Do you know how much crap you have to pack for three kids who LOVE to get dirty. And we will be gone for 2 1/2 weeks and camping with the inlaws and close to my parents (which is a WHOLE other story - the new 'super mom' DIL that we have never met, my Mom has already phoned me to complain about how we are inconveniencing her - yes 10 minutes away as opposed to two days is a huge inconvenience I know (although my neurotic OCD Mom canNOT handle three SPD kids staying there, she couldn't even handle one 4 years ago) and all the inlaws immensely dislike me). StepDD is staying at the house even though I have told her and DH she is to find her own place by the time we get back (she has told me to go f' myself essentially everytime I have asked her to help because it interfers with her partying. Don't you all wish you could be 21 and living rent free? So I told her to get out and fly little birdie...FLY...) so can just imagine what the house will be like when we get back. The landlord told me two days ago work will be done on the house while we are gone so I had to add finishing decluttering to my 'to-do' list...and...my natural inclination for camping is to pack everything and the kitchen sink for every contingency. We are leaving Friday, am standing here looking at my 5 page checklist and the pile I have packed and realized..this has to all go in the van....so its either repack it all smaller...or...jump up and down on it. Who wants to come pack it in and do the 16 hr trip for me and I'll go to Vegas instead? My head is spinning with the to-do list but got all the yardwork, garden and the decluttering done. Downloaded 150 books onto my readers and...may possibly have just emptied a half bottle of Baileys into my coffee lol and am just going to pretend nothing outside catching up on my reading exists because otherwise this is going to be a very. VERY. Long month. Where is that OMG ONZ icon when you need it. Oh yah, have I mentioned that in the 7 years DH and I have been together our families have NEVER met? Hopefully no homicide happens.
They live an hour apart from each other and we got tired of constantly splitting up the holidays. It is extremely tiresome. So we figured this would be easiest. Possibly. I'm afraid somethings going to go wrong as my parents and siblings are extremely touchy and just about anything from a dirty joke to markers sets them off. Almost an entire month of being told how much I do wrong on both sides...HOORAY...can't wait. Hmm. Do I have enough room for more alcohol?
I have never understood camping. Why the fuck would you forgo all the wonders of modern convenience to sleep in an uncomfortable, flimsy, bug-ridden tent? To "commune with nature"? Fuck that. Give me room service.
But... but... camping is fun! Search underway for Toronto man who went missing on camping trip Deadly long weekend with at least 5 drownings
You don't see the appeal of escaping concrete, power lines, and traffic noise for a little peace and quiet in nature where you cook meat over an open fire like a cave man and see actual stars in the sky?
I was a Beaver, a Wolf Cub and a Boy Scout. I went camping with my parents. I vowed that when I was old enough and had enough money, I would never do so again. Seriously, I enjoy hiking (particularly in the mountains) and the outdoors... but why the hell would I turn my back on thousands of years of progress to sleep on the fucking forest floor? This is how to enjoy nature... the civilzed way.
I love camping. Backpacking is the best way, especially in an area where you can't take a vehicle. I keep it simple too - unless it's cold or raining I won't make a fire or use a tent - just a sleeping bag. Not too fond of bears or spiders, but other than that I like being outside.
We are borrowing the inlaws motorhome. Screw camping in a tent with 3 kids for 2 1/2 weeks. We can't possibly afford a 5 star resort (and they would kick us out the first night with the youngest anyway. I would complain if she wasn't mine..and cute.). MY idea of camping is a jacuzzi with a hot hot cabana boy and unlimited drinks. But am vastly outnumbered here. But they are so excited I got them to detail and help half pack the van
I like to go camping because it makes the bed and air conditioning at home feel that much better. Plus, I take along a lot of "comforts" when I go.
We camp so much its a breeze for us. We have everything sorted in foot lockers, plus tow empty spares. When its time to go camping we pull out the empties, put into them what we need and presto. If we need more, well now we have two partially empty foot lockers to move stuff around in. We have found over time to have things organized in the foot lockers by types. Lanterns in this one, cooking utensils in that one, etc.. Plus we have the lockers labeled and a manifest of what is in which one.
If it were just me It would be a lot simpler as well. But I've got the whole crew to pack at times and our level of camping can range from primitive to basically setting up a village that has all the comforts of home.
I'd like to try camping, but I'd like to find a happy medium between "crowded campsite with more people than my neighborhood" and "desolate wilderness where I don't know if it'd be legal to camp/have a fire and I might end up having to cut off my own arm." A lot of the public campsites around here are booked in full weeks in advance and I'm not sure how to go about finding where else I could camp. Plus I'd sooner lay the seats flat and sleep in my car than bother with a tent, but I'm not sure whether that would be legal.
Check out meetup.com and look for a camping group. If you were near the sunshine state there is a group or two I could point you to. Yes they wear their clothes.
I'm going camping in Colorado in a couple weeks. :squee: Not in the mountains or anything. The old family farm near Haxtun. The one that was settled by great-great-grandparents around the turn of the 20th century. Gonna get drinky and shoot things with Dad. No camp fires, though.
Nora Tilley: If we went on a picnic it would be fun. Ernest Tilley: I don't understand a picnic. We go someplace, we put a thing on the ground and eat. Nora Tilley: Yeah, it's nice to do that. Ernest Tilley: Why? I don't get it. It's better sittin' in front of the TV. Nora Tilley: I happen to think there's somethin' nice about a picnic. It's fun. Ernest Tilley: What's fun about it? Ants get in the food - there's bees. I don't get it. You have to drive - it takes you maybe an hour to get there. And then whataya do? You sit on the grass and eat. Why is that fun? http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094155/quotes?qt=qt0162071
