An Ineffectual Airkick

Spring Semester

2012-01-24T10:07:00.001-07:00

Classes have officially begun. I only have 14 credits this semester, which coming after 19 last semester is going to be weird. I am taking Cognitive Psych, Psych Stats, Arabic, and Social Psych. I am excited about all except the Psych Stats--that one still intimidates me! I am nervous I won't be able to get a good grade in there because math and I do not get along well.

Arabic is awesome and I am loving the second semester. We have been warned that we are approaching the time when he will cease speaking English at all. I am kind of looking forward to it actually. It will help me when I get to Oman in June.

Last Week of Winter Vacation

2012-01-18T09:45:00.000-07:00

And guess what I get to do be doing??

I caught Strep throat! For the first couple days I just thought I was coming down with a cold but the throat got worse and I got a fever on top of it, and then my brother told me he had Strep and had just been to his house to babysit my nephews. So I went to the doctor and they confirmed the Strep test was positive--complete with a fever. So now I have been lying around, sleeping a lot, and waiting for this sore throat to go away!! My fever either didn't return last night or was so slight I didn't notice it so that is a plus! Here is hoping the rest goes quickly too!

So not how I wanted to be spending the last free week of my vacation!!

School starts on Monday.

Happy (Late) Holidays!!

2012-01-06T13:35:00.002-07:00

Catch up time!

First: Finals came and went in a blur of studying and sleep deprivation. I had to take only 4 thanks to getting a 96 in my Research Methods class and not needing to take that Final--thank goodness! I took Arabic first and it went really well. We did an Oral final in there in the form of a skit and then had to write a paper on our families, and then took the test during Finals week. It went really well. Then I took Psych 100 and that went really well too. It was hard to study for that one because it was 8 chapters of really hard stuff and I had an Abnormal Psych Final the next morning. And then my easy Final, Development Psych and I was done!!! Of course it took weeks for the grades to come back but once they did I was happy. A's in all my Finals and I got my 4.0!!!

Second: Home for the Holidays! I drove to Helena to stay the night with Brandt and Ashlie on the 22nd because they flew to Hawaii for Christmas with Ashlie's family on the 24th. We had Will's 2nd birthday party and did Christmas with them that Friday before Christmas. Kat, Kaelan and Kameron drove down and stayed with us until the 3rd and it was so much fun!! I love my boys. I miss them like crazy already!!

Third: Now I have time off until classes start again right before February. I am already kind of bored I will admit! I have been doing some Arabic to keep up with it and loving that. Today I did idafa structures. My vocab is a little rusty but writing isn't and I can read and speak it still. So much for taking off 3 weeks!!

A Bad Moon

2011-12-04T20:15:00.001-07:00

So I was just browsing through some movies a friend of mine sent me and found The Wolfman with Benecio Del Torro--ever seen it? (Just FYI, I am extremely frightened of werewolves. I am almost phobic about them. I watched American Werewolf in London when I was 5 and refused to leave the house for days and days, even in the daylight. CCR's Bad Moon Rising would come on the radio and I would scream. It was bad.) Anyway, now I watch EVERY werewolf movie I can find just to prove that I can watch it, even though I cover my eyes and have nightmares. SO tonight I thought why not! I started watching and of course they leap right into the scary parts--some dippy guy was wandering around the forest yelling for someone to come out, presumably the werewolf? I don't know who else he was expecting... You can guess where this is going huh? It came out! And didn't say 'here I am, what did you want?' like that idiot was so obviously expecting but instead ate him! I made some yip noises and covered my eyes and then my heart was pounding so bad I had to shut it off. Maybe I will watch that later...in the daylight...when I am feeling brave!

News

2011-11-29T19:03:00.001-07:00

I have some news--bittersweet news, really. I am unable to return for Bryn Mawr summer '12. :( Very sad face. I am going to the Middle East next summer to become more fluent in my Arabic. I have a couple different programs to choose between so I am not sure which country I will be going to yet--either Jordan or Oman. I will keep you updated.

I already told Bryn Mawr I can't come back and it was awful and broke my heart. I hope that I will be able to return to Bryn Mawr at some point though! I have a feeling we are not done yet, oh no, we are not. It will always hold a very special place in my heart.

Soldier Update

2011-11-27T18:15:00.001-07:00

Hey there, Happy belated Thanksgiving!!

I have 2 weeks left of classes and I am very excited! Although I really enjoyed this semester so part of me will miss it.

Soldier update! I have had 7 Soldiers thus far and 4 of them are now home--yay!!! Of the last 3 I have two will be home by mid-December and I am so excited for them. I will miss talking to them but I am very happy they get to be home with their families finally. My last and 7th Soldier is in Kuwait and just got there so he will be there until next November. I plan on adopting more after my two in Iraq go home though.

Will and Aunt Jessie

Brandt, Jessie, Will

Family Pic

While I was home I attended Weston's baptism. He is 2 months old and adorable. I coaxed a few smiles from the little guy and man is he wiggly! It is almost hard to hold him he is so wiggly! And Will and I played and sang the pirate song a lot. It was a good time.

Happy FALL!!!

2011-11-03T10:40:00.002-06:00

I have been remiss in my blog updating duties. Many apologies! I am still busy busy busy with school--but there are only 5 weeks left or something crazy like that and I cannot believe how fast the time has flown. My classes are going great and I love learning about Psychology. Of course my FAVORITE class is Arabic :) And, tadaa, I can read and write! We are getting to some big-time sentence structures now and it is a little intimidating. I met with my prof the other day and we discussed the class--strangely enough, or maybe not so strange, most of the class has dropped out. There used to be close to 40 of us and now there are 22. I guess not everyone shares the same passion for learning Arabic. Anyway, hay mucho plans regarding Arabic but I cannot put them on here yet. I will let you know when I can :)

My family is good. All are busy. Kaelan turns 7 on the 8th of November. Can you believe that?? I cannot. Kameron is in preschool--he goes to the Deer room and is loving it. I think he mostly loves the miniature toilets and sinks that are just his size. And my other two nephews are also good. Weston is getting big. I will post a good picture. Will is getting used to being a big brother and it is cute.

Big Brother!

I have to do an oral presentation in Arabic today. It will be easy because it is about me and at least is in first person. :)

Baby Weston!

2011-09-27T20:58:00.003-06:00

So precious!

He's here!!! His C-section was scheduled for the 26th but apparently coming early is just his MO because Ashlie went into labor on the 22nd early in the morning and rather than wait they just took him C-section that morning, at about 8:20 AM. He was 7.4 pounds and was 19 inches long. And I will say one thing for C-sections--they don't make the baby look all squished! Weston is perfect :)

I went to Helena on Friday after class and stayed the night with Will so that Brandt could stay at the hospital with Ashlie and Wes. Will and I had some good bonding time--we ate cookies and played the X-box. It was a mini-vacation for both of us :) Man Will can talk! Sure, half of what he says he is just repeating but it is impressive all the same. I think if he was taking Arabic class with me he would kick my butt at it!

Taking Me Back

2011-09-12T19:47:00.003-06:00

I love school!!! I am in my official 3rd week of classes and I am going strong. And despite having 19 credits I am not overworked a bit. Not much homework. Granted I am tired but that could be because I haven't been sleeping very well--I wake up in the middle of the night and speak Arabic to myself. Then I get the itch to get up and start writing words--in Arabic, of course--but I make myself stay in bed and eventually I fall back asleep again.

I am practicing Arabic on a daily basis and I already can feel myself getting better. I can read and write 13 letters in the alphabet thus far--but I definitely need improvement. My writing looks like a 4-year old! I bet those little Arab Kindergarteners could show me a thing for two. But I love it and I am excited to be getting a little better.

As far as the rest of my classes go, I am learning so much about Psych already. I think my favorite class just might be Development Psych, but then again we are learning cool things in Research Methods right now too. I am a bit disappointed in my Abnormal Psych class but that is just because the instructor seems a little uncomfortable teaching it and we haven't gotten to anything good yet. I also like my Psych 100 class, despite having to go be a guinea pig for the grad students on Wednesday--I just hope their experiments have nothing to do with The Jersey Shore!

My Babies

2011-09-08T19:57:00.002-06:00

Playing at Sandy Beach

I went to Casper before school started so I could see my boys. We hung out all week and had tons of fun! Here are some pictures of the merriment.

So Cold!!!

I will miss my Kameron

Firepower!

Playing in the water

Crazy Thing Called Life

2011-09-08T19:41:00.001-06:00

So I did go to Bryn Mawr this summer--for my 6th. I did not, alas, write about it! I was crazy-busy--I moved from Junior Camp to Senior Camp. I loved my kiddos though--for those of you reading this, you know who you are and I miss you!!! Basically I can never go back down to Junior Camp after the hectic-fun-wonderful-insane thing that is Senior Camp.

And now? I am back in Montana, at the University of Montana as a post-baccalaureate student, getting my degree in Psychology. I will be here until May. It is only the 2nd full week of classes but I already LOVE all that I am doing. I am taking Abnormal Psych, Developmental Psych, Arabic, Research Methods, and Psych 100. Even though I have 19 credits my schedule isn't too busy. Arabic is my hardest class and the one that I love the most, it is true. Everyday I go and everyday I feel slightly uncomfortable to be there but that is how I know I am learning!

In other news, Brandt and Ashlie's baby is due soon. His name will be Weston Brandt and they will call him Wes for short. His due date wasn't until the beginning of October but Ashlie went into labor with him a few weeks ago and his little lungs weren't fully developed yet. That and because he is breach made for a scary time until they got it stopped. They initially put her on bed rest but then took her off and now they are deciding whether to schedule a C-section or see if they can get him turned naturally.

In Soldier news, two of mine went home. You may have heard that I had just adopted a 4th Soldier right before I went to camp. He went home mid-summer due to a family emergency--:( I worried about him and still worry about him but I don't want to bother him now that he is home. And my SMSgt got to go home because he was all finished! And then my SSG was promoted to SFC--yay!!!--and he went home for this month only on leave. That left me with only 1 Soldier to support so I am going to adopt another one!

Fun in the Sun--Finally!

2011-06-05T19:37:00.000-06:00

It has been RAINING nonstop for the past couple of days. I would say that we get 3 days out of the week that are sunny. Boo!!! And so yesterday it was beautiful, but a bit cold, so we went to the park in Fairfield to watch a parade. Brandt and Ashlie came down with Will so we all went together and hung out. Here are some pictures of that.

At the parade! Will wants Kam's candy

Wrestling in the park

A new work out for Aunt Jessie

Kameron riding the miniature pony

Then today it was 86 and so hot out that we broke out the Slip-n-Slide! It took about an hour and 20 minutes to set the thing up but once we did it was so worth it! The boys had a great time. Even little Will played in the cold water.

Holy Buckets that is cold!

Uncle Bubba giving a boost

Kameron

Kaelan got the hang of it finally

Then after the heat went down a little bit the boys and I went slacklining. I had sunburned the backs of my legs and boy could I feel that when I was walking on my slackline! Ouch!

Hammock time!

Kaelan is a natural!

Yes he has no pants on

Firetrucks and Motorcycles

2011-06-01T21:29:00.000-06:00

We are in Montana for some vacation--Kurt couldn't make it due to work so Kat and the boys and I hopped in my Highlander and headed down yesterday. The roads have been closed for a week due to flooding but we only crossed over one section that had water covering the road. Today we woke up and made the jaunt to Helena to visit Brandt, Will, and Ashlie. We got to play in the firetrucks at Brandt's fire station and took lots of pictures. We also got to ride on his Harley Davidson Road King.

Here are some highlights of the day!

We all got rides!

Kaelan riding the Harley

Kameron riding that Harley!

Whoa--cool toys!

Kaelan and Auntie Jessie

Cousins!


Kaelan climbing trees

We Heart Our Soldiers

2011-05-30T17:11:00.002-06:00

AAUSS

2011-05-24T08:30:00.002-06:00

I have been asked some questions about the program I go through to adopt soldiers so I thought I would take a minute on here and tell you about it!

It is officially called Adopt A US Soldier--if you look that up you should find it. I was first introduced to it by a friend who was in Afghanistan. She asked if I would consider adopting a soldier over the holidays because so many did not have family or were not getting mail. I said yes and that is how the boys and I ended up with our SSG in the SF, who we had until April when he was finally sent home. We liked it so much that we adopted more! And now I have 4 soldiers!

Basically you sign up to adopt and it takes about 3 days initially to be assigned a soldier. Their information--rank, name, address, email address and any comments--will appear in your profile after the 3 days are up and you have yourself a soldier! Each soldier is given between 4 to 6 supporters just in case 3 or more stop writing for whatever reason. I must stress that this site does NOT guarantee that your soldier will write back. I have 1 silent soldier that I have not heard a peep from since I first adopted him--and I write him 2 letters a week plus the care packages I send. So if you are easily discouraged or are doing this to be in constant contact with a soldier I have to tell you that it is probably not for you! However, I have gotten fairly lucky. I have had 5 soldiers altogether and only 1 has been silent.

My idea of support is to write letters, emails, and to send down care packages. You are not obligated to send care packages but I like to spoil my soldiers. I especially like it once we have developed a rapport and I know just what exactly they would like the most--and then surprise! It shows up in Iraq or Afghanistan! The only problem I have had is that I want to ask so many questions and most of the time they can't answer. Especially my SSG in the SF! That was so hard! At first he would say 'I can't answer that' and then once he got to know me better he would just ignore the question.

I have gotten to know 3 of my soldiers pretty well. Our SSG in the SF is home now but we are keeping in touch still. He has disappeared for training purposes but I hope to hear from him soon. 2 of my soldiers still deployed in Iraq keep in very close contact. We talk almost everyday, and sometimes more than once a day. They are great guys. My SSG (P) has a family back home and it is fun to hear about them and see pictures. My SMSgt in the Air Force is my silent soldier and I just hope that my long rambling letters don't annoy him too much and that the care packages make him smile. Now my new CPL and I have exchanged emails too and I sent down his first care package to Afghanistan.

The program will contact you once in a while to adopt another soldier but only when they have an influx of new soldiers looking to be adopted. They are never pushy and they never make you feel guilty. If anything, they are a tremendous support and it is awesome to visit the forum on the site and talk to other adopters. I have gotten tons of answers and tips through there. I even found recipes! I am sending my soldiers a cake in a jar today--I am excited to get that going to them. If you do not feel that you can adopt a second or third or 4th soldier, then don't! It wouldn't be fair to them or you. So no pressure when you do get an email asking if you would like another one.

Ok, now I have to address another big downside, other than perhaps not hearing from your soldier ever. Worry! I worry about my guys. I can't help it--I get too attached, especially when we talk more than once a day. My SSG in the SF disappeared for the entire month of February and I think I got an ulcer. I worry about my guys pretty much all the time but I do not let them know that. They do not need to hear it from me. I am just there to write about things light and to take their mind off whatever they are going through. That being said, I do not avoid the topic if they bring it up with me. They are pretty stoic guys for the most part--when they do mention any dangers they do it in a straightforward way. Now that I have gotten to know some of them more they let me in a bit more and tell me what they really think.

I have found some very good people through this program. My soldiers are all sweethearts and I am so proud to be supporting them. I feel that just saying I support the troops isn't enough--I need to DO something myself, other than donate money to some organization. This is the most hands-on thing I can do and it lets me see some of the people I am helping. Not only see but get to know. They have pretty much become family by this point!

And One More Door Closes

2011-05-22T17:31:00.002-06:00

I am officially through with Precision Prosthetics & Orthotics. I first started in 07 and minus summers have been there ever since. And while I love the people I work with--they are truly lovely--I have never been more excited to close one door in my life.

On Friday we had my goodbye lunch, which due to an overload of patients meant that we pretty much ate in shifts and only overlapped by about 10 or 15 minutes. Oh well. We went to Wonderful House, which has the BEST chicken fried rice you will ever eat. However, do not get too attached because I plan on marrying it. If I ever decide to settle down and commit, that is. Who knows.

Anyway, I have more news. I was asked to adopt another soldier--and because I truly feel down to my bones that this program is a good one and because I feel that I have the time and energy to devote to yet another--I said yes. And now I have a CPL, in the Army, in Taskforce Spartan at FOB Ramrod in Afghanistan. Yep, I have my first soldier from Afghanistan and that means I will worry twice as much. Anyway, I emailed him and got my first response! I have his first care package all ready to send out--although it was hard to choose because he is fairly remote. Not so remote that he doesn't have internet access, obviously, but I don't know how often he gets to use it. And no one I knew could tell me about FOB Ramrod. So we shall see.

And that makes 4 in my family of Soldiers!

So now I will be cleaning, organizing, and packing in the coming week to get ready to head back to PA and my 6th summer at Bryn Mawr. Soooooo excited to be there and to be able to have 4 Soldiers to share it with--it really isn't fair because they are like a hostage throughout this! They will be forced to listen to all my camp stories. And because I am making the move to Senior Camp I am sure they will listen to all my fears and frustrations too. I feel a little bad about that--not enough not to write though!

On a happy note, it very much looks like my boys will be coming with me to Montana so I won't have to say goodbye just yet.

Freaking Terrorists!

2011-05-14T19:56:00.004-06:00

I know that everyone is thinking that...so I don't feel bad for titling my blog this way! As my friend Dan says, if you don't want jumper cables on your jumblies then stop blowing up civilians! Ok, so that had to do with the conversation we had about waterboarding and other torture means. This was in response to an article about whether we had received information on bin Laden's whereabouts through torture, but really the same applies. If you don't want to be called a freaking terrorist stop bombing people! But I digress.

The real point of this blog is to express my concern about what is happening to our ladies and gents in uniform in Iraq--and probably Afghanistan, too, actually, but I don't know for sure. Due to the adoption of my Soldiers I know much much more about what is going on over in Iraq than I previously did. And for reasons of OPSEC I will not post names or locations.

I was always hearing from my SSG in the SF that they were getting hit by IDF--indirect fire for those of you not in the military lingo know. That included me until I adopted my Soldiers. Anyway, he would say that he would be sleeping and bam--they would get mortars dropped on them. He would be so casual about telling me this too--just drop it into conversation. I was appalled! I mean, I know that they aren't vacationing over there but I didn't think that while they were on Base there would be any issues--not now that it is supposed to be better in Iraq. I knew that once he left on missions there was danger but not while he was back at the FOB--Forward Operating Base.

My SPC told me that they have been getting mortared a lot lately. He is at a different location than my SSG in the SF but it apparently happens everywhere. Anyway, what really bothered me this time was hearing that during a Toto concert--yes, that band that sings that Africa song!--they were hit and they had to pull the show early. It is bad enough that they have to randomly bomb our troops but to do it during Toto! Come on!

But seriously. It makes me angry and it makes me sad and it really makes me worry for my Soldiers--and yes, all our troops, but when you personally know someone it makes it harder. And the bad thing is that they are just randomly sending mortars over in the hopes of hitting something critical and injuring or killing our Soldiers. And so I say, freaking terrorists! Get another hobby!

Crazy Thing Called Life

2011-04-21T17:26:00.003-06:00

It has been a crazy couple of months. I will list the main points.

Grandma Lena passed away in January--I know she is at peace now but it was really hard to say goodbye. We all came home for the funeral in Montana.

Our Soldier, the SSG in the SF, disappeared on a mission in February--for the ENTIRE month. I developed an ulcer and was having trouble sleeping. (I didn't really develop an ulcer but it sure felt like it!) But he emailed me in March to say that he was ok!!!

I adopted a second Soldier the end of February. SPC, also in the Army, also in Iraq. He has become a good friend by this point.

I decided that I did not want to pursue Criminology and in my quest for a grad school stumbled upon one that I absolutely fell in love with. Forensic Psychology! However, I do not have any psych in my background so after much debating I decided to go back to school to get a second BA in Psychology and from there to go into Forensic Psych with a Graduate degree. Soooooo by this point the only school that would take me was U of M. I will be heading there in the Fall and I am super-excited about this opportunity! Also, as a consequence of my Soldiers, I want to explore post-traumatic stress and perhaps get into counseling for that.

In April our first Soldier, SSG in the SF, came home!!!!! It was sad to not be supporting him anymore but we all wanted to stay in touch still. The boys and I miss hearing from him but we know that at least he is safe now. Alas, he disappeared yet again for training purposes. :(

I adopted a NEW second Soldier--our 3rd if you are going cumulative. SMSgt, in the Air Force, also in Iraq. We have yet to hear a word from him--but we are still writing letters and sending care packages! I hope that they are brightening his day somewhat.

Through a series of miscommunications and errors we were led to believe that we no longer had our first Soldier so we adopted a new second Soldier--our 4th cumulative. Well, that turned out to be wrong information so now we have THREE Soldiers! SSG(P), also in Iraq. We have been communicating for a little over 2 weeks now and he is a very nice person.

All in all our experience with adopting Soldiers has been a positive one! The boys and I love to send them things and to hear how their days are going over there. And although all 3 that we have left are in Iraq, they are all at different bases so we get to hear about life from different perspectives and different areas of the country.

I will be done with Precision Prosthetics & Orthotics in May and off to Bryn Mawr for my 6th summer in June. And upon my return I will be moving back to Montana and living in Missoula once more. I am excited.

Holidays Over--New Year Begins

2011-01-06T09:17:00.002-07:00

Hey there!

I am back in Casper and have really begun my Grad school application process. The place I really want to go, San Diego State, extended their deadline to March! That was cool but I think I will have everything done before then. Or I should. Sheesh. It just takes forever for your transcripts to make it by snail-mail, apparently.

We had a good Holiday in Montana. Grandma Lena opted to not have chemo after all, so on Christmas Eve they moved her to a nursing home for extended care. She is hanging in there...I think she will have her good days and her bad. We spent a lot of time visiting her and Kaelan drew her lots of pictures for her walls.

We got so much snow!!! It was my fondest wish to have 7 feet--that didn't happen, but some of our snow drifts are piled that high!

All is well with our soldier, too. I worry about him now--I didn't expect to get so attached! The boys are just enjoying having a penpal I think and they like to draw him pictures. We try not to get them worried when he writes that something is going on over there--going on a mission, mortars, etc. I just tell them the good stuff from the letters.

And as nice as it is to be back in my own bed, I miss being home! We got to hang out with Brandt and Ashlie and little Will a lot, which was good. And of course, my parents.

A Little Sooner

2010-12-21T08:38:00.002-07:00

We are back in Montana. Originally the plan was to head here on the 23rd so we could be home for Christmas Eve and spend time with Brandt and Ash and little Will and mom and dad and everyone else. We left on the 18th instead.
Grandma Lena is in the hospital. She is looking much better after numerous blood transfusions but we all needed to be here right now. I don't foresee them letting her out in the immediate future. She has leukemia. They have not started any treatment yet because her kidneys weren't up to it and now I am not sure if they will. The chances of the chemo working are not good.
And then I got bad news from our soldier in Iraq. He is fine and everything is fine over there, but his family in the States was in a car accident and hospitalized.
This is shaping up to be quite the holiday, isn't it?

There And Back Again

2010-12-09T21:32:00.002-07:00

Ok, I just actually watched The Lord of the Rings and that was stuck in my head--it has nothing whatsoever to do with this very long-overdue blog. Or maybe it does!

I took the GREs and got my score--my math sucked!!! But I got an excellent verbal and written. Good enough to get me into the schools I want, I think. As for that, I have applied for San Diego State for Criminology. BUT I recently developed a crush on a grad school in Phoenix--global affairs and management. Here is a bit about that: geo-political economy, international relations and foreign-language study needed to make a positive difference in regard to international conflict resolution, sustainable economic development, humanitarian relief and human rights. RIGHT??? I know, I have a total and complete crush. Sigh. I just have to make up my mind now.

As for the rest of life, the boys and I have just recently adopted a soldier. He is in the Special Forces over in Iraq right now and we are very much enjoying sending him messages, mail, and care packages. We email every day and he responds on the days he is on base and not out on a mission somewhere. We are very proud of our soldier and would like to encourage any of you to adopt one yourself! They need all the support they can get. Our soldier has been away from home for the past 4 birthdays and 3 Christmases--just an example of what they are giving up for all of us. We are very proud of our soldier--he's our hero!

It is the Holiday Season and I hope that everyone has found Christmas because trust me, it is already out there!

And Here We Go

2010-10-07T09:49:00.002-06:00

I have been back at work since the first of September--and yes, I am finally on my last legs at Precision Prosthetics & Orthotics. I am taking the GREs on October 23rd, and keeping my fingers crossed that I get a decent score so that I can get into grad school for next fall. Criminology! After which, I want to join the FBI.

There you have it.

I have been studying like a mad woman, all while working 9 to 5 and playing with my boys in my down-time. Busy busy busy!

Spokane!

2010-08-18T11:01:00.003-06:00

Mom and I are in Spokane, WA, for her National Rural Letter Carriers' Association conference. While Mom is sitting through meetings I am exploring the nearby campuses of Gonzaga and Eastern Washington--research for grad school, you know--hanging out in the park with the geese, reading soooo much, and playing the Xbox. It is a pretty sweet little place. Although more than one person has told me that Spokane is the place to find Meth, I don't think I'm going to let that ruin my experience here. I haven't seen any drug deals go down right in front of me, so I'm just going to pretend it doesn't exist for the week. Thanks, friends, for all the meth updates. Sheesh. Anyway, we have been finding some interesting little stores and watched Inception in IMAX. There is another IMAX theater that is playing an Everest movie that I would love to go see. We'll be here until this Saturday and then back to MT.

Home!

2010-08-15T10:46:00.002-06:00

I made it!

Of course saying goodbye on Friday morning was sad--I was doing ok until I hugged Gary Brown goodbye. Then it went down from there, and I cried saying bye to everyone else.

The bus ride was ok. We had one girl throw up--I always have a puker on my bus. At least she made it in the little bag I gave her. Then when we got to Long Island the car service came to pick us up. 14 bags--8 of that big suitcases--for 5 people and one black sedan. You do the math. I wasn't about to sit there and wait for another ride to the airport, though, so I made sure everything fit. We didn't have leg room--Katie up front was sitting cross-legged, and the 3 of us in the back weren't doing too much better. And then the driver took us straight through Manhatten, through China Town, and into the Holland Tunnel. It took forever.

I stayed in a hotel at Newark that night and then went to the airport at 5:30 in the morning for my 7:50 flight. I of course went to the wrong air carrier to check in. I thought I was flying Northwest but I was flying United instead. Suckiness! That didn't make me miss my flight, but it did mean I didn't get breakfast. I popped some Dramamine because I didn't want a repeat of the flight over and that put me to sleep for the entire 3 hours until Denver. Then I took more Dramamine and slept from Denver to Great Falls.

I also sat next to 3 military guys in civilian clothes that were headed to Montana for the first time. They asked me if I was stationed in Great Falls, to which I kind of laughed, because I clearly do not look like I am in the military. Do I? Anyway, the guy next to me called in on his cell phone before we took off and said he was Agent something-or-other. That was intriguing. He had a military backpack and a Marine tattoo on his arm. I wonder just what they were doing...

And then I arrived and proceeded to switch cell phone carriers to Verizon and to buy a new cell phone. I didn't really want internet on my phone, but after seeing the other cell phone options I went with the Ally Android smartphone--it was the only one that wasn't a step down from my current cell phone. And so now I have unlimited text, 5 friends, and unlimited data. It is so strange to have Gmail on my phone and to be able to Facebook. But I totally dig my star charts and all my GPS capabilities.

Mom and I are off to Spokane, Washington, for the week.

Ciao!

Last Day Sadness

2010-08-12T11:36:00.002-06:00

The next time you hear from me, I will be back home in Montana...

We are packing today. My bunks are all finished currently, with the exception of bathroom baskets and the like.

It is also POURING rain right now. Not happy about that. I don't want to have a wet banquet night because there isn't much we can do with them. Outdoors is our friend tonight. And what about the last campfire and the launching of the candles into the lake??? And singing the Alma Mater for the last time?? Joe Widman asked me to stand by him for the Alma Mater. It was so nice! He's Bill's brother and in charge of the laundry every summer at camp. He's been here for like 15 years or so and has joined the list of my favorite people at camp.

I am all packed up and ready for tomorrow, when I will board a bus for Long Island, NY.

Talk to you all soon!

Take That!

2010-08-10T21:02:00.005-06:00

Final Fight! And Sing, of course, as you can't have one without the other.

Green won Color War!!!! I think it was extremely close this summer, though.

Batman was in the Final Fight, as was James Bond, the Incredible Hulk, Captain America, Superman, a guy riding a horse, the giant hotdog, Spongebob, and I think that might have been it--oh yeah, and the Monster bad-guys from the Color War break. Needless to say, there was a little too much happening in all directions to really focus on any one person. The guy riding the horse went down quick, as did Spongebob, but Batman acquitted himself well. The giant hotdog had everyone kicking him at one point but he squirmed out while they were distracted and won the fight.

Color War is officially over. That leaves us one cleaning day on Wednesday and one packing day on Thursday.

Then I am on a bus to Long Island, NY.

And then I am on a plane for Montana!!! And then I am home.

Camp Thinking

2010-08-08T07:14:00.002-06:00

Last night was Rope Burn/Kettle Boil--my least favorite activity during Color War. And of course I was on for it again this summer. 5 summers of watching water boil and ropes burn...

HOWEVER, this summer I was pleasantly surprised! Due to some intense prepatory work beforehand, the entire event took 18 minutes and wasn't long enough for my butt to fall asleep on the bench or for my hands and feet to get numb from cold. And the girls didn't have to cheer for an hour and get bored. Surprise number 1! I actually enjoyed it.

After walking back from the office I ran into Dan and Joe Widman, Bill's brother. Joe proceeded to tell Dan that I was one of his favorite people on camp. It was so nice! It made me smile last night.

Marjori told me that I need to go to Senior Camp last night. Another surprise moment. Marjori has previously told me that I need to stay with her. She is right, though. I need a new challenge. I was even contemplating not coming back next summer--thinking about running off to work in the circus or aboard a ship or something. Maybe go to Africa. Greece. Who knows. And now I have to do some serious thinking, because going to Senior Camp would definitely be a challenge. And I would get my old girls, who I absolutely LOVE and who I have kept in contact with this summer for hang-out time.

I don't know. I think I will just enjoy the last 5 days and get myself home and think about it later.

6 Days!

2010-08-07T08:07:00.003-06:00

Camp is almost over. It is the final weekend, the last Saturday, the last Sunday BBQ, the last Leadership night, the last stretch, the point where I can see the finish line.

Sad days.

And yet, I am ready. I am always ready to be over when it happens. I will still miss everyone and it will be sad to say goodbye.

I am on a bus to Long Island this summer. Then a car and driver will take me to the airport and I will get on a shuttle bus to my hotel where I will get some much-needed sleep before getting up at the crack of dawn to board yet another shuttle back to the airport where I will be leaving on a jet-plane for home!

Mira!

2010-08-05T18:12:00.003-06:00

Carnival! We were Group Leaders--as in, all the Group Leaders ever do is sit in the Adirondack chairs and do string or walk around in our polos with our clipboards. It was a way to poke fun at ourselves a bit because we definitely know how busy we are and just how much work we do at camp. I was an Adirondack chair and Danielle sat on me. We are at the very end of the group, against the wall.

So Much

2010-08-04T06:14:00.000-06:00

We have been just humming along here at Bryn Mawr. List time!

1. Chocolate Banana Night! I wore my Chocolate Banana Night skirt--the orangey-gold one with the hibiscus flowers--and a very interesting yellow slicker with hood. We surprised the girls in a good way and had some bananas dipped in chocolate. Still don't really understand the significance of that night, to be honest.

2. We have been having the BEST clues regarding Color War! All James Bond-esque. The final clue last night involved a boat chase on the lake with homemade rocket launchers that shot fireworks. It was so awesome! I love stuff like that.

3. Carnival! I was an Adirondack chair, dressed all in green with soccer socks on my arms and legs. I have a perma-green eyebrow right now thanks to that costume--we painted our faces to look like the pointy Adirondack chair backs.

4. I hit the outlet stores last Friday and found the best deals. I snagged a North Face jacket for a ridiculous price in the best shade of blue ever. And I bought my first ever pair of Uggs. Yes, I did. But they don't look like your typical pair of Uggs. They have a zipper up the back and just look like really nice boots. I think they are the nicest pair of boots I have ever owned, to be honest.

5. Less than 2 weeks!

6. I talked to Kaelan and Kameron last night on the phone and it was AMAZING! I miss them so much! Kaelan and I decided we would ride our bikes all around the world, starting with the park and then going to Australia. Kam wants to come too and he'll be in charge of security, ie, wrestling crocodiles.

7. I have a cold. Sad face. I can't breathe out of my nose very well and have no voice.

Livin' La Vida Bryn Mawr

2010-07-29T12:38:00.003-06:00

Soooo much has been going on since I last posted! That is understandable, considering a day at camp is more like a week in the real world. Let me see if I can remember some highlights...

Many days and nights off filled with much-needed sleep, great dinners and hangouts with friends, and of course, the Ice Cream Cottage. Oh Ice Cream Cottage, how I heart you! I am off tomorrow, too, and very excited to be heading to the outlet stores. Except I don't have anything on my list to buy because I can't fit it in my luggage!

My girls have been good for the most part. Little fights and misunderstandings and hurt feelings--nothing that can't be fixed with a little listening and some hugs. I really like this age group.

Weather has been fairly rainy and when it isn't rainy it's really warm. Not sure I like that. Am so ready for air conditioning!

Almost heading into Color War, but I don't know what the break will be. I imagine I'll hear soon.

Went to yoga with my girls this morning and had an absolute BLAST! I loved our instructor and wish I could take her class back home. She is by far the best yoga instructor I have ever had. I took some really good poses away from the class and a great idea with some rocks that I am going to do with Kaelan and Kameron.

All in all I am in good spirits and really making the most of these last 2 weeks with my friends here and my girls.

Lions and Tigers and...Woodchucks

2010-07-22T12:56:00.002-06:00

We went for a hike yesterday with all the Upper Juniors. Our original all-day hike at the Promised Lands was cancelled due to weather so this one was rescheduled as a baby hike to the Hundred Acre Woods from 10 until lunchtime. I was ok with that. We were going to do some berry picking and that is always fun. Once there, the boys had the girls 'snipe hunting' like they always do--when it got really quiet and the adventure/trek guys decided to split up and have the girls all do 'hoo rahs' while they walked in front. Come to find out, a woodchuck had been spotted.

Woodchuck=bear.

In this case it was a black bear that was also berry picking and we happened to come upon it. The girls had no clue. The boys handled it very well. Gil showed me the spot where it had been lying down and eating the berries. We proceeded to pick berries and made it back without any further mishaps.

I do enjoy life at camp!

Last night was square dancing. It was fun. I learned a Jamaican line dance that I am totally going to teach the boys because they would love it! Especially Kaelan. Of course, he and Kameron would want to add some booty dance to it because that is their signature move.

3 weeks left, people, and then I see you all!

Explanation

2010-07-18T14:12:00.002-06:00

How about I give a little background information as to why receiving my Angel should make me so happy?

Ok, that's what I thought.

Here we go: Our girls at Bryn Mawr are referred to as "Bryn Mawr Angels" and the Angel is on all our logos. I suppose you'd call it our mascot. :) Anyway, every Bunk One girl gets her Angel--which is a silver Angel necklace pendant--at the beginning of her Bunk One summer and not before. For staff, if it is your 5th summer you get your own silver Angel necklace pendant. The Angel is something that all the girls look up to and strive to receive--a super special reminder of all that you've done and all that you've worked for to reach this stage. Seeing how reverent all the little girls are about these necklaces, you definitely come to see it as more than what it is, even as a staff member. I didn't really get the significance of it until after my first summer here, but now I am super happy and excited to be included in the 'wearing of the Angel'. I didn't cry, but it was close.

And I shall include a picture of me wearing my Angel sometime soon.

Cheers!

Happiness Is....

2010-07-18T09:56:00.002-06:00

Riding the giant fish while eating a root beer barrel, but since I am no longer in Missoula and I gave up root beer barrels due to the color they turn my tongue, this entry will have to be different.

Visiting Day went really well. It was so hot in my polo! I have a nice sunburn momento in the shape of a triangle from the polo's button area because I didn't think about putting sunscreen there. My face didn't get burned and I put so much lip sunblock on my lips that I am positive I won't have a repeat of last summer. All the parents were lovely and the kids had a good time. And this summer I didn't eat too much! I only had 2 cookies at the cookie tent. They had fruit as an option this summer and I did enjoy that very much. We had our pool moment after the parents left and it was heavenly to be in the water. Then Male Beauty! I wore a pretty sweet Hawaiian style shirt with shorts and sandals. I think I was going for a dude-on-a-cruise look. It was fun.

And afterwards....

I GOT MY ANGEL!!!!

It was a very moving ceremony and I almost wish I had more time to absorb the whole thing. There were only 5 of us who got our Angels as staff and it was so awesome. I had to be wearing my Male Beauty get-up, but oh well. I have worn worse to camp.

JCSD, the Blob, Food Coma!

2010-07-15T18:58:00.002-06:00

JCSD was on Tuesday--a whopping 2 weeks earlier than it normally is. And boy did that ever make a difference. The problem is that the first 2 weeks of camp are so busy that we didn't really get a jump on planning like we normally do. We had decided the theme should be video games before the girls got here, but that was about it. By the time we got around to planning it and really setting all the events in motion, we were like 2 days away. Not a good thing, for multiple reasons. We did not do a half-ass job, though--everything was done very thoroughly. We just didn't get it to people with enough time. We got called on it and consequently Heather and I cried. We had been working on that soooo hard and we were completely wrapped up in the whole situation and stressed to the max. We had filmed the break with Matt--I was Luigi, Heather was Mario. You'll have to check out the video on the website if you have that log-in. Anyway, we eventually got everything in the right order and the day went off with an actual rainy day plan that worked well. It was probably my least favorite JCSD ever. Except for our T-shirts! They were a stencil of the fireflower from Super Mario with "This Is Why I'm Hot" under it. So awesome! Heather did an amazing job screen-printing our shirts for us.

I went to the lake today with my girls in Bunk 13 and was the celebrity blobber off the Aqua jump. The very first blob I did I landed hard on my bad wrist and saw stars--quite literally. I felt my face go white and everyone asked if I was ok. I just crawled back up on the jump and shook it off. I did a second blob and then swam back to the dock with one arm up in the air. It feels much better now. It just did not like that jamming action.

On a completely unrelated note, I watched Knight and Day with Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz last week and LOVED it! If you haven't seen it, you should.

Tonight I am doing a Counselor Appreciation Party at 10:30 on Cabin Row. I was off tonight and went to Wal-Mart, where I purchased massive quantities of junk food. Their requests? Double-Stuff Oreos with frosting to dip them in and anything with peanut butter. Ok then. I complied, with some soft cookies thrown in for Jess, my Co-GL, who does not like store-bought cookies unless they are from the bakery.

One of my girls met with Bob Ditter today. I am very impressed with Bob. I feel as though he should make a T-shirt that says "I dropped the rope, I've got money in the bank...AND..." on the front, with "I've been Ditterized" on the back. It would be a money maker!

Still no angel. Sad. Maybe tomorrow night?

Anniversary Night

2010-07-10T08:08:00.002-06:00

Got my 5 year jacket! It's a fleece in Bryn Mawr green with my name and the logo stitched on it. And...no angel. Sad! Hopefully soon though. Last night Anniversary night landed on a Friday, which is also Talent Show, so I think that is why they didn't do it. I think they like to make a bigger deal out of it and not share it with 5 million other things. I'll keep you posted!

Heat Wave

2010-07-09T09:31:00.002-06:00

It has been soooo hot here! Starting probably the 5th and going up until yesterday, when it finally, blissfully, broke. We had almost in the 100s with plus plus plus humidity these past 4 days and everyone has been cranky, uncomfortable, sweaty, sunburned, and just plain OVER IT!! I had a day off on Tuesday due to the girls going to Dorney Park and it was glorious--if a bit hot. We watched the new Tom Cruise movie and ate non-camp food. Wednesday and Thursday were long days of trying to go in the water as often as possible and avoid sunburns. I have been in the lake so much that I still smell faintly of lake water--after 2 showers?? Yeah, that's lovely. And yesterday while on the surfboards with my bunk 13 and Heather, something tried to swim up my lifejacket! I moved back a little bit in the water and felt it give me a good buffet in the middle of my back--much like those giant Tarpin did in the Grand Caymens, except they were almost 4 feet long and probably weighed 100 pounds or better. This was just a little something. I am hoping it was a fish and not a snake. Eww, I don't even want to think about it if it was a snake. Anyway, after that lake experience the heat started to break and we got some rain about dinner time. Lovely! Our evening activity was a GL night that Jess and I had planned. She was off so I ran it. It was themed skits in a bag and our girls had so much fun. They did a really great job with their skits. Then I sat OD until 10:30, actually got cold on OD, hallelujah, and Beau brought me a social cookie! I was so excited about that. I had been wanting one all evening. Social cookies, by the way, are the cookies they serve for the Senior Camp socials with whatever boys' camp is here. I ate my social cookie and went to bed. And today is also hot, but not as hot--there is a bit of a breeze, at least. Off tomorrow!

Happy 4th of July!!!

2010-07-04T20:14:00.002-06:00

Happy 4th of July!!!!

Brought my Batman bear to b'fast this morning because it was late sleep and jim-jam brunch. Jim-jams are your pjs, by the way. The boys and I call them that.

Got to do two glorious dock jumps for no reason whatsoever other than it was HOT today--and I have a standing Gary Brown invite to jump off the dock whenever I want, even if no one is down there, just as long as I wear a lifejacket. Of course I'm going to wear a lifejacket...I can't swim with only one arm that well and with the lifejacket I bob really well. Gil ducktaped my baggie over my splint this time. It still got wet. Oh well.

Finished my JCSD stuff--game and things I needed to put together. Will tell you the theme on the actual day.

Watched the fireworks tonight and wasn't that homesick, considering this is my worst night at camp. I sooooo want to be home with my family right now, watching fireworks with my babies, cuddling my Kamo.

Just one more day and then the girls go to Dorney and I get a day off!

Birthday Dock Jump 2010!

2010-07-03T09:41:00.002-06:00

Yay! Birthday Dock Jump 2010! My favorite part of being at camp for my birthday.

Notice the baggie over my splint.

It was cold this morning! The water was warm, but there was a definite breeze.

Pics: What I Have Been Up To

2010-07-01T08:20:00.002-06:00

Staff Olympics! Wearing a toga is just not the same when you have a splint. :(

Blindfolded for that trust-game. Ridiculous. At least my wrist was ok then.

Pointing at fireworks for my 4th of July skit with Christine. I really dug my socks.

Torture!

2010-06-28T15:07:00.001-06:00

Took a couple girls on a play-date to the Aqua jump today and could not go in the water! It was awful! Next time I am bringing a baggie and a rubber band to keep my splint dry so that I can actually go in. I think with the splint I can handle it--without it, no way. It feels like it is going to fall in two if I don't wear my splint.

Ok, off to a meeting.

Peace.

Honeymoon What?

2010-06-27T15:38:00.002-06:00

There is no way this was the first full day of camp. Firstly, the girls act like they've never left--there is absolutely no honeymoon period whatsoever. At least not for the Upper Juniors. I have launched into it already.
And I am tired and I smell bad.
I went to gym tryouts and sat with Bill, who proceeded to say that my wrist was broken at least 3 times. I told him it isn't and he said that we don't know that for sure. Well, we don't know that it is, either! I do have the number for an orthopedic Dr. that I will be calling later, so I will keep you updated on that.
I smell. Did I mention that? SOOOO humid today.
Sat OD until after 11 last night and had zero criers. Hoping that tonight will be just as quiet and maybe I'll get to go at 10:30 instead.
Really want to jump off the dock but am unsure about if that will be the best thing for the wrist. Dancing with the staff tonight!

Camp Is Beginning

2010-06-26T05:54:00.001-06:00

Yay! Camp starts today!
Staff camp is over, which is sad, but real camp starts.
And here we go...

Leftie and Other Impressions

2010-06-24T12:33:00.002-06:00

I am a leftie for a little while and have decided to make it a positive experience for me. I am going to be the best leftie ever for the time that I am one. I am already very good at eating left-handed and because of prior tooth-brushing practice I am already pretty good at that with my left.
I also decided that the sling was bringing me down, emotionally, so I have adiosed it. Considering as how yesterday was the first time in 5 summers that I have wanted to go home, I knew something wasn't right. This morning it hit me. The sling! It makes me feel even worse about the situation and I can't use that arm AT ALL, not even for little things. And it, at least in my own mind, makes me feel like the broken thing is already true and we don't know that for sure.
So no more sling! And today has gone much better already.
Plus I can feel my fingers much better and they aren't swollen today for the first time.

Unhappy

2010-06-23T19:36:00.002-06:00

I am not happy with my entire situation.
Feel confused about sudden transition to leftie, unhappy because I hurt a lot, sad that I can't join in any fun activities, completely and 100% superfluous because I can't help with ANYTHING....
This is the first summer I have wanted to go home! :(

Ouch

2010-06-22T13:40:00.000-06:00

This is short--typing with left hand only.
Soccer accident yesterday--someone kicked the ball and it hit my wrist and dislocated it. Went to ER and had an X-ray last night. They can't tell if it is broken. Will know more in a few days. Hurts soooooo bad!

Week Goes On

2010-06-21T07:08:00.002-06:00

We have been super-busy here at Bryn Mawr. Writing introduction letters to parents, someday making my calendars, going to sessions and participating in evening activities. I am leading a session after lunch today on the Angel Code with Tina. Last night was Rick Kelly--yes, I danced the electric slide. Much better at that than I was in previous summers. Missing my boys--I wish I could bring Kameron and Kaelan here for a visit. They would love everything that we do and I'm sure everyone else would love them. The girls get here on Saturday--do we really only have this week left??

Slackline

2010-06-18T10:40:00.003-06:00

I set up my slackline this morning because we are just chilling until the general staff arrive. I set it up super-high and almost couldn't get on the thing. I'm talking above my hip high. I had to really bounce to get up, but I walked it! Except it was so humid that I was dripping by the time I finished my 45 minutes, so I took it down and went inside to hydrate.

General staff arrive today! Gone is the peaceful leadership week...dropping into the roller coaster of staff week and ending with the girls arriving. Ahh camp.

List Time!

2010-06-17T18:59:00.003-06:00

1. I am having a bed issue--bed was too hard, even with egg crate. Added another mattress and bed was too soft and I cannot sleep like a taco every night. It was so bad I didn't even need a pillow because my feet and my head were too elevated. Now I am trying the one mattress on the bottom, board in between, mattress on top approach. Wish me luck, cuz I have been stumbling around like a zombie for the past 4 days without enough sleep and at camp I NEED my sleep, the 5 hours I average a night.

2. Have I only been at camp for 4 days, not counting today???

3. Today we did a session with Bill regarding the gym and what our GL role is--this was mainly for the new GLs and the returning staff who haven't been a GL. At the end, Bill stands up and says that he is going to leave and that once he is gone I will then tell them how I manage him, because we have never had an issue and that he knows I must have some tricks that I can share. He leaves and everyone looks at me. My response? A shrug. Bill likes me and I have no idea why. I know people here that are just as competent as me and he doesn't talk about them like he does me. So either I'm completely blind to my own abilities--and I doubt it--or Bill just really likes me and that is all there is to it.

4. We went out for dinner tonight with all the GLs and the Division Heads. Good times.

5. Tomorrow the general staff arrive. I am going to be assigning lockers to those who need them. I am so happy I will not be going on the bus this summer. It was very tiring last summer.

Blindfolded

2010-06-15T14:26:00.002-06:00

This morning we did team-building again--and this year I was once more the blindfolded one. Last summer I didn't mind so much because I could kind of see out of the blindfold and it wasn't as scary having to walk on plastic lids and up on benches and across boards and swing across a rope. This summer? They got much better blindfolds.

I did not like it one little bit. I was always just standing there, superfluous, until someone moved me or remembered to explain what they were doing at that moment. The only picture I had in my head was what I remembered seeing of the set-up before they blindfolded me, so that didn't help much. A little, but not much. Have you ever tried to ask someone something when you can't see them to know if they are listening? Usually I just asked and hoped someone would answer me. I must admit, they did take pretty good care of me. I never fell off of anything and I never was shoved or forgotten. The rope swing was the worst. Joe moved me to the rope and just kind of shoved me off. Being on the bench wasn't too fun, either. We had to walk on the bench and get into some kind of order--height, I believe it was. At one point I had to get down and hug the bench so someone could step over me because they couldn't fit past. Yet again, I never fell off.

And so, that having ended--our team was just positive we were winning, until they pointed out that it wasn't a race. Ooops. Anyway, once I took off my blindfold I had trouble with my eyes adjusting. I had to keep blinking and everything looked slightly blurry. Not a fan of being blindfolded. At least I can still see, right?

Details

2010-06-15T11:22:00.002-06:00

So I thought I was going to be able to finish blogging about my cruise with Mom last April--and that never happened. Sorry about that. Perhaps someday I will post some pictures.

As of right now, however, I am in Honesdale, PA, back for my 5th summer at Bryn Mawr! Yay! For once I didn't overpack, either. And my carry-on was relatively light, considering the past summers I haven't been able to carry everything.

The flight from Great Falls to Denver was so bumpy and turbulent I had my first episode of motion sickness on an airplane. I was pretty positive I was about to experience throwing up in one of those small, impractical paper bags that they have in all the seatback pockets. And I was not looking forward to it. In fact, I think throwing up wouldn't have been so bad--it was the fact that I had to do it in front of however many people. Gross! And to make matters worse, a guy behind me was throwing up and a girl in front of me was throwing up--and that sound does not do any favors for a person who is on the verge of throwing up anyway. The entire descent to Denver I was digging my fingernails into my arm, chanting "You are not going to throw up". And I didn't! My arm was pretty scratched up, though. I didn't mind the fact that we were tossing all over the place. My thoughts were so focused on not throwing up. It was pretty awful.

And I am now here!! I am still trying to get adjusted. There are so many new people. The good thing about us returners, though, is that we are all super-close, even with people that we weren't close with before. I guess that happens once you're a lifer.

I have my own room and a sink in there, so I am happy as can be. About to go on a mattress-stealing escapade, though, as I have a metal bed with broken springs and Bill put a board on there last summer for me and there are now 2 boards. Even with an egg crate I am in pain. I feel old. When I was younger, I could sleep on anything.

I am the Upper Junior GL this summer yet again--I love that position. And my co-GL is Jess Maas, who was the Lower Junior GL last summer. So I am thrilled to have someone that I like!

More later!

Cruise!

2010-04-29T20:18:00.005-06:00

I was unable to use the internet while on the ship, so I figured I'd talk about every day from what I put in as a journal entry.

And here is Day 1!

Flying to Houston on Saturday, April 17th. None of the flights were long, but we changed planes 3 freaking times, so that made for a really long day. We woke up at 5 and got to Houston at about 6. We checked into our hotel, had dinner, and went to bed really early.

Day 2

We had a very nice breakfast this morning and made it to the airport with no problems. Everyone else we met were taking the trans-Atlantic cruise for 2 weeks, and we were very definitely not. I felt kind of like a loser for a second or two--or at least like we were completely out of the loop. Apparently the new thing in cruising is to cruise to Europe and fly back home. Who knew?

Then they told us to wait in the wrong spot and when we finally made it to our shuttle, it was full. Which meant we ended up boarding another bus at least an hour later than we were supposed to. Oh well. I guess we did end up getting there.

After reaching the Cruise Terminal, they attempted to put my bags on the Royal Caribbean ship that was heading to Spain! I finally got them to take the tags off and we made it to the Carnival ship--with the 6 other people who were also not cool enough to cruise trans-Atlantically.

And talk about lines inside! It was way worse than any airport, ever. But I guess when you try to get 3000 people onboard a ship at once, there are bound to be lines. We made it without feeling too uncharitable about our fellow man.

Once we got on the ship, this is what we found....

A seal waited for us after our Steward made our room ready for the night. I really liked the towel animals.

A coast guard ship escorted us out into the Gulf of Mexico

Our room wasn't too small--but we didn't have a window, so no natural light would come in to wake us up.

We left Galveston at 5 and headed out into the Gulf of Mexico. We went to dinner at 6 and met our two waiters--Noel and Noel, who we referred to as Noel 1 and Noel 2 for the duration. Noel 2 was my personal favorite. They knew our names and remembered everything that we liked to eat and drink at dinner. Plus they danced for us and sang for us. We met our room steward. He made us a towel animal every night.

We really liked the people we sat by during dinner. We also made a decision to walk from deck 2 all the way up to 9 when we had to eat so that we would keep the pounds off.

More later!

2 Weeks!

2010-04-01T20:08:00.002-06:00

My Caribbean vacation is swiftly approaching! Mom and I booked our zipline tour while we're in Jamaica, and today I booked us to go out on a pirate ship while we're in the Grand Caymens. I think the rest of it we'll just play by ear. I am so ready to be there. We got more snow today...boo! Snow for Easter, yet again. I guess it's like old times, right? I barely remember a nice warm Easter egg hunt.

Oi

2010-03-26T17:41:00.002-06:00

I just spent my Friday afternoon writing my boss' personal ads for online dating sights. I think that sentence about sums everything up nicely.

Haiti Trip

2010-03-12T20:44:00.004-07:00

Getting ready for the Haiti trip

Kamil is finally going to Haiti this weekend--there have been many setbacks, not the least being the Haitian government imposing a sizeable tax on any donated materials. Either they get to take half of anything you bring into the country, or they tax it--at a very outrageous sum, I might add. I understand they have no revenue, but to attempt to get it by taxing medical supplies and other donations?? Not cool. Anyway, so the trip has finally come together. Today was especially long. A t-shirt shop here in town donated so many sweatshirts--for the rainy, cold season Haiti is approaching--shirts, hats, shorts, and some little kid clothes. So we were going through all of that and packing Kamil's tubs with casting material. The plan is for Kamil and his two helpers to cast for the entire 10 days they will be there, and then for them to bring the casts back and for the prostheses to be built at Precision. After that, Kamil will return to fit the prostheses and hopefully cast some more. We are also starting an Adopt an Amputee program through Wyoming Haiti Relief, kind of like those sponsor a kid things except instead of food you would be helping them get a prosthesis, either a leg or an arm.

Will

2010-03-06T12:02:00.002-07:00

Here is a picture of Will attempting to crawl--at the tender age of almost 3 months. Check out those eyes!

Living the Dream

2010-03-06T11:58:00.002-07:00

I last posted that I had come down with pneumonia--lovely condition. Well, after I had been taking my medication for a week, I got really sick and then I started breaking out in hives. Back to the Dr. I am allergic to Biaxin. Good to know. Am now on a different medication for my pneumonia and can finally go back to work--it's only been 3 weeks of missing at least 3 days a week. I need a paycheck!

Kurt and Kat took the boys to Germany on Thursday morning. I am house-sitting, dog-sitting, cat-sitting, and fish-sitting. I am ok with being here solo. I get to go on my own vacation in April, after all. Except the dogs have decided that they can act out--being such neglected puppies, of course. They have eaten the entire contents of Kat's purse, peed on the couch pillows, and raided the boys' playroom. I am about ready to sell them!

I took them for a long walk this morning through almost knee-deep snow and am now contemplating the new Alice in Wonderland in 3D.

Winter Blahs

2010-02-21T19:50:00.003-07:00

I came down with something on Thursday that has kept me more or less in bed for these past 4 days. And I am probably going to be staying there for a couple more, at least. My chest hurts and my head hurts and I have had a pretty good fever, too. Finally I went to the Urgent Care and discovered that I am the happy recepient of bronchial pneumonia. Lucky me! I got a prescription for some pretty good drugs complete with codeine cough syrup because the Dr. doesn't want me coughing--that is hard to do in this case. My poor lungs are just full of gunk. At least it is a light case. Hopefully I'll start feeling better and my fever will go away so I can go back to work. I'm already bored of staying home.

And This Is Why Life Is Fun

2010-02-03T20:43:00.003-07:00

Mom and I booked our cruise! We leave on April 17 to fly to Galveston, TX, and from there we go to Jamaica, the Grand Caymens, and Cozumel--a whole week of sailing adventure! And who needs a porthole anyway??
Yes, we booked the cheap, interior room--but we did get a free upgrade, so we are no longer in the propeller! And perhaps there will be enough lifeboats for us. Ok, enough Titanic humor.
And now to wait until April...

3D

2010-01-25T08:17:00.002-07:00

So my previous 3D movie experience has been limited to those dorky plastic glasses that you can tear out of a magazine and then on TV they have something that they say is 3D but really doesn't feel all that 3D. And then this summer we took the girls of Bryn Mawr to see G-Force, that Guinea pig movie, in 3D. And yeah, it was more 3D than before, but still, it was G-Force. I'm sure there is only so much you can do with a movie about talking, fighting, special-forces, Government agent, Guinea pigs.

We went to see Avatar yesterday in 3D. And the glasses weren't the plastic kind--they were pretty heavy-duty. They were so heavy-duty that my ears hurt by the end of the movie because of those monstrosities resting on them. But they worked much better than any other 3D glasses I've worn. And by blogging about this I am showing just how much of a nerd I really am, because I had the best time in that movie. Not necessarily the message part, which was basically Ferngully meets Pocahontas, or even the fact that Sam Worthington was one of the major leads, but because it felt like I was there. Yep, I'm a nerd. I buy into the whole experience. And I really liked feeling like they were right in front of me, even more so than on a screen.

And yes, I returned the glasses.

Haiti

2010-01-21T21:30:00.002-07:00

Kamil has decided he wants to go offer his services as a prosthetist in Haiti. We received an email from the ABC--American Board of Certification in Prosthetics and Orthotics--that over 70 people are losing limbs a day down there right now. Yikes! They have an organization called Healing Hands For Haiti that you can either donate money to or join if you are a certified Prosthetist/Orthotist, PT, nurse, doctor, etc. I spent most of today filling out the volunteer information and writing a radio ad that asks for old braces, prosthetic legs, arms, etc that people are going to throw away. Kamil will take the componentry and customize new sockets for the victims in Haiti with the old parts.

Then he asked if I want to go with him.

Although I am completely all for anyone willing to donate their time, energy, and money to help those poor people, I do not think that I have the qualifications to do much of anything. A mastectomy fitter is not required right now. Kamil thinks I could be useful, as I have 'assisted' him in the past, but I have my doubts.

I think right now the best thing I can do is pray for them.

Anyway, Healing Hands For Haiti lost their clinic and are still trying to determine the safety of their staff. Their website is www.healinghandsforhaiti.org. They are completely nonprofit and have been working in Haiti for 10 years. They send prosthetists/orthotists down on a weekly basis, along with PTs, nurses, doctors, and therapists to Port Au Prince. They need your help and donations more than ever!

Family

2010-01-06T19:15:00.002-07:00

And Baby Will makes 3!

New baby in the family means new family picture!

Things I Want To Do In 2010

2010-01-02T18:39:00.002-07:00

Jump out of an airplane!
Go to Prague!
Get my book published!
Go back to camp for my Angel summer--5, for all you non-Bryn Mawr folks out there
Spend time with my nephews, especially the new one
Figure out the logistics of hitting where I aim with my bow

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

2010-01-01T09:25:00.001-07:00

Yay for 2010!

And We Have A Baby!

2009-12-28T15:24:00.002-07:00

William Stanley decided to grace us with his presence last night...and here we were thinking he'd need to be induced. Brandt called us last night at 1:3o AM to tell us that they were at the hospital and Ashlie was in labor for real. Then we got another call at about 3:40, telling us he was here. And he has a good set of lungs. I could hear him the whole time. He was 8 pounds, 2 ounces, and was 20 inches long. Thus far we have only see him on Skype, but we are planning on heading up there after Mom and Dad get home from work.
Welcome to the family, Will!

Iced Again

2009-12-26T20:41:00.003-07:00

For those of you who do not know, I have very bad luck with ice. There was that time when I was 5 or so--I could have been 6 or 7, I don't really know--when I fell on the ice while sledding and could not walk on my leg because my knee wouldn't work. Then there was the time that I was running to the car because dad was driving us to school and we were late and I hit the tailgate we were using as as a makeshift bridge and my feet flew over my head. There was no lasting damage from that one, but I remember it. Then there was the ice-on-crutches incident outside of my class in college when I cracked my rib. Then there was the time that I fell down coming out of the Institute a mere couple weeks after I had gotten rid of my crutches and sprained an ankle, tore some ligaments in my thumb, and hurt my knee yet again. I sat in physical therapy with ice packs on every inch of me for almost 2 hours, completely embarrassed. AND finally, today: we took the boys sledding out in the yard--I pulled them around to every small hill we could find, basically. And then when we were heading back into the yard I hit a patch of ice in the driveway and was looking down at that when I was blasted off my feet by Plato, Kurt and Kat's moron-dog. It probably would have been fine had I not been on ice, but since I was both legs went out from under me. And it HURT! I was half-convinced I had hurt my trick-knee for real. After icing it and much time not on it, it feels half-way decent. It is still a little swollen, but that's par for the course.

Home For the Holidays

2009-12-23T18:44:00.002-07:00

We are officially back in Montana for the entire holiday season. Bring on the eggnog! Ok, so I don't actually drink eggnog. I think I've had it once, but I guess a more accurate phrase would be bring on the fudge!

Pictures and news to follow.

Merry Christmas!

Whew!

2009-12-20T18:29:00.002-07:00

I am all finished with my Christmas shopping! And now I am listening to Kaelan shriek upstairs because Kat is cutting his hair--"It hurts my hair!" Interesting.
Anyway, we are about two days away from that awful drive back to Montana, where we will remain until Baby Will puts in an appearance--either on his own time table or on the 30th when Ashlie is induced. Either way, we will see him soon and I can't wait to meet him.

Musings

2009-12-18T20:49:00.003-07:00

I ran a 10-minute mile tonight! I am pretty happy with that, and VERY happy that it didn't hurt my lower back! Yay! My lower back does not enjoy sitting for 8 hours every day and it has been reminding me of that more and more lately. But now that I have started at my new gym--thank you, Kamil!--no more back pain! Well, in time, I hope. I was a little bit unsure about doing any running whatsoever, because I was afraid it would hurt, but I hopped on the elliptical and it felt AWESOME!!
Soon to be home for Christmas, and hopefully Baby Will will put in an appearance soon. My 3rd nephew! All is well in Jessie-land.

Ugly Sweater Party

2009-12-06T22:01:00.004-07:00

We had our Ugly Sweater Party this weekend. Due to some unforseen events--Dan having to work, then Dan breaking down--we had to postpone the party until Sunday at about 5:30, but we all had a good time and made it home not too terribly late for the boys' bedtime. The boys and I in our Ugly Sweaters

What an Ugly Sweater family...

They make Ugly Sweaters look cute
Check out Dan's pants! They had pheasants all over them and were corderoy...and I think Kurt wins the Ugly Sweater contest with his turtleneck and massive cardigan. Notice the flowers all over it...

Working It Off

2009-11-27T08:38:00.002-07:00

I don't know about you, but this is how I am working off my Thanksgiving dinner...

Movies, Jobs, and Breaks

2009-11-22T19:23:00.002-07:00

I have been watching many movies this month of November--mostly on DVD, but Kurt and Mick and I went to 2012 this weekend. That one...hmm. I can appreciate the fact that although it was foretelling most of the planet's doom, it was done for entertainment purposes, thus I did not take it very seriously whatsoever. It didn't even make me cry. I did speculate as to how I would want to go out were that situation to ever come about: to be dropped down a huge crack in the earth and incinerated, to be smashed under millions of tons of water, or to be fireballed from a very big volcano. OR to be squished by something just prior to the dropping, smashing, and fireballing. I do like John Cusack, though. I would watch anything he has out. I told my friend Dan that we need to make friends with someone high up in the government so they can get us smuggled onto whatever ship or boat or way they have to save at least some of us. In the event of a earth crust displacement, we need to be prepared and warned ahead of time. Anyway, the other movie I watched recently was once again Star Trek, this time on DVD. And yes, Spock was still sexy.

In the case of my job, this is what has been going on: I work from 9 to 5, sometimes 8 to 5 if I need to cover for Sandy, and things are going well. I have been involved the entire month of November in fitting my first mastectomy patient--well, the first one that I have been responsible for. And it has been a challenge! I am due to fit her tomorrow with the lastest and hopefully she will be satisfied. It is kind of like a puzzle...trying to find which size breast form, how to rotate it, etc. And in this case, what is too big and what is too small.

And lastly, Thanksgiving break is coming up! I work a whopping total of 2 days this week, and then we are driving home to Montana! Brandt and Ash will join us for dinner on Thursday, and then we are all going to Helena to tour the Fire Station on Friday so the boys can see everything and maybe even sit in an actual fire truck. They are super excited. Then Saturday is Ashlie's shower, and then we drive back to Casper on Sunday.

Just in time for the Ugly Sweater party I am throwing the beginning of December...

The Turn

2009-11-03T20:39:00.001-07:00

My new project? Turning around on my slack line! I can do the turn, I just can't get started in the opposite direction. I will practice!

Halloween Party!

2009-11-01T10:41:00.003-07:00

So my costume sucked this year...I just wasn't feeling it. I was a Survivor contestant who got voted off. About the only thing I did have going for me was my torch. Oh well. We played Apples To Apples and ate too much food. It was a good party.

Kat's cake--it was a big hit.

Bumblebee!

Kameron's costume was awesome! He was a little Batman, complete with cowl and cape. He looked good.

Zombies

2009-10-25T20:28:00.002-06:00

I just watched Zombieland. Other than the gore, it was more of a feel-good movie than Where The Wild Things Are! And since I don't mind the blood and guts, it was definitely more of a feel-good movie! If the makers of Zombieland can turn zombies running amok into a positive, why couldn't the director of Where The Wild Things Are for a children's story?? Ok, I'm done talking about that movie.

My favorite part of Zombieland? The Woody Harrelson, Bill Murray reenactment of Ghostbusters, with vacuum cleaners. Awesome!!

Where The Wild Things Are

2009-10-24T22:01:00.002-06:00

We took Kaelan to see Where the Wild Things Are today...and I have one major gripe with the movie. I loved the book as a kid...the very idea of Max escaping his punishment by going on this amazing adventure where the Wild Things live and being crowned their king is so cool. And in the end, he comes home because he's done. They had a great time--their wild rumpus took them on all sorts of adventures--but after the Wild Things go to sleep, Max goes home.

In the movie...well, I don't want to spoil it for anyone, but suffice it to say that there is not much happy about this version. I really did like how they brought the Wild Things to life. Their wild rumpus was very believable. But why did they have to be so...disfunctional? They were supposed to be uncivilized in a good way! Wild but not burdened with the problems that face us on a day to day basis. I guess you could argue both sides of the coin. They were very human-like in their emotions and feelings which means they were relatable.

I guess what it all comes down to is that when I finish the book Where the Wild Things Are, I never cry. In the movie, I bawled. It just isn't supposed to be sad. It is supposed to be happy and leave your imagination all fired up for your own wild rumpus. And it isn't quite the kid's story it should have been.

And So It Is

2009-10-21T21:12:00.002-06:00

I have really been struggling with working from 9 to 5--not because I hate my job, but because there is no time to do anything but work! I am not a workaholic. I don't understand that mentality. Maybe if my job were skydiving or slack lining or working for the circus...all things I can see myself doing a lot of. But I get up, I go to work, I come home tired from work, and I have maybe 4 hours to do anything...not nearly long enough to fit all my hobbies in!

I am preaching to the choir, aren't I?

I know, I know...be thankful I have a good job that pays well and suck it up. But when someone finally wants my books and I don't have to work 9 to 5, or I get brave enough to run away to the circus, I will be a happy happy girlie.

Piracy

2009-10-18T21:27:00.003-06:00

What are your thoughts on piracy?

I'm not talking about illegally downloading music or movies...I'm talking about the modern-day pirates who are plying the waters currently around Africa. I did a paper on them for my Globalization and Lit class my senior year of college, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It made writing a 25-pager much more entertaining when the subject matter interests me. And yes, before you ask, I would definitely run off to become a pirate. In fact, during graduation, my friend Roger told me that he would join my crew if I asked. It was a nice goodbye.

Anyhow, the reason I bring this up is because I am putting pirates in my book. I don't really know the angle yet, but I'm working on it. I'll keep you posted.

What Happened To Fall?

2009-10-14T08:38:00.003-06:00

We skipped my favorite season--figures. As soon as October hit, we went straight into snowstorms and extremely cold weather. No mild leaf-strolling for us...I am completely unhappy with that. That being said, it won't ruin my Halloween! I have a few different costume ideas I'm working on. The problem will be deciding which one to do...

My Bow!

2009-10-01T20:10:00.002-06:00

I got my bow! It is 64 inches long and has a 25 pound draw. In addition to that, it is beautiful and shoots like a dream. I took it to Dan's tonight and he showed me how to string it and then we took it out to the target and started practicing. It took me a couple shots to get the feel of it, but once I did it was awesome. I am working on the mechanics of shooting--doing the same things everytime. The hardest for me is to get my pointer finger to the corner of my mouth and then instead of letting go to stop holding on--yes, there is a difference. Letting go involves my hand flying out into space. So the few times I managed to stop holding on, I had the bow drawn back too far and I got a wicked fletching burn on my face. Not fun. And then it was too cold to continue. But I'm excited to see what else I can do with this thing. My bow is also, incidentally, an oldster. 1950s or thereabouts. I did a little research online.

Adventures In Outlaw Country

2009-09-27T20:30:00.003-06:00

Outlaw Canyon!

Checking out the pictographs

The cave where Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid hid out.

Today we drove to Outlaw Canyon, outside of Kaycee. It was the coolest place I've been in a long time! I brought my slack line but I didn't ever put it up. It was windy and wonderful there. We made hotdogs and hamburgers--well, antelope burgers, I guess they were. Dan and Juanita brought those. Then we took many pictures and explored everything. There wasn't time to go down into the canyon to find the cave that Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid hid out in. That we'll save for another time, when we don't have a 4-yr old and a 1-yr old along. Then we went to the pictograph cave and looked at that. I was fascinated by the cool rock formations--little bumpies all over the rock, like warts, or softballs sticking out of the surface. All in all, it was pretty cool. It might be my new favorite place.

Bow

2009-09-26T08:19:00.003-06:00

I bought my first bow! Dan found me a good one on Ebay and I entered into the great adventure that is an Ebay auction...I'm lying. I actually DO NOT enjoy bidding on Ebay items. I am too competetive and I don't think, "The best man won!" whatsoever. I get annoyed and grumpy when someone else bids and think uncharitable thoughts about them. Anway, the point of the story is that I won! And my new bow shall be arriving soon.

And for this weekend? Slack lining, putting together my sweet scrapbook that Heather D made me at camp for my birthday, figuring out my jewelry storage situation, and my creativity project!

Counting

2009-09-23T20:24:00.002-06:00

Today was the longest day ever...I had plans originally to set up my slack line in the front yard, but longer so that I could walk something more than 10 steps, but when I pulled into the drive all I wanted to do was crawl into bed and sleep. So I put on a movie and did not set up my slack line. And now I am having to count all the good things I currently have going on right now just to pysch myself up for tomorrow.

1. I can walk my slack line no matter the set-up or the height!

2. I am in the process of buying my first bow! I'll keep you posted on how my Ebay adventure pans out. So far I am the highest bidder.

3. The weekend is coming up and I have many plans.

4. I have a great project in the works that is going to help my creativity when I write.

And now for more relaxation and the rest of my movie.

Slack

2009-09-18T20:08:00.002-06:00

I took my slack line to the park tonight and set it up while the boys played and Kat read a book for class. Dan came too and we practiced. I had it set up really loose and wobbly, because I figured if I could walk it on there I could walk it anywhere. And guess what?? I can! It was the coolest feeling, to sway all over the place and still be able to walk it. Then we set it up super-low to the ground so that Dan could get on and try to teach his leg muscles to stabilize. Just get the feel for the rope. And he was doing it! It was so cool. And then I learned that I can walk it low, too! It was a good time. It was such a high. I didn't want to leave. And then we realized it was 7 and the boys were starving.

I can't explain the way it feels to suddenly know you can walk that thing--and to know that I finally have a marketable circus skill! It is the biggest rush. I never wanted to quit. More later, definitely.

Archery!

2009-09-17T21:22:00.002-06:00

I have been bitten by the archery bug--or something like that. At any rate, I have been loving it ever since I came back to it at camp this summer. Granted, I was shooting with 11-yr olds and using a bow that 11-yr olds can pull without any problem. Tonight I shot with Dan, and the bow I am using is a lot harder to draw. I can get it back to my cheek, but then my wrist starts to wobble all over the place. I shot a few good ones, at any rate. It just takes lots and lots of practice. And I am up for it! Dan told me my shoulders and arms might be sore tomorrow--as far as that goes, I think only my wrist was affected. It hurts!

I Would Rather Be Walking!

2009-09-15T17:42:00.002-06:00

I have discovered, after a week being back at work, that I am no longer used to sitting down for any amount of time. After a summer of activity, this sitting business is killing me! My lower back was so stiff all weekend that I came to the conclusion that something different must be done. So I switched chairs, and that seems to be helping. I have been trying to get up and walk as much as possible, strech it out, but that only goes so far. The fundamental problem is still there. I do not want to sit anymore!

Whoo!

2009-09-10T21:15:00.002-06:00

My room is almost finished...I still have to find a spot for my bookcase, unpack my boxes of books, move the armchair into the boys' playroom and bring in my Pappazan, and get a few more organizational things. I am feeling much more settled now.

Bright and Shiny

2009-09-08T20:45:00.002-06:00

Not the cult on BubbleBoy...

More my outlook on life at the moment, which after last night I never would have thought possible. Last night everything was awful and pessimism abounded in my thoughts--I had so many negative words I could have written my own negative thesaurus. And then Kameron kept me up from 2:30 until 5:30, kicking his crib and yelling "No!" every 10 minutes. Oh. My. Goodness. I was so tired his morning.

And then I went back to work and everything was like it was when I left...except Jean wasn't there, and that makes me sad. However, I remember how to do everything, I got a raise!!!, and it was just good to be settled down again. I still miss camp. Ah well. And after work I took my car through the car wash, something I never do, and now it is all bright and shiny too.

AND THEN, Kat was having a jewelry party here so I got to try on some pretty great pieces--I even bought a few. I have been more and more into jewelry lately, I don't know why. Bronze pieces in particular. My new fave? A bronze chain with an airplane and a tiny swallow. I got quite a few compliments on it today at work.

And we begin again tomorrow...

Vacation Wonderland

2009-09-07T19:30:00.004-06:00

My parents rented a house on Echo Lake, near Bigfork, MT. So the whole family was there for one glorious week--very stress-free, if you don't count Kameron getting a cold and being extremely grumpy the whole time. Ashlie couldn't make it, with it only being her second week of teaching kindergarten, but Brandt came down for a couple days. We had some good times jumping off the dock, staying up late playing games, and going golfing. I haven't golfed since I dislocated my wrist doing it a few years ago, but I tried again. I golfed a sucky 61 the first time, and then the second time we went I golfed a 48! It was pretty sweet. I think I've got the golfing bug again.
The boys and I by the water--we wore our pjs a lot. Hey, we're on vacation, right?

Taking the paddleboat for a spin--Easter came with us.

I set up my slack line while we were there and left it up all week, which was so much fun. I even made it all the way across!!! A new personal record. I haven't quite gotten the turn and start back move yet, but I am sure that will also be the next thing to happen. Walking it felt so steady after two tries of it. Part of the first walk across--Dad got the beginning at least.
We took Kaelan to the waterslides. For the first time ever, I got stuck on the waterslides! Does that mean I'm getting old?? No, maybe my suit wasn't made out of slippy material. There were a couple fat ladies who were bombing down those things. I went fast when I was in the tubes, but then it was almost too fast. I don't know. I guess maybe I'll just chalk it up to not having a slippy suit on, and not being fat enough to go super-fast, and that the waterslides are getting old.

And now...I packed up my stuff and made the horrid drive back to Casper today. I go back to work in the morning. I am more than a little unsure about that situation right now, as I sit here. I miss camp!

Slacklining In the Park

2009-08-20T21:20:00.003-06:00

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

2009-08-18T21:07:00.003-06:00

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

2009-08-15T20:35:00.002-06:00

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!

2009-08-12T17:58:00.002-06:00

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

2009-08-11T07:56:00.000-06:00

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

2009-08-10T15:24:00.002-06:00

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!!!

2009-08-06T11:02:00.003-06:00

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

2009-08-03T19:52:00.005-06:00

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

2009-08-01T15:39:00.001-06:00

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.

From 9 to 6

2009-07-31T14:42:00.002-06:00

I started out with 9 counselors in my 3 bunks--3 for each. I have 6 original counselors left. I guess losing 3 isn't that bad of a number, but sheesh...it's the most that I've ever lost in one summer. One of them was moved from the bunk into another cabin in the same age group, one was moved from the bunk into a different age group, and now one has quit/been fired. I'm not sure what you would call it--perhaps a bit of both? Remember the counselor I was so afraid to have that talk with, the one I was sure didn't like me? She had some unfortunate pictures in the bunk and the girls saw them. Coupled with some personal problems, it was enough for her to no longer be with us. Bunk 15 will be getting a new counselor starting Sunday, a former camper who is super-excited to be doing this for the last 2 weeks of camp. I feel...torn about the situation. On the one hand, the counselor in question and I had achieved a really good working relationship. We were getting along just great and I think it was a battle hard-fought and won for me. So it is sad to see her go now, after everything we've gone through. And yet, I also am glad that one source of drama has been removed from my summer. I no longer have to hold her hand constantly.

On an up note, today is my day off and when I went into lunch I was absolutely BOMBARDED with girls, both mine and Tina's, who were so excited to see me and had missed me all morning. We sat together and had a great lunch, laughing and joking. I really do love my girls this summer. I don't even want to think about leaving them all in 2 weeks.

I Said LOOK!!

2009-07-30T19:02:00.003-06:00

Superhero Posse in action, with two of our Super Villains--Erica, Tina, Meredith, Yari, me, Rachel, Heather, Jess and Danielle in the front. Or our Superhero names: Flash, The Tidalwave, The Cannonballer, The Dancer, The Balancer, The Charming Enigma, and The Morpher. I don't remember the two Super Villain's names.

Random 4th of July photo--I think it was during Olympics--Erica, me, Tina, and Jess