Hot Dog!

I have really gone and done it now. With only one vacation day left (yesterday), I ran over to the Cincinnati SPCA and picked up this little booger:

He doesn't wear that silly-ass bandana in real life, though. He has a pretty red collar that looks nice next to his shiny black fur.

Note that his current name is Ace, but I am considering changing it to something with 2 syllables.

Stella is none too happy about this.

Erin's Miscellany

1) I am home now, having been defeated by the Perfect Storm of camping mishaps: sunburn, saddlesores, and torrential downpours. By Monday night, I had already thought to myself that I might pack it in on Tuesday, but then I was awakened on Tuesday by the most terrifying thunder-and-wind-storm that I've ever been in. As soon as the storm passed, I ran around like a madwoman, shoving everything into my car and tearing out of there. And now, I'm home. And it's hot. But not wet. So I've got that going for me.
2) Although I was at Lake Erie, I do not think I was near Kent. Sorry, Rachel.
3) Jenn - I was able to do all that blogging using my amazing Internet phone. I can send a PIX message directly to my blog. You can do that, too, if you set it up on blogger. I can help you do that sometime if you like.
4) Re: The Hibachi. Heidi came over to my place last night for S'mores and she thought that the Hibachi was much bigger from the picture than it is IRL. That is because, those hot dogs in the picture that I used for scale, are actually half-dogs. Yes, the Hibachi is so small that I had to tear the hot dogs in half to cook them. A little impractical, but not any more so than firing up a full-sized fire for one person. :-)
5) I'm back!! And with a new-found respect for climate control and protection from the elements. Although I am considering going to the pool today. It's hot, even to me. I guess my upper limit is somewhere in the mid-90s. At that point, even I think it's ridiculous...

Product Alert

This is another toy i picked up for the trip. by the by, my gear doesn't get used much, so if you want to borrow, just ask. unless you live far away. i don't ship. anyhoo, this little gadget was at target.com and once i saw it, i had to have it. it is a ceiling fan - for your tent! how cool is that?? it also has a dual-function light, 4 white LEDs to illuminate your tent, plus 1 amber LED for a nightlight. which i love, because i'm afraid in the dark. the fan has 2 speeds, and the fan and light are on separate switches, so in these ways, it's pretty much like being in my own living room. which is probably hot as hades right now, so i guess this is actually better. my one complaint about the fan is that it doesn't really circulate the air (with those tiny blades, how could it??) and since i don't sleep with my face in the center of my tent, it doesn't keep my face cool.
i might try movin it around later. it's held up with a super-strong magnetic plate.

exhibit A

ladies and gentlemen of the jury, i submit to you exhibit A as evidence that Joe D is the coolest. not only does he own this gem of a tiny hibachi, but he also loaned (lent?) it to me for my camping trip. pretty frickin' sweet.

Creative Writing Exercise

the lake is shallow, so i'm lying on my belly in order to float as i look back toward the beach. from my crocodile-view, i see him coming toward me, half-running, half-swimming, droplets cascading from his lean form, the stubborn ones clinging and glinting in the sun. My heart skips a beat as I take it in and in an instant I've pictured how the whole thing plays out - him falling in front of me, me splashing him back, then the heady feeling of being swooped up in his beautifully tanned arms and just as suddenly dropped, squealing and squirming, back into the water.
In the same instant, I realize that I'm myself, not 17, but on the brink of twice that, and I realize he's lived his entire lifetime within the span of my adult life. and with this, I recall and acknowledge a dream from so many summers ago, played out once again in my mind. the hope at the start of each summer that this would be the year I'd meet him. that yet-unanswered dream keeps a part of me trapped at 17.

what you need to know

about this pic is that i took it right after i set up my tent (including the extra tarp bc it's sposeta rain all week) and just as the torrential downpour started. like a good camper, i got in my car. and left. when i came back, everythin was still standing. so as of right now, i'm 1-up on my last camping experience.
you may be saying to your self right now, "self, i'm pretty sure erin doesn't camp. i think she's even said as much out loud before," and your recollection would be correct (and thank you for remembering!). but, i decided to camp, and the reasons are 3-fold. 1-cheap lodging at lake erie is hard to come by. 2-my dad gave me a new tent some time ago and i wanted to use it. 3-i was out under the stars in urbana 2 wks ago and it struck me i hadn't been on vacay in a long time and that i wanted to do something outdoorsy. so, here i am. btw if you're reading randomly and thinking "i could go steal erin's stuff" - don't. the reasons are 3-fold, and i'll post them tomorrow.

"The" shirt for Rachel and me

Get your own shirt here.

Peace.