No sooner than CCW and family drove away from the liquid air we call "humidity" that envelops our city, Offspring and I had to go home and finish packing for a four-day Girl Scout trip that her troop was taking. I was going along as a chaperone/driver, and we had lots to get in the car before our 8am start.
We headed for Helen, Georgia, a small resort town in the Blue Ridge mountains, and what was supposed to be around a five-hour trip from home. We learned a great many things on this trip. Chief among them were:
*What is supposed to be a five hour trip with 13 twelve year old girls will take you eight hours with bathroom stops and lunch.
*We are confirmed flatlanders. Mountains kick our collective tails.
*We stayed at a state park in what was called The Squirrel's Nest. On one of our trips into the park's Trading Post, the ranger working the register asked what section of the park we were staying in. When we told her, she grimaced, and said, "You brave people." We should have known then what we were in for.
*Girls are quite capable as being completely disgusting and flippant about personal hygiene as boys are. I never knew that girls could stink quite that bad.
*We went river tubing, which sounds like it would have been a complete blast, but which turned out to be awful. So awful, I think Dante has it in one of the levels of Hell somewhere. The reason it sucked donkeys was that the area, along with much of the region, is having a drought and the river levels were way down. I became very intimate with every damn rock in the river. Mostly on my shins and knees. I look like I was viciously mauled by a toddler. Pictures don't do it justice. I scraped both palms raw, both knees raw, and bruises from what feels like stem to stern. Had it actually been the normal river level, I think I would have enjoyed that experience, but couldn't this way.
*We're not real fond of being attacked by gigantic moths in the bathhouse while we shower. Just sayin'.
*When you have a Girl Scout who needs desperately to go to the bathroom at 3am, it is best to not critique your appearance in the mirror just then. Yes, your hair looks like crap -- it's 3am, and you're wearing a miner's headlamp. Get over yourself.
Despite all that, it was a fun trip. A lot of fun was had, and the girls all seemed to have a great time. I feel fricking old, but that didn't seem to faze them any.
Now, I have about a 24-hour turnaround time to wash clothes, catch up on saved TiVo programs, and repack for an 8am Saturday departure to Disney World. I'll post at some paint, but I can't tell you when.
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5 comments:
Oh yes, girls can stink. We gave many reminders at camp to wash as best you can, use deodorant, and brush those teeth.
Tubing in such conditions sounds like sheer hell. Did the girls enjoy it?
Have a blast on vacation!
Oh my. Oh my my my.
wow. obviously, you are a hero for taking a bunch of scouts out camping in the mountains. but the river trip was really above and beyond -- ouch!
for what it's worth, at least your campers found the bathroom. my son's first week at BS sleepaway camp -- let's just say that when i asked whether there was hot water in the showers, he couldn't answer the question. eww.
hope you have a great trip to D-world!
Is it wrong I was hoping for pictures of the headlamp in action?
Helen tubing is much more fun when the river is properly filled.
And if you volunteered to help the troop and leaders, bless you, it's way more than my moms will do...they are mostly lookng for a place to drop the kid and run!!
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