Last night was the camp cookout. I went with my camper and his little brother. They follow the activities (55 minutes of water slide and 5 minutes of plastic plate juggling for us) withburgers and hot dogs. Then they have a camp fire. The camp fire is a scouting thing, and is cute and fun. The kids group off and do skits, as do the staff. It is pretty enjoyable actually.

But once again, the parents (and their awful parenting) reallyalmost ruin things. Unsupervised kids running around like maniacs is a big drag. Also, the need for some of these people to bring folding chairs and side tables and all sorts of additional nonsense is, to me, somehwhat pointless. You seriously can’t sit on the grass for 10 minutes to eat a grilled burger? These people line their folding chairs up side by side and form ersatz bleacker rows of 10 or 12 people at a clip. It’s a wacky formation, as though they’re watching a giant outdoor move. I mean, you can’t effectively talk to your fellows, barely even the ones at your shoulders. And, of course, the kids run amok behind the line so the parents are blissfully unaware of their children’s mischief.

The most bizarre thing to me is the parking lot. In addition to the unemployed muscle car owner I wrote about, there are all of these massive, high-end SUVs. I just don’t get it. I see these guys who have their “uniform” from work on, so I have a pretty good idea what they do. And eavesdropping on their conversations, I confirm their jobs. I know this makes me sound elitist, but really, does a guy who works at the oil change place need to drive a brand new, fully tricked out Escalade? He should have a bumper sticker that says ‘my other car is a car payment.’

I’m not denying anyone their right to toys. I just don’t get why you would blow 75-95% of your monthly paycheck on a lease payment for a blingmobile. I think millionaire rappers driving Escalades is silly, but this…it’s just a waste.

I don’t know, maybe these guys are scoring with Goldfellow cash for gold and Grandma’s old jewelry. I just think things like health insurance and a college fund for Junior should trump spinning rims and a leather wrapped steering wheel.