We’re going camping. Real no-electricity, sleep in a tent, cook over the fire camping. I don’t remember whose idea it was or how we got here. But we’re leaving in a hour. The mini-van is full – a tent, bug spray, cooler full of food, sleeping bags. I’ve hidden my best pillow under the stacks – can’t imagine sleeping without it. But what good is a comfie pillow when you’re laying on dirt and gravel? Yikes.

We borrowed the camping equipment from our friends, Jamie and Greg. I think Greg has camped a lot over the years. And Jamie is a much better sport than I am. (She might even like it, I’m not sure. I do know that she never used the words hate, miserable, filthy, disgusting when talking to me about camping…) I suppose the only thing worse than going camping is buying equipment so I’d feel obligated to do it again. Seriously, I consider this THE camping experience my children will have. If it’s pleasant, they are free to camp as free agents when they get older.

My parents took us camping when I was a child. With a camper. Nothing fancy, but someplace to sleep. We did have to hike for the bathroom. That’s some memory. I remember the joy of looking for firewood. And the bug bits. And swimming in the lake (I actually did like that part….) and eating burnt fire-cooked hot dogs on flimsy paper plates. I also remember that my father brought a portable TV and stayed inside the camper most of the time. It is likely that this experience might explain why it’s taken more than 30 years for me to embark on a camping experience.

Oh wait, I did go camping at the Grand Canyon with my friend, Joe, after college. It was very different from my family experience and we were very unprepared. We slept in a tent and the nice people in the tent down the way gave us their leftover food to eat. Really, it was just a place to crash. Though I have a great picture of Joe feeding Doritos to the squirrels. Nacho cheese flavor, if I remember correctly. Ah yes, responsible naturalists….. But I digress.

We’re taking so much with us, it’s amusing. The meals will be grilled cheese lunch, shishkabob dinner, pancake and eggs for breakfast. And we stocked up on Trader Joe’s snacks and brought the fixings for S’Mores. We have beer, wine and the not-yet-opened bottle of Makers Mark that our new next door neighbors brought us from their hometown of Louisville for being hospitable to Phil for the time before the rest of his family arrived. (Had we known we’d be rewarded so nicely, we would have had him over even more! Will be nice for bourbon…)

The kids have packed books and games. Of course we have lots of flashlights. And bug spray and Benedryl spray and sunscreen and Advil.

Just like the pioneers….

Tastes change. People change. But what if something changes that you wish wouldn’t have? (And I’m not talking about wrinkles and bulges!) What if you desperately want to like something, but can’t find it in you?

We went to Merriweather Post Pavilion last night. I’ve been there probably a hundred times to see various concerts. The Grateful Dead, Jackson Brown, James Taylor, Joni Mitchell, Santana, Crosby Stills Nash & Young and more over the years. (Even in the past couple years to see The Dead with Joan Osborne and String Cheese Incident…) It was like a mecca to my friends and me. It’s an outdoor venue – free & easy and loud and fun.

Last night, we saw The Black Crowes and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. I was really looking forward to the show. I put on my cut-offs (I hear they’re in style again) and a tank – not to mention the hoop earrings – and was ready for fun. (It’s easy to forget how old you are when rock and roll is involved. And besides, half the crowd was my age and older!)

There was a huge storm. It subsided before the show began. And we had seats under the pavilion, so we were good to go. But our seats were wet – so Andrew had to go get paper towels to dry them before the music started. This in itself is not so terrible, I admit, but can you imagine worrying about a wet tush when you’re 18? But I digress….

The Black Crowes came on. They sounded terrific. A little loud for me, but still very pleasant. The crowd was oddly subdued and everyone sat nicely and listened. I was enjoying myself. By song 4, I was ready for a break, but hung in there. Then, after a while, it was break time. A long break. Really long. Later found out that Tom Petty’s plane was late leaving New York. The good news was, plenty of time to wait in the ridiculous line for $10 Coronas.

Then Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers came on to rowdy cheers. And a standing ovation. One that never stopped. The crowd stood the entire hour and a half that he played. Did I mention the heat? The humidity? By the third song, I thought I was going to pass out. So I sat down. Couldn’t see a thing, mind you, but I sat down. I got up every song or two, but spent a lot of time sweating and sitting. I did enjoy the music. I did not enjoy the concert so much.

So I’ve changed. I’m sad about it, honestly. But I have to finally admit to myself that big sweaty crowds of muddy people are not my cup of tea. Getting older is depressing. I used to love those sweaty crowds.

The other morning, my youngest son woke me up (very early, I might add) to give me his woobies – the little blankets he has slept with since he was an infant. “I don’t need them anymore, Mom. I’m big.”

It was a proud moment. Until I realized that it meant I no longer have little kids. They’re not tweens or teens or anything radical, but they’re not little either.

So I washed the blankets and put them someplace safe. And then I left town.

Last night, while I was having a lovely dinner at Taste with a friend from Bozell & Jacobs , the phone rang. It was Andrew – “So sorry to bother you, but where are Max’s woobies?” Whew. Max isn’t so big yet.

If only we could all feel secure with something as simple as a blanket.

Have you seen the new Safeway positioning? It’s the “ingredients of life” and to me it looks just like the logo of the game of Life. Just something I’ve noticed lately.

Speaking of the game, our family sat down after dinner the other night and played it. I don’t think I’ve played since I was a young kid. They’ve updated it — now you can be tech support as one of the careers! Every time the wheel comes off the track, the tech guy gets $50,000. Now that’s a reality game. But I digress.

What was so interesting to me is that the kids were amazed by insurance costs, college loan repayment (why do you pay back more than you borrow?) and by the differences in salaries. It was a great lesson in economics. But even with all that learning, it was really fun! And it reminded me that time together, engaged in anything together, is a good time. Like everyone, we get so caught up in getting things done — whether it is work, household duties, errands — that we forget just to be.

Being together as a family is great fun and we all gain from it.

And that’s life.

There is a baby bird nesting in my office window well. It’s very cute. But do you know how loud a baby bird can be? Yikes! Its mom comes by to visit, bringing food and good cheer. But then she leaves and the baby calls her all day.

I went outside to see if I could help the baby out. I know not to touch it – the mom would surely never help out then. But it wouldn’t cooperate. So I left a long stick for it to climb out.

At least the bird isn’t lonely – there is a huge, loud frog to keep it company.

So I’m working with my ipod buds firmly in my ears to block out the ribbits and chirps. If you call, let it ring!

I just opened a fortune cookie and here is my fortune….

Great thoughts come from the heart.

I liked it and thought I’d pass it on. Oh, that and 6/7/3/23/46. Good luck.

I know a lot of people don’t agree with me on this one. And it’s okay – I can take the heat. Our friends at the beach simply had to watch Tour de France (or if you speak only English, as I do, check here.) every night. I learned a lot about bicycle racing. I admit it – I did. But after the first 15 minutes or so (which seemed quite a bit longer), I was forced to wonder what is entertaining about watching the rear-end view of men riding their bikes. Together. In a pack. A peloton. Which according to Webster means:

1/peloton
Part of Speech: noun
Definition: a small ball or pellet
Etymology: French `small pellet’

2/peloton
Part of Speech: noun
Definition: a small military group; platoon
Etymology: French `small pellet’

Clearly, they refer to the platoon definition. But I digress.

There are minutes, or make that seconds, that are exciting and nail-biting. There are breakaway groups who after miles and miles and hours and hours in the peloton speed ahead. Sometimes, they can maintain it. Sometimes, not. Exciting, no?

I suppose I sound as if I don’t appreciate athleticism. Not so. Those men are clearly in remarkable shape and they look pretty appealing, too. The training it must take to compete at that level is mind boggling.

But they look mean if you watch the faces. And some are. I saw some guy deliberately make another guy fall down and another guy who put his head on some other rider. Yikes. Who wants to hang out with bad sports like that?

I’m sure there are those who could watch the race every televised moment of it. I just feel like I did.

The horrors on the news — the terrible losses in London — are such a stark contrast to this moment. It is not without guilt that I report that the men, Andrew and Jason, have taken all six boys to the beach to say goodbye to the ocean and to fly kites while Ellen and I prepare Shabbat dinner. I made challah - traditional braided bread earlier today. Ellen is roasting chickens and potatoes and we have a beautiful fresh salad from the local stand. Candles are on the table (in Corona bottles for that beach feeling). It’s so peaceful – I can’t find the words to describe it.

Tomorrow, we go home. We’re almost all packed. We’re tired and tan and already thinking about next year. I’m not sad — I know that I can find a way to hold onto this feeling, if only a tiny piece of it, until then.

I just wish that I could share it.

Last night, we got a babysitter (actually 4) and went out for dinner – just the adults. The meal was one of the best I’ve ever had. And I’ve had a lot of meals. We went to Elizabeth’s Cafe & Winery. It was a perfect evening.

If you don’t relax in the Outer Banks, you are trying not to. It’s quiet and beautiful here. We have spent most of our days so far swimming and eating and talking. The men took the boys to play mini-golf. We went out to eat as a big group one night. That went surprisingly smoothly! But mostly, we’re just relaxing.

My plan was not to log on at all. It was a lofty goal for me. We have gotten the newspaper every day (not the Sentinel, but the Post and USA Today). But yesterday, I logged on. It did put me in a grumpy mood, actually. I got some email that rubbed me wrong. But it serves me right. Now, I’m choosing to log on to post today, but I’m not checking my email. I have three days of bliss left and I’m taking them!

But if you write to Andrew, I’ll bet he gets it!

CIO describes MIT’s effort to develop a laptop computer that it plans to sell for $100 each to government agencies that will distribute them to schoolchildren.

Laptops for Schoolchildren