Fatherhood situation report

Daughters are not as smart as I thought. She might actually be a 12 year old kid. I do hope the showers are cold at the girls camp (they are at the boys camp), and think so. Both are on the Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee. My intent is for her to be appreciative of all the wonders we do have at our homes, today.

This father may be a bigger pansy than I thought.

I was, and am, very proud of her in her preparation. She used the internet to repeatedly download the camp checklist of what to bring, and went through the checklist repeatedly during packing. Her brother, to be kind, was not so fast. The camp's philosophy and mine as a Marine are the same. If you don't bring it, live without it or make do. At least the camps have a list. The old Marines seldom did, though there were always work arounds. The obvious example is rain gear where a sheet of plastic or a plastic trash bag can be modified to work.

So I was shocked, shocked as in Casablanca the movie terms, when I got a letter begging for cowboy boots so she could ride horses. Of course, I blew her off in the best father and Marine way. She had her chance and blew it. Then I got a second letter also begging for the cowboy boots (size 3, though she would take sizes 2, 3, and 4). Then I went back and read the internet checklist, and sure enough it called for cowboy boots. The letter added she and another girl shared her friend's boots since they were on alternate days, except for the rodeo. Hence the begging for boots along with all the I miss you stuff.

So pansy me went to the local discount store and got her made in India cowboy boots and took them out to girls camp.

But I can be tough. I skipped the rodeo, anticipating blaming it on the local prevailing thunderstorms.