Friday, August 3, 2012

Been there, done that!


Yay! It is lightning, thundering, raining...we're having a real "electrical storm" as my mom used to call them.

Friends, Pat and Phil are retired. They ride a motorcycle and sometimes have ridden it to visit their
son in Colorado and daughter in Michigan. He's a musician with his own band and she's an accomplished artist. They've added a dog to their empty nest, so now they're hankering for a small camper for when they travel. I know that yearning. Our two campers served us for many years. Now, although I enjoy being out in nature, I prefer a motel at night.

We tented when the kids were small. One night a terrible thunderstorm with tornadic winds kicked up at the campground bending and twisting trees, lifting the tent, scaring me something awful. The lightning was frightening, and I insisted we go into town for dinner. What I really wanted was four solid walls. We huddled in an overcrowded fast food restaurant. I waited at the counter for our order, rootbeers in frosty mugs, salty fries and cheeseburgers. Every thunder boomer sacred the gee whiz out of me. I tried to stay calm for the kids' sake. As I waited in line, I sipped from the frosty mug on the tray. I sampled a french fry. I looked at the black clouds. I nibbled another fry. I sipped again when the lightning sizzled and sliced the darkness. The man standing next to me asked if I was nervous. "Yes!" I admitted.

"I thought so," he said and smiled politely. "That's my order you're eating and drinking."

Oh, if only we'd had a solid-sided camper back then for me to crawl into. I'd probably never have left the campground. Maybe.

13 comments:

Debora said...

How funny! I hope you shared your order with him! I suspect that even with 4 solid walls you'd have left. I love to camp for two or three nights at a time. Then it's time for a nice warm shower and comfy bed, and food that I didn't prepare!

Susan said...

ha ha ha ha ha That was a good one, Linda. That man must have been mighty surprised! Sounds like something I would do. Susan

Val said...

Your antics would make a good comic strip. Except that tale of chasing your grandkids, which could be a little frightening. You know. To kids. Not to me, of course.

Susan said...

p.s. Hi Linda...Oh, I definitely like Mary Englebreit's work, too. She's very cheery and colorful. Have several of her art books. Thanks for stopping by! Susan

Bookie said...

Just as you gave camping up adn going motel now, DH is wanting a camper!! I hate the idea. Am NOT for it at all. So far he hasn't found his bargain yet...so...and in this heat, who thinks camping???? :) Great blog today....

Sioux Roslawski said...

Funny story, Linda. This would/would have made a great NYMB story about travel...

Claudia Moser said...

Funny, but at least he took it right :)

jabblog said...

Oh, you made me giggle:-)

Pat Wahler said...

Good one, Linda! At first I thought you were writing about us (except we don't ride motorcyles). Hubby's name is Phil.

Pat
Critter Alley

DUTA said...

Your wish for 4 solid walls brought you near to a nice, polite man. Under other circumstances it could have been the beginning of some..romance.

Jennifer Brown Banks said...

Amusing and amazing, as always. :-)
Thanks for sharing, Linda.

Jennifer

Tammy said...

You rarely fail to make me laugh out loud!

Lynn said...

Oh my gosh, how funny that you were eating someone else's food! Ha.