"MANVOIDING" THE MEN

Manvoid: when a man purposefully avoids a situation or conversation using the words "I just don't want to talk about this right now." A way to annoy the women in their lives.

Over the weekend, I attended "Impromptu Ladies Weekend" which is basically when all of the women in my family are invited to my parent's cabin in the Poconos and whoever can go, goes! The men have their own weekend which they call "Prayerfest." It doesn't involve praying; more like drunken debauchery, cursing and with a crotch scratch here or there.





My mom, aunt Agnes and I got to the cabin around 9:00ish on Friday night, unpacked and made our beds up for sleeping. The rest of the group had been there for about half-a-day (lucky) and were already relaxing. Once everything was squared away it was time to let the wine flow and flow it did.

It was pretty amusing to sit in a room with my mom, her mom and a few of her sisters. They act exactly like my sisters and I do; loud, yelling at each other about old stories and memories and just being generally out of control. Now I know exactly where I get that gene from!

Around 11:30pm, I decided it was time to lay in bed and read but trying to concentrate with a bunch of excitable women was difficult. Amazingly, I fell asleep within minutes and didn't wake up until 10:30am the next day! GLORIOUS!!! It was really nice to not have my dog around for once. She's a believer in the cold nose wake up in the morning.




The Cabin



The cabin is owned by this pretty lady, my mom.

Saturday morning was the BIG walk of the weekend and we went out to Balancing Rock. I'm pretty sure my family just named it that because it doesn't seem like a lot of people know about this rock garden in the woods. During the hike I kept hearing, "Christine! Another mushroom! Come take a picture!!" So I have about 20 different pictures of mushrooms. Yellow ones, purple ones, red ones.... my family loves fungi.

Funny stick mushrooms

Balancing Rock is a good, long hike from the cabin; about 4.5 miles rountrip. During the hike, my aunt Agnes always brings oranges for "sustanence." Originally, we all made fun of her for it but there was a time when she got us lost in the tick-infested woods (she swears I wasn't lost) and we were happy for the oranges because of the lack of drinkable water.



Balancing Rock (and aunt Kate)



While we hung out exploring the area my mom talked me into exploring a cave in between two boulders. Before I actually poked my head in and crawled around the other side I made sure to get a stick and bang all of the spiderwebs away. Ughh! I could also see little bugs when I was in there but I ignored it all for the sake of fun.

After our hike back to the cabin the next step on our agenda was RELAXATION!! Some people swam, some people fished or read, some kayaked. My Grandmom and aunt Celia decided to fish since they both have their fishing licenses and Celia actually caught a blue gill.

Agnes has gotta wash that man right out of her hair!

My aunt Kate was the fish of the group who swam around the creek while people shouted after her, "watch out for the water snake!" or "yes, beavers will bite you from under the water!" Haha! That didn't deter her and she stayed in until her lips were blue.

I knew the water was cold and wasn't going in. Instead I went off in search of the beaver's dam. They built it last year and it made the water on the creek rise pretty significantly. You're not allowed to tear it down though since the cabin is on state land and beavers are special creatures. ;D

We were lucky to get in the hiking and outdoor relaxation because it started to rain towards the evening.

The next day we walked out to the spring which is at the last cabin on the road. This hike was shorter, about 2.33 miles roundtrip. There were a lot of puddles to cross (or walk through if you're me) and lots of hills to climb. On the way up there we saw a cute little red eft! He was probably the size of my finger and not too annoyed at being picked up.

We also had some brave people pick up a centipiede, omg eww!!!

Only crazy, gross people would do that. Once my mom chased me with one and I ran so far and so fast away from her!!



The spring is such a pretty place because it's so moist and lush. There are ferns growing everywhere and also tons of different kinds of moss. My aunt Celia is a botany teacher and was collecting it all weekend. Personally, I thought it would make a better bed though.

My mom tried to tell me to frame this picture and give it to my husband, Kyle, as a Valentine's Day gift. Hahahaha!! Oh Mom, the 1st problem is I'm clothed and the 2nd problem is that moss isn't sexy.

The weekend was really nice and definitely relaxing. I love going up there because there isn't cable television, no cell phone service, no computer.... nothing. You go to sleep, sit, hike, kayak, relaaaax. The only bad part is that eventually......

You have to go home.

Coming up from Ladies Weekend: Hornets & A Look Inside the Cabin