3 glorious trips have cemented my distaste for the great outdoors
Camping trip #1-
Eric and I took an over night trip to a local campground one cool crisp fall day, armed with food and a nice pup tent, we arrived, surprised to have the whole camp ground to ourselves, ya see Eric had convinced me there are less bugs as the weather cools and campsites are less crowded...until 2am, while all toasty and warm, when no less that 8 truck loads of whooping and Hollaring shotgun shooting hooligans showed up and surrounded our tent their truck lights shining into our lil pup tent...I was MOR-TEE-FIED-SCARED-TO-DEATH!!! They eventually left...as did we...it would be several years before I would agree to camp again
Camping trip #2
This camping trip Eric promised me lots of bugs and people meaning summer time camping and lots of PEOPLE was good since our last camping trip-theres safety in numbers. I was 8months preggers with Jessica and we were taking Abby and Reese on their first camping trip. At the time Eric owned a small ford ranger, so we loaded it up with food,a futon mattress(I was 8 months preggers-don't judge), 2 pup tents and fishing poles and headed to Lake Spavinaw. Let me say I am not an expierenced camper-oh sure I camped as child BUT my parents took care of all the details, I just made sure I had my swimsuit and maybelline great lash mascara- a girls gotta look good...
Anyways our first day was wonderful, fishing and enjoying the great outdoors, we cooked on the BBQ grill sang around the camp fire then headed to bed, Eric into his solo tent and me with my futon and Abby and Reese shared a tent...I do not remember the time-it was late though, when I heard noises, someone SOMETHING was stealing all our food, so I whisper Erics name, thinking he was up for a midnight snack, no answer, I call again louder, I hear him in his tent...so IF he is in his tent WHO or WHAT is in our food...our food that we left out on the pic-nic table, yanno stuff like bread,chips,marshmellows etc...
Finally he hears me and he peeks out his tent-then I hear grab the kids and lock yourself in the truck...you don't gotta tell me twice...the truck was behind the tents and the door of the tent opened facing the truck, easy peasy...only thing...I couldn't see what was going on...have I mentioned Eric is BLIND without his contacts...
That night Eric wrangled with a small bear according him MORE like a raccoon according to me and the critter won, they got all our food and Eric lost a contact...fun times fun times...who knew you needed to
Camping Trip #3-
The straw that broke the camels back...OR the camping trip that Georgie vowed NEVER again...
We left on a beautiful sunny summer day for 5 days of camping with the kids at Cedar Lake in Oklahoma-my car an eagle vision had just met an unfortuante demise-someone set it ablaze in our drive way all that was left was a shell, we had a small rental and Eric somehow thought taking me camping AGAIN would ease my mind-we had progressed to a larger family tent after the great bear/raccoon debacle a few years back.
We arrived to cloudy skies and only a handful of campers, smart, very smart campers that owned RV's...it rained that night, everthing we owned/brought was soaked-we all slept in that tiny(think geo metro tiny) car that night-the next day, determined to not let the rain win-Eric drove into town for supplies,rope to hang-line dry the clothes and bedding, more food, a tarp in case it rained again and BEER...
That evening it started raining-it rained all the next day,raining so much that all the water that had settled on the tarp had started to tilt the tarp, tilting it so much that it poured right into our tent on our sleeping heads and bodies...I cried A LOT...
The next morning after 3 days of rain we packed up thinking we fought the rain but the rain won...as we pull out of the park what do we see? THE SUN...
And that my friends is why I do not camp...
My confession for today: This is why I have never encouraged Abby,Reese or Jess to join cub scouts or girl scouts or GOD FORBID campfire girls... I FEAR the camping trips
I absolutely LOVE camping - but i can not blame you ONE BIT for not going.....I would probably never return, either! :)
ReplyDeleteI. Hate. Camping.
ReplyDeleteWe should start our own support group. Bloggers Against Camping.
Lol that you discourage boyscouts/girlscouts!
i hate camping. my parents took me to wales when I was 6 and I woke up with a slug on my face. I hadn't wanted to go in the first place but that was the final nail in the coffin. never again! Emma (Scotland)
ReplyDeleteI don't camp either. Never have, never will...unless it's in a cabin with full electricity!
ReplyDeleteHi. I have a blog at www.picturecamping.com where I feature people's posts about camping, and I would like to send my readers your way. Of course I would give you credit for quotes and would link back to your site.
ReplyDeleteThanks for considering this,
Jean B. in SC
Although we had some pretty horrible camping trips, I can now look back at them and laugh! We camped a lot when we were kids. We had our experience with a bear that nosed around our campsite looking for food (luckily it was all locked in the car!), rain that poured in our tent, and me waking in the middle of the night to vomit all over the inside of our family tent! Good times!
ReplyDeletethanks for the tag in the 6 thing meme
ReplyDeletei followed up and linked to ya
http://theysayimnuts.blogspot.com/2009/08/tagged-in-6-things-meme.html
time for backyard camping and good ol b&b's
ReplyDeletecome see us and we will set ya up
Darling, I just stopped by to let you know that I have returned and that I had a marvelous time. I missed you too much to stay away longer!! Have a beautiful Monday.
ReplyDeleteDuchess xx
Ha ha! Oh Georgie - we have had some doozies, too! Sometimes I don't know what makes us keep going back, but I love it. I know. There is probably something wrong in my head! Maybe you just need a camper? Or a day trip instead?
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I know how you feel, I can't stand camping or even the thought of it any more!! I didn't even enjoy it as a kid! :P
ReplyDeleteSE x
AHHHHHHHHH!!! How freaky!!! My sister swears that camping is fun, but Nuh huh. Maybe camping would be fun if there was an actual cabin to sleep in. Or a RV. Otherwise, count me out!!!
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't even go outside after those three experiences. I don't blame you a bit.
ReplyDeletebtw thanks for the good words on my meme
ReplyDeletewhen your ready for a texas road trip come see me, nessa and grandma
http://theysayimnuts.blogspot.com (me ya know)
http://nessatxmom.blogspot.com (nessa my neighbor)
http://coffee508.blogspot.com (my mom)
we can put you up at www.marysbandb.com
and have a lil blogger party of our own
i totally agree with your no camping rule. i don't even have awful stories to back it up.
ReplyDeleteOh, that's a good story. It makes me think about all the funny things that have happened to me and my family over the years. Maybe I'll start blogging about those things. I've grabbed your button and put it on my blog - mystorymoments.blogspot.com - to remind myself to read your blog often. Would you take a second and look at a new blog I just started? www.reallyincrediblewomen.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteIt just launched today, and I'm really interested to see what people thing. If you like what you see, please let people know - I've got a button on the sidebar if you'd like it.
Thanks again for your blog. It's great!
-Kara
I grew up camping, but it seems that lately, whenever we go, weird stuff happens.
ReplyDeleteLast time, a guy tried to beat up his girlfriend during the night. I mean, how stupid is that, given the whole camp could hear it? Even stupider, since there were two off duty police officers in the next site.
The next day my mom and I went to shower. She was a little worse for the wear, having recently had a hip replacement, and then broken her arm, and hit her eye on the side of the camper when we set up. So the other women look at her and immediately assume that this 70 year old was the gal who got beaten the night before.
Good times. Weird, huh?
I went camping in college...when I didn't know better and didn't care. Dive bomber mosquitos, dirt and the weather. Nope. I'll take the Ramada anytime. I agree. Camping is out! :-)
ReplyDeleteI camp once a year. In a public park with 800 other campers and running water. That's it. That's as far as it goes for me.
ReplyDeleteAnd who the heck is that person leaving Chinese written comments? I had a whole slew of them today and there's no return e-mail to ask for a translation! I think they are using our blogs to communicate with outer space.
In order for it to be a fun time, camping must require oodles of beer... and smores... and a bathroom... so basically camping is never fun for me either. I once camped in Oman and awoke to a bunch of young men surrounding my tent. Sounds promising? Not so much. They only spoke Arabic and wondered what these silly Western girls were doing running to their car at 3 am. It was traumatizing. Never again.
ReplyDeletei am not a camper either!!!!!
ReplyDeletei need running water, air conditioning, and a hair dryer!!!!!!
you don't get those in a tent!!!!!!
I actually enjoy camping but when I was a kid, I went camping in a pop-up with my aunt and uncle and their kids. They were from out-of-state so I didn't know them all that well. I was also a kid who didn't like to make a fuss. In the middle of the night, I fell out of the side of the camper. Apparently, it wasn't fastened. Luckily, my uncle put a lawn chair under there for the night and I fell into that. I woke up OUTSIDE with only part of my sleeping bag.The rest of the sleeping bag was still inside and my cousin was sleeping on top of it. I was a little confused but didn't want to bother anyone. However, I was horrified that I was OUTSIDE IN MY PJ's!!! I couldn't wait until someone woke up so I could get back into the camper (it was locked). I sat there for a couple of hours until my cousin woke up and couldn't find me. Nobody could believe it. :)
ReplyDeleteI have never camped. I never plan to. I like Egyptian cotton and hot showers, neither of which can be found in the wild.
ReplyDeleteMy idea of roughing it is staying at a five star hotel that doesn't have room service. I hate to sweat. I like to pee in porcelin. I like clean hands at ALL times. I need my mattress and a door that has hinges.
ReplyDeleteI'm not much of a camper but I do want to try a hike in/hike out trip one of these days!
ReplyDeleteVery fun post, Georgie!
I think camping in a five star hotel is totally acceptable;)
ReplyDeleteI am with you on this one...I HATE camping. Only went once, after no-sleep, an air matress with a hole in it and a husband that got up alot, walking to go to the potty, I told Greg the next morning I would join them for meals but I would never do it again...and I have NOT!!!
ReplyDeleteGeorgie~ Camping is fun!! Come with me on my next trip. We rent campers with A/C and full-size fridges, it' just like being at home.
ReplyDeleteYou have very good reasons to not go camping...those 3 stories are every non-campers worst fears. The bear thing would totally freak me out and send me running for the hills.
ReplyDeleteI told Tim I'd never go camping because I'm convinced it would coincide with the exact timing that some psycho inmate escapes from prison and tries to hide in our tent.
I can't believe you went camping when you were 8 months pregnant. Wow, I'm impressed!
Ewwwwww... either you're doing the whole camping thing wrong or it really does suck. Jimmy bought all this camping gear in the last year, promising the girls they would go, but so far they've gone nowhere. I doubt very much that I would go, even though Jimmy promised me a nice air mattress to sleep on. I love the critters, don't get me wrong. But bugs? Dirt? No potty or shower? Ewwwwwwwwwwww
ReplyDeleteJustine :o )
I have not been since I was a child but I do have fond memories of it. My husband would never camp so I have nothing to worry about.
ReplyDeleteI despise camping. My idea of camping is a hotel without room service. In fact, I encouraged my husband to go camping and take our kids, while I was at BlogHer and didn't have to go. Ha.
ReplyDeleteI will not camp. Bugs and dirt. That is against the all my values...LOL
ReplyDeleteWow! You're famous. Look at the comment before me...LOL. Do you understand every word?
No camping. Absolutely NOT
ReplyDeleteyour nomadic ancestors would be disappointed
ReplyDeletei love camping, you just need lots of bug repellents and a big fire. doesnt get any better :]
Okay, how, in God's name, does that Asian person expect you to read his/her comment?
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I love camping (mostly), but I completely understand why YOU don't! Wow. That first story made me think I was reading the Deliverance screenplay! Burnt out car? WITW?! Bears?! And the dreaded rain....ah, the rain. That was your husband's fault for not putting the tarp up properly (sorry, Hubs). You should try one more time, with a motorhome and friends who know their camping stuff--it's so much fun!!