Mountain Men We Are

When we headed out for the road trip a week ago, we packed with us a box and a bag of camping gear and we had every intention of using that gear.  And after the testosterone rush we got from shooting, we were all itching to get in touch with nature, light a bon fire, chop wood, eat red meat with our bare hands, and all that other manly stuff.  We finally got the chance on the way to Kansas City and it was everything we needed.


The evening started with a trip to WalMart to pick up all the sustenance we would would need for our night in the wilderness--a 5-minute drive out of town.  Then we drove to Longview Lake, where the campground was allegedly located.  We must have circled the lake twice and stopped by 2 or 3 different visitor information offices before finally finding the site.  When we got there we realized we had picked the perfect day to go camping.  The weather was beautiful and since it was the middle of the week before school gets out, there was no one else within 100 yards of us.  We could be as loud and rowdy as we wanted to without having to worry about a bitter camper muttering something about "darned kids these days..." or "stickin' loud-mouthed liberal California folks..."  

After setting up camp, we all went for a jog down the road to make sure our muscles wouldn't completely degenerate from spending 12 hours a day in the car.  We started the run just as the sun was setting over the lake and the view was just incredible.  The deer were out in full force and I tried to chase one down until Jake pointed out the doe was separated from her mother and my shenanigans might prompt her to charge us.  We returned from the run tired and hungry.  That's when the cooking began at about 9:30 PM.  By 10 or so we were eating our late dinner.  We ate BBQ chicken, pasta, a salad and s'mores.  The rest of the night was spent watching our campfire burn out.  There was a brief half hour during which it actually rained.  It was one of only 2 nights on our trip that it rained, and sure enough that was the night we were out in nature.  But the rain cooled us down, cleaned the car a little, and forced us to actually pack our things rather than be lazy and leave it all for the critters to tamper with.

In the morning we didn't get up and moving until about 9 am, which feels like the crack of dawn during the semester.  On this trip, however, we have come to consider that sleeping in.  Well-rested and showered up we got back in the car and drove out to town for some breakfast.  Now, as many of you know, we don't have Waffle House in California.  This great, affordable jewel of the America that is found in almost every other state, is not something we get to experience on a regular basis.  The last time I ate Waffle House was with Ryan in Virginia on August 5, 2011.  It had been too long.  So I vowed to eat Waffle House on this trip months before we even departed.  The morning after the campout was designated as Waffle House morning.  We all ordered the standard waffles with the fixings--eggs, bacon, hash browns and toast.  And it was so filling that we all struggled to finish it.  But then I ordered the greasiest Texas biscuit on earth.  It was deep-fried and dripping with oil, before they slathered it with gravy and sausage.  It was probably more calories and saturated fat than I should consume in a week, but I felt good knowing that I made my annual Waffle House meal count.