fire update | R&R

First of all, it's a good thing Jared's not one of my blog devotees because I'm pretty sure this was the picture I took that was followed immediately by, "don't post this"... But since this is the only picture I got of him holding up the official USFS shirt he can just deal. 

(Dear Yareed... Um... Please don't be mad - I'll make it up to you in the form of breakfast lasagna next time you're home)

Fortunately after four years he's kind of used to me sticking a camera in his face (and half the time he doesn't even notice anymore).

That's what friendship is all about, right? Putting up with your friend's somewhere-between-funny-and-annoying tendencies? 

I mean, this is the guy who once prank called me late at night with a creepy, breathy voice making me feel very "the call is coming from inside the house" so yeah... I think this makes us even.

So before our long lost Nomex spokesman left on his current fire, he  came home last weekend after more than two weeks out on the Salt Creek Fire for 48 hours R&R, much to the joy of The Camaraderie. 

Dean, Robin, Frankie, Matty and I all flew over to Shamoo and Jared's place to get in some much needed time with the kid while we had him and, like so many nights before, it saw us talking and sipping beer straight into the sunset . 

On an unrelated note, I plan on blowing this photo up for the boys to hang in their living room. Whether or not they approve (or want it) is entirely beyond the point.

And Sunday night, before that 48 hour clock ticked down to the last second, I got to make dinner for my boys. And play the new Zac Brown Band album for them which led to Jared dancing like this...

And caused these happy-yum-yum faces to happen. 

Jared and I also grabbed a very questionable lunch (at an even more questionable Chinese buffet) with Michull and Maggie Monday before he shipped out. There are no photos of this however due to the fact that we were too busy being horrified by sweet & sour soup that smelled like a zoo and the potstickers that were inexplicably labeled "scallops".

Always sad to see him go, but to watch him leave back to the life he's worked so hard for?

Worth it. 

Totally and so incredibly worth it.