A Little Piece of Heaven

This is my first opportunity to post a blog entry since we got back from our long-awaited camping trip. It was just glorious!

Here's a photo of our campsite very early on our last day there, Sunday.


It began raining soon after our arrival last Thursday, but with Daddy's help I was able to get "under roof" before the rain began. By the time we arrived, Daddy had already had a campfire going at his and Mom's campsite (just down the hill from us) since Tuesday. We enjoyed roasting weiners and a few marshmallows, but a new idea Mom and Dad had tried earlier was bologna roasted on the fire. I didn't try it, but Randy said it was very good.

There were only two less-than-great experiences during our trip:

1. On Thursday night I suffered horribly all night long with leg cramps that literally took my breath. I'd no sooner get through one and settle down again until another cramp would jerk me awake again. On Friday I bought a bunch of bananas; eating them helped considerably, but I still had light cramps each night. Amazingly, my first night back in my own bed at home I had no cramps at all! It occurred to me that I didn't take a bar of soap to put at the foot of my camping bed like I have in my bed at home. (see my blog entry of October 23, 2004) You can bet that on our next camping trip, a bar of Ivory will be tucked under the sheet.
2. On Friday, Daddy took us out riding around mountain roads. We enjoyed a good home-cookin' type lunch at Sugar Grove and saw some beautiful scenery. Unfortunately, as usually happens to me when riding with another driver, motion sickness did me in. I felt really badly most of the time we were riding, and really didn't feel well until the next morning. Ick.

Otherwise, though, it was a really wonderful weekend. It rained most of the day Saturday, but we had a screen tent over our picnic table, so no meals were bothered by the rain. The trees were so thick that you could actually sit under the trees and barely get damp.

The temperatures back home during that time were in the mid- to high-nineties. In the campground it was at least 15 if not 20 degrees cooler than that during the day. At night, it was COOL. We slept under a sleeping bag and even ran a small heater part of the time (mostly to dry the dampness out of the tent and bedding).

We're anxious to get the opportunity to go camping again soon. It's great to get away from the hustle and bustle and to actually be OUT OF TOUCH for a while!

Last post I listed my hopes for the trip. Let's see how we did:

1. I hope the weather is dry. It wasn't, but the rain didn't bother us at all.
2. I hope it's not too hot. It was deliciously cool.
3. I hope there aren't any bears in the campground. If there were, I never saw them. Several chipmunks, a hoot owl or two, and a noise one night that I think was a coyote, but no bears.
4. I hope Randy's health stays good during the trip. Except for the sleep he lost the night I had the leg cramps, he did just wonderfully. The rest did him a world of good.
5. I hope Randy doesn't get bored. He only used his headphones to listen to music a couple of times. Most of the time he seemed entertained by helping keep the campfire burning.
6. I hope I can get some much-needed rest. Even with all the work getting things together, packing the car, setting up camp, breaking down camp, repacking the car, and carrying things back in the house, it was well worth it. I didn't get as much reading done as I thought I might, but I rested A LOT.
7. I hope MeggieDog doesn't get too lonely. She was awfully glad to see us when we returned late Sunday afternoon, but she fared well. I did miss her an awful lot, though.

I wish we could go again this weekend, but we can't. *sigh* Maybe next weekend.

A Very Long Friday

Since this was a short workweek (because we were off Monday and Tuesday for Independence Day), and I usually work Monday - Thursday (10 hours each day) during the summer, I asked permission to switch my "flex" day from Friday the 7th to Thursday the 13th. That way, I'm working Wednesday - Friday this week and Monday - Wednesday next week.

I said all that to say that I'm not accustomed to working Fridays in the summer. And this has been a LONG one. *LOL*

But it's nearly over, thank goodness. And next Thursday as I'm driving past the college on my way to the campground I can whistle cheerfully. :-)

They tell me it's beautiful outside. I wouldn't know. I haven't been out of the building since I came in at 7:00 a.m. I think when I leave here I'll go home and nuke something for supper, then sit out on the deck with MeggieDog for awhile. I feel the need to inhale some air that hasn't been air-conditioned to a fare-thee-well.

It's been hot in my office the past two days, but today you could hang meat in here. My fingers and toes have been numb all day. Oh, well....they'll thaw out in the car, no doubt.

Mom and Dad are leaving Sunday for the campground, then Randy and I will go up on Thursday. He's really excited about the camping trip. I hope he's not disillusioned once he gets there! As I'd posted earlier, he's not been on a camping trip since he was a Boy Scout, and that was a WHILE ago.

My hopes for our camping trip:

1. I hope the weather is dry. I don't mind clouds, and wouldn't even mind a brief shower or two, but I hope there are no downpours or thunderstorms.
2. I hope it's not too hot. Camping in July is always iffy, temperature-wise. I can stand some heat during the day, but it hope it cools off at night for comfortable sleeping.
3. I hope there aren't any bears in the campground. Period.
4. I hope Randy's health stays good during the trip. He's had so many problems this year; I hope he can really feel well for this trip. He was so sick during our trip to Pigeon Forge. I want him to be able to enjoy this one.
5. I hope Randy doesn't get bored. He's so used to being able to watch TV or listen to the radio. I can read and enjoy listening to the birds sing while I'm reading. I bought a couple of paperback Westerns for him (even though he's not a "reader") and have told him to take his headphone radio. I don't know if he'll be able to pick up a station at the campground, but it's worth a try. A campground I want to try next trip will have fishing available for him, but there's no fishing at the campground we'll be in on our first trip. Hopefully he'll be able to keep himself occupied.
6. I hope I can get some much-needed rest. It seems that I just can't get caught up on my rest any more.
7. I hope MeggieDog doesn't get too lonely. I know Randy would like to take Meg with us, but she would be just miserable in the great outdoors. She's always been an apartment-dweller, and I'm sure she'd hate the heat and strange outdoor noises.

I wish it was time to go camping now.

Paying My Dues

Quick post while on a much-needed lunch break at the office. Yesterday was my first day back at the office after the holiday, and it was pure unadulterated hell. I finally had to close my office door and hang a sign on it that said "Payroll Deadline. Please do not disturb." so that I could meet my deadline. Awful. Just plain awful.

Today's a little better. Very busy, but not overwhelming at least.

A few days in a tent is looking better all the time.

This Could Get To Be A Habit

I've been off work since last Thursday, and I have to go back to work tomorrow. Dang. This has been great. I was sick Friday, and still felt a little bad Saturday, but not terrible. The rest of this time off has been just wonderful.

We didn't do much of anything really. Went to visit Mom and Dad for awhile Sunday, then I went to Wal-Mart yesterday. Those were the highlights. *LOL*

It was awfully hot yesterday and today. In fact, I haven't been out of the apartment today. I've gathered up a few things for our upcoming camping trip and done a little laundry, but that's been about it.

I really needed the rest, though, so I'm glad it's been an uneventful Fourth. :-)

Here are some Independence Day fireworks, just for you: CLICK HERE!

Happy Fourth of July!