Feels so good

This week I acquired a backpack, a mess kit and a TENT!!!  I'm ALL SET to go camping!  At REI last night, the sales associates were so helpful.  One guy asked when I was going to use my new tent.  Hopefully in two weeks if I can muster up some friends to join me on an adventure.  But I actually set it up in the family room last night and might have sat in it while I watched part of a movie...and no I didn't get out my thermarest and sleeping bag and camping pillow...but I did think about it...can you tell I am really really excited?  In a couple weeks, I will be the new owner of a little spiffy campstove so I can eat some yummy Mountain House dinners and fry up some fish!  (That is if I can learn how to put together my little travel fishing rod.)  I'm telling you I am going to be very mobile this summer.

It's a little two man tent with a full rain fly.

Another purchase I made last night was a camelbak cleaning kit.  I have had my camelbak for over 10 years and have never had to clean out the tube.  Well, I guess the last time I used my camelbak I left some water in it and the tube was pretty much completely black down the whole length.  I tried soaking it in some lemon juice, and almost tried some bleach, but I really needed to scrub it out.  And oh my gosh that is an amazing little brush!!!  And the big brush will be helpful for the 5 thin aluminum water bottles I got from work.

I cleaned the bathroom, replaced the lightbulbs in the hallway, vacuumed, made some gifts for my sweet niece and nephew (they might be wrapped in Christmas paper - the ornaments really look a lot like balloons) all before 10 AM!!  I think there is something that does not go well with me and cold cloudy weather because until last Saturday, the previous 4 Saturdays (at least as far as I can remember) I did not get out of bed until 10:00.  Last week and this week now that the weather is better, I'm up by 7:00.  Last week I woke up at 6:30 and even went into work for 3 hours before my friend came down and we went up to Park City for some shopping  and a bike ride.  It was a wonderful day and reminded me of why I like waking up early - unless it's cold and I need to stay snuggled up in my cozy bed.

I am also volunteering today at a church thing and I'm telling you.  Service feels good.  I need to do it more.  I had the chance to donate a few things to a homeless shelter this week and I gave away some good things and it just felt really good.  I'm going to check into how to do this at work, but my work is supposed to match charity contributions up to a certain amount - $500 I think- and I was thinking this morning that I'll set that up to donate to this shelter.  It was spotlighted on the news the other night and I just think they are doing a really good job with helping people.  It's called The Road Home.