July 22, 2005
Ruffin' It
Guess what we’re doing this weekend? (Wait...is it my imagination or is The Big Muthuh of a Tent larger than The Mysterious K's real house?)
Guess who has already packed her toothbrush and a clean pair of underpants and is ready to go, go, go?
Guess who says she's ready to go NOW, NORma it!!
Guess who can’t figure out where the NORma the tent went? Yep, the entire thing, all 13' x 13', supposedly-sleeps-eight-but-only-if-you-sleep-two-to-a-sleeping-bag-wink-wink of it, is in that bitty bag which, however, weighs a NORma-load.
Kicker #1: Three days ago we had absolutely no plans to go camping. In fact, TMK loathes camping and had made it clear that the possibility of our doing so this summer was nil. Zip. Zero. Zilch. Diddly squat. Which had made me making annoyed faces at her behind her back. Then the phone rang.
Kicker #2: On the other end of the phone was TMK's mother saying that if we could find a way to meet her and TMK's stepfather at the campground in Westport where they were going to be for the weekend, then she would give us a box of the most obscenely perfect peaches from their obscenely perfect peach trees on their obscenely perfect little farm in Eastern Washington. For this, TMK will buy a new tent, buy an inflatable doll bed, pack a car full of crap for me, her and the dog, drive three hours, set up camp for one night, and drive the three hours home. She will do all of this for peaches; not for me, for peaches. For my part—because I love to camp and because I've had some of the peaches before and they are truly obscenely, post-coital-cigarette good—I am willing to get up at the crack of dawn on a Saturday. If you knew me, you would know I do not get up at the crack of dawn. In fact, not until long after dawn has finished cracking and has splintered into a million pieces. And maybe not even then.
Kicker #3: It's raining. It's the middle of July in a city that normally has no rain in the summer...and it's raining.
IT'S DULAAN DAY!!
Unless something has come up, today is the day when all of the fleece blankets and knitted and crocheted items start their 10,000 mile journey to MongoLEEa. I truly feel that there are no empty spaces in either of the two containers. Whatever spots are not filled with boxes are filled with the thoughts and prayers of all the people who worked so long and hard on this project and who wish only a brighter future for the Mongolian people.
Please join me in wishing the containers a bon voyage!!!!
Stitch & Pitch
For anyone who's going to the Stitch & Pitch, an article for you. 1,200 tickets?!!!! I'll bet the Mariners don't even know what hit 'em.
Posted by Ryan at July 22, 2005 10:18 AMWow. So much goodness in one post! A fabu tent, Frankie pics, more Frankie pics, use of the term post-coital (giggle), Use of the term NORma (snerk), Dulann update (Hooray!) and so many tickets sold. You must harness these powers for Good, Blog Mistress. Never for evil.
Hope you have a great day!
Posted by: Stalker Angie on July 22, 2005 10:25 AMHave a fun time, you two! (actually, sorry Frankie, you three!).....good peaches are worth it! Actually, I enjoy camping...just not very good at it...setting up and breaking camp with kids just about puts me into a coma. When you get there, they are all excited out of their gourds...when you leave, they are sick of each other and everything else to do with camping...THe inbetween part is cool....but the set up and tear down suck.
Posted by: Lisa in Oregon on July 22, 2005 10:26 AMHave fun camping! We upgraded this year from tent to 26' trailer. Going next weekend to the campground where the mother-in-law camps. The kids love it. Hooray for Dulaan! I do hope we do it again next year. I already have some Kool Aid dyed wool to make mittens to send!
Posted by: Sheri on July 22, 2005 11:00 AMHmm... Sailor-mouth though she may have, I'm not sure Norma herself would like things being referred to as a NORma-load, 'lessin' it was a tiny and delicate weight! LOL
Posted by: Amie on July 22, 2005 11:27 AMLisa, the part about setting up and tearing down sucking? That's why TMK insisted we set the new tent up at least one time before we went on the trip. She said that this is so that (a) we knew what we were doing and (b) didn't look like total dorks at the campground. It was a good idea. The tent is well-constructed but we discovered that there were some parts of it that took a lot of muscle power to put together. I just hope that the grunts we make at the campground aren't too unladylike.
(Side note: The last time we went camping, we only had a small tent, we camped with a lot of kids, it rained cats and dogs and we were a long way from the toilet so we had to drive every time we had to tinkle, even during the middle of the night. It was AWFUL. However, I got over it; TMK didn't. Until now. Until the peaches came along.)
Posted by: Ryan on July 22, 2005 11:28 AMI want to know who is the 'local knitter' throwing out the first pitch? Eh? Please do tell after it's all over!
Posted by: CarolineF on July 22, 2005 12:13 PMWell, I won't be at the stich & pitch, but my friend Linda (editor of knitlit) will be and if you speak sweetly to her, she might let you see what's in her bag.
(Hint. I wrote it and it's *almost* a book)
Every year we say we're going camping and every year it's another one gone without going. Feh.
Can't wait to see the number of knitters at Safeco - and crocheters as well (got one in my group). And now that the Harlot has mentioned something in Linda Roghaar's bag, think she'll be accosted by knitters eager to find out?
Posted by: Gina on July 22, 2005 03:31 PM*plunking down from lurkdom*
I just spent the whole week reading your blog, beginning to end. Luckily I have my own office or the snorks and snickers would have given me away!! You are one funny lady! And major congrats on the Dulaan project... way to go!
Oh,yes... peaches. In our house, "Peaches" is the word we use when either I or my hubbie of 30 years has gone just a hair too far. Long years ago, we were taking a trip to another state and drove by a farmstand loaded to the gills with bushels of GORGEOUS peaches. He wouldn't stop... the evil-good-for-nothing MAN wouldn't stop. I was so mad I was spitting fire. Stayed mad for 3 days! Ever since, when either one of us oversteps the bounds we say "Peaches" and the other one knows to back off.
Still loves me some peaches, though! ;0)
Posted by: Marty on July 22, 2005 04:20 PMSwanky tent! Bon voyage to you and to the mega mitten boxes, too! A tiny wrist slap for putting me into a spasm of what we, in my house, refer to as "extended play N.O.S" (not otherwise specified)You know, those bad songs that just won't leave the mind?......I really love your peaches, wanna shake your treeeeee.....
Posted by: marylee on July 22, 2005 06:45 PMMaybe the peaches will help smooth out the inevitable growling and snarling that happens when camping stuff has to be packed up to go home.
A post-coital peach also sounds like a damned fine idea :-)
Posted by: Lee Ann on July 23, 2005 06:43 AM