Gone Campin'

For about two straight weeks, my house was immaculate. You'd be afraid to touch anything, it was so clean. Floors hoovered, cushions positioned neatly on the sofas...

It's not like that now.

And all day long, I think, "I'll get to it tonight when the kids are in bed." Then the kids go to bed, and all I want to do is drink tea and click on my laptop.

Tonight, I did well. I folded some clothes. Might put some toys away before bed, too. Might.

Anyway, I'm on here, wasting time, to tell you about My New Tent!

First things first, I've always loved camping. You don't go on TMI three times if you hate camping. It's one of those pasttimes that come with so many glorious memories that even if the pasttime itself isn't all that fun, just the memories of times-past make it worth listing as one of your all time favourite hobbies.

Allow me to take a stroll down memory lane a moment to my favourite camping trip ever...

The Scene:
Spring, circa 2003
Fayetteville, Arkansas

I was in our old Christian Fellowship church building, the warehouse above The Flying Burrito, late in the evening with my then ex-boyfriend Andrew Rudd, and we were walking around on the roof (why?). Maybe Chris Barnes was there, or maybe we called him later. But somehow, we got the idea that camping would be fun. Somehow, we met up with Wes Howerton too, and the four of us headed off in the car then and there, tent and sleeping bags in the trunk, in search of a place to camp.

Now might I add here that unlike in Scotland where one has the right to camp anywhere they fancy, in Arkansas it is illegal to just pitch a tent on any piece of land that looks attractive. Land belongs to individuals, and there are trespassing laws. Thus making this excursion all the more exciting.

We finally passed by a big open field off the side of the road which had a muddy drive leading down to the field. Our place was chosen! We drove down the muddy road (and if memory serves me, we got stuck and had to push? I know not one of those guys will be reading this, so I don't think I'm going to get any confirmation on the accuracy of my memories.) We waded out in the thick mud and found a nice little spot out of view of the road and pitched our tent. I think we probably had a campfire and probably roasted something worth eating, but I don't remember much. I just remember the spooning.

Yes, the spooning.

I started out spooning with Wes. Now Wes was a fairly big fellow, and let me tell you, a great spooner. Let me also tell you, I did not have any feelings for these guys (well, we'll not get into the complicated situation that was Andrew, but for the sake of the story, I had no feelings for anyone). We just liked spooning. Well, Wes and I convinced Chris that spooning was the best way to keep warm, so Chris joined in. Well then Andrew couldn't be left out, could he? So he spooned with Chris. Wes, me, Chris, Andrew, lined up in a row, like spoons in a kitchen drawer. It was the most comfortable four-person-spoon in the history of the world.

(Another word worth mentioning. None of the above men are homosexuals. Just great guys up for a laugh. And what's more fun than spooning?)

Funny that the only thing I remember about the actual camping part was the spooning.

Oh, and the pure horror that seized us all when we were woken at the crack of dawn by the sounds of many men walking up to the tent in their fishing waders and coveralls. Luckily then only looked at our camping site with half-hearted interest and did not call the cops. Regardless, we took that as a sign, tore down the tent in record time and fled the scene of our crime.

I think this story is why I love camping.


****

So, to bring us to the present, I never thought I'd be able to convince Scott that we should go camping together as a family. So imagine my surprise and delight when he was very easily convinced! This month has been the first month since the start of my business (two years down the line) that I've made a profit, so I decided to celebrate the occasion with my very first self-employed wage payment and purchased a tent. I ordered a 4-man tent from Millets, which comes with 2 sleeping bags, 1 double sleeping bag, an air mattress and 2 camping mats.

I. Am. So. Excited.

As soon as it arrives, I'm arranging a campout. And while a four-person-spoon involving two married people and two tiny children won't make quite as good a story as the last one, I think it'll be just as memorable.

I love camping.