My Life: not always an ocn of gravy

[ocnblu]

Whoa, almost 4 days away from this place, how times flies when you're having fun, and when you're not.

I was on vacation this week, and I needed it, I had been stressing at work and not sleeping well. I had wanted to do something other than sit home for the whole week, which would have been counterproductive to the very definition of the word "vacation", and camping is something I enjoy. The weather forecast wasn't promising, however, for the Poconos Mountains. Checking The Weather Channel site every day yielded a small window of tent-camping opportunity on Thursday/Friday, so I took the chance. And it was beautiful. Everybody I talked to up there said the entire weekend would be gorgeous with an updated, sunny forecast, so I stayed. Wouldn't ya know it, the night before I have to pack up my tent, it pours its tail off last night. And with no promise of an afternoon clearoff, I packed up everything wet and headed home. My brand new, Coleman tent leaked a little bit (none of my other tents ever did, even my first, cheapie Coleman)... guaranteed NOT to leak, blah blah blah. I guess that's why they call it a "rain fly", because the rain flies right in on ya! I laid out everything in the driveway when I got home to dry it out. I hope Kiwi's (the shoe polish ppl) "Camp Dry" sprayed on the rain fly seams works, otherwise, I will not be a happy camper.

Otherwise, it was a great stay, very relaxing. I need new hiking shoes though, for the first time wearing them after 5 years, I actually got two blisters on my right foot from all the hiking.

And when I got out of my Cobalt to check in at the front desk, I noticed a broken wheel stud and attendant missing lugnut on the left front... somebody overtightened my alloys when they were put on. So I need a wheel stud and lugnut.

The campground is built on a slight incline with multiple levels, and I always like to pitch my tent in what they call the "lower field". It is a sunny area out of the woods (which I like, because if it does happen to rain overnight, the tent will dry quicker the next day if the weather clears), but it also has a few low spots. They had a lot of rain last weekend, and ppl with pickups pulling campers had trouble getting out, it was full of muddy ruts to get back to a suitable tenting spot. The Cobalt spun valiantly, and made it through, while getting covered with red mud. It was a sight to see, as I usually keep it pretty spotless. A Jetta wagon, old Sentra and catfish Taurus all nearly got stuck in the same spot, so I was proud of my little Chevy with the 4X4 ground clearance getting through there on the first try. It made me think once again about a small pickup truck, though, for sure. Getting out this morning after the big storm, I didn't even want to try the same route, so I steadily aimed up and over a steep, grassy hill, past several other tents... and spun nary a wheel. Not too bad, little Cobie.

Anyhow, that's my blog entry splaining my whereabouts in case anyone cares. I missed you guys a li'l bit, glad to be back and ready to head back into the rat race tomorrow morning.

Edited August 9, 2009 by ocnblu

[caddycruiser]

A vacation...what's a vacation? I haven't had one of "those" in many years, so I know what you mean by needing it, and then some.

Sounds like a fun adventure, even with the rain and the surprise broken wheel stud. It's actually even more interesting as I think more about my probable move to eastern PA before long...hmm...so that's what kind of outings I could have up there...not bad. Not beachy, but that's not a bad thing. Maybe I'd actually look more forward to down here, up there.

Nice to see you back :AH-HA_wink:

[daves87rs]

Glad you had some fun, Ocn.

Sometimes my Balt surprises me, as I was able to move more baby stuff than my buddy's SUV....

[ocnblu]

Thanks, guys.

[GMTruckGuy74]

and I always like to pitch my tent in what they call the "lower field"

Okay, some of us don't want to hear about you sexual escapades while you were on 'vacation'

:lol:

Just messin' with ya...glad to hear you had some fun during your vacation.

[caddycruiser]

Okay, some of us don't want to hear about you sexual escapades while you were on 'vacation'

:lol:

Just messin' with ya...glad to hear you had some fun during your vacation.

Haha, Roger...Roger...

[Robert Hall]

I need to take a vacation...other than a 4 day weekend in San Diego for July 4th and a trip back to Ohio at the end of May, I really haven't done anything this year. Got to do something fun for 4-5 days at Labor Day. Haven't taken a real vacation since a week in Hawaii in April '07.

Rob

[FUTURE_OF_GM]

NICE!

I remember when my family was hardcore tent and backwoods campers (we've sense gone soft and sprung for an RV, which I love)

We packed up wet once, got home and re-assembled the tent in the back yard to dry. We then went out to eat and came home to realize that bears had shredded our tent. Later that week we saw a momma and some cubs in the woods and figured that the cubs had a blast destroying our tent.

Anyway... Seems like you had fun.

[caddycruiser]

I need to take a vacation...other than a 4 day weekend in San Diego for July 4th and a trip back to Ohio at the end of May, I really haven't done anything this year. Got to do something fun for 4-5 days at Labor Day. Haven't taken a real vacation since a week in Hawaii in April '07.

Rob

Yeah, vacation. I think the only break I'll have this year will be the interim between when I resign and am moving...I hope as soon as possible...

I love working in a place where I not only do the work of a team, but really, honestly can't leave for more than a day or even often skip out on weekends because I try to "catch up". It's a good way to burn out, and do so quickly, I must say :AH-HA_wink:

I've never camped...well, unless you count sleeping in the camper parked outside grandma's house because it was cool at night and more fun than a foldable cot in the house...but OCN's story had me thinking of myself cruising out in the G8 somewhere in PA, tenting up, and going all in. Then again, they do probably have a Hilton somewhere I could just have a nice view of nature....

[FAPTurbo]

NICE!

I remember when my family was hardcore tent and backwoods campers (we've sense gone soft and sprung for an RV, which I love)

People can make fun of us RV'ers for being 'soft,' but their tone swiftly changes when they're getting drenched in a downpour, while I'm nice and toasty inside, eating pizza and playing Playstation 2.

[ocnblu]

ROGER!!! :AH-HA_wink:

FOG, holy $h!e, sir!

I had the rain fly, the little "welcome mat" and my under-tarp in the driveway, dried and packed in the house before I had to run back out for some errands. I had the tent hanging over the deck railing. Before I could get home... 50 mph winds and a severe thunderstorm here. Luckily I got here just as it was starting. The tent was in a wild, windblown ball up against my grill. I was able to gather it up, but it almost blew my little butt off the deck with it.

So now it's wet again, and in my daylight basement family room-to-be, along with a dehumidifier on high, and a box fan on high. Whew, I am having a hell of a time with tents.

Mr. cruiser... a VIEW of nature? Dude, ya gotta get out there with your sunscreen and your bug spray and sample nature at its most primitive!

EDIT: yeah Captain, there were some cute guys across the way under their trailer awning, watching me pack my $h! this morning. I had to yell over "hey, don't you wish you had a tent?" One hollered back "uh, no." Good answer... but hey, it's still fun. I will definitely keep going.

Edited August 10, 2009 by ocnblu

[Robert Hall]

I've never done tent camping...a few years ago, buddies of mine used to invite me to come camp w/ them up in the Rockies..should have gone for the experience.

As a kid growing up, my folks and I went camping all the time--in motorhomes. We'd drive up to lakes in northern Michigan, Ontario, drive out to Arizona or down to Florida, park the motorhome in a campground, disconnect the tow car, and drive into town for dinner.

Rob

[Intrepidation]

Sounds like fun. I love camping...I haven;t gone since I was in grade school though. If I can get some spare money I would like to get a tent go away for a weekend before summer is over.

Today when we were taking the old wheels off the car we discovered the front passenger side was way too tight. I'm lucky the studs didn't break. The new wheels are now torques to factory spec. Gotta get me a new torque wrench.

[Z-06]

Ocn, I am glad you are relaxed, and hope that you are firing all your cylinders after due rest.

I love camping too.

When I started my my job, we used to have an engineer who LIVED in a campground in Cocoa Beach with his wife for almost two years - till she was knocked. Then they moved into a small house. They used camp's facilities for their hygienic activities.

[trinacriabob]

Haven't taken a real vacation since a week in Hawaii in April '07.

I don't know how you do it. I skipped taking a major vacation last summer and was getting real cranky. This last one (July) was the best 17 days of "therapy" ... unbelievable.

Ocn, glad you had fun BUT, for your sleeping issues, see about getting something for it. I never had sleeping problems until a year ago, and Ambien is now generic (with a next to nothing co-pay) and works like a charm.

Tent camping? Hmmm. I once went camping to the San Bernardino Mountains with my brother and a few of his friends shortly after he got his license. We left a locked cooler on the picnic table adjacent to the tent. A bear came by to check out the cooler and knocked it off the table. We were woken up by the loud bang and we were eerily quiet. My brother's friend who snuck a look at it said it wasn't that big...he described it as a "teenage bear."

[2005 EquinoxLS]

I just had a vacation in 2003. I should be good for another 10 years or so.

[daves87rs]

I just had a vacation in 2003. I should be good for another 10 years or so.

Ow.

[regfootball]

i pitch a tent every day. i don't sleep in it at night but oddly enough its there in the morning when i wake up.

-sorry, just had to-talkin about tents

[trinacriabob]

i pitch a tent every day. i don't sleep in it at night but oddly enough its there in the morning when i wake up.

Mwahaha...delayed reaction, but I got it...

[regfootball]

well sometimes it takes a bit for tent to rise

so a delayed reaction is understandable.

now, back to regular network programming.

Edited August 11, 2009 by regfootball

[ocnblu]

Dammit, I want to go again this weekend. They are calling for low 80's during the day and sunny, with mid-60's at night... PERFECT weather for a nature walk, no matter the time of day.

[caddycruiser]

Dammit, I want to go again this weekend. They are calling for low 80's during the day and sunny, with mid-60's at night... PERFECT weather for a nature walk, no matter the time of day.

Oooh...good. I'm coming back up on Saturday for a little car stuff again and casino hit #2, and glad to hear it. Maybe I can even tour around this time, find a place I like, and miraculously find a new job...all in...hmm...2 hours?

May as well camp, explore, etc. while the weather is still like this. Then again, what's it like up "there" in winter? I'm used to western PA and Delaware/Philly and if I can get moved north, I still wonder, realistically.

[ocnblu]

Well, where I live in Lancaster County it's been pretty temperate over the last several winters, maybe one or two minor snow events a season. Where I go camping in Carbon County in the Poconos Mountains, it's a different story I'm sure but I ain't gonna be venturing up there much past the middle of September, if that late, because of the dress code.

[GMTruckGuy74]

If you go camping this weekend, try pitching your tent a little higher this time, since you covered the lower field last time

On a more serious note, I hope the weather cooperates for you and you get to go & enjoy yourself. The wife and I will be slaving our time away holding a garage sale Saturday morning, to raise some $$$, aid in cleaning out our basement of unused junk, and preventing me from doing anything fun on a Saturday

[GMTruckGuy74]

caddycruiser, a good friend/neighbor of ours drives to Allentown for work every day since last November. While we may have had some rain or light snow, that area was hit by heavy snow or ice (his employer gives him a small allowance to stay overnight in a hotel so he doesn't have to drive in the bad weather). He has said it's not that bad in the area, but when it snows they get snow, whereas here in southern NJ we might not get as much or have rain instead. It's the Pocono mountains that cause all the bad weather

[ocnblu]

I checked the weather, and I already have my trunk partially packed. Yee haw.