Lobster

The past three Friday mornings have been hectic.  My preferred campground has been solidly booked on the weekends, so, every Friday morning I’ve had to pack up my car, and move my tent somewhere else.

Yesterday was no different.  Even though I tried to get up earlier than usual, to give myself time to take down the tent and pack up my car, I was running late.  It must have been something about that air mattress, I did not want to get out of bed.  Fortunately, I did manage to throw everything in my car, put on my seersucker suit (last day to wear it before labor day!) and get to work just in time.  I just hope people at work think I camp only on the weekends.  Because, well, it is partly true.  But my car at this point looks like a wreck on the inside — full of stuff.

I guess my car is a wreck on the outside, as well.  After work, and after a happy hour with my coworkers, while driving to my weekend campsite, I got pulled over.   The police officer asked me if I had a muffler.  “umm, yes I have a muffler?”  Turns out, my car is violating the noise ordinance.  Great.  This would not have happened in my former Southern town, where loud cars are a source of pride.  Did the police officer think I, too, had tried to make my car this loud?

Fortunately the cop let me off without having to pay the $50.00 fine.  He was confused about the random assortment of dress suits and camping gear in my backseat, but I explained I was camping over the labor day weekend and from (Southern state).  The police officer looked at my seersucker suit, out of state tag, camping geer, and p.o.s. car, and nodded knowingly.  “Have a nice evening, sir.”

Instead of making it to the weekend campground, I went to plan B.  The car.  I stayed at a Wal-mart parking lot (same Wal-mart parking lot I was at last weekend).  Before settling down in my seat, I needed to get some food.  My cooler full of camp food did not seem appetizing to me, and my leftover kung pow chicken from yesterday’s work meeting needed to be heated up (I didn’t feel like pulling out my propane stove in the parking lot).  So I roamed the town’s grocery stores.  I found a sweet deal for fresh steamed lobster.  At week’s end, I was parked in a parking lot, eating wonderful lobster, and talking to my wife on the phone.   Ready for fishing and hiking tomorrow.  Pretty sweet.

Oh and the Hurricane?  Overrated.   Looking forward to a nice storm-free weekend.