The Adventures of Brady and Carly: Camping

This is a rather long tale...

Brady and I went camping last weekend. It was something we had planned for while, but didn't make reservations in time. Since it's the last weekend in August all the campgrounds were full, but we know of a few places that offer walk up sites so we weren't too worried.

OUR PLAN:
Get off work at 3. Pack up the car and dogs. Drive down I-90 until we found a campsite. Live a happy and wonderful weekend.

REALITY:
Get off work late. Get stuck in traffic. Be angry at work and refuse to pack (me). Leave late. Drive to every campsite possible and not find a spot. Drive through a stretch of woods that reminds us of Texas Chainsaw Massacre meets The Hills Have Eyes. People are coming and going. We don't know from where or to where, but we are pretty sure we are going to get eaten. Or at least shot. I'm happy to say, despite our frustrations we didn't get upset with each other. We held hands and cracked jokes as we drove aimlessly in search of a place. Finally at about 10 pm we start seriously thinking about what to do for the night. Sleep in the car and try tomorrow? Drive home? Steal someone else's reserved spot?

As we are discussing the finer details of sleeping in the car when Brady notices fires burning in the woods. There's just a small road with no sign, but we decide to check it out. We drive through a labyrinth of rocky trails and see a few tents, but no actual sites. We twist and turn, and I lose my sense of direction (pitch black, no signs, trees as markers). We pull into another rocky "trail" to turn around and... my headlights land on a fire pit. Hallelujah! The space is small, and the fire pit is positioned under a lichen filled tree ensuring certain death for all woodland creatures, but we decide to put up the tent for the night and search for a better spot in the morning.

The next day we found a much bigger spot, with a fire pit not positioned to burn the forest down. We broke and re-made camp, and lived a happy and wonderful weekend.

The road was a bit bumpy for a Jetta

The site

Makeshift Table

Happy Campers

 

Keep in mind: This dog HATES water

We pulled the mattress out to read/nap in the shade

My fur babies

Kyzer and Minion BFFs

Rock skipping

Minion found a stick!

Cle Elm River

The end.

It's My Birthday!

I am 28 today! Every year I groan about "oh I'm getting so old", but it's for show. I feel better about myself with every year that goes by. Seriously.

Yesterday a guy, I would guess that he was in his late teens, asked me how old I was. I told him I was turning 28 and he replied "Really?! WOW, you look GREAT!" and shook his head in disbelief. I've gotten this response numerous times, and I always ask what exactly they think someone in their twenties is supposed to look like. Am I supposed to be old and haggard by now? Boobs to my ankles and grey hair? Either way, I'll take the compliment with a laugh.

Three years ago my youngest cousin asked me on my birthday if I was turning 30. My response was "WHAT? No, I'm only 25 this year." He shrugged and said "same thing". I guess age is a bit subjective.

28 and still kickin'

PS: yes my office has become a place for random storage. Oh well.

It's Time for a Change

Nikki at Que Sera Sera posted an article called How to Talk to Little Girls, and asked us how we felt about the content. Well, turns out I thought a lot about it, enough to write an entire post. Growing up there was a HUGE emphasis on my brain (what books are you reading, etc.) and very little on looks. I think it was great; even now I care less about being pretty and more about being smart. Reading about girls who think they’re fat at 3, and the rise in eating disorders and boob jobs for teenagers is appalling. This article stresses the importance of treating and talking to little girls differently, and while I agree, I think it’s missing a vital piece of information. Children learn by watching. They think they need to go on a diet because that is all we talk about. They think they need Botox because WE are afraid of aging. Maybe the first step is not changing our interactions with little girls, but changing our perceptions of ourselves.

When I moved to Renton at the age of nine I made a friend who thought she was fat. I was blown away, we were about the same size and the thought had never crossed my mind. Then I met her mom and it fell into place why she called herself “Thunder Thighs”. While my mom was explaining Einstein’s theory of black holes, her mom was telling her that she would get fat if she drank Snapple. I watched her mom with surprise as she would pull and pinch and frown in the mirror. It was a strange concept to me that someone would be so dissatisfied with themselves. Men had always fallen over themselves for my mother, but never did I hear her address her looks. Instead she was more amazed at the perfection and ability of the human body than the effect it had on others.

This attitude is something that she passed on to me. She would pull me to her with a hug and a kiss and tell me how proud she was that I was her daughter. She told me that I was perfect the way I was, and even with my gapped teeth, freckles, and gangly limbs, she made me feel beautiful. Over the years some of this has been counteracted by the hate women seem to have for themselves. I have adopted insecurities about my appearance that I never had before and I truly hope that I get over them before I have a daughter of my own.

I strongly believe that we are passing our fears and self doubt on to our children and to each other.  We are appalled when girls are behaving like their role models. Why is it that we want our friends and children to have a healthy self esteem, but perpetuate our own crippling insecurities? “Do as I say, not as I do” does NOT work; these fears came from us and the change needs to come from us as well. For once, let's take our own advice.

Colorado Sunrise (The Name Game)

 I rarely link up to other blogs, but Mandy’s post inspired me. I’ve been thinking about this for the past few days, and this blog topic seems like a good opportunity to put it on paper (screen?).

A Work in Progress is the perfect description of what and who I am. I am constantly trying to improve myself; my health, my knowledge, my patience. Nerd alert: If there is something I don’t know I research it, fact check, cross reference, and study until I feel confident in my knowledge, I am trying to exercise and eat well, I chastise myself for angry thoughts. I am trying, really trying, to evolve as a person. I feel like I am never finished, I am raw material.

I stumble (literally and figuratively), trip, fall of my path. I make every wrong choice, pick the wrong door and throw myself into misguided adventures. I don’t gracefully blunder, but I do it with GUESTO.  It’s a little ridiculous actually, but it’s a big part of who I am. Sometimes (often) I pick the wrong choice and I wind up back at square one. I used to be really hard on myself about my failures, but I’m ok with it now. I learn something new about myself and about life from every mistake I make. I have very limited “what ifs” and “somedays” because I go out and try rather than just wish and dream. Yes, it makes my life a train wreck at times, but it’s what makes my life full. This blog is for me to document my ups and downs, my experiences, and my progress as a person.

Below is a song I heard a few years ago and I think it describes what I mean perfectly:

Colorado Sunrise

And if I had something to say to you I'd whisper it softly,

kiss you on your rosey lips and never let you off me.

shiver on your roof and see your face lit by starlight,

hold you through the night and watch that Colorado sunrise.

I've got five fingers on each hand for every mistake that I've made

cuz my tongue is tied to tonsils and I need to s#!t and shave

I’m a shade to pale for handsome and have habits I can't shake

and if you try to take that from me well I'll never be the same

train wreck that I am

and I am what I am what I am

a train wreck, that I am

and I am what I am what I am

a train wreck

and as long as it's okay with you I think I'll stay right here.

I got no where to go cuz where to go is up to you, dear.

happy as a clam I see the glimmer in your eyes.

hold you through the night and watch that Colorado sunrise.

no car and never cared because I got no place to go.

but in a room, a single wall, I couldn't pay a plant to grow

you can try and make this pretty, pick up all my dirty clothes.

and if you never really get me then I guess you'll never know the

train wreck that I am

and I am what I am what I am

a train wreck that I am

and I am what I am what I am

a train wreck

I've got five fingers on each hand for every mistake that I’ve made

cuz my tongue is tied to tonsils and I need to s#!t and shave

I'm a shade to pale for handsome and have habits I can't shake

and if you try to take that from me well I wouldn't be the same

train wreck that I am

and I am what I am what I am

(Colorado sunrise)

a train wreck

that I am

and I am what I am what I am

(Colorado sunrise)

train wreck.

that I am

(If I had something to say to you I'd whisper it softly)

and i am what I am what I am

(kiss you on your rosey lips and never let you off me)

a train wreck

that I am

(shiver on your roof see your face lit by starlight)

and I am what I am what I am

(hold you through the night and watch that Colorado sunrise)

a train wreck.

Whew. Made it!