So yesterday (Veterans day) I had a few things to attend to at noon and then we got the great idea to go camping. The state park site has a great feature called ‘camping this weekend’ that shows you what parks have availability for the weekend, it’s not perfect because sometimes it doesn’t actually Friday/Saturday nights together but close enough. So we were off to Cooper Lake State Park South Sulfur Unit (I know, sounds like a prison). The trip really made me reconsider this whole camping thing. It was raining when we were packing in the gear, the GPS had us going 30 all the way through the mix-master in Dallas and we encountered a wreck in Royce City that had us stuck in traffic for 45 minutes because the inbreeds in the fire/police department there are pretty much complete incompetents. While they can shut a lane down it was a free for all getting to the closure. That backed us up enough that I had to stop and use the facilities, usually no biggie but when I pulled over by the side of the road, I managed to pick the worst possible place and got my shoes caked with mud and had to put the truck in 4wd to get it moving which covered the RV in mud. Worse yet Sandy gets out needing her charger and got her boots all dirty. I was seriously fit to be tied. The rest of the way to the camp my head was filled with ways do my best to take out as many stupid humans I could before someone stopped me, meaning I completely missed enjoying the ride, company or scenery. My mood first broke when we got to the park and the lady rangers attitude was just so nice, as cold as it was she came out with a smile, took my pass and said let me go make sure everything is in order and get you your permit, she bounded back to the building, did the paperwork and came right back still with a smile and the permit. She asked if we’d ever been there, we said no and still smiling jumped back into the building and was right back with the maps and directions to where we had to go. That interaction got me from monster to grumpy human.

We got to the camp and got backed in without too much of an issue. I sent Sandy in to get inside ready while I did my best to wash off our foot ware and the RV with no brush or hose sprayer (grrr) but we got it done and by that point it was too late to do any hiking (5:30 and already dark) and I was exhausted. Cold, tired and hungry just isn’t a good combo. Literally not a single TV station to be had and slim cell service, but it was enough to find a sort of close restaurant called the Red Barn cafe and off we went. It was classic small town country restaurant with a prominent sign on the door as you came in saying “no credit or debit cards accepted” which made me thankful I grabbed cash before we left. Dinner was catfish for Sandy and I had the chicken fried steak, the baked potato was served dry with a dressing kit that had bunches of butter packets, cheese and packets of sour cream and the salad was simple, lettuce, cheese and some carrot slivers which I ate even though I’m not a salad person. The food was good and the waitress was nice and the place just felt homey. We shot off to Walmart and then back to camp where we started a jig saw puzzle before I crashed out in the bed with our new flannel sheets and slept wonderfully. I even dreamed which doesn’t ever happen. So an old friend of mine Evy was being looked at for a murder and I was being asked questions by a detective and then James Gandolfini shows up and starts being a lawyer for me and we’re laughing and cracking jokes at the detectives expense and then I had to go get my headphones from the fountain where I had been playing before the detective started questioning me and this tall guy took them and I could jump high enough to get them and I said god you’re tall and he laughed and gave them back to be and I think I was trying to find my bike so I could go back and tell Evy and the group that Tony Soprano had helped me avoid answering questions from the detective. I don’t dream often but when I do they’re usually kind of odd.

This morning I woke up and fed Cali and checked on the indoor cats. Saw that Cali had a big breakfast and my kitties were all present and accounted for. Got dialed in at home and the important update stuff was moving right along so I was able to pass along that good news. So everything seems right with the world now and I feel pretty good. Here’s hoping the day keeps turning our way. I’ll have pictures for the next post.