Slacklining In the Park

I have brought the sport of slacklining to Casper...well, at least I haven't seen anyone else doing it, but perhaps now they might. We set up the slackline in the park at our impromptu BBQ tonight with Mick, Lisa, their kids, and Dan. Kameron walked on it, too. That little guy...he immediately knew he was supposed to put one foot in front of the other and he was laughing the whole time. As for the rest of us, I made it 4 steps (personal record), Kurt got up on it once, and Dan was having trouble with the muscle stabilizers in his leg to even get up once, but at least he tried. He also helped me set it up. I did remember how to tie a clove hitch! I am going to set it up at home and keep on--after I get a new anchor. The rope I have now isn't doing it. I need more webbing I think.

Rest and Relaxation

I've actually almost forgotten what is like to not be busy 14 or 15 hours a day...I'm just now starting to remember how to read a book for longer than 20 minutes at a time! I drove to Casper on Monday and have been hanging with my nephews. Kaelan was so excited to see me. Kameron wasn't too sure about me at first, but by that evening he was ok with the situation. We have big plans for the next couple of days and my main goal is to set up the slackline in the park.

It's Over

My Lake Bryn Mawr summer 09 is officially over...

I flew in last night at 11:10, after an extremely bumpy ride--so turbulent, in fact, that it was kind of scary. There was lightning outside the plane and the guy sitting next to me was so freaked out that I stopped listening to my Ipod so that I could calm him down. We talked about the vacation he was going on--he and his wife, who was sitting two rows behind us, were going to Glacier and up into Banff. That seemed to work, but every 10 minutes or so we would hit a really rough patch and be tossed around. It was starting to make me feel a bit unsteady, which never happens to me on an airplane, but the dude was starting to make me nervous by being so nervous himself. Needless to say, I was glad to get off that plane.

Saying goodbye to everyone at camp was just as hard this summer as last summer. I cried a lot. It isn't fun to say goodbyes. I will miss everyone like crazy. However, the best part of Bryn Mawr is picking up exactly where we all left off the next time we see each other, like 10 months haven't passed. It was hard to say goodbye to my girls in 14 and 12. They all hugged me and cried. I was pretty much over 15, so I didn't even mind seeing them leave. Is that bad to say? It is how I feel. I was sad to say goodbye to Livvy, though.

The bus ride was good. The girls were really good--there was one pucker, and she made it into the garbage bag so I didn't have to clean. The parents picked up their kids and peaced, so there was no stress there. And then the driver picked us up early and we didn't have to wait for an hour! It was great. He drove us right through New York, so we got to see the city. We made good time to the airport. I did get stuck paying an exorbitant fee for my bags, but I was so ready to get out of there at this point that I didn't even care. I met up with the same group as last summer and we all sat at McDonald's with red eyes, extremely tired, hating life...and didn't want to leave each other when it came time to go. I was on the same flight as Tanya and Erica, so that was good.

And now I am home, and I washed all my laundry because it smelled really bad. Then I will pack up again and head to Casper to see my boys!

Gold Wins!

For the first time since I have been at Bryn Mawr--4 summers--Gold has won Color War!!! It was a pretty exciting race. There was something like 18 points separating them before going into Sing--unheard of in the past. In previous summers Green has always come from behind to win, but this summer Gold won Color War and even though Green won Sing, it wasn't enough to bump them over.

The Final Fight, or the Conflict Resolution as they called it, wasn't much of a fight. It was Gladiators trying to bump off the Green and Gold representatives. Very funny until Beau whopped Josh with a mat as he was flying through the air off the tumble track into the Bunk One girls. There were a few tears and more than one ice bag after that. Poor Josh felt awful. It probably hurt him too. Not a very soft landing. After that there was a dance off between the Green and Gold representatives. Drew was once again the giant hotdog, but he didn't dance. Bummer. The dance moves were hilarious and the girls really enjoyed the production.

I have been cleaning all day today. I do not like today or tomorrow. Cleaning and packing are not fun. I was hot and sweaty and grumpy today.

My stuff is mostly packed. A few last minute items to stuff and then I will be done.

Lightning Strikes

Last night we had a humdinger of a storm--there was a high wind warning, a golf-ball size hail warning, and severe thunderstorm warning. I had last night off and had just barely made it out of the dining hall when the heavens opened up. I was stuck in 22 by myself while everyone else was stuck in the dining hall--with 300 kids, lucky them! Anyway, I had just closed all the windows and was listening to it downpour outside (it sounded like a waterfall), when there was this sizzling noise followed by a BOOM so intense I could feel it in my bones. It hurt my ears and the whole bunk felt like it was shaking. You've heard it described as a thunderclap before? This was just like a giant hand had clapped next to my ears. I'm pretty sure either the building got hit or right outside got hit. And of course I'm the only one in the bunk. I called my parents and Dad asked if I felt anything, but all I felt was the soundwave afterwards. It was kind of cool. And now the topic of lightning fascinates me. Getting struck would suck, but Brandt told me that once you fall down your heart will restart from the jolt of falling. Good to know.

Finalization

Color War has been humming right along--and I apologize for not updating this sooner. I've been pretty busy and then the internet decided to go out...not a happy event. However...it is working right now! The lack of time and the many things going on does necessitate a list.

1. I started to read The Time Traveler's Wife. I like it so far.
2. I really like my new counselor in 15. She makes me laugh.
3. I really really like my old counselor in 15, Livvy. Today in her exit interview with Britton she said some very nice things. They made me choke up a little bit, actually. I really appreciate her and all the hard work she's put in. I know it hasn't been the easiest time in 15, but she's stuck with it. Plus she's just a nice person. So lovely to be around.
4. Gary Brown is a kick in the pants. He told me yesterday he wants to come visit me in Montana. He said that my parents must be very nice people and he'd like to meet them.
5. I got to serve snack today for the first time ever! Granted, it didn't last very long but I liked it while it happened.
6. My girls in 14 are such good kids.
7. I have been having very good times with all my girls in general. We've been laughing a lot.
8. I am tired.
9. Today was the hottest day all summer--96 I believe. That doesn't sound that hot, but to all of us here used to 70s and rain, this feels like being broiled alive.
10. I got all my paperwork done!!!!!

Color War!!!

Color War broke last night--it was an Indiana Jones, National Treasure sort of thing. Instead of fighting, like we normally do, it was just a series of scenes starting with a huge volcano down in the ropes course with our good archeologists and the two bad ones. The whole premise was that they were trying to get the pieces of the halo to join them together and unite Bryn Mawr. I was a fallen angel without my halo, and I held a torch along the path to adventure and then on the nature trail while we sang the Alma Mater. It was a pretty cool thing. The girls walked along through the nature trail and all the torches to Wembley where there was the final event in the Cave of Lost Angels--and Gary Brown as the knight/advisor like in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and the archeologists had to pick which angel to put the halo on. If they chose wrong, they died, sort of like drinking from the wrong grail in the movie. I thought it was done very well overall. I don't have any pictures, but the video is up on the website.

A week and one day left at camp.

Rainy Days, UFO Chasers, Lane Judging and Benny and the Jets

UFO chasers for Carnival...I was applying for the position of Galactic Ambassador, but you can't read my plate from here

Getting my palm read at Carnival--check out my sweet face paint by Aaron!

Yes, I am wearing a toga--and my tinfoil hat is amazing. Check out the height!

Enjoying some pretzel and showing off the face paint!

Carnival was yesterday--and it poured! It was the first carnival in my 4 summers at camp that had to be indoors. Boo! And at the same time, we made the best of it and the kids had a good time. And I loved loved loved my face paint that Aaron did and my carnival costume, which was basically a toga with a sweet tinfoil hat. I also added a plate advertising the fact that I was applying for a job as Galactic Ambassador. Everyone else went tinfoil-crazy, but I wore exactly what I would wear were I to actually be a UFO-obsessed individual, complete with the advertisement.

Today Gary Brown asked me to be a lane judge for the swim meet. Of course I said yes! I have never actually done that before, but I figured I'm a reasonably intelligent individual. How hard can it be? Harder than it sounds, let me tell you! It was a little bit stressful at times, trying to figure out who came in what order--especially with 8 teams and some of the older girls being right on top of each other. But I never screwed up! I had a good time.

Tonight Anita and I went to eat at this random little diner/restaurant in Honesdale. It came complete with mini quarter-jukeboxes in your booth. Anita was messing around with it and ours starting playing, at a very loud volume, Rod Stewart. We were getting some dirty looks from the poor diner-goers of Honesdale who were trying to eat and not appreciating Rod Stewart blasting into their dinners. Ooops. There was just one problem...we couldn't get it to turn off! I was semi-embarrassed, but Anita just pulled out a quarter and said we had to redeem ourselves after that song. So what else could we pick but Benny and the Jets?? We rocked out to that song and I saw quite a few people nodding happily along with Elton. Much better than Rod!

On another note, I have a new counselor in 15, a former Bunk 1 camper who left in 05, which was the year before I came to Bryn Mawr. She seems like a cool kid.

Celebratory Dock Jump

To celebrate the successful reappearance of my lower lip--no more blisters or scabs of blisters--I jumped off the dock today with Anita and Rachel. No pictures, sorry. It was a quick after-snack-before-5th-period dock jump. And it was AWESOME!!! I love jumping off the dock.