What was I thinking?

So, last Friday I went camping with the boys. In a tent. In a wooded area. In 40 something degree weather. In a tent.

We had the car packed and ready to roll, but alas! the battery? She be drained. I got out of the car and walked to the back (why? I don't really know.) and there was a fluid pouring out from under the car! I reached under, dipped my fingers in, and took a whiff. It didn't smell like anything. I called Matt over and we sprawled out on the garage floor. The fluid was coming down from above the spare tire. WTF? I stood up and opened the lift. The carpet in the back of the car was wet. Heh? I didn't even put ice in the cooler so I figured it wasn't that leaking. Then Matt said, "My Camelbak!" Something had come unplugged in his pseudo-Camelbak and had leaked a lot of water out. Luckily it didn't get any of the camping stuff wet, but still, why won't the car start?

We pushed it out of the garage and since my cables were in the storage area under the camping stuff, we jumped it with his sad, sad little jumper cables that had seen way better days. (When we got back from camp, I chunked 'em. He now owns brand new ones.)

Ahhh. Camping. In a tent. It was cold. Chris and I had -5 degree bags, but my feet were still cold. I took a throw and stuffed it down around my feet and that made a world of difference. It took forever for my nose to warm up. (First thing I saw when I woke up the next morning? Four packs of Hot Hands that I had taken out of the car and put beside me JUST IN CASE MY FEET GOT COLD. Totally forgot about them. Cussed myself all day Saturday.)

Between the cold, the leaves and acorns dropping on the tent, the snoring in the tent next to us, the racoons, the coyotes, and Chris sitting up in bed, jabbing his fist into the air and yelling, "Tough Guys!" in his sleep, I didn't sleep that much. Go figure.

But I made it. And I just may go again. But only with one of these. And some earplugs.

Woot!

Guess what I did last week.

Here's a hint.



The Boy kept calling them the Rolling Rocks.

The next day, we saw some stuff that was older than they are (we think).



By the way, when you are up this high, there is a severe drop in the level of oxygen. My lungs tried to revolt. It wasn't pleasant.

Won't you be my neighbor?

Google Earth finally started focusing on my area, so I thought I would share with you.
(The house to our north should be for sale in the next year or so. You'd like living next door to me. I share my booze.)

Click on image to biggify.

Crap, then non crap

Crap - It is official. The Commander got his orders for 365 more days of being away from his family.

Non Crap - I reserved a hotel room in NYC for next Easter weekend. I haven't made the airline reservation yet, but the plan is to get there on Thursday early afternoon, free time the rest of the day, free time all day Friday, Bonus Son and the orchestra play at Carnegie Hall on Saturday morning at 9:30 and 11:30, free time the rest of the day, and fly home on Sunday. Fun is to be expected. By the way, if you need me that weekend, I'll be here.

Duh Ashley

If you need a chuckle, this will do it.

Assistance Needed

I need to buy a family tent.

I would like to be able to stand upright inside of it.

Got suggestions?

Fun and games 'til someone dies

The Boy - Mom, can a tornado really suck stuff up?
Me - Yes.
B - You think it would be fun to be sucked up in one?
M - No. It is very dangerous and you could die.
B - {pause} Well, besides all that.
M - I guess it would be until it dropped you.
B - Yeah! You would need a parachute then!