Out in the Parking Lot

Have you ever noticed how some of your best conversations are held in the parking lot? I really think that people clued into this a while ago, and that is why we have events called “tail gate parties” where you sit on your vehicle in a paring lot/by a river and have a beer and talk about life! (While listening to country music of course) Later on these parties were enhanced with portable barbeques… and those would sit on the tail gate of a truck so that someone could stand and grill!… let me paint a picture for you:

One day you were on your way to Wal Mart and feeling very stressed out when some idiot cuts in front of you, almost causing an accident. You are trying hard to hold back the cuss words, and you give the driver in front of you the big “What” sign (that is when you put your hands out to the side and tilt your head while lipping the words “What the…”). Finally you turn off into the Wal Mart parking lot, hoping to get in and get out fast so you can continue with your stressful day. There is no parking any where near the front, so you being the long ¼ mile drive to the back of the parking lot. Suddenly this heavenly aroma hits the air in your car. It smells like… hamburgers?… Then ding the light comes on in your head and you realize that some boy scouts are probably trying to con you into buying one of their half-cooked meat patties so that they can raise money for science camp. Realizing this, you being to scout (no pun intended) out a new route so that you can avoid the “sorry I have no cash on me” speech. Unfortunately, there is no other way, so you proceed to find a parking spot. As you pass by the group of people grilling burgers, you notice that Frank from work is sitting in a lawn chair with a beer in his right hand and a hamburger flipper in the left. Then you recognize others: Rachel, Thomas, Sandra and mark. They all look like they are having fun, so you pull up a parking spot close buy and saunter over to try to figure out the reason for this ‘meeting’. The country music is booming out of Marks truck, and people are laughing, eating and dancing (some all at the same time). Sandra hand you a beer, and you sit down to wait for a freshly grilled burger. You are having such a good time that you being to wonder “Am I really in a Wal Mart Parking lot?”

So that is one of my favourite things to do. Except in the past, instead of Wal Mart, it was Hogan Park, a Truck Stop or Tim Hortons! Some dang good times had there. But I realized that I havent even dont that yet since Ive been back home. Im acutally disgusted with myself! Perhaps next week we'll do it. As for this weekend - whew its been a long weekend. All started Thursday evening with the Youth Work retreat! That was some good times. Played dutch bitz till all hours in the morning - and yep, i whooped some good Youth Worker's butt! Actually, it was cool cuz on the retreat I met a lot of new people, and that is a first for me at CBC! (Friends? really? Yep!) We played lots on trampolines.. and there was this dried up water slide that we tried to slide down standing up!

Friday was cool, I went for coffee with Steph. Later that evening Josh and Nelson came over - an hour after that Heather and Andrea showed up too! We watched Saving Private Ryan... dang sad movie. it was gross too! So they went home, and I ended up staying awake till 3:30am watching the a BETTER movie called A Good Woman. When I woke up this morning, I felt like crap cuz I slept on the couch... haha serves me right. I went for a drive with my sister to Harrison and we saw the sandcastle competitions. Also we went to this little truck stop cafe too. It was super cute. The rest of my day was spent babysitting two very cool kids and watching Little House on the Praries . Good show. Hopefully tomorrow holds for me much excitement. I should be going to Cultus Lake for a swim (berr...) then maybe talk a few certain individuals into having a "Tail Gate Party"! haha.

Well Take good Care my friendsl... and Until Next time, dont eat popcorn from a can!

Ps. No real names were acutally used in "Parking Lot" story.