Packing Up

Trisha's phone tells us we have about an hour before the rain hits. No problem. I unpack the van so we can repack the van. Things look pretty good. I clear out tents and then Mike takes them down. I roll up the girls' tent (which we had been able to repair successfully and girls slept in the night before) and just about die from the heat. Of course there's nothing to drink because of the boil order. I put some ice from the bag in our cooler into a water bottle and wait for it to melt.

That's when I realize I can't find my car keys.

It's ok in that Mike has keys, too. We're not TRAPPED IN WAKONDA. But still. Son of a gun. So I tear the place apart and offer a bounty to the kids and still no keys. Trisha finally tells me that they are somewhere in my stuff--they're nowhere in the campsite. She's right. I just feel uneasy leaving without knowing where they are.

We get packed up as the skies darken. After others finish, they come help us. We were definitely the Fail Family this weekend. The van gets all packed, rather well, I might add, and we decide to eat dinner together in Hannibal.

The Golden Corral looks like the best bet. You know times are tough when you can say that.

We all get in our cars to head out, just as the rain starts to sprinkle. Mike says in that voice of his, "Bridgett?" And I look over. He's holding my keys. They were under a bag in the front seat the whole time.

On the way to Hannibal, the real storm hits. We pass an overturned pickup with emergency vehicles and a fireman yelling at Steven (the front car in the caravan) to "SLOW THE FUCK DOWN!" We couldn't hear him but you didn't need expert lip reading skills to know what he said.

But we all arrive at the Golden Corral, which, for my international readers, is a cheap buffet restaurant. And we all eat a the Golden Corral. We put the kids at their own table and eat our popcorn shrimp and mashed potatoes and pot roast and spaghetti and soft serve ice cream and you know what? It was just fine.

We get home around 9 and unpack. Bathe Leo and Sophia (Maeve was unwakable). Start some laundry, put away coolers. Fall into bed exhausted.

Trisha and Eric were supposed to do breakfast at the campsite Sunday, so they invited all of us over to their house for pancakes and bacon and coffee and commiserating. It was just what I needed. I had two cups of coffee and three pancakes with maple syrup and the kids played and everyone was witty and oh yeah, I like these people. I like these people enough to camp in a pit with them. In a 100 degree pit with no drinking water and three thunderstorms and an asshole park ranger.

It was a good time. Believe it, or don't.