Can anybody rent a kid? (10/15/2008)

Here's the bottom line: I think I needed to rent a kid.

Let me explain, or try to.

It's been an extended bachelor weekend at our house. Connie has been in Illinois with her sister and her eldest brother for a few days, leaving the dog and I to our own devices.

Under the best of circumstances, we would have quickly exhausted our list of things to talk about. But, these days, Shadow is pretty much deaf. And since her idea of a good time revolves around sleeping, eating, and, well, you can pretty much guess the third one, I found myself on my own.

Connie left on Thursday, and that night I discovered that this was Mississenewa 1812 weekend.

If you've never been to Mississenewa 1812, you've been missing out.

Located a short drive north of Marion, it's an incredible weekend encampment of crazy historic re-enactor types who sleep on straw, cook over an open fire, and assume alternate identities, all while trying to keep their marriages to extremely patient spouses intact.

A great friend in the news business, Ed Breen, formerly with the Marion Chronicle-Tribune and now with the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette, was one of the guys who initiated the event, back when it was something sketched on the back of a napkin.

Now, it's something that rivals the engine and tractor show in Jay County when it comes to crowds and participants.

We have been, I believe, three times. Twice with Sally and once as a couple.

Either we had not discovered the event or it didn't exist when the twins were little.

The site of the encampment was the site of the westernmost battle in the war of 1812. Most of us forget that, when Jay County was the frontier and was the home of transient tribes of Native Americans, this area was also the scene of historic conflict.

Drive south of Redkey on Ind. 1 and you'll find a small cemetery for American troops who died during a march through what are now Randolph and Jay counties during that war.

At the encampment, there are daily or twice daily battle re-enactments. There are also scores of vendors selling everything from foxhead caps to popguns, from adz-carved wooden bowls to pewter tankards.

In other words, it's a heck of a lot of fun and a great place to take a kid.

Trouble is, going into the weekend I was kid-less.

On Friday, I considered going alone. But I figured that would not only be boring but might look a little creepy. I also considered inviting a couple of kids from the neighborhood, but figured that would look even creepier.

So, on Saturday, instead, the dog and I hung out together.

I worked on an endless refinishing project. She slept.

My only shopping wasn't for pewter tankards but for steel wool and a new supply of Milk Bones.

On Sunday, I read, vacuumed, did some work at the office, and watched the best Colts game of the season.

She slept.

Bottom line: I think I needed to rent a kid.[[In-content Ad]]