Planning for the Great Outdoors

I'm currently in the throes of pulling it together enough for the family to go camping this weekend. It's the annual neighborhood camping trip where eleven families take off on a long weekend adventure together and come back still being friends. That, in and of itself, is probably a minor miracle. This whole adventure is probably the best microcosm I can think of for a world where "we can all just get along". It's a hellacious amount of work, but always worth it in the end.

The adventure starts with a summit meeting about a week before the trip. The summit always involves a LOT of wine, grand gestures and ann/pro-nouncements, shouting, giggling and some serious negotiations. For example, the question of who brings the bagels and in what format is an issue of utmost importance. Or who's bringing steak and who's bringing chicken for the fajitas on Saturday night. Or whether the eggs should be cooked in bacon grease or not. The fact that the NSA or CIA or TSA or some other $%A is not involved in the resolution of these issues is remarkable. It just goes to show that warrior states can resolve their issues without bloodshed. Or at least without more than a minor flesh wound. And I'd go so far as to say that none of the members of this group are Switzerland.

Once the major issues of the summit are resolved, we all go our separate ways for a week or so, to prepare our families in our own way. For me, it's the perfect opportunity for my inner OCD to come out. I'm the one who makes a new Excel Spreadsheet every year to list the categories, packing receptacle and transportation position (in or on top of the car) of each and every item we're going to take with. Right down to the goggles, hand soap and camera batteries. This year, my spreadsheet is color-coded. And there are multiple sheets in the workbook. Food and Food Related Items, Gear, and Personal Use. I'm blushing a little while I'm typing this, but the truth is, I'm also a little proud of my spreadsheets. Do you think the R. family has ever left home without the one thing we need, but don't have? The camping trip motto is: Better to be looking at it than looking for it. Seriously.

That being said, we are really trying to pare down this year. Last year, when we packed up the minivan, there was barely enough room left for the children. In fact, they whined so much on the way up due to the squooshy conditions, that we sent Sporty back in a friend's car (which had more space). So this year, we are taking the bare minimum. At last count: 164 individual items. This is us taking less. It seriously actually takes us longer to pack it all then we spend at the bloody campsite. But our car couldn't possibly handle the burden of what we'd have to pack for a longer trip. We'd have to leave one or more of the carpet monkeys on the carpet at home.

Anyone who knows me has already realized where this is going. The following is being said in stage whisper: I don't like the great outdoors. There's a reason why this trip always happens on Father's Day weekend (other than the fact that it's when the trip always happens, due to reasons beyond my own control). In my case, it's because my hubby loves the great outdoors, and it's more or less the only time in the year that he gets to be out in it. Happy Father's Day, honey!

Now, don't get me wrong... the trip is always fun (even for Great-Indoorsy-and-Room-Servicy me). I love being with my family and friends... the (cheesball alert) camaraderie that is fostered on this trip is amazing. And we've never NOT had fun. But the part I love for my own selfish reasons is the planning. Not so much the packing, set-up or takedown. Happy Father's Day, again, honey. But I love the planning. I should join the UN. Lots of planning but not so much action. I wonder if they could use my spreadsheets to help with the next UN peacekeeping mission. Probably not. Oh well.

But I digress... I know I'm the one who can take the fun out of getting ready for any big event like this one. But at least we'll have everything we need while we're on the trip... and hopefully actually USE every single item we take with us. I know you can't plan for everything, but there's nothing to stop me from trying, right?

Borrowed Dog

We're not getting a dog. Let me just make that clear from the get-go. But we're not above borrowing one every so often... as long as they fit into the compact category and the circumstances are right. Meet our current borrowed pooch, Peque:

Peque is our friend's baby. She brought her for a visit from California to another friend's house. There was a problem with the household doggie politics over there, though, and I couldn't resist poor little Peque's charms. She's the sweetest little thing... just doesn't play well with other dogs. I guess she never went to kindergarten. She loves people, though and is an old hand at dealing with kids. She's great for me as well, because she sleeps in the middle of our bed and willingly takes the blame for stealing all the covers from my devoted spouse. She's endlessly entertaining for the girls, and has been taken for more "walks" in the last 24 hours than probably in her whole life put together. We'll really miss her when she has to go home... but for a few days at least, we can pretend to be a doggied family.

Long Time No See

It's been a long time since my last post... Sorry to all two of my devoted fans. It sounds so cliche, but the plain truth of the matter is that it's been crazy busy for the last 5 days or so. I know I don't have the monopoly on a busy life, but I beg your understanding anyway. The comedy that is MY life continues. And it's not going to get any better for the next few days at least, but in the interest of not going an entire week without a post, here I am.

Here are some highlights from the last week:

Wednesday, May 30th I attempted to volunteer in Sporty's second grade class. Attempted is the operative word, because I was forced to take Baby with me (due to an overwhelming dearth of babysitting availability), and she refused to sit still. So I spent 15 minutes chasing her around the 2nd and 3rd grade Pod while I was supposed to be listening to the children read to me, before I threw in the towel and asked the teacher to be excused. After that, I took Posh and Baby on the preschool field trip to our local farm park. We picnicked in the 87 degree sun and walked through the barns and finally went on an exceedingly sweaty wagon ride through the park:


Hot as Hades on the wagon ride. It was fun, but ay caramba!

On to: Thursday, May 31st: Happy Birthday Mom (my mom not me)! Relatively quiet, except for the mad cleaning burst getting ready for the arrival of Chris's parents for a long weekend visit... oh and an evening sit for a friend. I actually had a chance to get some reading in. YAY! So, I guess really only that part was quiet. The rest was a little desperate.

Friday, June 1st: Rabbits, rabbits rabbits! Drop off at school, pick up at school... visit, visit, visit (not complaining... this was very nice!)... desperate trip to the mall (notice the theme?) to find a bathing suit that actually fit, for a pool party on Saturday. I found one, but if I tell you what I had to pay for it, you'll die, so I won't. Fast forward to evening: Stamping meeting... very fun new project. Seriously it was just what I needed to re-motivate myself in my stamping doldrums. I've been so unmotivated to stamp anything... it ends up falling into the same category as this blog. Something I love to do, but always set on the back burner. Bummer.

Saturday, June 2nd: Woke up completely crabby. Sorry to all and sundry who had to put up with me for the day. Blush. I do reserve the right sometimes to be a crank, but I always feel like a heel afterwards. Stupid hormones. Anyway... part of the reason I was so crabby was because I had to drag all three kids to the soccer field by myself. Not so heinous, but I hardly ever have to do it, so I was sort of bummed about it. And it was hot again. Been there, done that, soaked a tshirt. And I felt guilty for not wanting to do it, because plenty of mommies do it all the time and really I'm very spoiled in that regard. But I still reserve the right to be crabby about it. The game went well. Sporty made a few good moves, and Posh and Baby ran around with all the other tag-along siblings. All in all it went pretty well... then the coach declared that he had seen not one but TWO ice cream passes (pass pass goal) and he promised to buy all the girls an ice cream. Very sweet of him... but that left bitchy me in a little pickle. No lunch yet... three whiny girls... and a sugar rush. Oh well. Off to the frozen custard place we went. We ended up milling around for about 15 minutes because the place wasn't opened yet. That good old desperation started to kick in a little again. Finally we got in there and everyone got their ice cream... except Her Highness, Baby Spice, who threw a fit when I tried to put the ice cream in her mouth. Oh well.

That afternoon we went to a very lovely pool party for Chris's sister's boyfriend's birthday. His parents had kindly agreed to host it at their home, where they have a beautiful pool.



We all had a great time... a few minor injuries aside. The last injury brought back our old friend Mr. Crank, but can you really blame me? Baby could have gotten a concussion. Enough said, as there was no concussion. But, I was very grateful for my nice soft bed that night, let me tell you.

Sunday, June 3rd:

Rain. And rain. And more rain. Probably just as well. We had a nice quiet day in the house, except that Sporty got to go to a birthday party for her friend from school. The whole day was nice, because it was so laaaaaaaazzzzzzyyy, and then in the evening, Chris and I got to (drumroll, please).... go to the movies. I almost feel like I have to whisper that phrase. It sounds like sacrilege to my ears. For a pair of people who used to go to the movies at least once a week, this once a year thing really sucks! Thank you, Chris's parents for taking charge of the girls for us while we saw POTC: At World's End. Very confusing sometimes, but extremely funny and ahhhh yes... the eye candy was worth the three hour tour (for both of us, I think). The ship wrecked a little at the end (SPOILER ALERT) when my eye candy had to walk into the sea for a 10 year tour aboard the Flying Dutchman. What a waste of pure male yumminess~ ferrying the dead to the Other Side. There better be a sequel. I'm (still) feeling a little verklempt about it. Waaaaaahhhhh.

So, now that you can see for yourself that I wasn't any busier than you (only whinier about it)... the saga-of-an-excuse as to why I have been MIA is done. Hopefully things will go better this week. Wink. Later alligator.

Trading Spaces with Myself

The next big home improvement project is off and running. There's no turning back. I have finished priming and painting the first small section of chair rail and paneling in the family room. This was the experimental phase of the project... experimental because I wasn't sure whether the primer I was using would work, or that I would like the overall effect once it was done. Good thing for me, I love it. So Phase One of a Hundred is complete.

I have a grand plan to spend my spare hours this summer converting the family room from charm-less to charming. I'm not sure who thought manufactured "wood" paneling was a decorator's dream, but it speaks volumes to me about a severe general lack of good taste in the 70's and 80's. Ditto the nasty textured wallpaper that has to come off the wall above the chair rail and the paneling (see below). Ick.




I already know, from experience, that the wallpaper comes off in about three layers. I say about, because the paper has been on the wall for so long that in sections it actually comes off in four layers (i.e. the top layer of the drywall comes off with it). It took me about 3 days of sporadic work to get the paper off the 8' x 6' section of wall that's already complete (not including the time it took to spackle and paint). Once the wallpaper is down and the wall is painted (Phase 2), then I can move on to the rest of the trim and paneling. You can see below, what a huge difference a little paint makes. I can't wait for it to be done.



I still have to do the crown moulding, obviously, but I am going to wait for Chris to paint the ceiling before I do any of the crown. Which means I am also going to have to wait until we put in a new ceiling fan. Oh well... I did say that there were about a hundred phases to this project, right? Here's a run-down of the main components of the project:

Things we've already changed~ overhead lighting, carpet

Things we are definitely going to change~ wall, ceiling fan, crown moulding, chair rail, paneling (including behind the built-ins), baseboard, outlets and covers, and the interior of the back door

Things we might change~ fireplace mantel and crown moulding above the fireplace, rail between the kitchen and family room, fireplace doors

Things we definitely won't change~ built-in cabinets

Feel free to offer up any suggestions you might have, but not about the paneling and trim... too late to turn back on that. Definitely stay tuned throughout the summer for further updates. And if you take bets on how long it'll be before I hire someone else to finish the job, I want in.

These are the Days of our Lives in Digital

We got a new toy this week... A Canon Rebel XT (digital SLR) camera. You just can't take good pictures of a soccer game with a point-and-shoot. Of course, since I'm still learning how to use the SLR, we can't get good pictures of a soccer game with the new camera, either. But they're getting better. This picture was taken from across the field, on the SPORTS setting... so I was just holding down the shutter and continuously shooting. It's not even remotely as focused as I'd like. Someone's going to have to show how to do that better. But I love the action in the picture.


I LOVE this picture of Shorty. It was shot from across the room and I cropped out a bunch of stuff around her (yay 8 megapixels!) . She was trying to cute-bully me into letting her watch more "Blue's Clues".


My poor Middlest Beauty was sick as a dog when I took this picture (strep and 103 degree fever), but she still found a sparkling smile in her so Mommy could practice with the portrait setting.


And just for fun, a shot of a bellflower (which is approximately 1 cm from the top of the stem to the tip of the petals). A teeny little flower that I shot from 6 feet away. Again, nowhere near the focus I hoped for, but still a pretty picture, I think.


I guess there's no chance I'll ever give up my day job, but I figure there's no harm in trying to get great pictures, right? To quote one of the great philosophers of my generation: "Life moves pretty fast... if you don't stop to look around once in awhile, you might miss it." I want to remember it with as much clarity and color contrast as possible. So I guess I'd better start learning fast. Or I might miss it.