Something to blog about finally

I've been trying to get this post out since the day we got back, but Blogger was being weird. But thats ok cuz it's working fine now. So here goes.

Russ and I went camping this past weekend. It was a really quick but really fun trip. AND!! I remembered to take the camera, and even better, take pictures. This was a long needed break for the both of us. After the last year of school, we were both feeling the need to just take off and chill and enjoy ourselves. What better way to do that than at the beach! I grew up going to the beach pretty often. It's one of my favorite things to do. I love the feeling of the sand underneath my feet while walking around barefoot, I love playing in the waves, collecting sea shells, and gathering around a fire. Since living in Texas, the opportunities for going to the beach have been few and far between. So when Russ and I had a chance to plan a weekend trip, I knew exactly what I wanted to do. Plus it was my birthday, so I would win out anyway.

We had originally planned to leave around 4 after I got home from school, and Russell got home from doing his research. However, like all trips, this did not happen. Russell unexpectedly had to stay about 2 hours later. And while I had most things ready to go once he got home, talking on the phone with my mom while waiting for him made it hard to get everything done. So we got out around 6 instead. It took us pretty close to 3 hours to drive out to North Padre National Sea Shore, but with good music, company, excitement, and pretty scenery, the drive passed pretty quickly. We drove right out on the sand, found a spot of beach we liked, and parked the truck (driving on sand feels a lot like driving on snow). Needless to say we got there after dark. Which means we had to set up our tent in the dark (with flashlights of course), and cook our dinner in the dark. Luckily, when we purchased out tent a week earlier, we set it up in our excitement in our front room, so we already knew how the pieces and joints all fit together. While we cooked out dinner, Athena had a great time digging holes underneath our table we had her tied to (worked out great the next morning for starting our charcoal in).
With full bellies, we went to bed. The storms the past week really worked well to cool down the air, the only thing making sleeping outside a possibility. We got a reasonably good sized tent (not huge though) which made it so that we could stick Athena on one side, and we'd sleep on the other. The logic of having her in the tent was so that, since there are other critters like coyotes and crabs and such running around, she wouldn't be barking at them all night. And when she does on occasion sleep inside the house, she just stays in one spot the whole night. So we really didn't think it would be a problem. But it was. Half way through the night, we was up wandering around the tent, stepping on us, as she jumped from window to window trying to see out. Then she started trying to actually jump out the windows, which was obviously impossible since they are made out of mesh. But for some reason, she couldn't quite grasp that, and kept trying regardless. Tired of being stepped on and having his sleeping space invaded by a dirty hairy dog, Russ finally tied her in the back of the truck for the rest of the night. Surprisingly enough, she didn't make a noise!!! Every once in a while I'd look out the window and she would be all perked up, listening to the night.
Morning came, and we realized we forgot lighter fluid for starting our charcoal for our delicious dutch oven breakfast. So we walked down to the visitors center/ lodge that had a little camp store to purchase the needed product. After getting there, we found that the store didn't open until nine. We had left around 7 to walk down there, but we didn't bring any kind of clock, and so we had no idea what time it was. So we walked about. We got back at 8:50, so Russell decided to just drive down while I got breakfast ready to be cooked. I spent all last week seasoning my new dutch oven by cooking anything with fat in it. But once we got there, I decided to put down tin foil inside it anyway just to be safe. I wasn't sure if it was seasoned enough for the sugar to not ruin all the seasoning I had done. Our apple crisp breakfast came out perfect and very delicious. The best part about using the tin foil, is that it made clean up super easy.
The rest of the day was spent playing on the beach. The storms brought in a lot of sea weed (which Athena loved rolling in). But it didn't really bother us since it didn't really stink and wasn't rotting yet. We made a cool sand castle with our dishes. In the center is a pyramid, surrounded by a wall, surrounded by a seaweed filled moat, which even had a bridge over it. It was quite fun. We planned to make more sand sculptury stuff too, but didn't get around to it. After the sand castle, we got in the water. It was nice and warm. Not uncomfortable in any way. I thought that it was cool that when the waves wash away from your feet, it exposes all these teeny tiny clam thingies that then scurry to rebury themselves. At first glance I thought they were just really colorful rocks. The last of cool shells at the beach was a bit disappointing however, since I am a collector. But thats ok since the water was so nice. Athena was a little timid... ok a lot timid at first, and wouldn't even go near the water. But after seeing us run through it, she quickly followed. I'm not sure who had more fun running through the waves, Russ or Athena. She swallowed a lot of air and water throughout the whole thing, which made her look really bloated and pregnant when we were done. She could hardly move she was so uncomfortable. On our way out of camp, we stopped again at the lodge just to rinse off. We were also a little concerned about Athena throwing up in the back on our stuff. So we devised a plan. Have Athena drink lots of water and then run laps around the parking lot until she threw up. It only took about 10 steps, and the plan worked. She still looked bloated, but she was able to hold it in on the trip home. And by the time we got home, she didn't look bad. Thanks everyone for all the happy birthday messages that I got once I had reception again on my phone.
We got into San Antonio about 5pm. About 5 minutes from our house, we decided that we wanted to go to Sea World. We called up Phil and Lindsey, and went to ride roller coasters at Sea World after a quick dump of gear at the house. This quick dump, of course, has left our house a disaster zone.
After Sea World, Russ and I went to Jason's deli (only thing open) for dinner, then came home and he gave me my birthday presents--the move Emma and a popcorn popper. (I had been craving this popper since every time Ann-Marie makes pop corn while we're there, I can't stop eating it. From my mom, I got a really really nice set of about 15 different kinds of Ginger scissors (really nice sewing scissors). They're in a nice wooden box which my mom got my named inscribed on.

And that was our pleasant weekend. Here are a few more pictures from it.

Athena just chilling on the sand. She looked so comfortable.


Athena let me bury her. I was quite surprised.
































Us on the drive home. Hurray for beach hair.