The Call Of The Great Outdoors

I have to freely admit that I’m not a “girly” girl. Even though I might like to paint my nails and I have picked up some “girly” hobbies (knitting and crocheting), I grew up a tomboy and traditionally think of myself as such. However, it’s been years since I’ve been camping, and even then it was a very rare occurrence.

The last time I went camping was when I was about 13 years old. For my mom’s birthday, my parents decided to go camping. My father was in charge of picking the location. My mother’s birthday is at the end of August. Where did my dad decide we would go tent camping? In the middle of the Joshua Tree desert. Needless to say, it was very hot and very uncomfortable but I still remember that trip as a fun experience.

My dad rented a generator, brought a TV, a VCR and boogie boards. He then got mad at my mom when she wanted to bring some folding lawn chairs because we were supposed to be “roughing it”. They allowed me to bring a friend along, and she and I had front row seats to the fireworks.

The trip was the last time I voluntarily took a shower with ice cold water. There was no swimming allowed in the stream we were by. The only water to douse yourself with was that of the public shower, and all it had was the ice cold water. It was so hot and my clothes were sticking to me that I almost jumped in fully dressed.

I loved sleep then, and I still do.

My friend C and I declaring our territory.

I have been desiring another excursion into the nature that makes up our beautiful country, but haven’t had the opportunity. I have “gone away” – staying in a camper complete with a refrigerator, stove, toilet, shower, bed, couch, TV and satellite – but haven’t been tent camping since that infamous experience when I was a kid.

Then comes along Sagittarius. He loves camping and I was so excited when we picked out a weekend to go together. I had all our supplies packed days ahead of time.

He found a great location near Fort Ticonderoga. We arrived Friday night and set up camp rather quickly. On Saturday, he whipped up some breakfast before we set out exploring. We visited the fort ruins at Crown Point, then saw a reenactment of a French Indian War battle at Fort Ticonderoga. The weather was great except the downpour that hit us during the reenactment, but we weren’t going to miss that because of a little rain.

I would say the only issues I had during the weekend were that we weren’t secluded enough to afford me the privacy of going to the bathroom in the bushes – I had to use the public restrooms – and that the sun woke me at the crack of dawn. I love my sleep and would have just rolled over and covered my face from the light, except Mother Nature called me to the bathrooms at that time.

Overall, the trip was a success – complete with a spotting of what appeared to be an eagle soaring overhead, a fright the first night when something hit the top of the tent then fluttered off, numerous bites from mosquitoes even though I was covered by insect repellent, and a mysterious critter that somehow got trapped under the tent the second night and tried to get out every time we stopped talking.

At the fort ruins at Crown Point.

Prepare to fire

Fire!

Sagittarius and I at Crown Point. That's Lake Champlain behind us.

Vacation - All I Ever Wanted

Work has been pretty busy and hectic for the past few months. We are working on a big project and I wasn't even at my desk for about two months, jumping from one location to another. With the back-and-forth, I once showed up at the wrong location, having to drive to the next site about half hour away. A few times during this period, I spent half the day in the car running from place to place, whereas my job usually calls for me being in one location all day long.

That, along with the project itself being pressure packed, led to a higher stress level and the need for a break. As soon as I was able to get back to my desk and see the eye of the storm, I requested a vacation from work. With no trip in mind, the sole purpose of the vacation was just to take a break from work and relax.

The first day of vacation was Friday and I started it off with a big change for me. I chopped off my hair as a donation for Lock Of Love. The initial chop was expected. The length was still a little below my shoulders. However, after telling the cosmetologist what I wanted, there was a lot more clipping than I expected. I sat in the chair wondering "What the HELL am I doing." Yet, as I sat in the chair, the scissors still in her hand, I asked for more. I made an appointment for the next day for her to do highlights. Besides shampoo and conditioner, and the occasional hair smoother, I haven't put any sort of chemical in my hair since two perms when I was a pre-teen. Now, not only was I chopping my hair off, but the next day I was going to get highlights. I left the shop and immediately went for some comfort food in the way of a BK Whopper.

Before

After - day 1

Day two of vacation was started at the salon again, getting the highlights done. Once again, I was in the chair wondering how I had lost my mind. However, when I got in the car and looked in the mirror, I realized I liked it more than I had expected to. After I got home, Sagittarius and I headed to the park since it was a beautiful day that shouldn't go to waste. We had snacks, played a few games Sorry, and talked (something we do quite well) while taking in the sun and the scenery.

Hard to see, but there's a Redtail Blackbird perched there

On day three, my mother and I made the trip to New York City to see "Billy Elliot" on Broadway. It was a fantastic show. The dancing was fantabulous. With two boys tap dancing in a full blown spoof of a typical Broadway performance, complete with huge vanity lights and silver streamers, you know it had to be good.

An appreciation for the art grew at a very young age, thanks to my mother taking me to my first shows and continuing to accompany me occasionally throughout adulthood. I have been lucky enough to see a few professional musicals - My One and Only, The Tap Dance Kid, Into The Woods, Annie Get Your Gun, Guys and Dolls, Miss Saigon, Cats, Les Miserables, Phantom Of The Opera, Rent, Moving Out, Sweeney Todd - not to mention what I've seen in schools, and was happy to add "Billy Elliot" to the list.

A tradition that my mother and I share is to visit the Hard Rock Cafe if the city has one. A few years ago, they opened one in Times Square and this was our first opportunity to go.

Mom and I in front of the guitar wall just before being seated for dinner.

Yesterday was day four and I spent most of it getting caught up on sleep. I hadn't realized just how much the long drive down and back from the city had taken out of me, as well as how charged up I was after getting home that I couldn't sleep for hours and had to start working on editing the photos. Monday Night Craft Night dinner was on me this week, but I had no energy so I just got supplies to make mini subs.

Sara takes a break from crocheting her purple baby blanket to find us some music to listen to

Rose knitting her circular baby blanket - a project I'll have to have her teach me

Today is day five of my six-day vacation, which will end on my birthday. I am planning on doing nothing but reading and crocheting today, just enjoying my time away from work. Tomorrow, is my birthday so the plans are left up to Sagittarius. I can't wait.