6/25/10

Goddesses Interrupted


No goddess this week. Why? Because I have been at Surf Camp with the Girl Scouts. Some of you may ask: "How was Surf Camp."

Well, friends, three words: Tater Tot Casserole.

Like me, you may remember the day when Tater Tots were the "it" food. You may remember going to your friend's house and being served Tater Tots, and you may remember thinking: "Tater Tots! This kid is sooooo lucky."

If you have such memories, you would probably like Tater Tot Casserole, which is sort of like Shepherd's Pie, but with Tater Tots on top and also, for some reason, rice. If, however, you were born circa 1997, you may not see Tater Tots in such a soft golden light. You might not see Tater Tots in any light at all. You may really hate Tater Tots, and the thought of them topping a casserole -- which you also may hate -- may fill you with horror and revulsion, and, most importantly, you may feel it very important to share this horror and revulsion with your Girl Scout Leaders. You may feel compelled to do that, again and again again.

Like Tater Tots, you may also harbor soft golden fantasies about camping on a tent on the beach. You may think to yourself, "Ah, to be lulled to sleep by the melodic sound of waves. What joy!" True enough, being lulled asleep by the melodic sound of waves has its appeal, but less appealing is the fact that the beach is full of sand, and sand is like like your child's junk. It strives to spread its reach as far as possible, including into your tent, your pillow, your toothpaste.

This might be bearable if, at the end of the day, you could sit down and watch the sunset with a glass of wine. Alas, the Girl Scouts are very strict about this, there is no fricking wine. Ever. There is only whine, and there's lots of that.

You may say to yourself: "Why? Why condemn yourself to such a fate?"

Are you kidding me? My girls surfed for the first time in their lives, and I was there.

21 comments:

Cafe Pasadena said...

I may have to step in with some Doggess posts while you're off scouting.

Susan C said...

Was this a one-day or a one-week camp? And did you get up on the board? And would your girls like to do it again?

Curly said...

Fabulous! Surfing!!! That must have been fun!
What is that your eating tort-something? I don't even know what's a sheperd's pie... anyway... you made me hungry... :-)

Vanda said...

I don't even know what tater tots are.

Wasn't it cold at night? It's getting cold even in The Valley after sunset, I can only imagine the beach.

Rois said...

My Grandma made Tator Tot Casserole,my cousin loves it I hate it.Sand creeps in to every thing.
But how awesome to see your girls surf.

Stacey said...

I loved Tater Tot Casserole growing up, even made it as a newly wed, but for some reason it has lost its allure.

Another great post.

Joanne said...

You know what they say, Margaret ... Catch a wave and you're sitting on top of the world.
It sounds like you and your daughters were, kudos to you :)

Watson said...

It sounds like, even with the whine instead of the wine, you had a marvelous time! Did you get to surf too??

I thought one time it would be so "romantic" to be lulled to sleep by the sound of ocean waves. Darn things kept me awake all night making too much noise!

Desiree said...

Are you kidding? The goddess is on the surf board!

Little Messy Missy said...

Mmmm tots!

Anonymous said...

First I laughed (tator tots) and then winced (in sympathy over camping & sand) and then I cried.... I'm still verklempt.

And not because of the tator tots....

GREAT POST, Margaret!!!!

Olga said...

I only know tater tots as something plunked on a school lunch tray. While I love an early morning walk on the beach and camping--togeher, I'm not feeling it. I did not make those kinds of sacrifices (going without wine, sleeping on the beach) for my own kids--not the fashion in my day. If I had a do-over, though, who knows. I think you are a mother-goddess. No interruption here at all.

TheChieftess said...

Even Chucky Cheese has wine...

Anonymous said...

Well, if tater tots isn't the it food, what the heck is?

(The only way they can drag adults in there, Chieftess.)

TheChieftess said...

I'm just sayin'...

Margaret said...

It was a three day trip. I did not get on the board; it was only for the girls. Probably about half the girls would do it again. The other half didn't really like it so much. But my daughter had a great time.

Daisy: Tater tots are made of shredded potatoes. They are cylindrical, like batteries. Shepherd's pie is a British dish. Mashed potatoes on top. Ground beef and spices and maybe peas on the bottom.

Vanda: It was cold, but only in the middle of the night, when I had to make the long trek to the bathroom in the dark.

Dez: Of course, you are absolutely right.

Chieftess: I know! Even Chuckie Cheese, but I guess you wouldn't want a bunch of drunk Girl Scout leaders falling into the campfire.

Pasadena Adjacent said...

I can just picture daughter literally rallying the troops against you and wearing the joke so thin that everyone is beside themselves in laughter. The best kind of obnoxious.

Petrea Burchard said...

You must be the coolest Girl Scout leader ever. As you know, when I was a girl I left the Brownies for 4-H because they were doing much cooler stuff over on the "other side." Not that we had an ocean in northern Illinois, but our Girl Scout troop never did anything close to as cool as surfing.

My only quibble here is the title. I'd call this "Goddesses Launched."

Curly said...

In Canterbury I had the Shepherd's Pie! I know now... (by reading how it's made!) I liked it!
Tater Tots just sound delicious! We can agree on the trade! ;-)

Deb @ PaperTurtle said...

I'm always smiling when I get to the end of your posts and click that "comment" link. ~sigh~

We live close to a little sports bar that serves tator tots and they are the BEST ever. They are FRIED, not baked, and have lots of salt. You really made some sacrifices for your girl scouts, Margaret...traded wine for tator tots. ;o)

Maria said...

A change is always good. And summer is the time for breaking the routine and doing something different.