🌻I'm in a tent!

A short note with no point and no ending

Hi. I’m in a tent.

I don’t even have my laptop. Why is this the moment I feel like writing? No one can know.

Maybe it’s because it’s the biggest tent I've ever seen.

It's gotta be labeled like a 12 person tent or something. It might be 20x10'. We've got a queen sized air mattress (with room to walk around each side) and two bedside tables. Also a living room: two camp chairs and a little table between.

I'm in my sib-in-laws' back yard outside of Minneapolis. The birds are chirping, LOUD. It’s that time of year and it’s early morning. (I mean, not that early, it’s still me we’re talking about—there’s a reason I never became a “real” birder.)

I'm sitting in one of the camp chairs wrapped in a blanket, and I have a space heater blowing on my feet. Early May in Minnesota is not particularly warm. I just finished a crossword puzzle on my NYT Games App (not today's, though, it's Saturday, that’s way too hard. It’s an easy Monday from the archives.)

Last night, we watched the Woodbury Middle School production of Grease. It was fabulous. If you're wondering, yes, there is a "school version" (written by the original writers!) that takes out the more adult themes. Which is admittedly kind of the whole plot, but it still worked. (This Rizzo does not have a “bun in the oven.”)

This made me remember that I have seen Grease the movie approximately 100,000 times and can thoroughly quote it. And I am not a movie quoter by default, my brain just does not retain TV and movie quotes the way it does for apparently every Will Farrell fan. The exception, for me, is apparently the handful of movies I watched again and again, probably before the age of 15. It’s the Wizard of Oz, and the Lion King, and apparently, Grease. “Tell me about it, stud.” “A hickey from Kenickie's like a Hallmark card!” Don’t worry, I turned out okay.

Regardless, the show was cute and my two nieces were fabulous. Tbh I’m kind of annoyed they look better in red lipstick than I do, but what can you do.

Anywho. There is something incredibly peaceful about being in a tent. I'm not even out in the woods somewhere, I'm in the burbs 10 steps from the back door with a power strip.

I imagine it's the same feeling that drives kids to build a fort out of couch cushions and blankets in the living room.

I would’ve thought the peace was from being 'unplugged', but since I’m sitting here very much plugged in, doing crosswords on my phone, jotting down some thoughts on my notes app, sending a text or two… it’s not that.

I would’ve thought the peace was from being outside with the quiet and the birdsong, but it’s not that either. I sit on my deck in my own backyard pretty much as much as humanly possible (i.e. weather permitting). It’s great, but not in-a-tent great.

What is it?

I dunno.

But I recommend it.