Ocala

The gathering was pretty amazing.  We had music everyday, great people, amazing food, and great fun.  That's about all I can say at the moment because I am busy with life stuff.  I will update as we get on the road, but in the meantime, just be happy knowing we are happy and healthy.

Road Ready?

Not quite...

Hopefully by today our RV will be up and running, rather than sitting in Mark's parent's driveway.  I've had so many people ask me if I was counting down the days, so here goes.  Today I have 4 days left of work, 4 days until we head to council in Ocala National Forest, 10 days until some of my favorite people arrive and 12 days until we roll out to Disney.  Of course, after Disney we head to Ocala Seed Camp and then we pretty much stay in the woods until the end of February.  After that, back to Tampa Bay for a minute to wrap up some things, then we begin our trek west.  I have been dying to say that I am moving back to California ever since I moved away from there in 1996.  Wow... Did you really ever think I would do this?  Of course you did.  Yea yea, I know I am NOT supposed to talk to the reader; I teach my kids that all the time, but this is different, I am not telling a story, I am telling YOU about my life. 

Our RV is a 34' 1988 Pace Arrow.  Yup, she's a beast.  Hopefully today is the day she drives.  I know there will always be improvements we want to make, but seriously, how are we supposed to do a trial run to council when she won't even move out of the driveway?  It's all good, the gas tank is getting cleaned out today and put back on, and that should do it.  Cross your fingers for us.

So much to do, so little time.  I should really be getting all of this paperwork completed, however, one can only do the same thing for so long until ones eyes try to fall out. 


Anyway, I don't know if any of this has really sunk in or not, because I am excited, but it all just seems normal to me. 

I blew up the computer

Gawd I miss writing.  I have so much to catch up on.  I literally had no time for writing this summer, and then the motherboard fried, then I had no time again.  Stop the Insanity!  LoL

So I am back in Florida, and the school year is 1.5 months in and my house is being auctioned this week.  Yea, I didn't expect it this soon either, but we have to do what we have to do.  I am completely stressed out to the point of not being able to sleep, clenching my jaw and literally pulling out my hair, which btw if you haven't seen, is in fact dreaded.  Yea, I didn't make it very long into the national gathering before I had one giant dread.  My friend Roger helped me separate them and now they are finally starting to lock up and look pretty cute.  I am not Sideshow Bob no matter how many people call me that.  :\ . 

I had the most amazing experience this summer.  I met so many beautiful and wonderful people, saw some of the most breathtaking sights, and explored many new adventures.  Even the bad stuff was good.  It was a summer of learning and growing and becoming a better human, as well as fun.  I brought a friend home (and her dog) to live with me while Mark is out west working because I knew after spending so much time together I (and Zooey) would be a basket-case if I had to be home alone for 4 months.  I was right.  People here don't get it, they don't understand how my views on life have changed,  but really this all was put in motion years ago, lifetimes ago if you think about it.  Now we have a 3rd person living here and her dog.  The problem is that we are in the middle of selling off everything in the house and I am super stressed out with work and the house and I miss Mark and it's really hard for others to take my feelings into consideration because this combination of craziness has not afflicted them before.  Regardless of any of that, I'm having a hard time and I would like that to be taken into consideration when I flip the fuck out.  Come on, it's bound to happen.  

The book?  ah yes, it's all in my head now... I need more info and a computer, but some of the possible chapters so far... There's a drum circle in the kitchen, princess wave, topless Tuesday, infested, pizza anyone?, manifestation, truck stop showers, cattail hollow, and many more.  I know, I sound like and infomercial.  

I will post more detailing some of the amazing adventures I had, but I need more time for that.

I know you are eager to know what is next for me, and all I can tell you now is that something big is on the horizon.  In December Mark and I will reunite and together will begin a new chapter of our adventure.  

I think sometime in August is when it really hit me... this man is my soul-mate   

The kitchen.

Cumberland kitchen is not a one person in charge kind of place.  From the first day we walked in we were in the kitchen making magic.  At first I was intimidated because I hadn't really had much experience with this whole cooking on an open fire in the middle of the woods thing.  By the end of the week people were asking me all sorts of crazy questions like I knew what I was doing.  I suppose it is part of who I am associated with, as Mark is the kitchen rock star.  It was kind of funny.  Anyway, I made some dank food while I was out there.  In addition to the dishes I made, I assisted on many things as well.

I made carrots with brown sugar, honey, orange peel and rosemary, potatoes with onion and garlic, sweet  yams with pineapple, cinnamon and fresh herbs, battered broccoli bites, sweet potato and leek soup, and hush puppies with onion and chili powder.  And, if you did not realize, I made these things having never made them before, not knowing how they would turn out, not really measuring anything, and having totally random ingredients.  It was great though.  Nearly every dish made it around dinner circle at least once, if not twice.  I suppose after these dishes people thought I knew what I was doing.

For those curious, we boil water for dishes, tap a spring for fresh water, and collect donations for bulk food purchase.  I went on a supply run one day with Mark.  It was interesting to see what we could get with the small amount we had.  We were in an area that didn't have a great deal of resources, but we made it work.  Hopefully we will be heading to the site near Johnson City for Nationals because there are a great number of resources he has found in that area.

When I went on the supply run, we went to West Liberty, KY.  The town recently destroyed by a tornado.  I have pictures of the town and will post them as soon as I get my pictures off my phone.

... it's laundry time.

Until the next installment, Lovin You!

To dread or not to dread, that is the question...

Just coming out of my first full week in the woods and my hair was what some say is beautiful and some say a matted mess.  After a lovely shower I had quite a difficult time getting the brush to get through the tangles and I thought, hey... just wash it and leave it alone, it will dread, but then I thought about what I would look like if my head were shaved and I thought again and managed to get the brush through the mess.  We'll see what happens next time I go into the woods.

Cumberland was great.  

Mark, Zooey and our rider picked me up from work Friday afternoon and we set off on our adventure.  We had planned on stopping for the night in Marietta but changed our minds and drove straight through.  The site we were headed to was between Morehead and West Liberty, Kentucky.  I realized that I haven't really spent any time in Kentucky other than driving through.  It was actually really pretty.  We arrived on site and it was blazing hot.  In retrospect, I  now know that I need to seriously hydrate before heading into a gathering.  The hike in with the gear in the sun, after being in the car so long gave me a massive headache. Duh... should have remembered this from Ocala.  

Mark found a sweet spot to set up the house for the week, and I started to get to know the goings on of the kitchen.  It seemed to be a pretty independent kitchen and people could just come in and cook something.  There were three other small kitchens out there that I saw anyway.  Pretty much as soon as we got there, we were in the kitchen.  I made some crazy awesome food though.  And this is where I will leave you until the next time I have a free minute.  Off to find dinner for tonight.