Our annual camping excursion was full of promise this year. Food, drink, fire and banter are always fun but we had some particularly ambitious plans for our weekend. More specifically, we wanted to construct a one of a kind outdoor hot-tub to go along with the generally frigid Vermont climate. That’s right, I said outdoor hot-tub. I know, I know…Doesn’t make much sense but it was a silly idea that quickly morphed into a technological challenge for my nerdy friends. Just to prove how serious we were about the idea, take a looks at this schematic for the hot-tub design: Click here to download This sophisticated roadmap was crafted by the brilliance of my buddy Manny Silva, who is an engineer (no surprise) by trade. Plans were in place…Excitement was in the air.
Our mood quickly changed as we battled rain through Connecticut and Massachusetts. The forecast called for rain. Rain which would hit Vermont early Saturday morning. The weather was crisp and dry when we arrived on Friday night and there was this false sense of confidence that the weather may just hold. But we all knew what was coming…We were dealt another blow when Manny arrived late Friday night. One of the first phrases out of his mouth was “I couldn’t get my generator to work”. The generator was a key component to our hot-tub design and just wouldn’t work without it. We remained positive as there was a chance we might pick up a generator locally the following day. Friday night was comprised of setting up our tents, collecting firewood and getting the campsite situated. Weather was great and the company was awesome. continue reading »
