August 8 07

long weekends always throw me off.

for instance, did you know that yesterday was Tuesday?

well, i didn’t know, until, erm, 3:10pm yesterday…after i had missed both of my Tuesday meetings.

the good news is that no one seemed to notice that i missed the meetings. the bad news is that no one seemed to notice that i missed the meetings.

bwah.

when i think of the word cottage, the American in me automatically thinks something like this:

little shack in the woods…inhabited by the likes of, oh, snow white and some dwarves, goldilocks and some bears, little red riding hood’s grandma…you know, that old chestnut.

The Canadian in me, however, knows that ‘The Cottage’ refers to a summer home, usually on a lake. (maybe it’s just the Ontarian in me. is that the word? Ontarian?) Everyone i know either has his own cottage, or is related to someone who has one, or has friends who have one. everyone.

I am NOT a cottage person. Well, i take it back. without kids, i like cottages. i love the laid-back atmosphere. the water. the small town living. i love the rustic, quaintness of it. (although nowadays, some people’s cottages are nicer than their homes in the city…so they aren’t exactly rustic or quaint). sure, i like it, but, as we all know, if i’m going on VACATION, i’d definitely choose a resort with a pool…and a bar any day of the week and twice on tuesdays (yes, i know that it’s wednesday…) over cottage living.

but, really, for me, once you throw kids into the mix, the nice laid-back atmosphere becomes nothing but chaos to me. and i don’t do chaos. (this should come as a shock to no one…) the kids don’t sleep. they are constantly dirty – sticky and sandy. one is afraid of the water…and one won’t come out of the water. one is bored. you have to keep your eyes on the kids – constantly. it’s not a break, it’s WORK. and holy bugs, Batman! (thanks, LD, for reminding me of the bugs!) mosquitoes fuckin’ love me – i went to play baseball two weeks ago and came home looking like i had the mumps from all the mosquitoes.

my sister in law and brother in law rent a cottage every year. and every year they invite us to come up. and every year we decline. usually, truth be told, it’s because it’s inconvenient – we both work and don’t really have the days off, the kids are in camp, and our weekeneds usually fill up like mad in the summer. but, there’s a part of me that says no because i just don’t want to go. there’s a part of me that feels like it’s a lot more trouble than it’s worth.

to take kids to the cottage you have to love the cottage. as much as those stupid-ass women in the aero commercials love their aeros. as much as Britney loves the cheetos and the nasty wigs and the bad publicity.

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  1. My brother’s wife’s parents have a cottage, and we trekked seven hours with NO DVD PLAYER in the car to visit them last week, and it was so worth it, even the two hour traffic jam on the 401 in 35C heat. I’m not really an outdoorsy type of person, but I find that the kids are actually better behaved out of the house than in it. Plus, the added distraction of cousins they rarely see helps. And by the end of it, I swear that we’ll never do it again… until the next spring, when it mysteriously starts to seem like a good idea again.

    I don’t loooove them (god, I hate that commercial!), but for four or five days,
    I do like other peoples’ cottages. I’m just way too lazy (let alone cheap) to bother getting one (read: take care of one) myself.

    Comment by DaniGirl on August 8, 2007
  2. I’m so with you. I hate cottages. I hate bugs and dirt and critters and swimming in anything that isn’t a pool.
    Last week we went away to a timeshare in Vermont. It was perfect because it felt like we weren’t in a hotel (just on hotel grounds) and it seemed rustic but there were amenities and pools and all of that good stuff. So much nicer. And about the same price. Highly recommend.

    Comment by Laural on August 8, 2007
  3. Ha, I am with you. “Vacation” means resorts with tropical frozen drinks served to me while Declan plays at the pool. Of course, Bryan would like some hiking and/or camping thrown in too, which is why we are considering Hawaii for Xmas this year.

    Comment by aimee/greeblemonkey on August 8, 2007
  4. A vacation to a mom is NOT one taken with her kids. When you describe the feeling without them, it makes me want to take a few days off! 🙂

    Comment by Miss on August 8, 2007
  5. Unfortunately, now that Lowes has started running ads for the Katrina Cottage design plans, THAT is what I think of when I hear the word “cottage.”

    Want me to Photoshop you into one of my pictures next month when I’m at the resort…by the pool…with the bar? 😉

    Comment by Stacy on August 8, 2007
  6. Ah…while in Ontario they are called “cottages”, here in BC we call them “cabins”. And I hear you – it’s not really a vacation now that we have a child. If I could only convince my husband that it’s just work, not fun. And hoo boy, the bugs. Don’t get me started!

    Comment by Carmen on August 8, 2007
  7. “Cottages” are SOUTHERN Ontario. Everywhere else in Canada? Camps – which generally means no electricity or plumbing. And no Beck either, since I REALLY draw the line at outhouses.

    Comment by Rebecca on August 8, 2007
  8. I hate the dirt of the outdoors so we just bought a house with a pool instead. It’s like being at a resort, only I don’t have to fly.

    Comment by Just Janice on August 8, 2007
  9. I shit you not, I am posting this comment FROM THE COTTAGE. Bear Valley, CA to be exact. Three more days and counting…

    Comment by mrs incredible on August 8, 2007
  10. I am so on your page about cottages being nothing but work (for me) once you throw kiddos into the mix…unfortunately, I married a cottage person:(

    Comment by Cynthia on August 8, 2007
  11. That’s how I feel about the thought of camping with a one year-old. By the time you load up the car full with the playpen, tent, stove, sleeping bags, food, beach stuff, etc. it takes a day to UNLOAD it all and it’s just so much more work than it’s worth. So we just opt to not go on vacation (since camping is all we could afford these days). Sometimes being at home is more peaceful. If I’m going to spend money on a big getaway, I’d like it to be a child-free one. 🙂

    Comment by Amanda on August 8, 2007
  12. Hate hate HAAAATE cottages! BUGS. The whole children chaos thing. Dirt. All of it. HATE. Can’t wait to hit the resort this weekend, though. Sweet…. BUT, if they really WERE like that little Snow-White cottage? I’d go fashizzle ;).

    And, if it really is Wednesday today…. SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE IS ON! YESSS!

    Comment by haley-o on August 8, 2007
  13. Maybe it’s a lake thing . . . I never heard the term “cottage” until I moved from NYC to Michigan, and here “everybody” has one. Before I ever went to one, I had a total picture of it as being this rustic, wood floored shack with no indoor plumbing . . . I was shocked to find a . . . HOUSE that was on the water, with most of the modern amenities . . . who knew?

    I hate going away, and i don’t even HAVE kids . . . I especially hate short trips. My small group at my church sometimes does an overnight retreat. So you have to pack stuff for overnight, sleep in a room with other people (and I snore, so I end up not sleeping because I’m afraid to annoy people), and then go home barely 24 hours later. It just doesn’t seem like it’s worth the hassle . . .

    sorry about Canada, by the way. ;-o my best friend just moved to Edmonton two weeks ago . . .

    Comment by Lorraine on August 8, 2007
  14. Maybe it’s a lake thing . . . I never heard the term “cottage” until I moved from NYC to Michigan, and here “everybody” has one. Before I ever went to one, I had a total picture of it as being this rustic, wood floored shack with no indoor plumbing . . . I was shocked to find a . . . HOUSE that was on the water, with most of the modern amenities . . . who knew?

    I hate going away, and i don’t even HAVE kids . . . I especially hate short trips. My small group at my church sometimes does an overnight retreat. So you have to pack stuff for overnight, sleep in a room with other people (and I snore, so I end up not sleeping because I’m afraid to annoy people), and then go home barely 24 hours later. It just doesn’t seem like it’s worth the hassle . . .

    sorry about Canada, by the way. ;-o my best friend just moved to Edmonton two weeks ago . . .

    Comment by Lorraine on August 8, 2007
  15. Misterpie is just pining (heh heh, I’m punny) for a cottage this year, being off for the summer as he is. Me, I’m working anyway, I’m just happy to have a week off right now and another at the end.

    Comment by kittenpie on August 8, 2007
  16. If I could hire someone to do my packing and there was a magical bar that kept restocking itself at the cottage I would so be there. Alas, I must pack and buy my own alcohol, so me and the youngins don’t get out there that often.

    Comment by andi on August 9, 2007
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