More notes by firelight

The last of my camping notes.

24 July 2010

I broke down and took the Jeep for a little ride around the campground. It was unbearably hot and I needed to cool down a bit. Plus the flies are starting to piss me off. It'd be easy to hit them if they were like mosquitoes and stayed still to bite you, but they aren't. On the plus side very little bug bites. I did find one really small tick on my foot, but killed it before it could burrow.
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Have a little headache from being in the sun all day. Took some tylenol type stuff that was in my first aid kit. It expired in 2004, but it worked. I continue to drink plenty of water, so this headache isn't from dehydration. And I haven't been in the sun, I have been hiding in the trees.
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After careful consideration, I like Kanapolis better than Elk City. It's not that Elk City is unkempt, it just seems...older. Although they do have a disc golf course at Elk City and from what I saw, it was pretty nice and maintained. Too bad it was too hot for it. I don't regret coming to Elk City for the weekend, I just thought it would be more modern.
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My back didn't hurt after sleeping on the ground last night, I just realized that. I feel lame bringing an air mattress when we camp, but it is nice to not have your hip hurt if you sleep on your side. It feels like its not camping if you use an air mattress.
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The six year-post expiration date tylenol worked!
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The sun is almost gone and the temp. has dropped. Easily fifteen to twenty degrees. It finally feels good to be sitting outside. I want to do this more often, just not when we are in the midst of a hot ass summer. I always have enjoyed camping, even luxurious camping with the old pop-up. It is more fun to do this with a group of friends, but to be out here and enjoying the quiet is priceless.
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Was that thunder I just heard?
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It's pretty dark to the north and the west. The question is, Jeep or tent? I was pretty sure the rain was suppose to be last night. Maybe it won't rain at all. Find out in a few minutes.
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There's a huge mass of black cloud passing by. I can see light clouds behind them. It won't rain. Time for another beer.
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If it starts to rain before I go to bed, I'm throwing all my shit in the Jeep and driving home.
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Got a buzz from the beer finally. Guess I won't be driving back now.
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It's trying to rain. I'm willing it not to.
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It's sprinkling and I'm holding out. Just pass by rain clouds.

Trail notes

Once again, I am transcribing notes from my weekend. This time, it is from my hike.

24 July 2010

The trail is nice. Plenty of trees to block the sun, but still pretty hot out. There's a nice breeze coming off of the lake that feels great
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Found a spot to rest for a little bit down by the water. I had to take an incline down to get here. It was pretty steep. Worth it though. Lots of spider webs along the path. A bit of a nuisance because they stick to you. Used quite a bit of energy getting down here. Time to relax for a bit.
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Just passed the one mile marker and sat to take a little break. The spider webs have mostly disappeared, but now there are random mosquitoes. Got a handful of bites in the last quarter mile or so.
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Made it to the 2nd mile marker. Starting to get hot. I'm close to the road now, I can hear cars. The water crashing on the shore line is taunting me. I want to go jump in the lake right now! I haven't seen anyone out here today, which is nice.
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Made it to the top of the trail. It's wooded with lots of rock formations all around. Plenty of trees for shade too. The wind is blowing so I'm taking the time to cool off. I've drank one bottle of water already. Part of me thinks I should have brought all three. On the other hand, it'll be waiting for me back at camp. As will the rest of the beer!
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Time to go, the buzzards are circling. Literally! There was a turkey vulture that just flew over head.
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It's starting to heat up, even in the shade. It's got to be early afternoon by now. One o'clock or so judging by the sun and the heat.
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Made it back from the hike. Towards the end I just walked as quickly as possible. It was getting unbearably hot and I was almost out of water. The return hike went faster, probably because I didn't stop as much. It was enjoyable and I didn't come across another hiker, so that was pretty sweet. Pros: no blisters!, quiet, nice scenery. Cons: Hot!, spider webs, flies, little wild life, and I'm pretty sure I came across some poison ivy. My legs are really itching and there aren't any bites.
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My camping neighbors left while I was away, so now I have this portion of the campground to myself.

Vignettes from the Fireside

While I was at Elk City, I brought my journal (yeah, I have a journal. Fuck off) to do some writing. What I ended up doing was just jotting down some thoughts. Enjoy.

23 July 2010

I got to the campsite around 5:30 p.m. and after driving around for a little bit, found where I wanted to set everything up. Away from everyone else. It is quiet & shady. I had to resort to pencil because my two pens decided they didn't want to work. Plenty of flies out here, little to no mosquitos (sic.). Hopefully as soon as the fire gets going, the flies will let up. I turned my phone off a little bit after I got here. I'm excited not to have it on for the next few days. The main part of the park looked nice with plenty of spots open, but I wanted a little more seclusion. I can hear some yelling kids off in the distance, but at least they aren't next to my site. I've established my little camp close to a bluff overlooking the lake which could make for some nice sunsets. I need to get a fire going, the flies are starting to gain in numbers.
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Got the fire going. Had to resort to using newspaper to catch the kindling. Had hopes of using bark, but it was still fairly wet from the rain they got here a few days ago. Just east of the campsite, where the lake juts in, I can see where the high water mark was. I went down & collected plenty of driftwood to get the fire going. Whomever had this site last left a huge piece of wood they were feeding into the fire. About a third of it is nothing but burnt wood but may be used to start some coals for dinner. Steak!
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I brought the camera & tripod to play around with some self portraits. It's fun.
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Burnt my hand stoking the fire. Very minor. The grates for cooking are too high to effectively cook the steak. It's burning more than anything. Almost time for the flip.
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Oh I burnt the hell out of it. Too bad. Steak is steak. I've been out here probably two hours (I'm not looking at any clocks this weekend) & I am the most relaxed I have been in forever!
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Camping lets people forget who they are. Out here, you don't know the people next to you. If you can make a fire & cook over it, you look like you know what you are doing. And that boosts confidence in oneself. Do I know the first thing about cooking well over a fire? No. Do I know that coals are the way to go when cooking? Yes. See, I'm an expert camper. It also lets people forget about being clean. I'm sweating & disgusting & have the dirtiest pair of shorts in the world right now. Do I care? No. Did I bring deodorant? No. Toothbrush or toothpaste? No. Did I bring beer? Yes. See, I'm an expert camper.
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I can hear music blaring from another part of the park. It's Uncle Ted! Stranglehold. It's all well & good that people want to do that, it's their right. Quiet hours aren't until 11:00 however far off that is from now. It's not yet nine. The sun hasn't set. It's quiet here. Not too quiet. Nature quiet. Birds are chirping, bugs are buzzing, flies are bugging, and the campfire is going. Sure it's the middle of July but camping requires a fire. Who cares if it's over 100 degrees during the day, in the evening its starting to cool a little bit.
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Is drinking by yourself while camping a bad thing?
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Oh hell yes, Skynyrd is blaring now. FREE BIRD!
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Wonderful sunset. It reminded me of being at the cabin on Brevort, but no sunsets can compare to those. Had to hurry with the pictures, hoping for better ones tomorrow. Sitting on that bluff is something else. If I focus just on the trees and the water, I can feel a little bit of Michigan in this state park. It is well kept, I'm happy I came here for the weekend.
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The fire flies are out now. Nature is wonderful. I can see the moon peek through the trees. Starting to get a nice buzz. Maybe one more beer. The campfire is mesmorizing (sic.).
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I'm done writing for the night. It's difficult to see now. Too dark.

Back home

I made it home from my camping trip very relaxed. I was starting to get a little irritated yesterday just because it was so freaking hot out and the flies were doing nothing but buzzing and landing. Buzzing and landing. I didn't want to go out there with tons of things to do, I just wanted to relax, drink some beer, and hike. All of which I succeed at doing.

Last night was cut a little short by some rain, but I just sat in the tent and read. It wasn't too bad of a situation, but it made it a pain when I packed up this morning because everything was just nasty from the rain and mud combination. The tent is on the porch drying out right now.

All in all, a great trip and I would do it again. It is nice to get out and do this kind of stuff on your own, but it's also a lot of fun to do this with friends and family.

Productive and lazy

With my camping trip approaching, I had a bunch of things that needed to get done. It was almost a laundry list of things. The big thing was work on the jeep. I don't know a whole lot about vehicles, but I took it over to our friend and he helped me change the oxygen sensor and the oil. It was beneficial too because I was informed last night that my driver side headlight was out, so we replaced that as well. It was a lot of fun to work on the jeep. It felt manly. I felt that I should have been grunting the entire time. Granted I didn't do the majority of the work, but it still felt......right.

After working and sweating for two and a half hours, I stopped by the DMV and picked up tags for the jeep. The cost starting to lower as the vehicle gets older, which is nice. One thing that I disapprove of is the fact that we pay property tax on the vehicle, but on the other hand as the vehicle gets older, the price lowers. It's somewhat of a fair trade, but it could be better. One risk you always run in getting tags is the long wait. Everyone has dealt with it. The best thing to do is bring a book and be patient. No one likes to wait around in that place, but everyone has to.

I came back home and grabbed some lunch and lazed around the apartment for about an hour. It was nice to just sit around for a little bit after all the running around in the first couple of hours of the day. Laziness always feels great after accomplishing something earlier on. The last thing I had on the platter of a day was a hair cut. The last great get away for men. The barber shop. There is just something about walking out of a barber shop with a fresh hair cut. You have a fresh step when you walk out to the car. It makes me a little sad that more and more places are popping up where you have to make an appointment and just walking in isn't kosher. Whatever happened to just walking in, sitting down, and waiting your turn. Most places now have a television or magazines so the sitting around and shooting the shit with other men aspect of the barber shop has disappeared, but it's okay. Why not sit around and smell the manly smells of the small building and aftershave?

After all that running around, I came back and took a nap. A massive nap. An hour and a half long. Glorious.

MGT: 2010

The past two summers while Andrea is away, I have dedicated at least one night to grilling out and having a drink. I originally referred to this evening as Man Grilling Time (MGT). It consists of what every man needs for a relaxing evening.

Red meat cooked on a grill to your liking, a drink (I go for either cheap beer or a nice scotch [an odd choice, I know]), and sports. In the summer, the obvious sport is baseball. I have partaken in MGT during the fall a few times and watched a few football games. This year I went out and bought a rib eye and a twelve year old bottle of Macallan. There is also a KC Royals game on at seven o'clock. Obviously I would take in a Tigers game over any other team, but I can't watch them in the house. I would have to go out to a sports bar, so I'll take what I can get.

The only bad thing is that it's about three million degrees outside and usually I hang out on the porch and sipping some scotch after, but this year I'll stay inside.

Finding ambition

I have found my ambition a few days after wanting to gouge my eyes out from boredom. This ambition comes from food. I'm not gorging myself on junk food (at least not all the time), but still need to find sustenance. I finally made my way to the grocery store (not that I work there) and got enough ingredients for several meals

• Spaghetti
• Goulash
• Steak

Pretty extensive right? I also got some chicken in the freezer to break up the red meat parade of dinner.

The reason that cooking is ambitious is not because it involves getting off my ass and working in the kitchen, it's because it dirties dishes and I have to wash them. I don't know about anyone else, but when I start to clean (for example, doing dishes) it can lead to more cleaning. Doesn't always happen, but you never know....

Single life

With Andrea gone home for a couple of weeks for a vacation, I have reached the conclusion that I could not make it as a single person. It's not because I'm lonely, or I need someone to talk to, it's because I'm lazy. She flew out on Wednesday and I sat down and made a list of things that I would like to get done around the house while she is away. What have I done? Nothing. Granted I haven't had a day off, but there is still the time after I get done with work for me to accomplish something, anything. It just hasn't come to fruition.

I wrote up a list of what I want to bring with me camping next weekend, but still have not started to gather anything for it. Normally I like to start putting things off to the side in anticipation of a trip or vacation.

Maybe after the weekend of work is over I'll get things together and start crossing things off the list. Either that or wait until the last minute, which suits me just fine too.

July beer

I have cheated somewhat cheated in the beer department this month. I had people over for Canada Day and supplied the beer. I went out and bought a two four of Labatt Blue, but it fell under something of a loophole when I set out on this year long conservation of money and liver in which I stated that anytime I have people over for visits or parties, the alcohol I buy does not count towards my beer of the month. Lame? Yes, but if I didn't write this loophole in I would have bought and drank my beer of the month in less than twenty four hours thanks to some friends that came over to celebrate.

It isn't like this is a law, it is a test of self. Is it possible for me to do this? So far, I have done well. I think anyway. So this month, I bought a twelve pack of Hamm's (go ask your dad about it). It's bottom of the barrel, cheap, watery beer. I enjoy it. It tastes okay, and what more can one ask for? It's not mainstream cheap like Pabst Blue Ribbon or Natty Light. It is on the cusp of cheap fame. So that's it for July. Close to half way through the month and my beer supply is almost gone.

Elk City

After careful consideration, Elk City is where I'll be spending my next weekend off. The main thing I was looking for was a place that was somewhat close to Wichita (although I don't mind taking a long car ride), had primitive camping (who needs a camper when you have a tent), and possible hiking trail. Elk City has all of it. The hiking trail is the real draw. It isn't anything major, just under three miles and it runs right next to the lake making it somewhat close to nature.

There are really two types of camping. Camping with friends, and camping alone. Being with friends is great, it allows for relaxation and socializing. It can bring people closer together just because it's out in the middle of nowhere, you have to get back to basics (such as cooking over a fire), and you all deal with being away from the comforts of home. No air conditioning, no television, no bed. Just each other. Playing cards or reading books or sitting around a fire and drinking beer.

The other option is to go camping by yourself. It may sound awful and boring, but on the other hand it can be more relaxing than camping with friends. There is no better way to clear one's head then to get away from the city and get out to nature. It sounds cliched and it is, but it is true. Whenever I get back from camping there is just this sense of clarity.

But then again, camping by yourself usually leads to alien abductions....if you believe in that sort of thing.

Gone golfing

I went golfing for the second time ever today. A couple of guys from work were wanting me to go with them, so off we went on our day off. While they were convincing me I needed to go out with them I told them over and over again that I had only been golfing once. It was fun, but frustrating at the same time. You want the ball to go far, you want to hit the ball, and you want it to get up in the air. All of which I didn't get done consistently.

They were patient and provided tips for, you know, making the ball go forward. I was proud of myself for only flat out hitting one tree. It was fun mainly because of the people, but I thought I did well. We didn't keep score, mainly for my sanity and pride. I had a few balls that were well hit, but for the most part they were barely off of the ground.

It was fun, it was relaxing, and it won't be something that I want to invest in. It would be too expensive. I know that you can find cheap clubs and golf balls and tees and everything else that goes along with it.

Smoking ban

Being someone who never took up the habit of smoking, I never really cared much about it. People who decide to smoke know the inherent risks that are involved. So it is their choice, much like drinking. You may enjoy it, but in the end, it really is bad for you. Smoking kills your lungs and throat, drinking kills your liver and kidneys.

The smoke bugged me a little bit at the bars, but it never really deterred me from going out. It was one of those things that just came with the territory. Growing up in a smaller town, the bars harbor the smell of smokers of years and decades past. Small bars, local bars, are like that. The smell is in the carpet, the walls, the ceiling, the bar itself. If you drink there, you expect it.

A couple of years ago, Wichita put up an optional ban. Bars were given an option to put a ban or partial ban on smoking. Smoking rooms were established, or if the bar was small enough smokers were relegated to going outside. The other option was for the bar to say 'smoking is okay with us' and not even deal with this restriction. After this ban went into place, bars became more enjoyable. Smoke free meant waking up in the morning and not feeling like you chewed on a tobacco plant all night. But the option was still there for the smokers to stay in the building.

Now? Not so much. Kansas passed a full on smoking ban regardless of the establishment. The majority of the people rejoiced, and rightfully so. I guess you never realize how much something annoys you until it's gone. My first experience with a smoke free bar was in Dallas several years ago. I woke up the next day amazed that my clothes didn't smell like bar. After that, I was a proponent for smoke free places, but I wasn't going to stand up and shout that every place needed to be. It was their option to allow smokers, make them go to smoking rooms, or cut it out of their business all together. Personally, I think if a bar has a smoking room with doors and decent enough of a ventilation system, let them be. One bar that I frequent often has such a system, and it has worked wonderfully. There is no reason to mess with it.

There are a few businesses here in Wichita that are calling foul on this smoking ban. They are businesses that deal directly with smoking. A cigar bar, a smoke shop that allows patrons to light up, and a hookah bar just to name a few. They don't hide what they are, people know, it is plastered on the outside of the building. The owners and their lawyers are jumping up and down and screaming and at some points, calling this a censorship issue (for some reason) which violates their rights as Americans to do what they want. It's understandable why they are upset, this is their lively hood. This is their job. How else are they going to make a living if they own a cigar bar in a state with a public smoking ban?

Kansas should not have gone to a one hundred percent smoking ban, they should have gone with what was working. A partial smoking ban kept everyone happy. I know that a state wide smoking ban is a start to a healthier state because people will eventually stop smoking so they can go out and be with friends, but wasn't the tax hike on tobacco suppose to do the same thing?