Actions Have Consequences

I wouldn't consider myself a pyromaniac, but the simple fact is I appreciate a well-made fire. Whenever I go camping, I always think I can build the biggest and longest-lasting fire. I don't care if SurvivorMan himself is in my group - I'm in charge of the fire. I think that is why I love backyard firepits so much. You get all the fun of camping without sleeping on a slowly-deflating air mattress, you can go to the bathroom without needing a flashlight and the threat of a bear attack is greatly reduced. It is the best of both worlds. Honestly, give me a crisp fall evening, a few cold beers and my friends sitting around a fire telling jokes and stories and I'm a happy guy. We actually did that very thing Saturday night, dodging the raindrops and having a fun time doing it. However the next morning I was reminded that all fun activities have some downside.

One of the bad aspects of sitting so close to a fire all night is that fire is an unpredictable thing. After manning the fire most of the night, the next morning I was getting up to make breakfast when I noticed a small hole in the shirt I had been wearing. Apparently an ember had flown up and gotten me without anyone seeing it. It's a little disconcerting to know I was on fire for a second and it didn't even catch my eye. Not to mention it was a good shirt. That was the minor problem.

But, the far worse aspect of firepitting the night away is that fire makes smoke and smoke gets everywhere. And I don't care how much you move around, at some point you are going to be directly downwind. The next day everything I wore the night before smelled as if I had just left the firepit a couple minutes ago. It's like sand from the beach - just when you think it is all gone you find some hiding in another crevice. Not only did my clothes reek but the smoke smell had been strong enough on my body that it had gotten into my sheets. I thought letting them air out for a day might have helped, but it didn't. I ended up having to wash them next day to get the smell out. Also, I don't know what it is about water and smoke, but stepping into the shower the next morning and having the spray hit my hair unleashed a new round of smoke smell, almost as if it was hiding in my scalp. I couldn't get rid of it. Honestly, I don't know how smokers put up with it.

Obvious, this isn't going to change my opinion of how much I enjoy firepits. I just thought it was amusing how even the most fun activity can lead to extra work the next day. I had forgotten that. Let that be a lesson for everyone: there is no such thing as a free lunch and there is no such thing as an all-fun activity. Even the best time is going to cost you something: it could be time, it could be money or it could be turning a regular shirt into one you can only wear as an undershirt. Unless, of course, you're on your way to a sitting around a firepit, because in that scenario you and your shirt would fit right in.