I Know You Want To Know

Don't act like you don't want to know how the whole camping/bathroom situation turned out. And I know you haven't seen many a blog entry devoted entirely to...well...the john. At least I know I've never blogged about this topic before (unless you count my last very long toilet-related blog entry). And I hope never to blog about it again. But here goes.

This was not our bathroom...though it was cozy and lovely and had plumbing...and a pop machine outside it--who can dislike that!? This one was at a rest stop in Eagle, Colorado--our first foreign bathroom stop--very charming--and even (almost) a little bit country club...as country club as a rest stop in Eagle can be.

Also not our bathroom...this one was located near the spot where Mark proposed to Karen...though entirely unrelated to that event...and Mark said it was added to the decor of the terrain much later. Embarrassingly, since it was just sitting out in the open like that, we all dared each other to peek inside. No one was game except for Julia (surprise) but I pulled out the "mother card" and nixed that before it happened.

Still not our bathroom--though it did seem to have a very strong flushing action--unlike anything I've ever seen--except maybe a in Harry Potter movie.

Much to Julia's and my relief...this also was sooooo not our bathroom and we really felt sorry for the person to whom it belonged. (And no, Julia was not preparing to use it...she was wearing her swimming suit under that shirt).

And finally...drumroll please...here is our bathroom. Don't tell anyone I said this but it was actually not entirely unpleasant. It had an actual door that locked and nice floors and walls and it must be said...little to no unpleasant odor. Which is quite a feat for a communal, non-flushing bit of architecture. I admit, I was wrong to judge Karen's non country club camping ways and I concede that there may be a bit more 'country' than 'country club' in this girl. There. I said it.


Now will someone please get me a hot towel and a warm chocolate chip cookie?

Country Club Girl Goes Camping

That sort of sounds like the title of the next reality tv show. And actually, it is the next reality in my summer vacation.

I (so I've been told by my dear husband) am the "country club girl" and I am indeed about to go camping...at an actual campground...in an actual camper with my sister and avid outdoorsman brother-in-law...who are both actual campers. I, however, have not actually been camping since Girl Scouts and that was back in the 1900's.

Don't ask me how I got to be a country club girl. I definitely was not raised that way. I blame my wonderfully generous father-in-law who gave us first class plane tickets to Hawaii for our honeymoon that were his but he couldn't use. Never mind that I had to fly under a name that may or may not have been exactly mine with an ID that may or may not have been entirely real (also back in the 1900's and obviously pre-9/11 but that's another story).

Anyway, I think those first class plane tickets with all that leg room and the curtain separating me from the riff-raff of coach and the hot towel for my hands and mimosas and warm chocolate chip cookies got me hooked on the finer things in life. There haven't been too many finer things in life since then but in the back of my mind, I'm still in front of that riff-raff curtain.

Back to the camping. My sister assured us that for our first camping trip, they would take us somewhere semi-civilized (she knows of my country club status). She said that of course there would be bathrooms at our campground. My mind pictured the campground with Mark's camper securely hooked up to the electrical outlet and water pump...only a short walk to the truck-stop style bathroom. I imagined myself walking to the commode in the middle of the night, turning on the light, cringing at the toilet paper on the floor (truck stops are not country clubs--we are roughing it, after all), doing my duty, flushing the toilet, washing my hands in the sink and strolling back to the camper while picking out constellations in the sky. Now THAT would be a camping experience I could handle...or dare I say...I could enjoy.

It was only a few days ago that she disclosed that the truck stop bathroom which I could endure is really only a porto-potty...a latrine...an outhouse!
EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW! Those are definitely not country club. And that was definitely not on my camping agenda. My lovely sister and my adoring husband have had quite the laugh at my first-class horror. They couldn't imagine how I thought there would be such lavish accomodations out in the middle of nowhere, while I couldn't imagine how my sister thought an outhouse would be semi-civilized. I guess in the world of camping, it is.

So, I'll have to climb down from my high horse, re-think my dream of the ideal camping experience, channel my inner Girl Scout and pack a shovel and toilet paper for my night-time trips into the woods...because I'm NOT going 'in there'!

Wish me luck. This should be quite an adventure!

Campout

Emma had some tweenie friends over for an outdoor sleepover in the tent last night. As you would expect, there were the required giggling fits and midnight squeals and at one point, I was awakened by Emma at my bedside asking me something about bringing a stray cat into the tent...I should probably ask about that now that I'm more awake....

Anyway, when I let the dog out to do his business this morning, he instead ran right over to the side of the tent where Emma was sleeping and plopped himself down to wait for her to wake up. He's so darn cute! What a good boy!

Sisters

Then...

and now...(and I just noticed that Karen and I have sweets in both pics and Susan does not--guess some things never change--haha!!)

Susan's co-worker has a condo in Winter Park and was nice enough to let Susan use it for a night this week. And Susan was nice enough to invite Karen and me to come along! We packed a lot of activities in one overnight trip but it was so much fun! We did some shopping, walking, picnic'ing, alpine sliding, more shopping, and some moose watching. We even had time to squeeze in some pizza and ice cream before turning in for the night.


But we could have done nothing and it would have been a great catch-up trip with my sisters!!!

Moose on the Loose

Living in Colorado, we see our share of wildlife. Antelope, big horn sheep, pikas, elk, deer and once we were about 5 feet away from a black bear (and quickly turned around and went the other way--luckily she was too busy rummaging in the dumpster to notice us). Anyway, the moose is one creature we're not as used to seeing in its natural habitat so it is always a thrill to see one. First we saw this awesome male grazing on willows in a clearing...


And later, as we drove around towards Mark's old cabin (to check out the beetle kill in the area), we ran across Mrs. Moose and her two babes (and yes, we stayed in our car--and--did our civic duty to warn a lady who got our of her car that she better think that through--mama moose are NOT friendly when youngins are involved!!)

I was here

I've lived a good life.

No, this is not a "goodbye cruel world" post, it's more like a giant, life-sized sigh.

I've lived a rather exciting life actually, but if you look at the photographic evidence boxed up in our house, you'd never know it! Being the official family photographer, I rarely get photographed. Unless you count group shots (in which I have set the timer on the camera, precariously perched it on a log or rock or park bench and then frantically run into the left or right side of the frame).

I've been to Mount Rushmore and Plymouth Rock. Disneyland and Disneyworld? Check and check. I've been to the top of the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame Cathedral and strolled through the gardens of Versailles. I've kissed a dolphin and swung on tree vines in Jamaica. I've rocked three babies to sleep, read them countless books, tickled their tummies and toes and held their hands as they took their first steps.

Honest, I have. But you'll just have to take my word for it.

Anyway, in doing some Saturday cleaning, I did come across a few glimpses into my past. Proof that yes indeed, I was here.
(Me swimming with sting rays on Grand Cayman in the Caribbean. I'm the one down in front...waving)
(Me posing on the handlebars of my newlywed husband's bike--biking down Mt. Haleakala--a dormant volcano on Maui.)
(Me snuggling with my babes-my favorite)

A Very Busy Day

Thank goodness every summer day is not as action packed as today was!
We pretty much had it all.

Dentist (only one tooth dilemma--Bob's "minor" chip which if not fixed could eventually cause bone deterioration--yikes! A subsequent repair is scheduled for him!!)

Swimming lessons (no one cried--a definite improvement from previous years)

Doctor (I got a diagnosis of Rotator Cuff Syndrome or Shoulder Impingement--yes it hurts as bad as it sounds but nothing a little physical therapy and some serious prescription anti-inflammatories won't fix...we hope!)

Hike (we drove up to old Sara's favorite hiking spot to lay some of her ashes to rest--and got caught in some light, refreshing summer rain along the way)

Burger King (had to eat at some point!)

Home (Oh, don't get excited, it's only a pit-stop)

Blog (need I say more?)

Tae Kwan-Do (Sophie has a special interest in kicking and punching ((pillows)) so we thought that would be an enjoyable addition to her summer plans)

Home Again (Finally!)
Whew!

Trying to beat that weather coming up the draw


Mack was happy to be reaching the bottom of the trail again
(and Julia needed a little help curbing his enthusiasm)

One thin wire divides...

...tender hearts from all manner of beasts

...while steel and glass divide others...