Filing a Complaint (or Fifty)

Have you ever seen The Goonies?  You know the part when Chunk is supposed to be getting help.  He bumbles up the side of the hill saying, "I hate nature.  I hate nature."

Multiply that by 1000 and play it over and over again for two hours.  That was Gabe on our hike Saturday.  Granted, it was supposed to be a four mile hike and was more like six (I still can't figure this out.  The trail is listed as 4.5 miles, but my iPod and muscles say 6+).  There were lots of annoying gnats near the lake.  And it was 95 degrees.  But still, the level of whining and complaining was unprecedented. 

Matt is the usual whiner of our family. He's the youngest and takes that role seriously. Matt did some whining at the beginning and again toward the end of Saturday's hike.  Heck, by that time, all nine of us, including the two beagles were whining.  But Gabe--my goodness--it's almost funny in retrospect.

Just a few of his complaints:

"I hate state parks!"
"Rotten roots!"
"Stupid bugs!"
"My feet are tired!"
"My body is tired!"
"Hiking is stupid!"
"Parks are jerks!"
"This path is messy and gross!"
"We're doomed!"

Only once during our hike did Gabe not complain. Mainly because his mouth was full.

Ice cream pit stop at the new snack bar in Rocky Gap State Park.