Postcards from the edge (of utter confusion)

At the end of April we were surprised to find a greeting card in our mail that was sent from New Jersey and addressed to a Mrs. Anica Syarovec-Nioder (as near as I can read the writing) in "SLOVENIA - EUROPE. "

We presumed it got stuck to something else in our mail -- an unusual but simple mistake -- and we tossed it back in the mail.

Yesterday we got our mail and found another card. Same NJ sender. Same "SLOVENIA - EUROPE. " address. Sent July 10 and delivered to our door.

For all my hopes of one day visiting Europe, I'm really hoping it's not that easily confused with central New York.

For our next trick we'll build Rome in a day

In 30 hours we....

1. Pulled out of the driveway at noon

2. Caught naps during the drive

3. Set up our cabin, checked out the bathrooms, walked around the lodge area

4. Walked to the amusement/water park

5. Toured the fairy tale park

6. Watched a circus

7. Drove kiddie cars and helicopters and boats

8. Fed goats

9. Changed into water gear for the water park

10. Floated around the lazy river a few times

11. Went down a few water slides

12. Swung. Swang? Swinged? um...Played on the swings in the water.

13. Changed back: Rode the merry go round (Katie finally brave enough to ride one of the moving horses)

14. Rode a train

15. Rode a big school bus back to the cabin

16. Cooked out at the campfire

17. Made s'mores

18. Washed up dishes and ourselves

19. Tucked the kids into bunkbeds

20. Sat out by the campfire in the 40 degree mountain air for a few peaceful hours.

21. Had breakfast from the campfire

22. Packed up camp

23. Stopped to watch 2 deer by the road
24. Hiked to the top of Rocky Mountain (1/2 mile up)

25. Enjoyed the view

26. Hiked back down (that same 1/2 mile down, much easier)

27. Had a picnic

28. Stopped at a beach for 2 hours

29. Got ice cream cones at the arcade

30. Drove home, napping all the way.

(And in keeping with our last trip, everything is already unpacked, cleaned, washed, folded, put away, and the house is cleaner than when we left it. And I'm off to bed before midnight. Whee! Tomorrow: unprecedented laziness with a side of sluggish.)

And today I'm stealing pictures

---

My sister and her boyfriend were in town last weekend. We had a great visit and the kids were out of their skulls with excitement.

I didn't take any photos, so I stole these from Cindy's facebook.

Thanks Cindy!

(And happy birthday, Peaches)

Holy Moly, this camping list...

I found a decent online list of camping necessities to work from and happily copied what was missing onto a notepad for later.

The next day I was at work and figured I'd just print it out rather than use my mini list--this way I could mark more things off. Marking stuff off rules.

Dude. There was a whole second page. SECOND PAGE. Check check checkity uh-oh.

With all this gear we have to bring, this trip is going to turn into 6 month hike of the Adirondack Trail. A hike that involves a covered wagon and a team of horses. Like Oregon Trail but with less dysentery.

I hope.

It's not me, it's you. You you you.

I had to break up with my bank today.

It's been a long time coming. It's not even my real bank, my steady tried-and-true all-the-time bank. This is my cabana-boy of banks.

When we moved I didn't have the heart to quit my old bank; I figured we could make the long distance thing work. There's the internet, and we could always visit. Maybe get some crab rangoons or Trader Joe's while we were in the neighborhood. Share some laughs.

But over time it became clear that there were certain needs that a far-away bank just couldn't fulfill. Days when I just needed someone close by to give me some cash or cash a check. What I'm saying is, I was just in it for the sweet sweet cash.

And so one day when I tried to use my debit card and found out it had expired, and found out that NY identity theft laws require me to fly to Missouri to request my new one, I decided enough was enough. I went to the National Chain Bank in our village and set up a no-frills checking account with a debit card.

It started small. I just used it for cash every now and then. Then I started swiping more often: grocery stores, Starbucks, Target. Before long I set up my direct deposit to put 5% of my check in the account. It turned into a thing.

But National Chain Bank never cared about me the way Little Missouri Bank did. Little Missouri Bank offered me free overdraft protection, easy online banking, full same-day credit for deposits, the works. They even called us if something went awry with a check so we could come fix it rather than charging us. There was trust and mutual respect. National Chain Bank held deposits for a week before making money available, offered no overdraft, and online banking was more hassle than help. National Chain Bank, it seems, didn't want to get close.

A few weeks ago I dropped a $1200 check from the university into the account--a reimbursement check that I didn't want to mail to Little Missouri Bank. The next day I bought some groceries, hit Target, and picked up a pizza. The day after that a few more errands. Online banking looked fine; all clear.

A week later I got a notice in the mail that the $1200 didn't actually clear for use for several days so I had been carrying a negative balance and blah blah blah huge fees that are almost enough to fly to Missouri and get my new card blah blah I'm so done with you, National Chain Bank.

Today I went in and broke up. Honestly, I was bluffing a little. I was hoping they'd waive the stupid fees and offer me overdraft coverage when my overdraft was directly related to their ridiculously slow check clearing; but no. I guess my 5%-of-the-paycheck account was not worth their time. The account manager (who served as notary on most of our adoption papers) filled out my form, shredded my card, and walked me to the teller who cashed out my account.

The teller asked the reason for closure.

"Too many fees."

"Oh, ok. Your balance is XX.XX"

That seemed lower than I remembered. I glanced at the screen: $2 in fees for closing my account. Oh, it's so over, National Chain Bank.

A camping we will go...

We've been watching weather forecasts all summer and conditions are finally perfect, so in the near future we'll be heading out on our first overnight family camping experience.

This is a pretty lightweight venture as far as camping goes. We're staying in a cabin which has a full sized bed and bunked twin beds, electric outlets, a porch and porch swing, and a fire ring. Restroom facilities are down the path and we provide all the bedding, cooking accessories, entertainment, etc. I'm rather overwhelmed at the packing list. It started small:

1. Obvious amount of clothes plus some extras and swimsuits and towels
2. Sunscreen and bug spray
3. Flashlights (& glow sticks) (oh, and spare batteries)
4. Sleeping bags and pillows (& bed rails??)
5. Bread, peanut butter, carrots, s'mores makings
6. Kids' water bottles that they carry everywhere anyhow
7. Diet coke that I carry everywhere anyhow
8. First aid kit

Then it got a bit bigger

9. Cooking accessories: marshmallow sticks, aluminum foil, crockpot? stuff to cook in crockpot? burgers? hotdogs? How to keep cold? breakfast options for two kids that insist the only breakfast options are cereal, pancakes, or oatmeal? instant oatmeal? Old bottle warmer to flash-heat water?
10. What is most important to have in the first aid kit?
11. Clothesline & pins? or just extra bathing suits?
12. camp chairs
13. firewood?
14. matches and or point-n-flame
15. lighter fluid vodka (multipurpose)
16. bathroom bag: toothbrush, toothpaste, etc.

And then it got out of hand
17. broom?
18. axe/saw?
19. dish washing tub & soap & towels?
20. pots, pans, turners, spoons, etc
21. plates, bowls, forks, spoons, etc.
22. table cover
23. citronella candles

and then it got desperate
24. Coffee...instant??!!

Suddenly this does not look like an easy-peasy overnight camping adventure. I'm thinking if I'm packing all this we better just stay for a week to make it worthwhile.

And as a side note I'm sitting in my kitchen and a huge fat fly is dive-bombing around me and I'm about to go completely insane and maybe throw a chair at it so this should go really really well.

(Camping with pre-k's advice or shared experiences welcome in comments!)