bodies in lake
2004-06-21, 9:36 a.m.

Status report on project Nail-Grow. They�re looking great! I�m needing a manicure, but the Nutra-Nail has worked absolute wonders. They are long, getting longer, and strong as hell.

Annnd�we�re back. To work. After vacation. Sucks.

My best friend is now two bays away, and my printer and phone are out of order, due to the big move that took place in my absence.

Things are as disorganized as ever (if not more so), so many people unpacking makes it irritatingly noisy, and the airhead I work for is apparently unaware that we have no documentation to go by on this testing. Plus the guy who�s my real boss is in Florida.

Had a nice weekend. The weather could not have been lovelier. We went to the grad party on Saturday, and were there from 2:15 till about 7:30. Great food, some nice people, and a very well run party. Buffet in the garage, complete with C�s patented wading pool salad bar. Roast pig, fried turkey (domestic AND wild kinds), and loads of good stuff. They had a slushie machine and a bouncy-house for the kids, and even rented a porta-potty.

I didn�t drink much; about a half-bottle of white zinny. It was BYOB; Spouse took 4 vodka lemonades, 6 beers, 5 Mike�s hard limes, and a Smirnoff Ice. He drank the VLs, the beers, and one or two of the Hard Limes. So 11-12 drinks in five hours. I drove home. But I had figured that would be happening when we got out of the car and he put his keys in my purse. Papa did okay; he only had four beers, and he took a nap in the swing while we were there.

He stayed the night Saturday, as we had plans with him for Sunday. That gave P&E a break, anyway. We came home and watched �Grumpier Old Men�, because Papa had never seen it. He fell asleep and missed the end though. We put him to bed in Spouse�s room, and S. took the couch. I think he spent most of the night on the floor, though.

Sunday, I got up early and walked Raji, then showered and dressed so I�d be out of Papa and Scott�s way. I made coffee, and the quality cup of brew blew Papa away. He doesn�t get fresh-ground Sumatran brewed with filtered water very often, I guess. He even told P about it when he got home, like my coffee was the highlight of his Father�s Day. Right before we were ready to leave, my mom called, so I got to wish Daddy a happy Father�s day. I�m going down next weekend to see Favorite Unk, so I�ll take him his jam then. I told him I made him some, and he seemed pleased. I have to remember to send Aunt E and Dr. Cousin their necklaces back with him.

Anyway, I walked Raj again before we left, and then we set off to the City for ribs. We were there at 10:38, eight minutes after they opened. A lovely barbeque brunch was had by all. We went to the cemetery after lunch and Papa visited his family�s graves. Knowing his phobia, I was proud of him for handling that so well. We meandered home by way of the old neighborhood and Papa had a grand time reminiscing. In Glenview, we stopped for milk at Oberweis and He blasted out of the car when told they had ice cream. It was cute. I had a scoop of black raspberry on a sugar cone, Pops had the same in strawberry. Ooh; it was good.

We were going to go to the car show in Racine so he could check out the Model A�s, but he was tired, so we went back to the house and he packed up his stuff and headed home. I think he really enjoyed himself.

We just laid back for the rest of the day. S and I both felt headachy and tired. I ran to the store for some sandwich stuff for dinner, and that was about it. Watched some of my SCTV DVDs and played on the PC.

I really should include the big news of the weekend; the three bodies that washed ashore in Carroll Beach. They are saying now that the man and his two children were probably murdered. Or it could be murder (the kids) and suicide (the man). The news made it to CNN, The Minneapolis Strib, and of course Chicago news teams were all parked in front of the PPPD all weekend. In fact, the Tribune Broadcasting truck just left this morning; I followed it down the toll-way on my way in this morning. The Strib actually had the best write-up; I include it here for �posterity�.

Bound bodies of father, sons wash up on Lake Michigan beach

PLEASANT PRAIRIE, Wis. -- A father and two sons from Chicago reported missing last month were found dead on a Lake Michigan beach, their bodies bound together with rope and tied to bags filled with sand, police say.

``We consider these deaths to be very suspicious and this case is being handled by law enforcement as a homicide,'' Police Chief Brian J. Wagner said Sunday.

But no official cause of death was released for the three found by a resident Saturday. Kenosha County Chief Deputy Medical Examiner Rick Berg said Monday morning autopsies were planned Monday afternoon, and results were not expected to be available until at least Tuesday.

``We're not prepared to rule anything in or out at this point,'' he said of the deaths of 45-year-old Kevin L. Amde, 3-year-old Tesla E. Amde and 6-year-old Davinci Amde.

Wagner would not say whether any suspects had been questioned.

The three were last seen May 6, when the father and younger son picked up the older boy from his Chicago school, Wagner said. Veronica Amde, Kevin Amde's wife and the children's mother, reported them missing to Chicago police on May 11.

The Kenosha County Medical Examiner's Office said the amount of time the three were believed to be in the water was consistent with how long they had been missing - about six weeks.

Wagner said there was no evidence of violent trauma on any of the bodies.

The chief said the three were tied together with nylon rope, either through belt loops, a belt or around one child's waist.

Also tied to the bodies were two nylon book bags, each containing personal belongings and two plastic bags filled with sand.

``One of the children also had pants pockets filled with sand, which had been zipped closed,'' he said.

This added 48 pounds of weight, he said.

Authorities would not speculate on where or how the bodies entered the water.

Kevin Amde was identified by his driver's license and work identification, Pleasant Prairie police Lt. Paul Ratzburg said. He declined to say where Amde worked or what type of job he had.

Chicago police Sgt. Stephanie Stuart said Amde often took his children on trips without telling his wife. They would visit museums in Chicago, go fishing or come to Wisconsin, where they had extended family in Racine.

``From what we've learned so far, it wasn't unusual for the father to take the children on excursions,'' Stuart said. ``He was very knowledgeable and would travel (by) trains, buses.''

Stuart said there was no indication the couple, who had been married five or six years, were having problems, and Wagner said he had no knowledge of Amde having mental health or criminal problems. They had only the two children, Wagner said.

``From every indication that we've gotten so far, he was a very loving father,'' Stuart said. ``He had no enemies.''

The Associated Press could find no telephone listing for the family.

Wagner said Veronica Amde did not want to comment.