Comforts of Home

Son #1 and I have returned from our second band camp weekend, four days in rural Pennsylvania. While last year's trip had people in tank tops, shorts, and flip flops praying for a cool refreshing breeze, this year we had high temps in the fifties and low temps in the thirties. Funny, since we went on 9/15 this year and 9/23 last year. We packed according to the forecast, which predicted temps twenty degrees higher than the actual weather. In short, brrr.

Some of the kids, including my son, did not bring long pants. Braving Mother Nature's gifts during the day was enough of a challenge -- although we were grateful it did not rain except for a little while upon arrival. The cabins where campers stayed, and most of the chaperones too, did have electricity, showers, sinks, and toilets, but were not heated. I wondered whether homeless people do what I did: dressed in several layers of clothing to go to sleep when it's that cold out. The first night I was too cold to sleep, except fitfully after 3:30am. The second night I went all out: panty hose, pajama pants, sweat pants, three pairs of socks, three shirts, sweatshirt, jacket, hat, hood, gloves. Inside the sleeping bag with all of that clothing I did sleep soundly the second night, and the third. But boy what a shock having to disrobe to get in the shower. Brrr.

I hope I never again take for granted the industrial world comfort of a heated home.