Camping

This post will take me forever to write. I'm starting at 10:37am. Let's see how this goes. I'm planning to walk to an antique store near Pike Place Market this afternoon - I'm so excited I can't stand it!

11:36am. I'm back.
Oh, I have a tip for you. If you and a friend are walking shoulder-to-shoulder on the sidewalk and you see someone walking toward you, do humanity a favor and move over. Even if you are dressed in designer clothing with those huge aviator sunglasses perched on top of your perfectly styled hair as you walk your toy chihuahua - the person who is walking toward you (no matter who they are) deserves ample sidewalk space. /rant

The set-up, our tent is the green one

On to happier things. Camping was great fun. I love the scenery here in the Northwest. We camped at Lake Easton and got a campsite just across the way from beach access. I use the term "beach" very loosely. Don't think of sun bathers and lifeguards. Think more of sand and trees and cold, rocky water. Really, I guess I can't call it a beach because it was a lake. Do lakes have beaches? Or are they just lakes with sand? A sand bar maybe? Or is that by definition a long strip of sand sitting in the middle of water?

I'm already getting bogged down with useless ramblings. I'll move on. We couldn't have asked for better weather. We arrived at our campsite at around 3pm on Friday afternoon. D's friend Krissi and her fiance, Slane, arrived at the same time we did. We set out food, set up our tents, and started a fire as a couple of D's other friends arrived - Oliver and Sara (who we learned are about 13 weeks along expecting their first baby!). It was getting a little chilly by the time we were set up but we waited for a few hours for D's friend, Matt, to arrive. Burgers, hot dogs, baked beans, chips - some good camp food! For dessert we ate some s'mores and just chipped the enamel. It's funny how conversation with friends changes over the years. We laughed about the fact that our conversations now revolve around houses, minivans, and childcare.

I love this picture of D

I slept beautifully. We brought our air mattress, two sleeping bags, and two thick blankets. Air mattress on bottom, then one sleeping bag spread out, then two blankets, then the other sleeping bag on top. It was wonderful - I love when it's cold outside but warm under the covers. The only thing that got a little chilly were my ears and D fixed that by giving me a skull cap (isn't that what they're called?). D and I got up once to use the restroom then I woke up once or twice more when a dog started barking at another campsite and then again around 7am when people let their kids run around the campgrounds screaming their heads off. Oh, only one minor dilemma. Halfway through the night our air mattress half-deflated. Since D is heavier than I am, he was basically sleeping on the ground while my side was still inflated. We'll be taking that air mattress back - it was our first time using it! Still, that doesn't really compare to having a dog pee in your sleeping bag.

The campground was pretty empty, considering. Last year when we went, we stayed in a completely different part of the grounds - the part meant for tent-camping. This year we stayed where the RVs hook up because it was the only part of the grounds still open. It kind of stunk (literally) because, since the season is over, we had to pack up our trash and take it with us to dispose of it. Not a big deal. Although next year D & I will be going through our camping gear to take only the bare essentials. We ha

The "beach" - Lake Easton

d 3 coolers and numerous bags with us this time, just for lack of planning. We should have sorted through all of it before we left, but oh well! We're talking about renting a cabin next year instead of tent camping since Sara and Oli will have a baby by then and we don't want to leave them out! Plus, let's be honest - cabin "camping" is more up my alley!

After Sara and Oli cooked us a mean breakfast of bacon, eggs, and hashbrows we took at walk to the "beach" (again - using the term loosely). It was a gorgeous day - sun was shining, it was maybe 70°. Beautiful! Cinnamon (aka "Little Bear"), Krissi & Slane's pup, ran around in the sand and flirted with a little white dog with a pink collar. The white dog was a male. Yeah I'll not say anything else about that.

Walking to "the beach"

We drove to the fishing bridge on our way out and took in the scenery. I don't really know how to describe it so you'll just have to go and check it out for yourselves.

Matt came home with us and hung out on our couch watching football for a while until he had to leave for the UW Huskies game. Matt moved to Portland, oh, about a year ago to be near his fiance and it sounds like he's loving it (who wouldn't?). Now to convince D that it's time to move to Oregon...

That's about it for our camping trip. Oliver has more pictures that I may or may not post - you can only post once about the same event, right?

Thanks, friends (and Matt who isn't pictured)!
We had a great time!

D & I went with two couples from church to see "Fireproof" on Sunday afternoon. Great movie - every married couple should watch it. Yes, the acting is a bit hoaky at times, but the message of the movie and the storyline are very, very good. I don't think there was a dry eye in the theater when the movie was over. ANd no, it's not a "chick flick" - it's an "anyone" flick! I can't say enough about it - go see it!

12:47pm

Yes, I've taken a lot of breaks for work and to get coffee, etc. I still haven't eaten lunch but I'm not hungry. I can't wait to head down to the antique store! Just a few more minutes and I'll head out. There's a cruise ship outside my window again. I wonder when the season will be over.

Tonight's agenda:

The drive home. Beautiful.

Finish putting up fall decorations
Make pumpkin bread
Knit. Knit a lot.

Maple scones will have to wait. I'm thinking maybe I'll make them when there's an occasion to do so - maybe around the 17th of the month so I can take them to Oregon with us.

Have a wonderful day!

Update about antique store
---------------------------------------------------
It felt like a long walk. It really wasn't but I was haulin' to get there in time to look around and then I was haulin' to get back to work since I actually have things to do today. I walked from, basically, the Edgewater Hotel to the Seattle Aquarium. Look it up if you care.

Things were expensive and they didn't have *old* stuff. They had books from the 60s and stuff, but nothing older than that, really. I'm going to have to head back to the Renton Antique Mall soon.

Um, I still bought stuff. Stay tuned for "Vintage Thingies Thursday".