The Ramblings of a Random Freak

So I finished American Gods.

It started strong

The ending, well… it wasn’t excellent.

It was good, far better than I could write, if I could write…

but it wasn’t excellent.

That being said, I would certainly recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading fiction – it’s a fantastic piece of writing.

Beyond that…

Camping is done for the year… in theory.

If an opportunity to go again somewhere around here arose, I’d go in a heartbeat.

I love camping, and sitting around a fire, bullshitting, eating fire burnt food, getting slightly intoxicated, feeling like the people around you are all close… the camaraderie of it all.

more to say, of course, but not tonight… tonight, I sleep

it’s been a long day – got my hair cut, took a friend to a potential job, went to commercial drive and sampled Uncle Fatih’s Pizza (holy fucking amazing)… watched a hockey game, went shopping in the states, and read for hours.

I say long, but really, I mean good… it was a very good day.

Club Gross was, as always, good.

There are 2 or 3 things I really, really, didn’t like, and a million that were awesome.

I’m going to get the “don’t like” things out of the way first.

People bitch and moan if things are more than an hour from home… Last year, we had the trip in Chilliwack, This year is was close to Fernie. Both had somewhat low attendance, because people are too fucking lazy to drive for 4 hours to get there. Yeah, it’s a distance, but no, it’s not too much.

For the record, it took us (the west coast folk who really would have loved to see you) over 9 hours there, and 9 hours back.

This is an annual event.

People have come despite their first born children being days old.

People have come despite family issues, personal things, lots of stuff.

It’s not about YOU… it never was, it’s about all of us, and when you don’t even put in the effort to make an appearance, well

I’ve missed 2 trips…

And you know what?

I never planned to.

suck it up… and come.

every year, rain or shine, kids or no kids, dogs or no dogs.

Book it off today, tell your spouse you made a commitment to the gross crew, and you will go every year, and keep that commitment. I’ll tell you right now she’ll respect that, because if he’s willing to take a little commitment that seriously, he MUST be just right serious about the marriage/kids/dogs or whatever.

End rant.

For the most part, it was 7 guys sitting around having some drinks, talking shit, and being silly.

It was fun – the food was awesome – the company was amazing… the other 10 people would have been nice, but outside the core group, nobody has ever really committed to being there every year anyways. There are certainly people who just have to be there…

Echo, Coma, Glassman, Graveyard, Novak, Andrew, Todd… (do you have  nicknames Jason Andrew and Todd?)

Without you, it’s not nearly as good.

And sometimes, things happen that make it hard…

but other than sickness, life threatening mafia activity, or someone threatening your life, it’s usually a given…

and it’s been good.

Anyways, next year, is Club Gross X – 10 years of GroSs!

All boys, all fun, all good times – all should be there.

Possibly at Pierre’s Point outside of Salmon Arm, August 26th to 29th

It was good – you were good, we were good…

too much driving though – next year will be the best ever… let’s get 40 people, and just freaking rock it.

and…

love you all – it was good.

Heading out of town in between 10-12 hours for the annual camping trip known as Club GrosS (Any Calvin and Hobbes Aficionado will know the reference)

Rumours of heavy binge drinking and campfire coffee are probably accurate… along with the standard tents and tales and likely many a laugh. A fistfight, while highly unlikely (not sure if it’s happened in the past or not, some trips are pretty blurry) is always possible.

Of course, being middle aged now (sigh!)… we’ll all have our toys along – cell phones and laptops, bigger tents, large quantities of edibles… although there won’t be much opportunity to actually charge any of these things, so there won’t be much use thankfully – it’ll be nice to get away from it all to be honest.

Not a whole lot of tweeting going on…

Not a whole lot of blogging…

Not many games being played on computers, or movies watched…

How ever will we live?

I suspect we’ll do just fine.

Maybe

Maybe better than fine

I do believe that technology, while bringing us all closer in some ways… has made us more distant as well… we feel as close with people 1000 miles away as the people in our day to day lives, and as good as that may sound, I suspect it’s NOT that the far away people are getting closer, so much as the close people are getting further away.

oh… 3 days without a shower…

haha

oh, those stinky boys

I can taste it.

time for the weekend (4 hours away) and then 1 more day of work.

I’m also past 21 days non-smoking (the magic days are 3, for chemical addiction, and apparently 21 has something to do with the psychological addiction) all I know is… I still have moments of feeling right out of whack.

Camping might be rough, since a few of the people there will be smoking

I actually LIKE the smell of smoke – always have… I really hate the lingering smell afterward, but the actual smoke smells wonderful – aromatic… the lingering scent after smells more like something rotten.

tomorrow gonna drive to Bellingham with the roomie and do a little shopping, fill up with gas for the last time until payday (not driving to the campground, so my car will get a week off too)

if I have internet during the trip I’ll surely update a bit – the boys I’m hanging out with are all chatty intellectual types, and there will be lots of time for the chatting – maybe a little transcription of amusing things by me, since it’ll be my second sober Gross…

Anyways… lunch is ending – time to get back to work.

*yawns* anyone spare a nap?

Yup…

I just drugged myself to encourage sleep… try not to do it much, but I want to be up tomorrow around noonish… planning on eating some Denny’s, and then futzing a touch, and toodling off to work… then another 2 days off

Then One night at work

Then a day off…

Then CLUB GROSS 2009 – the bestest, most awesomest camping trip of the year… except the no girls part…

I really appreciated that part before I decided to become single – it was an escape from the ball and chain, a few days of freedom, and well… it was a nice, comfy reprieve… but when you’re single, every day is like that.

Told a friend she should pretend to be a boy for the weekend and come along lol… not sure how that would go over, but it sounded good in my head

Going monday to get food type stuff for the trip – buns and weiners and smokies and bacon and popcorn and munchie mix and whatever seems like it will make an excellent food source… and some pop, some juice…

Heck, I have a giant 70qt cooler to fill with food and ice and such

my last cooler was big enough for 3 cans of pop, so this is a slight improvement in space usage…

hopefully there are power outlets at the campsite, so I can keep lappy and lampy charged and happy without using a car charger – although I am certainly prepared for both if required.

southeastern BC, here I come… and I bring food, and tent, and juice and a whole lot of desire for peace and laughter

Club Gross, you make life worth living, you really do.

I’m really itching for a road trip

thinking Seattle, maybe

of course, it’ll have to be after the annual Club GroSs camping trip in 2 weeks… man, oh man I’m stoked on that.

even with no drinking for the second year in a row, I’m right excited.

Life without booze… not something I ever expected to have – I mean, I love getting tipsy and silly… I do crazy things… I act like an idiot…

now, I have to find ways to let loose all on my own, unencumbered by the booze.

it’s harder than it looks

Only like 3 weeks away

it’s the camping trip of the summer – at the end of the summer

a bunch of guys (boys only… as per Calvin and Hobbes, Club GRoSs means Get Rid of Slimy girlS…) a bunch of booze, a bunch of camping, a lot of coffee…

plenty of driving – going to southeast BC this year from the sounds of things.

where we’ll get messed up, eat fire burnt food (assuming we manage to avoid a fire ban… which would suck, but people do have other, less amusing cooking implements)

and sleep in tents, on air mattresses (we are getting older, sadly)

not that it was less unpleasant being younger, it just takes longer to recover from it now

anyone else have a slightly off season camping ritual they like to partake in on a regular basis?

this is clearly my favorite camping trip of the year, although, more trips would be welcome for sure