Mind over Matter.

I have no idea where last we left our heros. Suffice to say we've been having an adventure here. Huge entry follows... (you've been warned).

Friday afternoon the pall was lifted from my week as it became clear that the boss had always intended to shut down the computers that are "my responsibility" in preparation of the power outage. We did a couple of them together in the afternoon. It mostly highlighted that a) the boss is annoying when he's trying to make a point and b) I have a couple gaping holes in my knowlegebase for doing my job as it now stands.

Friday evening was Bingo Night. Otherwise known as "I gave up my nice comfortable routine to eat cold pizza and play a game among screaming children" Night. I started to be incredibly irritated by it but managed to snap myself out of it enough to actually have a pretty good time. Except for the screaming. Some of those kids can hit a pitch that actually hurts me. Happily though none of us won a game, the boy did manage a door prize. It made his night. I came home and packed for the weekends outing.

Saturday began far earlier than I intended with those magic words "I accidentally wet my bed". (Does anyone do that on purpose?) Needless to say I did the sheet changing and laundry starting at 6:30 am which had the side benefit of helping me be out the door and on the road at 8:00. To go camping. In the pouring rain. On my birthday. Which neither my husband nor child even remembered before I left.

As I was driving I had two epiphanies. First things do not always go to hell just because I'm participating. Ok sometimes it seems that way, but really how conceited is that thought. I'm not important enough to cause the month long drought to be broken by torrential downpours from a tropical storm just because I'm going camping. The second was that I was going to have to apply mind over matter. And for the most part that worked just fine.

I got to the camp got my car into an ok parking space, got my gear into a cabin and got totally soaked in the process. Within an hour of getting there the "war" we were having was basically cancelled and the event became simply a cabin party. I sat and had a wonderful dishy chat with the most lovely Isobel. Even in her sloshy weather clothes she looked utterly amazing. She also served me the most tasty goat pasties I've ever eated. Ok they were also the only goat pasties I've ever eaten but they were delicious.

Best Babe arrived totally frazzled. Life issues, traffic issue and car issues on the trip melted my dear friends usually ebullient self. Gear was offloaded, cider and lunch applied, car issues were dealt with and the party started. We shopped a bit at the 5 or so stalwart merchants who stuck it out. We accidentally sat through court. Then we feasted. Lordy but we do go overboard. I can not even describe the gluttony of our buffet. Suffice to say there were nearly 20 people and each had brought enough food to feed 20 on their own.

My contribution to the feastings included a interesting science lesson. I learned that barley can and will take over the world given the opportunity and enough beef broth. I brought 1.5 tubs of beef and barley stew. I put it in the crock pot with more broth as it had sucked up all the broth it had. It filled the crock pot about 7/8 full. The next day cleaning up I noted that more people at the beef and barley than I realized as there was maybe 2/8 of a crock left. When I put it back in the tubs to take back I still had nearly 1 full tub of stew. Loaves and fishes?! - it must have actually been barley.

The feasting were followed by much schmoozings. It was a wonderful evening among most delightful company. Worth the drive, the rain and the mud.

I cut out among the earliest to go to sleep. My bed had a strange downhill feeling so I slept feet to the wall, head to the aisle (this is important later). The earplugs worked phenomenally and other than a touch of melodius snoring from the corner I slept pretty darn well. I heard very little. The sleeping bag was nice and cozy but it prevented me from turning to my left. I simple rotated right to flat to right. That worked fairly well until the early morning when the back said enough and I forced myself to the left. And caught the olfactory delight of sick. Sick smell is one thing I can not mind over matter.

So I was up about 6:30 am again much against my desires. Turns out the young man in the next cot showed his inexperience with liquor in a stunning fashion. I didn't notice it at the time because of the combination of earplugs and my head being at the other end of the bed. The next 3 hours or so were spent sitting outside, moving my car, packing up my bedding. I made small forays into the cabin. Mostly though the 8 sleeping people and the smell kept me out. Finally around 10 more of the masses were moving around and I got dressed and packed up. I was a little torn because I felt like I should have stayed and helped the other folks pack up their cars but honestly at that point I'd been sitting around for nearly 4 hours in the cold waiting for them to wake up and I was pretty much done.

Home. Unload and parse. Everything went to either the laundry or the dishwasher. My birthday cards and gift were waiting for me with an apology because they forgot to give them to me before I left. I had lunch with the boys and a nice long shower. Started the laundry and then took the boy halloween costume shopping at his request. It was nice. We bought a ninja costume, a bunch of weapons (which can't go to the school party) and a tombstone for the yard. We came home and decorated with glowing bat lights, window clings and pictures of ghosts and bats and witches.

The day ended with dinner out. Seafood at a local chain restaurant but with the yummy drinks, yummy food and yummy desert it was just right.

Today has been laundry and strange chores but this is already too long. Suffice to say that chicken which is rotting looks like beef and smells like fish. Yeah, some of my adventures have definitely been olfactory !