Series: 29 - November 2023

Hi! It’s me! Lily!!!

So much stuff to do, and I have to deal with school too!!!  Aww!!!  Dave gave me a present today, he bought one of those really honking big lithium batteries that can keep my phone and other stuff charged.  I mean it’s massive – apparently it can charge a phone for like fifteen times, and it has a solar panel too.  So everyone gets to charge their phone.  Everyone’s happy!!!  I guess we’ll see if we get reception, but at least it’s one less thing to worry about.  We’ll put the solar panel out during the day and charge our butts off at night.

It cost a pretty penny too, I guess Dave’s a little worried.

He wanted to buy us a starlink too, but it looks like they’re backordered, so we’ll just have to make do.

Dave actually took us shopping, and he had a really big list of stuff we hadn’t even thought of.  Liz’s parents are really grateful that he took charge, they’ve never been camping before, and Dave’s pretty thorough at this kind of stuff.  We almost forgot a can opener!!! Aww!!!

I’m bringing my tablet too.  I hope I can make good use of it, but if not, I can at least play games, I guess.  Dave told me that I should only use it when I need, the whole point of camping is to go hiking and spend time with people, everything will be here when we get back.  Dangit, he’s always right.

He also suggested we bring along some medical stuff.  You know, just in case.  He’s kind of being a worrywart but he helped make up a medical bag.  He got some dehydrated chicken soup packets.  Guy thinks of everything.  We have common medicines, like aspiriin, cold medicine, etc.  Hope we don’t need it.

Anyway…  just a couple of days to go!  I’m excited!

Love you all!!! ♥

Hi! It’s me! Lily!!!

Because we’;re all going to be out all next week, we had a girls’ night out tonight!!! It was fun!!!  They didn’t come over, but we went out.  We all went to the main event over on 183 and played a few games, then we went to get some fast food.  Fast food isn’t the best, but it’s nice once in a while.  I like a good burger.

Crystal was telling us how good she’s getting on the guitar!  Truthfully, I don’t believe her.  I mean, yes, I absolutely believe she’s improving – you can’t practice as much as she does (her fingers are mush, aww) without improving, but it’s still only been a few weeks.  And she doesn’t really know how to read music or anything.  She just knows how to play some chords and some of the notes.  I mean, that’s great, don’t get me wrong, but I don’t want her thinking she knows more than she does.  Always more practice needed.  She’s not gonna be shredding.  At best she might be able to play a simple three or four chord song, and probably haltingly.

Again – it’s great!!! I know she’ll get good.  I just want to keep her realistic.

Beth, Crystal, and Diana are planning their own mini-outing next week.  They have to be home for Thanksgiving, but Beth has her full license now (yay Beth!) and so they can go places.  They can’t rent a hotel or anything so they can’t stay overnight, but they can find lots of fun stuff to do next week.  They haven’t decided, but they’re leaning towards going to San Antonio to the riverwalk for a day.  Sabby’s really nervous about that, but she also knows that she can’t keep Beth little forever, so she’s being a worry-wart.  They’ll be okay.  Beth can handle herself.

Doesn’t stop Sabby from annoying the snot out of Beth, though.  And Beth has to take it or Sabby might say no, and Sabby’s kind of looking for an excuse anyway.  Beth knows how to behave when it’s in her interest though.

The other parents are okay with it too, but apparently they’re being just as much of a worrywart, and there’s lots of phone calls and texts going on between Sabby, Maria, and Desiree about all the preparations and making sure the car is good and Beth’s up to a long drive and all that.  Apparently Crystal and Diana are getting the riot act about behaving in the car and not distracting Beth, and Beth’s getting read the riot act about being responsible, keeping her eyes on the road, etc.  Wouldn’t surprise me at all if Sabby puts in a dashcam and points it inward.

Crystal and Diana aren’t really old enough to drive yet, so…  it’s all on Beth.

I’m half expecting Sabby or another of the parents to tag along, and that might yet happen.  I think they’ll let Beth drive, but…  they haven’t really decided yet.  I don’t think I’d blame them.  That’s a long first trip for Beth.  And also they can bail them out if something bad happens.  Well, we’ll see.  I’ve got my own stuff to deal with, I guess.

Anyway, it was fun.  I wonder if I’ll be able to sleep tomorrow night.

Love you all!!! ❤️

Hi! It’s me! Lily!!!

We leave tomorrow morning!!!  Early!  So I can’t post for long tonight!!!  We’re all packed up and have the cars and everything!!!

I’m going to say goodbye to everyone tonight so I can just leave without waking everyone up.  Yuki is staying over tonight too.

Sabby’s being a worrywart and making sure we made a list and checked it like fifteen gazillion times.  Finally I had to tell her that checking it once more isn’t going to change anything.  She grumbled but backed off a little.  Sometimes you have to tell her she’s being a little extra, but at least she listens.

Going to post from El Paso tomorrow night hopefully!!!  We’ll probably get there a bit late because you can bet there will be bathroom breaks, and some food breaks probably aren’t a horrible idea.  The cars are pretty big, but it’s still nice to stretch your legs.  I don’t think I’ll be able to run tomorrow either.  Aww.

Anyway…  wish us all luck!!!

Love you all!!! ❤️

Hi! It’s me! Lily!!!

We’re in El Paso!!!

We got a couple of rooms…  Yuki, Liz, and I are in this room.  Jack, Grace and his parents are in their own, and Liz’s parents got their own room.  I guess that’s understandable.  Yuki and Liz are playing cards right now.  Liz is teaching Yuki some card games.  Like “Doodle”, that one’s fun.

It was a loooooong drive.  The “adults” (Yuki and Liz and Jack and I are technically adults so I mean the “real” adults) switched off driving and we all sat in the backseat and chatted and slept or whatever.  Grace sat in the same car as us and the adults (except for the one driving) stayed in their own.  West Texas is just a whole lot of absolutely nothing.  We stopped for lunch in a diner in one of the small towns, and got some snacks and took a bathroom break at rest areas and in some small town convenience stores.

Yuki was really interested – she’d never seen small town America before.  She says small town Japan is a little different, it doesn’t feel the same at all.  I don’t know if I ever actually visited a small town, but I guess?  After lunch we just spent all our time sleeping, though.  It’s really kinda monotonous.

But fun too.  Except Grace got a bit carsick.  Aww.  We got her some medicine and she slept it off.  That took a bit to clean up though.

In the diner, someone recognized Yuki.  That shocked everyone, but Yuki most of all.  She was gracious and gave them an autograph though.  It was a couple of teenage boys, they were kinda gushing but Yuki seemed flattered.  I think she expects it in Japan, but here it just hits a bit different I guess.  Maybe in a small town all you’ve got is YouTube, and you’re probably going to at least get a glimpse of Yuki there if you troll around there long enough.

We spent a little time in the pool after dinner, and now we’re going to turn in – we have to leave early again tomorrow.  This isn’t a really nice hotel, but it’s nice enough, and it doesn’t have to be nice for just passing through for a night.  I’m a bit more tired than usual, some sleep would be good.

Sabby’s being a worry wart but I’m sure it’ll be alright.

Love you all!!! ❤️

Hi! It’s me! Lily!!!

We made it to the campsite.  It was another long drive, but we’re here.  There’s cell service but it’s spotty and I’m having a tough time writing this, but it’s working, kind of.  It was another day of the same, you know, endless driving, etc.  But it’s really pretty out here.  I didn’t know the desert was so pretty.  We set up a few tents.  There’s a bathroom but it’s shared, and a shower we can use but it costs a buck or so.  Fortunately they take credit (how’d they pull that off in the middle of nowhere?).  There’s a little gift shop and cafe too but it’s not really all that.  I guess, what did you expect from a campsite though?

It’s pretty cold but the sleeping bag is warm and there’s a place to have a campfire, so that’s nice.  They set one up and it’s really nice.

I’m… feeling a bit off, though.  I slept most of the way and I’m still tired.  I’m going to sleep.

Hi! It’s me! Lily!

I’m sick.  Really sick.  Not hospital sick but I feel awful and just want to sleep and eat chicken soup and I’m cold and…

Jack’s taking care of me.

I love Jack.

I’m so glad Dave wanted us to pack medical stuff.  It’s saving my life right now.  Definitely figuratively, maybe literally.

I’ll write more when I’m not sick.

Love you all!!! ❤️

Hi! It’s me! Lily!!!

I’m still sick. Today wasn’t easy.  I just laid in my sleeping bag most of the day and slept.

But Jack has been taking so good care of me.  I can’t actually believe how much he’s taking care of me.  Everyone went off hiking today and he stayed behind.  I was cold and he got in the sleeping bag with me – and just warmed me up.  He fed me soup (Dave’s worrywart nature saved me again), he read to me until I fell asleep…  he helped me walk to the restroom.

I don’t deserve him.

But I’m so thankful for him.

They almost packed everyone back in and went home, but I didn’t want them to do that.  A long car ride would probably be worse right now anyway.  My sleeping bag is warm, the air is fresh and nice, and Jack’s taking better care of me than I ever imagined.

Don’t worry too much about me.  I’m not having any real trouble breathing, just a little coughing and sneezing and runny nose and fever.  There’s actually a doctor a town over and the people who run the campsite called him, and he gave me a once over.  They saw me being helped to the restroom and were a little worried.  He said it’s just a virus and it’ll have to run its course.  Not really news to me, but it helped Sabby feel a bit better.  He didn’t ask for any money, so we got him a pastry from the cafe.  It was nice of him.  But I guess that’s how small towns work.  I have a feeling Sabby’s going to send him some cookies.  A LOT of cookies.  And you know that’s not an idle threat from Sabby.

It’s night right now.  It’s so dark outside.  Jack’s sleeping next to me.  His parents don’t seem to mind, I guess they figure I’m sick, what are we going to do?  They’re right.  I don’t want to do anything but sleep.  I’m going to put this tablet away and cuddle up to him now.  He’s so warm…

Love you all!!! ❤️

Hi! It’s me! Lily!!!

My fever broke this evening.  Now I just feel really weak.  But I was able to go take a shower, so there’s that.  I was smelly.  I’m not anymore.

But I went out and sat by the fire with everyone, and it was nice.  They offered me some marshmallows, and I roasted a couple, but I don’t really feel a lot like sweets.  That’s how you know I’m sick!!! I just wanted something savory.  They grilled me up a burger, and that hit the spot pretty well.  Jack stayed with me all day.  I really need to hold on to that boy… if I can.

He seems to feel the same way.

There’s enough electricity here to charge phones and run a small fridge, which is helpful.  But not much more than that.  Just a couple of outlets we kinda fight over.  But we keep the big ol’ lithium packs charged on one of the plugs, so there’s lots of places to plug in a phone without fighting over that.  And Dave sent along a car battery inverter too, which is HELLA convenient.

I woke up this morning and found Grace cuddled up to me too…  and that was really nice in its own way.  I hope I don’t get her sick, but if so, that’s her own fault.  I didn’t ask her to.

Maybe I’ll do a small hike tomorrow.  Depends on how I feel I guess.  I still feel pretty weak.  What a time to get sick…  but maybe it was a good thing.  Jack really showed me how he feels…  and it’s really making me think.

A couple of the adults went to town today and picked up some food for tomorrow.  They don’t have a huge selection and it was pretty expensive (and it’s like half an hour away), but they had enough that we’ll have a decent Thanksgiving feast.  I think…  all told, I have a lot to be thankful for.  I hope I actually get to see the canyon, but if not, well… it still was alright, I guess.  The sunrises here are really pretty.

Yuki seems to be having fun.  She says that for all of Japan’s natural beauty, there’s nothing at all like this there, and she’s glad she came with us.  Liz brought her violin and did a little concert at the edge of the canyon, she said the acoustics were better than the shower!

Love you all!!! ❤️

Hi! It’s me! Lily!!!

And today was Thanksgiving!!!

We didn’t really have a traditional meal, really.  It’s hard to do that when you’re camping.  But the campsite did have a few traditional things, they put on a little buffet in their hall, so we at least had something good to eat.  They had some pies, a couple of traditional things, and they did some BBQ.  It was pretty good.  We wanted to do fireworks, but, well, they’re illegal, so we didn’t.  Some other campers nearby did, though.  They were pretty.  Right up until the rangers came by and kicked them out.  Glad we didn’t.

I woke up feeling a lot better.  Still pretty weak but just weak.  Sucks being sick, but I’m kind of thankful for it.  Jack really came through when I needed him.

There really isn’t a whole lot else to do when camping other than hiking, eating, sleeping, and that kind of thing, so Jack drove me over to the actual canyon.  I can’t walk or run as much as usual right now, but at least I got to see it.  It was really pretty.  Yeah, it’s a big hole, but it’s a really big hole, and pretty impressive.  Then tonight we sang campfire songs.  Well…  Yuki sang a couple of her idol songs, and, well…  it doesn’t go great without a backing track.  But she’s not bad.  I mean she’s not a pro opera singer or anything like that, but she’s had some training.  We taught her some customary campfire songs too.  Like “de camptown ladies”, and “I’ve been working on the railroad”.  I guess that one’s not very well known in Japan.  Apparently “turkey in the straw” is, though.  Go fig.

We leave Saturday morning.

Love you all!!! ❤️

Hi! It’s me! Lily!!!

I’m…  not sure how I feel about camping, honestly.  I mean, it’s nice here, the air is fresh, and it’s nice spending time with everyone.  But it’s a little boring too.  There’s not much to do at a campsite other than, well… camp.  And I spent most of it sick anyway.  Maybe not my favorite thing.  It was alright, but…  not really fun, if that makes sense.

Yuki really had a good time, though.  Like I said, she’s never seen anything like the Grand Canyon, and there’s nothing like it in Japan.  They have other things we don’t have, but this was different.  And for me too.  It is pretty, but…  once you’ve seen one big hole, I guess…  maybe I’d feel the same if I went to the top of fujisan.

So we leave tomorrow morning.  I guess I should get some sleep.  We packed everything up tonight, except for the tents, and now it’s just getting some good sleep.  We all took a shower before bed too, so it’s just waking up, hopping in the car, and going.

Maybe I’ll sit outside and look at the stars a bit before bed.  There are so many stars here.  In the city, you only see a few, but here, they’re like, well…  grains of sand on the beach.  Just so many of them.  And there’s even this thing, the “milky way”…  Liz says it’s our galaxy.  That’s kind of amazing.  Makes me feel really small.  And it’s so quiet too… except for the distant howling of coyotes and the occasional hooting of an owl…  it’s dead quiet here.  No road noise, no…  no anything.

Jack took such good care of me, too.  He’s really good at it too, I didn’t even know.  I…  I have a lot to think about.  Maybe..  it’s not about how things are when they’re good, but how they are when they’re… well, not.

Maybe that’s what Sabby was trying to tell me.

Love you all!!! ❤️