And really - had an utter shiteload of fun!!
Recap: We (read me, after much research, spreadsheet creating, and cross referencing) decided that we were going to go to Fort Pillow State Park. Funnily enough, there is also a state penitentary in the area, and everytime we told people we were going to Fort Pillow, they got this funny look on their face - we had to remember to add STATE PARK after it everytime.
So - having made this decision Wednesday night, and having decided to get there early FRIDAY morning so that we could be sure to get a good site, that left Thursday for me to run around and gather ALL of the crap that we needed. I left work at 4:45, and got home around 9pm (as all the stores had closed by then). I packed, attempted to freeze drinks, washed clothes, packed, repacked food to reduce the amount of trash, and dried clothes. Then, I had to go pick up C at midnight (yes, MIDNIGHT!) and we got back to the house, packed more, finally packed the car, and we were on the road by 5am. Notice, there was no mention of SLEEP in any of that. Uh-uh.
We drive (and it was a lovely drive) there, and JUST as we pick out a campsite, the heavens open. I wish I had taken a picture of us, soaking wet, tired as hell, after we finally got the tent up (the brand new tent, that we never practiced setting up before), but with big ass grins on our face. We climbed in the tent aroun 9am, and crashed for the next five or so hours.
After that - EVERYTHING was peachy. A raccoon jacked us TWICE - he got the masrhmallows and bread the first night, and some leftover pork and beans the second. The weather was gorgeous - there was NO ONE up there but us - a couple of people drove by, but no one else camped out. We did NOTHING for three days. Chilled, ate, drank, played with the fire, played cards, ate some more, stared at the sky, sprayed ourselves, the tent, the chairs with Off!, drank some more, went to bed with the sun and woke up around 9am, but since we didn't have any clocks/watches we really weren't sure (and didn't care, to be honest).
Monday morning, we woke up, FINALLY cooked breakfast (we had been eating about one meal a day) and decided that it was HOT. We climbed into the car to watch Hero on my computer, and decided that - okay, it's HOT - and that we should pack it in and head home, so that I could have a day off at home too. Can I TELL you how glad I am that he came up with that idea? WE broke camp, piled back into the car, and were home by 5pm. By 7pm, it was POURING. I'm talking high winds, tornado warnings, lightening, thunder, the WHOLE nine. We would have been MISERABLE on the side of that mountain (okay, it was a little mountain, but STILL!!)
So. That was our camping trip. Lessons learned?? 1) Bring a hatchet. 2) Bring LOTS of bug spary - the deterrent kind and the killing kind. 3) Racoons are smart - and GREEDY. 4) Bring fewer clothes.
I've got pictures (a few) but of course, they are all at home - I'll have to post them later.......
Edit: Also, three showers and a deep hairwashing later, my hair STILL smells like Off. And campfire - but mostly Off.
