It's everywhere you want to be

Camping trips can be really fun. In fact, I think they're always fun - except when it snows or bears eat things (and/or people, not fun) or when your father trips over a rock and gets pancreatitis and has to spend the rest of the week in the hospital.

Also when you don't bring enough food.

For example: Slice and I went camping Labor Day weekend. My St. Louis sister and her adorable children were in town; we planned to meet them at "Lake Leaving" (so dubbed by my youngest brother) to fish for a while, catch our dinner, and then camp for the night. They would all go home and sleep in their beds.

Good times fishing.
Problem #1: Slice caught no fish.
If Nathan, my nephew, hadn't caught four and graciously given us two of them, we would have had nothing but Ritz crackers and tomatoes to hold us until morning. Thank you Nathan.

Problem #2: We stayed at Lake Leaving until dark.

After cleaning the fish by flashlight and wrapping them in napkins (Always keep napkins in your car, people. You never know when you may need to transport dead gutless fish in them.), we drove to the campsite and set up camp. Slice built the fire while I started the propane stove and tried to cook the fish in butter. Semi-successful.

Problem #3 : Assuming it's warm enough for just one sleeping bag and a blanket. Especially when the sleeping bag is a mummy bag, and it's September. Fortunately my husband let me take the mummy bag. He also did all the work in the morning while I refused to leave the tent.

Gas, camping fee, fishing licenses - $60

Camping gear received as wedding gifts, finally used - $100

Watching Nathan catch 4 fish in a row, brilliant starlit sky, lessons learned - priceless.