mean time, Lincoln had a bath and a snack, and was ready for bed.  That little dude can sure make me crazy, but I can't stay mad.  I finished off his night cuddling with him until he fell asleep.  I can only hope and pray that this will be the memory he takes from that day and not the raving lunatic he saw in the park.  I know better.