AAAAH, vacation!

Well, I came back to almost 1,000 e-mails, but I knew you, dear readers wanted to hear all about our exciting vacation up to my Grandparents camp in Canada. We did have a nice time. We had a relaxing time, which is what we really, really needed. Although there is a phone, it's on party line and it's a pain in the butt to call out on. People can call in, but there aren't many people that know the number, so it didn't ring very often. There is satelite TV so the one day that it rained Katie got to watch Noggin and Gillian caught a few episodes of "That 70's Show". We swam, I took the kids and Cheryl for a boat ride (a very short boat ride) and we canoed (again a very short Canoe trip).

The boat story. My uncle, who made a bit stink about anyone going up to camp except for him and his family (it's a long, long story - if you want it, e-mail me). Anyway, he makes a big deal about whatever gas you use in the boat, you have to replace it. He leaves me with empty tanks in both boats. Then, after I go into town and spend $25 on gas for the boat, he neglects to tell me that the stearing is shot (since my Grandfather had the boat down in FL in the salt water and the stearing got all corroded). So, I go to take the boat out and find that I can barely steer the damn thing. Since I don't have a whole lot of experience with the boat, I turn around, and manage to dock the sucker. To say that I was pissed was an understatment. This boat is what we call the big boat. The one with the big motor that can take you down the lake in half the time it would take in the little (or fishing boat). You can move around in it without worrying about it capsizing too. You can also fit more people in it. So, I have a major panic attack, but with the help of my calm co-captain, Cheryl, we manage to dock the boat the first time. The next day, I get my Great uncle (not the same AHOLE UNCLE) to how me how to use the small boat and we take off across the lake to a bay where we might see some loons and other wild life. I am nervous, because this boat is small and it's windy out and it's bumping along in the waves. All I can think about is how I am going to get the damn boat back in the boat house. The big boat was docked outside the boat house so it wasn't as hard. After an extremely comical docking of the small boat (imagine me climbing out of the boat and holding onto it, trying to turn it around the right way to get it into the boat house) we docked it. This process sent me into another panic attack. I think I took a nap after this one.

Hey, wasn't this supposed to be a RELAXING vacation? My uncle (again, the nice one) graciously allowed us to use his canoe and we took it out one evening for a short spin around the island. Gillian sat behind me telling me all of the things that I was doing wrong in paddling. I wanted to crack her over the head with the oar, but refraned. So, after 2 days of boat debacles, we decide to pack a picnic lunch and take the girls down the lake, find an island and have a nice picnic lunch. I also let Gillian paddle, since she was the master paddler apparently! Well, it was windy and as any sane person knows, it's very difficult to paddle in windy conditions. The boat was rocking, I was feeling another panic attack coming on and we just went home. I guess I am not a boating person. I don't mind riding, I just don't want to be in charge.

So, we slept (well some of us did), we ate well and we relaxed. Kind of. Most of all, we got away. The lake was beautiful. The loons were so wonderful to listen to. There really isn't anything like going to camp. I just missed my Grandparents Camp isn't camp without them.