We went shopping today. The end.
Oh wait, that wasn't much of a story, huh? Well, today isn't very story-worthy anyway, but it's 10pm, I'm not tired, and I'm somehow back in my bunk with another Peanut counselor, randomly hanging out by ourselves. Sounds amazing, eh? (Gah. I'm not even around Canadians right now like I was last year and it still slips out from time to time. Eh? Eh? Bleck.)
We spent way more money than we should have, but fortunately, I wasn't the one 'playing leader' at the time, and all of my rationalizations and possible 'um, are you sure we should get 'that' instead of 'this'?' were turned down, so we got some great stuff in the end and I don't have to feel guilty or try to defend our purchases to someone else. They can do that to our division leader. Actually, I think she'll be cool about it, but she was expecting change back....and we brought her literally a dollar and a few coins. I think they were envisioning a little more cheap plastic and a little less expensive wood....but we got a couple awesome deals (like a tv stand that was originally 60 bucks, marked down to 30....and was evil to put together...grrr, lol). I think I spent half of my time in the store on the phone listening to voicemails and the other half trying to be the backboard to bounce money ideas off of. Our last item was a body pillow to replace the bean bags we didn't get, and we decided to leave it to last in case we didn't have the money for it. When we got up there, the body pillow was exactly the 15 bucks over that we couldn't afford with the money they gave us.....so we did well budget-wise in that sense, but I hope they're okay with everything we got....and didn't get.
In other news, there is no news. We spent 2 hours putting together the tv stand because it had so many pieces (and accompanying screws, nails, angles, and such, in several different sizes, styles, and colors, that were all very similiar, might I add). We missed lunch and bought pizza down in town before heading back up the mountain instead....which was a very wise choice and quite delicious. And now, I've spent my first night off, doing pretty much nothing. 97% of camp (literally...there were less than a dozen people who stayed on grounds) went out tonight, whether to the bars or Wal-Mart and such.....and it felt really weird to stay here, but kinda good because I didn't really 'want' to go out tonight, especially after our afternoon of crawling around trying to get the new shelves and such put together. We should have electricity and air conditioning soon, too, so I'm crossing my fingers for that. It's all finally starting to come together, but it's pushing the lines with the actual Peanuts showing up soon.
Alright, that's all I've got in me. I don't know what else I could ramble about right now without killing my audience completely. Blah. Good night guys.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
June 20th--Overripe Peanut, Lost Peanut,Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
Today we had an....overripe Peanut? with us. She was a staff kid, but was 10 and definitely not staying with us. She was also what we ironically labeled as an energetic lazy person....who was very self-concious and didn't seem comfortable in her own skin at times. For the record, her parents seemed wonderfully nice and I'm assuming this is their only child. Once the girl loosened up, she was rather goofy and reminded me a lot of my own sister, so in that sense, it was a lot of fun. On the other hand, she wanted to do a lot outside, even after we were tired, lol. Big kids don't wear out as quickly as little kids do, so it was almost a challenge on its own. I think she'll do well at camp, though, and that being here a bit early has given her a chance to get a heads up on them and she'll have an easier time in the camp itself.
In other news, our fourth Peanut counselor quit yesterday. We'll have her replaced because they overhired (this is their largest staff ever with 325+ members here this summer) and not everyone is placed yet. The story is not something I can technically repeat because I heard it through someone I shouldn't have, and that's not the kind of thing I want to publicly post, lol. I get the feeling that she was wanting to go home anyway, though, so it's probably best that she went on home now before kids get here.....even though that's the fun part and she probably would've enjoyed it once her actual job started.
And while I'm just blabbing, one of our Peanut counselors is also one of the parents. She was a general counselor a couple years ago, met her boyfriend here, has a son with him, and now they're both back here working this year. Crazy stuff. It'll be quite interesting, too, because even though her son is a Peanut, she's a counselor, so I don't know how it's going to work out. She seems really nice, so I'm not like worried or irritated about it or anything. It's just going to be....interesting....having one of the parents always there with us. I probably wouldn't think so much of it if we hadn't had so many problems with the parents last year. She won't be that way, of course, and her son is very happy-go-lucky....don't foresee many problems in that particular department....just wondering how it'll work out.
In other news, the movie they're filming here is The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants Part II, and it's driving us crazy, lol. It's cool that they're filming here, but they couldn't have had much worse timing (camper arrival day would've been the worst). Why on earth couldn't they have came 2 days sooner instead of starting to film on counselor arrival day? They're only here for 2 full days, but everything is having to be re-arranged around them. Even though today they told us designated spots they'd be filming so the camp could put everyone in other places, they didn't stick to that, so we were stopped several times (in other words, chased down if we crossed through an area 2 blocks away from the film crew 'because they might be able to see us all the way on the other side through the window that they're talking in front of'....right).....and we were constantly being shushed. Seriously, it's a camp....it's going to be alive, especially with over 300 young people running around, trying to figure out what the heck is going on. Really not that smart, but oh well. They should finish up tonight some time and hopefully we'll be right on track tomorrow.
Anywho, that's my rant for the day. Nothing too exciting yet. We're exhausted already from all the random stuff going on, but can't wait for the kids to actually arrive. Woohoo!
In other news, our fourth Peanut counselor quit yesterday. We'll have her replaced because they overhired (this is their largest staff ever with 325+ members here this summer) and not everyone is placed yet. The story is not something I can technically repeat because I heard it through someone I shouldn't have, and that's not the kind of thing I want to publicly post, lol. I get the feeling that she was wanting to go home anyway, though, so it's probably best that she went on home now before kids get here.....even though that's the fun part and she probably would've enjoyed it once her actual job started.
And while I'm just blabbing, one of our Peanut counselors is also one of the parents. She was a general counselor a couple years ago, met her boyfriend here, has a son with him, and now they're both back here working this year. Crazy stuff. It'll be quite interesting, too, because even though her son is a Peanut, she's a counselor, so I don't know how it's going to work out. She seems really nice, so I'm not like worried or irritated about it or anything. It's just going to be....interesting....having one of the parents always there with us. I probably wouldn't think so much of it if we hadn't had so many problems with the parents last year. She won't be that way, of course, and her son is very happy-go-lucky....don't foresee many problems in that particular department....just wondering how it'll work out.
In other news, the movie they're filming here is The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants Part II, and it's driving us crazy, lol. It's cool that they're filming here, but they couldn't have had much worse timing (camper arrival day would've been the worst). Why on earth couldn't they have came 2 days sooner instead of starting to film on counselor arrival day? They're only here for 2 full days, but everything is having to be re-arranged around them. Even though today they told us designated spots they'd be filming so the camp could put everyone in other places, they didn't stick to that, so we were stopped several times (in other words, chased down if we crossed through an area 2 blocks away from the film crew 'because they might be able to see us all the way on the other side through the window that they're talking in front of'....right).....and we were constantly being shushed. Seriously, it's a camp....it's going to be alive, especially with over 300 young people running around, trying to figure out what the heck is going on. Really not that smart, but oh well. They should finish up tonight some time and hopefully we'll be right on track tomorrow.
Anywho, that's my rant for the day. Nothing too exciting yet. We're exhausted already from all the random stuff going on, but can't wait for the kids to actually arrive. Woohoo!
Monday, June 18, 2007
June 18th--Why Are We Whispering?
Alright, so I'm here. This is certainly going to be different. Lots of things are the same....some of the same people....same camp...same basic set up. But I knew as soon as I got on the camp grounds that things were a little off.
"Hold on a sec," he whispered as I passed him. "Just wait right here a sec with me, please," he repeated, pulling out his cigarettes, which aren't allowed on campgrounds at all. My mind raced for a reason why I needed to stop. Was he going to hit on me? Did he need to stand behind me while he lit up?
My mind was drained, though, and I didn't want to continue guessing. "Why?"
"Because," he pointed, "there are two cameras there...and there." Um, ok. Again, my mind is trying to piece together the info he's giving me to what I see out in front of me. There 'is' stuff set up in front to my left, but it looked more like construction than a film scene. I briefly assess the guy's mental state and giggle at my own thoughts of saying "and there are aliens over there, too, right?"
"Are we whispering for the same reason? The cameras?" Of course we were, but I felt funny standing awkwardly next to him with no real indication of what was going on. "Why are they filming?" I say, to continue the chit chat.
"Because we weren't good at anything else in college, so we film." Ah. That makes sense. He mumbles something else about how my purple shirt would confuse everyone if I walked across that path because they weren't prepped for purple. I uncomfortably giggle, trying to force my sleepy mind to focus. Just as I notice a huge light out front and a reflector, everything else begins to click into place, too. Within mere seconds, the strange guy next to me yells "Cut!" and another distant voice says "It's good." He pats me on the back and waves me on. Hmph. They really were filming. I notice a lady in a headset to my very far left and another puzzle piece falls into place. She's the one who stopped me in my car earlier and had me wait for no apparent reason. And the semi and van much, much further back....had studio equipment in it. I still don't know what they're filming or why, but it was only the first of several confusing details over the next few hours of things that would be drastically different this year.
"Hold on a sec," he whispered as I passed him. "Just wait right here a sec with me, please," he repeated, pulling out his cigarettes, which aren't allowed on campgrounds at all. My mind raced for a reason why I needed to stop. Was he going to hit on me? Did he need to stand behind me while he lit up?
My mind was drained, though, and I didn't want to continue guessing. "Why?"
"Because," he pointed, "there are two cameras there...and there." Um, ok. Again, my mind is trying to piece together the info he's giving me to what I see out in front of me. There 'is' stuff set up in front to my left, but it looked more like construction than a film scene. I briefly assess the guy's mental state and giggle at my own thoughts of saying "and there are aliens over there, too, right?"
"Are we whispering for the same reason? The cameras?" Of course we were, but I felt funny standing awkwardly next to him with no real indication of what was going on. "Why are they filming?" I say, to continue the chit chat.
"Because we weren't good at anything else in college, so we film." Ah. That makes sense. He mumbles something else about how my purple shirt would confuse everyone if I walked across that path because they weren't prepped for purple. I uncomfortably giggle, trying to force my sleepy mind to focus. Just as I notice a huge light out front and a reflector, everything else begins to click into place, too. Within mere seconds, the strange guy next to me yells "Cut!" and another distant voice says "It's good." He pats me on the back and waves me on. Hmph. They really were filming. I notice a lady in a headset to my very far left and another puzzle piece falls into place. She's the one who stopped me in my car earlier and had me wait for no apparent reason. And the semi and van much, much further back....had studio equipment in it. I still don't know what they're filming or why, but it was only the first of several confusing details over the next few hours of things that would be drastically different this year.
Friday, June 15, 2007
An Introduction to the Camp
Okay guys, I honestly don't know how long this is going to last for me. Last year, I blogged for the purpose of keeping in touch with some of my friends and to keep track of my experience. It was completely new for me and I coped with all the changes the best I could. This year, however, I know what to expect and there are going to be lots of different things happening this time around.
One of the most drastic changes is that we're no longer allowed to have our cameras on campgrounds. Last year, I took hundreds and hundreds of pictures...of the kids, friends, landscapes, events, etc. This year, my camera will be locked away, only to be used when I leave camp. Quite tragic, but understandable for the kids' safety. At the same time, it means that a blog here would be much less vivid and full of life. I 'will' have access to camp photos and they've hired extra photographers to make sure plenty of pictures are taken....but given that we aren't allowed to take pictures of our own, I highly doubt they want me posting those pictures on the web. We'll see what I can manage, though.
For the same reasons, I'd planned on avoiding using names and such, too. It's not like it's that hard to get the details if someone really wants to, though. Even me saying I'm a "Peanut" narrows things down quite drastically considering not all camps would have that category.....and if I post any camp pictures, the kids' uniforms say the camp name, lol. I honestly don't want my fellow counselors stumbling across this because it's connected to my main blog and I prefer to keep my lives separate, but it's not like there's anything so horrid out there that it'd kill me if someone connected the dots. I 'will' be keeping everything clean and not posting anything that would harm others if seen, though. And please no stalking me guys. It's not hard to track my address up there (although it's not exactly simple to get up there in the mountains....such tricky roads and security is good)...but it'd be appreciated if you didn't go hunting down the details, lol.
Anywho, enough business chitter chatter. Let's introduce the camp! Here's a list of random things that are found on the grounds:
One of the most drastic changes is that we're no longer allowed to have our cameras on campgrounds. Last year, I took hundreds and hundreds of pictures...of the kids, friends, landscapes, events, etc. This year, my camera will be locked away, only to be used when I leave camp. Quite tragic, but understandable for the kids' safety. At the same time, it means that a blog here would be much less vivid and full of life. I 'will' have access to camp photos and they've hired extra photographers to make sure plenty of pictures are taken....but given that we aren't allowed to take pictures of our own, I highly doubt they want me posting those pictures on the web. We'll see what I can manage, though.
For the same reasons, I'd planned on avoiding using names and such, too. It's not like it's that hard to get the details if someone really wants to, though. Even me saying I'm a "Peanut" narrows things down quite drastically considering not all camps would have that category.....and if I post any camp pictures, the kids' uniforms say the camp name, lol. I honestly don't want my fellow counselors stumbling across this because it's connected to my main blog and I prefer to keep my lives separate, but it's not like there's anything so horrid out there that it'd kill me if someone connected the dots. I 'will' be keeping everything clean and not posting anything that would harm others if seen, though. And please no stalking me guys. It's not hard to track my address up there (although it's not exactly simple to get up there in the mountains....such tricky roads and security is good)...but it'd be appreciated if you didn't go hunting down the details, lol.
Anywho, enough business chitter chatter. Let's introduce the camp! Here's a list of random things that are found on the grounds:
- 18 tennis courts
- 8 indoor and outdoor basketball courts
- 3 hockey rinks
- 4 baseball fields
- a huge gymnasium
- a gymnastics pavilion
- beach volleyball courts
- ropes adventure course with climbing wall and zip line
- skatepark
- archery range
- fully equipped theater and creative arts centers
- radio broadcasting station,
- complete state of the art water sports facilities
- a PGA sanctioned 9-hole golf course
- 200 acres of gorgeous land, up in the hills, set on an amazing waterfront
- some amazing food with full set of trained cooking staff, salad bar and soup bar at every meal, and plenty of options (including vegetarian choices) at every sitting
- lots of great people who make the place more than just camp....they make it home for each 4 week session, with some kids coming back for all 7 years and crying more at the end of their last year than you'd expect at a high school graduation
- awesome activities, including stuff for Fourth of July and a huge competition the last week of camp, with openers like Harley riders and a real knight standoff/fight on horses
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