One tired ass camper

Camping whipped me. It took me until Wednesday to feel normal and I spent the rest of the week playing Sims 3 (Damn Mr. MFBA for bringing this game in to our home).

Here's my trip, bullet style:

- It was hot and humid and more humid.

- Latrines are beyond nasty. Do not believe the b.s. the counselors were selling about how the smell shouldn't be that bad since it was week 1.

- Raccoons will steal the trash cans at night. This will wake you up.

- My girls can build a kick ass fire

- Archery is one of the coolest things ever. Maybe my grandfather will give me a bow?

- I still hate sing-a-longs. Princess Pat, Percy the Pale-Faced Polar Bear, the milkshake, sticky waffle, KFC, etc can all go jump off a cliff in to song hell.

- I ate way too much. There was dessert at lunch and dinner.

- I stunk by the time I got home. Stunk as in, "Please take a shower before you get near our bed"

- I felt like a leader for the first time in my life. I think it was the way I was able to whip out whatever was needed from my backpack.

Thing I hated the most: wearing socks 24/7. This is a GS camp rule. Except when at the pool socks must be worn at all times. I cheated from time to time but imagine how wrinkly and nasty your feet would be after 4 days in damp socks and shoes. Eeewww!

Thing I loved the most: watching the girls. No school, no pressure, no boys, no parents, only high school/college girls leading the way for the campers. It is a joy to see the girls acting like kids without concern for what anyone else might be thinking. Even the ones who try to seem uninterested eventually participate with a smile.

I still hate camping; it still remains at the very bottom of my list of things I would want to do but I had a really good time. More importantly my girls had a really good time and that made it worth every rash, bite, and funky smell.

Happy Camper

I don't camp. I don't like to camp. I like the idea of camping but not the reality. Naturally this means that I have to take my GS troop camping. Parent volunteers being so forthcoming (haha), it was either I go or the troop didn't go.

Did I mention that I don't like camping? Or that the forecast for the next 4 days is nothing but rain and thunderstorms? Or that latrines and sing-a-longs don't do it for me?

Send happy camping thoughts my way and ask the weather to cooperate!

What kept you up last night?

If you were in my house the answer would be: a cat. A meowing, howling cat.

One that would have you out of bed and in the backyard four times searching for teh kitteh to make it come inside.

One that would have you searching drawers and closets of the girls rooms to give it freedom.

One making such noise that you, at one point, think someone is breaking in to the house.

One that would finally have you, your husband, and the dog up at 3:30 am quietly listening for the source of the noise.

Then you would discover that the damn kitteh had been drywalled in to the wall between your closet and the soon to be office.

Yes, indeed! Princess Lovely got in the ceiling of the closet and remained while we put an entire ceiling and two walls of drywall in to place. At no point did the idiot cat decide to jump and run. Instead we found ourselves moving all the tools, junk kept in the room, wood, and drywall from the room so that we could unscrew a large piece of wall to free the kitty while she stuck a paw out through the hole for the cable.

She was unhurt, Mr. MFBA could not go back to sleep, and I was finally able to go to sleep. Now, we just need to put everything back in to the room so that it is possible to access the playroom, our bedroom, the bathroom, or the laundry room without breaking our necks.

Did I mention that Nonami is also sick? Thank you Princess Lovely for a night to remember!

This whole scene played out with groggy conversations such as, "We can't leave her in there, she'll eventually start to smell".

For whom she gave her life

For whom she gave her life. Those were the words glaring at me from the obituary. On Friday the younger sister of one of my best friends during jr. high and high school died. He and I have not been in touch for years but he is one of those people that you just know you would pick up right where you left off. At 32 years of age his sister is dead.

For whom she gave her life. I cried more when I read those words. She left behind a large close-knit family, a husband, a daughter... I cannot even begin to imagine their grief and suffering intermingled with some sense of bittersweet celebration.

You see, Katie died after giving birth to her son.

For whom she gave her life. Both haunting and comforting.

Goodbye Midnight

Last night I found Midnight in her cage laying on her side barely breathing. Teen L was too upset to hold her so I spent two hours with her on my lap hoping to make her comfortable while waiting for the inevitable to happen.

Goodbye Miss Midnight. We do and will miss you.

Last day of school

The last day of school is finally here!

(Insert me dancing for joy)

It's been one academic disaster after another without any chance of a real recovery so I am thrilled to be done. No more 7th grade. No more "How in the hell do you lose x,y,and z" fights for the next few months. DONE!

Teen L will be ending the year with F number two on her report card. This one in science, another one of her better classes. Of course you can't get a good grade if you don't turn in 60% of the work. At this point I don't even care about the grades. DONE!

The only good news is that she will not fail any class overall and will not have to attend summer school. DONE!

(Insert more dancing)

Now please try to lull me in to a false sense of security by telling me that next year has to be better.