what I should be doing...

Why is it that whenever I'm sitting in my comfy (okay, we all know this chair is NOT my REAL comfy chair...)chair, doing what I love to do, which is to ramble on...I SHOULD be doing something else? Why do I procrastinate so?

Packing, that's what today's schedule includes. But wait, there's more: we're making a pasta salad, and cutting up fruit! Watermelon, strawberries, and grapes, and no, we don't cut the grapes. I have loose ends galore, my bedding and sneakers and bathing suit, vitamins (last time we went, I forgot to take them before bed, no magnesium=leg cramps!).

The table pile grows, and we vacuumed out the van and started putting tents and chair in it last evening. We are taking the old minivan because it's roomier than my spiffy new car.

Something else exciting is happening today: we are donating our old blue minivan to a charity that Paul found, something for kids. I personally thought we should just sell it for like $500 and donate the money, if that's what he wanted to do, cut out the middle man, because I am always so...hmmm...suspicious? Whose pockets are getting lined, where is the money going? If you research some of the charities out there, the CEOs are making six figures. Only a small percent of your donation is actually going to help someone. There is so much corruption in our nature, and if one isn't taking up the battle against it, well, there is going to be some greed.

But he was excited about the idea, and every once in a while, I actually shut my trap and let someone else get their way.

So today, someone is coming to tow the old blue van away. I remember how exciting it was to get that van! We had been a Big Van family for so long, remember, there was a time we didn't even fit in our 15 passenger van, with sixteen kids and the two of us. We had to take the van AND the truck, if we were all going. Then the older ones grew up and go their own cars, ect, and we found ourselves in the market for a minivan. I felt so spiffy and up-to-date, driving that thing around, and let me tell you, parking and backing up were suddenly a piece of cake! And filling the gas tank, well, wow!

The years passed, and our 2008 Chevy Uplander...well, it died a slow death. It still actually runs, but needs work, and we don't feel it's worth the work it needs. The red van is the same year, and has it's issues, but is still okay. We're going to keep it, because it's paid off, and the kids can use it instead of my new car, right?

Who cares, I think as I write these boring details. Who in the heck cares? But it's my blog, so if I want to rant and blah, I can...but I'm sorry if it's boring.

There is a method to my madness, I think...as long as I'm sitting here busy writing, I can prolong the agony of starting to pack, and why I like to do this is way beyond me.

I love and dread camping. Sleeping in a tent is a surefire way to have to pee during the night, and all the rigamarole of getting up and unzipping the tent, which sounds earth shatteringly loud, then it's so dark! And this place isn't the kind of woodsy place you can just hop into the woods and squat down, no, you have to go to the bathhouse, and it's so spooky at night. If one of the Labs wakes up and notices you leaving, you are kind of screwed, because they will start wagging, and if you have ever heard a Lab wagging, that tail is loud when it smacks everything in its way, and they might bark when you return, forgetting it was you who left, and thinking the tent being unzipped is...a stranger.

The dogs love going camping though. They have a beach here that dogs are allowed on. Technically, they aren't, but no one enforces it, and everyone brings their dogs, so hopefully no one Karens it up on us. Sunny and Suri are stick chasers in the water, and they do this until they are exhausted, and they just lie there panting and smiling. They are just happy.

Paul isn't coming up until tomorrow night, as he has to work, so we have to fit so much stuff ourselves, and put up the tents ourselves too. I have already packed the most important thing: my bed. It's one of those electrically inflating beds, plug it in, turn it on, and voila, it is a thigh high bed. I won't say it's comfy, but I feel like a real jerk complaining about it, because obviously it't the hands-down comfiest bed off everyone's. But shh, since I AM the princess and the pea, it's not that great. I have the extension cord packed too, it plugs into the van, you start the van, and it's magic.

It takes up most of the tent, too.

I am super excited to camp, besides the physical discomforts. Lake Ontario feel like home to me, like childhood. We camped at this place when I was a kid, and it was heavenly. Ben and Ashley are camping next to us, so I get a few days of seeing those grandkids, and there is nothing like the morning snuggles.

All right...so much to do, but hey, it's worth it!

Oh, we went out and about yesterday when the girls got home...to get Evelyn a birthday present, she's turning 21 next week!

Sonja and me, and Miss Camille and Miss Charlotte Claire in the back...my arms! Goodness, you lose some weight, and the wrinkles! Oh well.

We came home and had pulled pork nachos for dinner, with garden tomatoes and peppers, oh so good. We sprinkled lime juice on the chips before putting them in the oven. mmmm. When you only eat one meal a day, it's nice when it's so delicious. Cherries for dessert...mmm.

Okay, off I go. I'll be home on Sunday...have a really good weekend, and pray that Jonathan and his friends have a safe trip too, traveling to a state on the dreaded governor's dreaded list....Jon has some poison ivy, and sometimes gets reactions to it, so he has pics of the insurance cards, hopefully he'll be okay and won't need a prescription...ugh, he's sixteen and so grown up and mature, but it's hard to let them go....he'll be fine!