Off By A Day

When I started the breadcrumbs project, my first picture was taken at Llanerch Diner. We were supposed to go last night as my friend who is moving to Texas leaves this week and we were to hang out there. The outing was postponed to tonight. So while the Lost-like start and end being the same did not occur, I think it's still fair game.

Plus, it goes to show how little has changed despite how much as changed. This place which I still frequent on weekends summer after summer, year after year is now one of the few constants that span that time. Friends have moved away, we have graduated college, careers have started, some friends are engaged, one is pregnant and I am at the eve of my 23rd birthday. Sheesh. No need to reflect anymore on that.

Goodnight!

Another Anniversary

On April 9th, 2009 I started this blog. April 9th, 2010 rolled around and I did not make any note that it had turned 1 years old. I think that is partially because for the first few months of this blog I was not really sure what the purpose was. That was more of a trial period, to see what would happen or if I could even keep it going.

On July 30th, this blog gained a purpose. Somehow, while out that day or maybe it was earlier that week, I had thought up the idea of a digital trail, a photographic version of the Hanzel and Grettel breadcrumb trail that they left to be able to trace their steps back. I set out with a goal of taking a picture every day and posting it on this blog. The picture could represent something I did or saw that day, a place I visited, and so on. Essentially, this picture would capture a moment in time for me. They each are something I saw or was in the presence of on that particular day. Down the road, I would be able to follow my days, weeks, and months back through these images.

While I did not succeed at posting every day due to two trips that kept me from a computer and maybe one or two other days, for the most part I kept my promise and achieved my goal. Today, one year later I have made over 300 breadcrumb posts. I have taken more than twice as many pictures. Very few of them could be photographically significant to an outsider. To me, however, each of them is a visual representation of something or somewhere for each day of the past year of my life. For most of them, I can look at them and remember what I was doing or where I was when I took that picture. That alone makes the project a success.

To the future: I have no plans to stop. Maybe eventually I will put this project to rest. For now, my philosophy that the world is beautiful and everything is worth capturing keeps me motivated to continue.

Thanks for reading.

A Cause Worth Your Time

Falling Whistles

Time To Shine

Tomorrow I have to test at the facility where I work. I have observed enough and have been deemed prepared enough to conduct the testing on my own under observation. I am a little nervous. Fingers crossed!

Oh Tuesdays, My Arch-nemesis

Today was impressive. It's easy to reflect on after the whole thing has passed but in the moment today was one of the worst days I can/could remember. Just about everything went wrong. Ready for the run down?

So, woke up at 6:20 as always. Was showered and pretty much ready to walk out the door by 6:45. At 6:50 I headed downstairs in search of my keys. Typically I have my keys, wallet, phone, and ipod all next to each other on my dresser in my room. Sometimes, however, I leave my keys downstairs in the kitchen. After searching for a good 5 minutes both downstairs and back up in my room I was losing hope. Then I realized where they most likely where, and it was not good.

Yesterday I went to the gym. My two sisters were taking a class early enough that I wouldn't make it in time to go with them and would have to drive separate. My dad was in the same boat, but he was staying after for a class at 7 with the girls. It made the most sense for me to drive my dad, and then he would ride home with my sisters after the late class. When my mom found out she could go without having to stay (aka me as a ride home) she decided to come. She does not feel comfortable with any of her kids driving her and so I was no longer driving. My dad would drive his car and my mom would drive it back. It turns out, my keys, which I had with me as I had planned to drive, but no longer needed, ended up falling out of my pocket in my dad's car.

Flash back to this morning and now its 7 am, my train is at 7:22 and my keys are 45 minutes from home. My keys, by the way, are the only spare set to begin with because my original set was stolen a few years ago. Now my only option is to quickly find my sister's spare keys and borrow her car for the day. I make it out to the car by 5 after and have the slight possibility to make my train. Wrong! I need 4 quarters to pay for parking in the lot and the roll of quarters I so intelligently purchased to ensure I'd always have change, is locked in my car. So it's back inside again to get change. I finally make it to the train station at 7:22. And I watch my train pull away as I am parking. I decide to hang out in my car, cheer myself up with the radio show I like to listen to and wait for the next train. There is nothing I can do, despite the incredible inconvenience this morning continues to be.

I realize at this point that I never got confirmation from Christy about whether or not she was bringing in treats for Kathleen's last day. Oh. My. God. Kathleen's last day. I bought her the present we were giving to her as a thanks. Guess where it is sitting. My car. Locked back at home. I sat there for probably 5 minutes in total disbelief. We have a staff meeting at 9:30 which I have to be at, but I also have to have this gift because we are presenting it to her today, because it's her last day. I finally decide that I have to call my dad and ask him to drive back from work and meet me at home with my keys.

Completely stunned at how things have just gone from bad to worse, at 745, watching the next train approaching the station, I leave the parking lot to head back home. When I reach my house my mom is downstairs. She hands me a spare key to my car. Turns out she found one after I left and was planning on telling me when I got home. Unfortunately I never told her about my plan to come home and so my dad is still driving home from work, for nothing. We quickly get him on the phone and only save him about 5 minutes because he was just about there. Now, its after 8, I am still in my house, I just asked my dad to leave work and drive home for, ultimately, nothing and I have 90 minutes to be at work and in the meeting.

I head to work and realize, about 20 minutes in that I forgot to do something very important the day before. I get a 10% discount as well as can pay out of pre-tax money on my monthly train pass if I purchase it through my school by the 4th monday, 2 months in advance. Yesterday was that 4th monday, and I didn't remember. This is quickly followed, finally, by a return text from Christy. She has no idea what I am talking about in regards to bringing in treats and cannot get them anyway because she will be late for the meeting as is. I now have to get my boss on the phone and ask her to pick something up.

I finally get into work and get to my office to see Heather, another grad student, walking towards me with a cake knife. Light-Bulb. Heather, not Christy, was the person who was bringing something in. This is why Christy was clueless and wasn't planning on bringing anything in. I quickly now have to get my boss back on the phone before she wastes money on treats we don't need. Luckily, I catch her as she is parking at the bakery and things work out.

Somehow all of this occurred before 9:30 in the morning on, already, my least favorite day of the week. Sheesh. This was definitely a day where I just wanted to give up, stay home, and start over tomorrow. Unfortunately, this is the one day of the week I have to be in due to my meeting, and of all of my regular mandatory meetings on tuesdays, this one was even more so due to the special occasion.

Oh yeah, and at the end of the day I was told that I forgot someone's birthday. Great!

More Than One Meaning

With the recent release of the movie Inception, everyone is chatting about whether or not the ending was one thing or the other. Everyone seems to be equally convinced of their own opinion with sufficient proof in their corner. I really love when literature or a film can be vague or misleading enough to create very well founded but totally different opinions about the subject in regard to what transpired or what things meant.

To me a great story isn't just one that leaves you feeling after it ends, but one that demands discussion, that does not hand you every answer. I recently was reading more about the American adaptation of the Sweedish novel Let The Right One In. Some may be aware that there already exists an adaptation of this book which goes by the same title. In the novel, there is a very clear explanation of some elements, which are intentionally left out or left vague in the movie. The American adaptation is taking is own twist on things. Until reading about the American version I never even considered the other side of the coin to the vagueness in the movie which was supported by the original story in the novel. It's been two years since seeing that movie and so much just changed in terms of implications and such by considering the other side of it.

I apologize for being vague but if you have not seen it I do not want to spoil the vagueness for you.

Active Sunday (For A Change)

Most Sundays are spent in recovery. Not that I drink or do much that needs to be recovered from, but until this weekend I was busy every weekend this summer. Sundays were either spent lounging after a friend left from visiting all weekend or driving back from New York, or something else uneventful. It makes sense, then, that my first slow/low key weekend would find me busy on Sunday.

I have been reading a decent amount this past week. I have read the first five volumes of Scott Pilgrim as well as 2.5 more volumes of The Walking Dead. If you are not a comic book person then you might scoff at this being listed as an accomplishment. To me, however, this is a step in the right direction. I have somewhere between 75-90 minutes on my round trip train ride every day where I am able to be productive. Over the past 6 years of my life I have worked 9-5 jobs that I had to drive to. By the time I get home I don't feel like reading either. This time around, though, I am trying to use this time. I am both able to be in transit and do something else. For a few weeks I would read the paper, do a crossword, fall asleep, etc. Those weeks I found myself very tired getting into work. I started watching movies to keep myself more mentally engaged.

With the stack of Scott Pilgrim novels in my possession I decided I would give reading a go. I have a hard time staying awake on the train while reading, but I thought that since comics have images to them and have a faster pace I might be able to get into the routine of reading during these trips. After 5 days I knocked out all five volumes. I then used my low key weekend to plow through the rest of Vol. 2 and then Vol. 3 & 4 of the Walking Dead.

Today I woke up and quickly finished Volume 4 of the Walking Dead. I then drove to Delaware to pick up the next volume. I returned home and watched the Phillies game until it's rain delay. Then I drove to a my friend Alex's house and together we jouneyed into the city to Dave & Busters for a free Penrose show. Our parking voucher gave us 5 dollars off of food, and checking into using the app FourSquare we each got free $5 game cards. So I proceeded to eat, watch the remained of the Phils at the bar, kill some zombies, and then watch Penrose while sitting on the water with a great view of the Ben Franklin bridge over my shoulder.

For what is typically a day spent on the couch, I really enjoy this Sunday. I am also looking forward to this week for no other reason that for what I am going to read. After picking up the next volume in the Dead series, I also borrowed the latest Scott Pilgrim and the novel World War Z from Alex. Can't wait to get started on them.

Fresh Air

That term seems to refer to something I have not felt in weeks. This summer is really starting to wear on me. I don't care for summer as far as weather conditions go. I am a fall/spring person. I don't like the cold nor the heat. I really enjoy cool, light jacket weather. Weather where everything is calm. Too cold leaves you paralyzed and too hot leaves you exhausted and on edge.

One of the best things, though, about the summer is a fresh house. Over the winter, due to the cold, you leave your windows locked up tight. Something that I really enjoy is when it is finally nice enough out to have the windows open. Waking up in the morning, relaxing at night, lounging on the weekend - these moments are all enhanced a little when there is a natural air flow running through your home. Air literally gets to be stale, otherwise, and it has a different weight to it in a way.

This summer has been unbearable. I was out shopping the other day and saw some nice looking clothes for the fall that have started to fill the racks. I could not even fathom buying or trying anything on that was for cooler weather, however. Just the idea of wearing that stuff made me hot. It has been brutal for weeks straight. Today it reached a "feels like" of 108 here. I walked outside and laughed. It's about all I can do. The extreme heat that just has not let up has become so preposterous that my reaction is simply laughter. I am just baffled that with the sun setting its still in the 90 degree range.

I have had mixed feelings about the approaching month of September in the past. Some years it was dread for school, others it was the excitement of work ending and, strangely, more free time to come. In more recent years, September has meant New York and has always been met with excitement. Now, September is looking like pure relief. My life will not change, as far as routine is concerned, for the first time since I was 4 years old when September hits. I think my apprehension about how I might deal with that is completely overshadowed by the longing for a cool day. And these days, "cool" means less than 90, sadly.

(I don't know if I have mentioned it on here before, but the image above is something that hangs in my room. It is several pictures I took myself, printed and hung. The entire thins was conceived by me, designed by me, and executed by me. Most of the time, it has the effect of any other poster in my room. It is just cool decor. But every once in a while I look at it and really let it sink in that it's something I created myself. I am really proud of it.)

Moving

A very good friend of mine has been talking about moving away for a while now. Initially it was immediately after finishing college. He graduated in December, but was still here in the spring. The next date was June. He is a filmmaker and can't leave until he finishes his movie. As of June there was still a lot of editing to do.

Tonight we met up at the diner. I have been spending time and seeing friends of mine at the Llanerch Diner since Junior Year of high school. It has changed management, changed decor, changed menus, and even customers. No longer do we see our mini celebs like Denim Gandalf sitting at the counter. Friends of ours that used to be regulars with us have too ceased coming. Still, there remains a few core people who I can count on to get a cup of coffee at 11 pm and talk movies, music, and whatever else we can ramble on about.

John told us that the movie is done. He leaves August 5th. This is not just some short distance move. He is not moving back to Boston (where he went to school) or New York. In a few weeks John will be relocating to Austin, TX permanently. I think because I have been so busy, so wrapped up in my job that not seeing people much this summer has not felt at all strange. I've made several NY trips and have had visits as well. As far as seeing my home friends, my high school friends, goes - there has not really be much time for it.

I knew John would be leaving soon, but again with my schedule, having not seen him since my first week home after graduation, I felt like I had plenty of time. Now knowing that he'll be gone after a few more outings, I am really upset. Reasons to relocate to TX for grad school just got another one in it's column. There is no one else who can tolerate and engage my film ramblings quite like he can. If we had the money and the time we would spend a full 24 hours straight in that diner just chatting film and theory. People like that are few in my life and worth keeping close.

Anyone else up for Texas?

Repaired

Thanks to having a father and grandfather who know their way around a car better than I know my way around a computer, my car is fixed. The damage, well that is to be determined. Looking to be well over 200 dollars though.

With one thing being fixed there must be another thing breaking. Our air conditioning went today. My sister, who was home alone, was unaware. My dad got home to find the inside temperature at 86 degrees. So, I am going to bed. It is too hot to even have this computer on my lap.

Working From Home Is Still Work

Yesterday I had some car trouble and was forced to work from home today. In the long run, it was actually better. There are just certain things that you need your own headspace for. Luckily I was able to do everything I would normally do at work as well as get to the things I wouldn't have been able to do.

I had never worked from home before and thought maybe it would be this glorious thing. Sure, cutting out having to commute to do work, as well as getting an extra hour of sleep was great. But there was no real sleeping in. I started working at 7:30 (which is actually earlier). I worked straight through, except lunch, until after 3.

My car is still not totally fixed, but it is drivable. I will be back in the office tomorrow.

In other news, I got my new shoes today. The one pair: shoe within a shoe (pictured below).

I also found out that I am due for an upgrade on my cell contract. No more worrying about what to ask my parents/siblings for for my birthday. Hello, iPhone 4. Ordered it today. Expected delivery is 2 weeks. Woohoo!

Finally - started watching Veronica Mars today. It's pretty cool for a show about a teenage private investigator.

Sometimes Late Is Better

On The Right Track

There comes a point when routine can trap you. I find myself working out my daily routine down to the minute. If I wake up at 6:22 and am out of the shower and dressed by 6:50 I can make the 7:13 train which means I am in the city by 7:46 and can get the 4:05 train home. That puts me in the house at 5:15 which gives me four hours to do...

And that's when I realize, I am timing everything perfectly to get home and do exactly what I do all day. Sit, stare, repeat. I wake up tired in the morning, but my complete and utter inactivity all day long leaves me wide awake at night. This however contradicts my motivation. While I have too much energy to fall asleep early, I have no motivation to do anything other than get home immediately and lounge.

Another thing I wish I did more of but cannot seem to is read. I get really interested in stories and pick up books but have a hard time getting into them and finishing them. Ever since college, opening a book is like taking an Ambien. I just pass out, without realizing it, after 5 minutes of reading.

This past weekend, while in NY, I borrowed the Scott Pilgrim series from my roommate. The movie is coming out, I had hear great things before, and it is something light. I figure, I can start small. I don't have to start reading historical non-fiction. If I can get used to sitting on the train at 7 am and reading for that 40 minute ride without falling asleep, maybe I can move on to novels later. The comics are fast paced enough and engaging enough that I am able to stay alert (for the most part) the entire ride. Hopefully after I get through the entire series (takes about a day per book and theres 4 more to go after today) I can move to something a bit more dense, or even more graphic novels. Regardless, I want to use this time to read, and I am making a serious effort to train my brain to do so.

Back to the inactivity - I am not a gym person. I have been to gyms in the past. By the past I mean when I was 12 or 13 and would tag along with my dad because I liked sports then and thought it was exciting to go to the gym. It was one of those "I'm old enough to do something adults/athletes do now" mentality. I maybe went 5 times total over several months before I stopped caring.

Flash to present and I still have that 'who cares' mentality when it comes to being in shape. I don't to do anything physically to keep from gaining weight and so staying in shape for my lifestyle seems silly. That has always been my mentality. It still remains that way. However, I have recently decided that going to the gym affords me with the following - A. Something else to do at night except sit more and watch more screens and B. An energy outlet that will hopefully leave me tired enough at the end of the night so that I can get a good rest in and not be up until 12:30 or 1 am. If, after this, I am in better shape or a bit healthier then so be it. But, if it does not satisfy those first two, this gym thing might be short lived.

Side note: funny how most comic personalities on shows/in cartoons are depicted as out of shape/overweight and yet in my case they go hand in hand as far as getting on track with positive things.

(and if you are going to scoff at my reading of comics as my reading activity, feeling as though comics are not a legitimate source of literature then clearly you are ignorant to an entire genre.)

Christmas In July

Today's picture is the back of my dad's truck. He actually drives a Ford Escape. He borrowed this truck from his work. It was used for my older sister's bridal shower which was today. As you can see from the picture, it's purpose was to transport the gifts home. There were two other cars with gifts in them as well.

Needless to say, I need to get married.

A Trip With Nothing To Show For It

My intention for going to NY was to get done the things I would have done today in Philadelphia. Since graduating and moving back home I have realized that there are several things I need. My dress shoes are ripping, my black sneakers have a hole in the toe, my headphones are dying, etc. I have had money issues (ehem, Drexel). Because these have recently been solved, I decided to use this weekend where I had nothing planned to pick up a few things.

I ultimately went to NY because I miss the city and could accomplish all of the things I needed to there and spend a day walking around outside in the sunshine in Manahattan. I came home with no shoes and no new clothes for work. I did get headphones, although that one was very low on my list of necessities.

Instead I spent 2 hours in a coffee shop talking to a friend and saw a movie. It, however, was far from a wasted trip. The movie was spontaneous and due to my friend dropping me off in the city about 2 hours earlier than expected (different friend than the coffee friend.) And the coffee pit stop was really really great. As for the clothes/shoes - it is not as if I did not try. I went to three H&Ms and was not interested in anything useful. I went to two shoe stores and both were out of stock of the one shoe I really wanted.

In the end, I am glad I made the trip. I was able to buy the headphones I wanted in the store instead of having to order them, wait, and pay shipping. I was also able to catch up with a friend. Side note, while catching up I was interrupted by a staff member at the coffee house. You see, I was wearing my DriveShaft t-shirt. I have been asked and approached about it before. Here, it was so well appreciated by the staff that they offered me a free coffee. It was a small glimpse at stardom. I loved it. Note to self: where this shirt more often, consider buying a replacement for good measure.

Decision: NY

A NY Weekend, Maybe

Currently battling my own mind on whether I should take a trip to NY this weekend and if so, when should I leave. I won't bore anyone with details. Picture post tomorrow should indicate my decision.

Our Last Set

From our most enjoyable show.

Because I Didn't Learn My Lesson The First Time (Nor The Second)

When I volunteered at the daycare there was a day where we were supposed to go on a field trip to see How To Train Your Dragon. I wrote about this day a while back. In the end I walked 30 minutes through an incredible downpour only to be told the field trip was canceled. I sat indoors in the air conditioning, dripping wet for the next few hours. I had to distance myself from the kids because I didn't want any of them getting wet from leaning on me or anything.

Today the Philadelphia area awoke to a similar storm. I was considering, on my drive to the train station, to drive in. The walk through the train station parking lot takes a good 5-7 minutes. Then its another 10 or so from Suburban Station to the office. In this kind of rain, it only takes a minute to have you soaked through.

Ultimately, I stuck with my normal routine. The rain was coming down so hard while I was driving that visibility was almost 0. I was literally following brake lights to stay on the road. I realized that driving in those conditions was far too dangerous. It made more sense to take the train and brave the rain.

When I got to the station the rain slowed enough that I was barely wet from my walk. The same went for my walk from the train station to work. I was definitely wet, and wished I had an umbrella, but I had made it to work. Then, looking at the calendar, I realized that we had a birthday. I was told when I was hired that we celebrate birthdays by bringing in bagels to the nearest lab meeting. Two days ago one of the grad students had a birthday. I felt way too guilty about using the rain as my excuse for not getting them. I could have picked them up in Suburban. The fact was, I forgot to check.

I, with an RA, headed back out into the rain to get the bagels. As if the lesson from the field trip of "know when to call it quits" / "sometimes its not worth it" was not enough and the fact that I had gotten lucky that just as I got out of my car, and off the train, the rain slowed, I opened the doors and trudged out into the rain. Guess what - the skies opened up about a block away. I spent the rest of the day cold and wet. My jacket was still wet when I got home from work as were my shoes and socks. My shirt was soaked through despite having had a coat on.

I think that will be the last time I try fighting mother nature, especially for something that is probably not worth it. Either that or I should bring a change of clothes with me on bad weather days, just in case.

Hearing From A Friend

I had said two days ago that I wanted to tell you about a package a received over the weekend. Typically at home I get one or two things addressed to me in a month. Most of these things that come to me are junk or bills. Every once in a while, however, I get something worth hanging on to.

On Saturday, there was a large manilla envelope waiting for me. It almost looked like it might have an acceptance letter in it from some university. Having not applied to any graduate schools, there was no way that could be it. The letter was from Pontotoc, Missisissippi. It was from Father Tim. Glenmary Camp's Father Tim.

I jumped a bit inside. If you have read this blog or talked to me recently you know exactly how much this camp meant and how much I was affected by the people there. To receive something from them is so exciting. Father Tim and I got to talk one on one several times during the week and at the end of camp he approached me about the future. He told me that he was impressed with how I handled a bunch of things that week and how I was with the kids. He told me of someone he knows in Texas who has become quite the name in play therapy for kids.

In the package was a magazine advertisement for the National Play Therapy conference in Kentucky listing all of the speakers and dates and times. Next were two other journals including the latest published articles regarding play therapy. Finally, a letter from Father Tim. He told me to register for the conference in Kentucky. He also reminded me about coming back to the camp next year and finished by asking me to pass along his regards to the rest of my group.

The magnitude of this gesture is so great that its hard to describe. I knew I had made a friend in Father Tim, and I felt his invitation and discussion about my future in psychology were sincere. But, to go to this extent was both unexpected and incredibly humbling. Even more than ever I am so thankful for getting the opportunity for this trip and so grateful that I had the time to get to know it's director. The inclusion of the last line about sending his regards to the rest of my team made me realize that this is not just a kind gesture he does for everyone who helps at his camp. This was something he did for me. I am still in disbelief and excited about the whole thing days later.

I hope to be able to go to the conference and eventually make it back to Mississippi. Father Tim is a big part of why that camp exists as it does and has the heart it does, leading people like myself to feel incredibly connected to it and everyone involved. He proved that his kindness to those who come to his camp does not stay at the camp but extends past it. He is a very inspiring person.

Kid's Stuff

Yesterday my parents went and saw Toy Story 3. My mom came home feeling very nostalgic. She started talking about old toys and things and eventually my sister brought the conversation to old blankets. Each of us growing up, myself and my two sisters, had something we'd carry around and sleep with as kids. My younger sister and I both had blankets and my older sister had a Winnie The Pooh pillow that my grandmother made her.

At some point in my life I didn't have the blanket anymore. My younger sister's original blanket was so beat up that it was nothing more than a short knot of fabric. My older sister still has her pillow to this day on her bed.

Tonight I found out my mom has both the knot and my old blanket up in her room. She brought them both down, both sealed in bags. According to my younger sister, at some point when I was a kid my mom decided I was too old for or old enough not to need a blanket anymore and took it from me. I apparently was incredibly upset, so much so that my younger sister has never forgotten this event. I, on the other hand, have no recollection of it ever occuring. I do not remember how old I was when I no longer had this in my life, and I don't remember under what circumstances it's removal happened.

It was definitely interesting seeing it again. It is a big more tattered than I remembered it being. They got it for me when I was just a new born and I can remember that at one time it could cover me completely. I know I had it in this house which I did not move into until I was 7. So this blanket was with me, almost daily, for over seven year, most likely closer to ten. Considering how my sister's looks, I'd say the few rips and wholes are minimal.

Did you have something like this when you were growing up? Maybe a toy or pillow, something that never left your side for a big part of your childhood?

Ears Are Ringing

It's been a few years since I came home from a concert with hearing difficulty. Tonight, after a very (definitely unnecessarily) loud concert with some of my friends as the headliners I walked out of the venue with my left ear ringing. Now, 2 hours later, I have lost almost all hearing in that ear. Man, this is incredibly annoying.

Off to bed. Tomorrow I want to talk about a package I received in the mail today. I am still blown away by this.

Money!

I got paid today. And so ends the ongoing saga of unintentionally volunteering for Drexel.

Fireworks or No Fireworks - Extra Innings Dilemma

Tonight I went to the Phillies game with my family and my relatives on my dad's side. It is a tradition we have had for a while now. My uncle works for Nova Care and thus has a company box. Every year near July 4th he gets the box for us for the fireworks game. Today was that day and, despite having seen amazing fireworks in Red Bank, NJ - I was really excited for these.

Unfortunately, the question mark that is Brad Lidge did not come through and the game was forced into extra innings. After no spark for 2 innings, I pulled the plug. It was almost 11. Typically, its a 30 minute interval between the end of the game and the start of the fireworks. The show itself lasts 20 minutes and then the traffic afterwards extends the 40 minute drive by a minimum of 20 minutes. I just didn't have it in me to stick it out. Two years ago the game went 14 innings and the fireworks started after 12:30. I am bummed, at least partially, that I did not stick it out. But I am sure I will be better off in the morning.

Just Haven't Felt It

Typically, if you ask me about music or movies, it's all serious. Yes, I am a bit of a snob when it comes to these things. I am not proud of this, albeit a good aspect of it is being aware of things past radio and chain movie theatres.

But, there is something to be said for those things, too. Something I have noticed recently is that I have no real interest in anything too involved or too heavy. The music I have been listening lately has been pretty much all pleasant, fun, laid back music. I haven't had on anything too somber or too noisy.

The same has been for watching movies and tv. I have not really had much interest in seeing movies like Greenburg. It's not that they're incredibly heavy, but even so there just has been a disinterest. Lately all I have been doing is watching Avatar: The Last Airbender, and the only movie I have seen in theatres recently is Toy Story 3.

Maybe its the summer, maybe its the 40 hr/wk job but something has drained me of my eagerness for these things. At the end of the day I just want things that don't require a terrible amount of effort on my end. Instead, I want to just relax and smile. Maybe once I adjust to my adult life or when this weather passes I will once again delve into these thing. For now, more kids shows and upbeat music for me.

Stay cool!

(Sometimes things don't need to be so big. Our copier from work is a monster and reminds me of something that may have been cutting edge in the 80s.)

Feeling OK with Feeling Old

Sometimes my blog title's end up looking like they could be the header to something really long and insightful. There is a lot that could be said about the signs of not being a teen anymore and how you are accepting of them or not.

Tonight, however, I am merely commenting on my early bed time. I remember when I was allowed to finally stay up after 9 pm, and then 10 pm, and then I didn't have a bed time. Years later, I find myself on the downward slope of that bell curve. No longer am I excited by the notion of a late night (at least not during the week). Instead, the idea of a late night is upsetting and exhausting to even think about.

Gone are the days of going out during the week, putting up with being a bit groggy at work, extended periods off, etc. Instead, at 22 (nearing 23) I find myself climbing in bed at 9:30 just to ensure that I don't feel like crawling back into bed, or under my desk, tomorrow afternoon.

(I have recently replaced my 22 inch tv with a 32 inch tv. No cables to hook it up to cable with, but with my PS3 connected to Netflix, I haven't seen a reason to. At least not before I finish this show.)

Long Weekends

Somehow long weekends are all but long enough when it comes down to how well rested you are going into the next week. Typically a long weekend means some sort of plans that happen to be a little more involved, have you a little more active, and leave you needing that extra day just to get back to base line.

Point and case - I woke up at 1 pm today. Sure it was after going to bed after 4 in which case thats only 9 hours, but if this had not been a long weekend, that kind of thing would not have happened.

Ultimately, the lesson I learned this time around was - no parties on your bonus day. What should have been a day of lounging and resting up for the return to work was spend at my Uncle's house for our family 4th of July party. By the time I got home I had about 2 hours until I wanted to be in bed. Note to future self: Take your extra day off and spend it on the couch!

(Here is the pillow case I kept referring to in my GO! blogs. I think it's pretty darn good)

Another NY 4th

What a View

Go Mississippi Day 8

We Should Pack Up And Leave, Dear

Saturday morning was a blur. My alarm went off at 6:15 and the boys were already awake. Most of them were sitting up in bed, dressed and ready. I don't know if it was because they went to bed earlier or maybe they were excited to be going home but they used my alarm as the green light. I was getting up at 6:15 with the plan of getting them up around 6:45. We were going to the pavilion at 7:30 for pick up. The Fordham group had to be on the road by 8 am.

With the boys being ready early, we were on the move by 7. I loaded my stuff in the van and headed over to the pavilion. I had to make 2 or 3 trips back for different boys who forgot certain things in the dorms. It felt like the first day, running from the center of camp and back several times.

The kids all had autograph books where they could sign names, get addresses, etc. Some of the kids asked for mine and I was glad to give it. I don't expect any letters but it would be pretty awesome to get even one in the mail.

Before we knew it we were on the road. We left and headed to Sonic, where we got food on the way in (second thing on the last day reminding me of the beginning). Sonic took forever and we all spent the rest of the drive worried about making the flight.

We got to the airport and had 40 minutes to check in, check luggage, go through security and get to the area of the airport we needed to be in. All things ran smoothly and we got there with about 10 minutes to spare. We loaded the plane, took off without a problem, and landed in Chicago. Our flight in Chicago was delayed about 20 minutes or so. This gave us enough time to get some lunch.

Back on the plane and on the way to NY. The sky and the view of Chicago were really awesome. We made it to NY and grabbed our luggage. Only one parent was willing to pick us up and so the rest of us piled into two taxis. We made it back to the Bronx around 7:30. Even though I just wanted to get home, I spent some time with my group in the Bronx. We went out and bought some food, made a big dinner, and hung out in the backyard. It was a nice resolution to the trip. I finally got to my car around midnight and drove home. It was a scary drive and several times I thought about just pulling over and going to sleep. I won't start a drive like that so late on my own ever again. Lesson learned.

I got home and passed out. Sunday was ok because I talked to my parents and friends about the trip and was excited to show them things like my pillow and t-shirt. Monday and Tuesday were really hard and I missed camp a whole lot. This trip was amazing and it was one of the best weeks of my life. I know that may not be as apparent in these entries. They show a fun time but not an amazing time. It's hard to explain the heart of the trip, the feeling of it and what it all meant. Those are things I cannot write down. It is a trip you have to experience, like most things, to fully appreciate. Still, thank you for reading about it. It's hard to find someone who will listen to you talk as long as I have over these many posts. There is so much to reflect on and so much to list that I would need hours and hours to explain it to one person.

This, then, concludes my Go! trip posts. Back to regular blogging tomorrow.

The Aftermath of The Storm

So after last night's rant about how things really hit the fan all at once, today has passed. Surprisingly, I have made it unscathed.

Today I got the testing done and was back in the office by 1:30. We did not have to test all of the girls, but the traffic was bad enough that I decided to not make the trip to NY today. My dad got my uncle (his brother) to go to the golf tourney with him, and I got to get home early.

That was the good news.

I still have not been paid. I got back to the office to the good news of "We can leave at 2pm." With only 3o minutes to spare I quickly inquired about my paycheck. An hour later, after finally reaching someone at payroll, we were given this message "I was really busy and just did not get to it. I apologize but there is nothing I can do now. Cutting a check is a 3 department process and it is after 2 pm on a holiday weekend Friday. No one is here to do that for you. We should definitely have you a check next week." That last part was apparently supposed to be encouraging. Unfortunately, the word 'should' after 6 weeks of work keeps that sentence from meaning anything other than "I can't give you an answer that is at all definitive."

Luckily my mom is kind enough to lend me enough cash to make it through the weekend. I literally, other wise, would not have had enough cash to pay for gas. I actually dont even have enough money to afford a weekly train pass for work next week. I wish I could use that as an excuse and stay home, but I have too much to do.

At this point I am absolutely astounded at the incompetency. First my last name coming up twice in their system was too confusing (imagine enrollment and common last names). Second I am now told that, despite the urgency of the situation (an employee is owed 110 hours of back pay) our payroll contact was too busy this week to get to paying me. I can't imagine, and hope that this happens anywhere else. Sheesh.

GO Mississippi Day 7, Part 2

**Continuing from yesterday's post.

The last day at the waterway was similar to the prior day. There was a lot of tossing the ball and a lot of boys making diving catches, continuously mesmerized at their own incredible skill. I again wore a t-shirt (the same one, so as to not ruin another) while I was in the water. One thing to note about the waterway is the temperature of the water. It was in the upper 90s all week, and with the humidity, it was always "feeling" over 100. The water, then, was at it's coolest like a heated pool and at times just down right hot. It was very strange, and with pockets all over the place, a person could shift between the two extremes in seconds.

The trip back from the waterway was incredibly entertaining. A lot of the boys were Hispanic and Tim had taken 4 years of Spanish and is able to keep up about half of the time. The back and forth banter between him and the boys was hilarious. He would teach them phrases that he liked in English, having them explain how to say it properly in Spanish. And they would do the reverse. It was actually really nice to see him engaging them in another language and they really seemed to appreciate it as well.

Back at the camp we met a man who looked to be in his 30s. Father Tim told us, as we exited the bus with the man standing there, that he was a Fordham grad and has been helping at Glenmary for awhile. I thought it was cool to see someone still actively involved and was happy to have him there. We headed back to the dorms for showers and prepping for dinner. After dinner was the dance, and so the boys had a field say with some Axe spray, and it didn't take long before the place smelled like the inside of Hollister.

The boy who had had a few melt downs in the past 24 hours came up to me while everyone was showering and such and told me that another boy was crying. One of the staff members had her son at the camp. She would come every day to help and leave. This was his first year at the camp and so he was one of the younger boys. She had left for the day and, even though this happened every day, he was incredibly upset. He was lying in the corner of his bed, as far from everyone as he could be, with his face down in the pillow crying. I sat on the bed and asked him what was wrong. He told me he was ready to go home and wanted his mom to come back and pick him up. I hadn't seen him look anything but enthusiastic all week and was really surprised. Then, after some talking I found out the real reason for this sudden change. The. Dance.

The boy was on the younger side, as I said, and was incredibly pressured and upset over the whole asking someone to the dance, dancing with girls, etc. This was bothering him so much that with the dance only hours away, he couldn't take it and wanted to just skip the end of camp and head home. I can totally sympathize. As someone who is not terribly out going and someone who does not like to dance, I can remember how terrified I was of school dances as a kid. I told him that I hate dances too, that I did not have a date to the dance, and that I was not going to dance. I promised him that I had my camera and wanted to take pictures at the dance and that was all. If he could help me out, he could come to the dance and take the pictures with me and he wouldn't have to worry about dancing with anyone or having a date. It was a deal.

I got my camera together, gave the boys a 10 minute warning and walked out front. Next thing you know it, Fordham-Alum-Guy is taking over. He walks in and tells the boys they have 2 minutes to be out front. Further, anyone who is already done should be outside. We do this, too. It gets really hot in the dorm with the showers running, the heat outside, and then everyone running around. We usually get the boys to come outside and toss the ball around or play frisbee. I was still a bit thrown off that he would disregard what I had just said, without even saying a word to me, and take over in the dorm. We got the boys outside and I started taking some pictures, watching the current chess battle, etc. Next thing you know, I see a commotion. It turns out, some of the boys were off to the side and were throwing stones into the woods. Nearby is the line where the boys hang their bathing suits and towels. Someone, unfortunately, threw a stone and it hit a camper in the head. It was bad enough that he started bleeding and had to be brought into the nurse. Father Tim came over and yelled at the boys saying that they should know better. He had the ones who admitted to throwing the rocks (no one fessed up to being the one who hit the other boy) stand there outside the nurse's office and apologize to the injured camper.

It was time for dinner and I was upset. Things had been going so well, but ultimately, it is the counselors job to watch the kids. One of us should have noticed the rock throwing and in our lapse, someone got hurt. The boy was fine afterwards, and needed no real bandaging to stop the bleeding. It was still a black mark on the week, one that Patti made sure I knew. As we walked into the dining hall, I casually asked her how she was doing. She responded in a noticeable tone with "I was doing a lot better before this all happened." As if I didn't already feel guilty.

Dinner was pretty normal, the boy returned to his table, and we had our awards ceremony. As Patti began explaining the ceremony she mentioned that our counselors would be making remarks about each kid. So apparently we were not only awarding the kids with awards we made up but we also needed to comment on them. This is not hard but a little heads up (like the skit night) would have been nice. We got through the award ceremony and headed back to the dorms to pack. All of the kids were given time to make sure everything, after coming back from the waterway and showering, was away. All they were to have out was the sheets on their beds, and something to wear home tomorrow.

Fordham-Alum-Guy decided he wanted to really show me why I should not like him. He walked into the dorm and told the kids that they had 5 minutes to be ready. Now, he has no right to be going over us like this and giving them orders. He is there a day early so that, on our last night, he can take dorm duty while the counselors can hang out without the responsibility of having people stationed at the dorm. He has decided to run things his way from the moment he gets there and undermines all of the counselors there, including Zach, the local guy who has been at this camp since he was old enough to go there.

He tells the boys that once they are done to go outside, stand in a line shoulder to shoulder, and not talk. They are not being respectful and they need to be more obedient. I walked out front. All week long this was the sight of fun downtime. We had time to kill and so there was frisbee going and chess and stratego, kids would just be sitting in circles chatting, etc. Like Patti had done with the bonfire, this guy had sucked the fun out of things. It felt like school. The boys were silent, in a line, motionless. He stood in front of them with his hands behind his back, like a drill sergeant and continued to scold them. I had enough. I went to Zach, who had seen this guy before, and voiced my opinion. I explained that what we had worked, and that we know these boys, we've been with them all week, and we have our way of running things. This guy walks in and is supposed to be doing us a favor, and instead has completely replaced us and disregarded that we even exist. Zach, surprisingly, was in total agreement. I expected him to side with the guy, saying that we were too relaxed, or that this guy knows what works because he comes here every year. Instead he said the guy is a total ass and he has totally crossed a line here. He talked to Father Tim later that night, I was told, and the Fordham-Alum-Guy, got an ear full. For the most part, he stayed out of the way the rest of the night.

It was time for the dance. I walked in with my camera, and the boy who was nervous about the dance came right up and told me, "we are not here to dance. we are taking pictures, and thats it, ok?" I agreed, telling him that I would not leave him sitting here and we'd just hang out all night. He was on the dance floor before the first song ended. One of the female CITs grabbed his hand and that was the last time I saw him sitting. He was up and into the dance the rest of the night. I was thrilled. For the most part, all of the kids were too. After about 40 minutes of picture taking and wandering, I handed my camera to Zach and joined in. It just looked like too much fun, and I didn't care if I looked like an idiot or not. As with any activity here, we had a water break during the dance. I found that amusing. There were one or two slower paced songs and a few of the boys made good on having dates and did their best at slow dancing. They stayed about 3 feet from their date and rocked back and forth in place. It was awkward and cute and exactly what you would expect from 10 and 11 year olds.

The dance was exhausting and at the end of it all everyone was sweating. Patti had everyone sit and she explained how the next morning would go. We had our closing and it was off to the dorms. All the boys got ready for bed and soon enough, Fordham-Alum-Guy showed up to relieve us. Earlier I had expressed to Zach that we wouldn't even need him. That I wanted to hang out at the dorm that night because the next morning would be a blur and then we'd all part ways. I would get to go back with and spend time with my co-counselors after this but not the kids, so why not spend my last night with them instead. I really wanted to get one more shot at reading Pinocchio. Unfortunately, by the time we had our closing meeting with Patti and Father Tim, went through how the next day would be, expressed to them our gratitude for their incredible hospitality, and so on, it was late. I hung out for a bit but started dozing at the table. I knew people would be hanging out for a bit on their last night. They may even walk to the overlook, but I was too tired. I walked back to the dorm, but Fordham-Alum-Guy had worked his stern magic. The dorm was silent.

I set my alarm a little bit earlier for the next day. We would have to be on the road by 8 am and needed to have the kids at the pavilion by 7:30. As such, I was getting up at 6:15 (instead of 6:30) to make sure I was all ready to go so that I wasn't scrambling to pack and fill the car when I needed to be helping the kids get their things over to the pavilion. I walked around the dorm for a bit, thinking about the week, the first time I had walked through there, the first night, and so many other events during the week. I laid down and felt really upset. I knew that this may be the last time I spend the night here, come to this place, see any of these people, and so on. It had only been a week and yet it felt like I had been there for months. I dreaded the work day, the technology, the responsibilities back home, and so on. I wanted to wake everyone up and hang out and just try to put tomorrow off a little bit longer.

The next thing I knew, my alarm was going off. Time to go home.

picture key:

1. the waterway

2. Tim and Mary signing awards

3. Tim dressed for the dance

4. Jason

5. Zach

6. the clothesline where the boy was hit

7. Tim and Andrew doing their best Sheriff and Deputy

8. a glimpse at the color of the t-shirt I wore in the water which started out white

9. all of the counselors dancing in a circle

10. Zach and CIT chris

11. Ali and Andrew

12. Fordham-Alum-Guy and Chris

13. Patti and Heidi

14. Tim and Andrew looking a bit like the Beastie Boys

15. Giving a final farwell

The Perfect Storm

Tomorrow somehow compounded rather terribly. Somehow, the university found a way to get confused over two people submitting paperwork at the same time with the same last name. Despite the fact that one is male and one is female, two separate addresses, and one was applying as a student, one as an employee - they still were unable to get past this. 6 weeks after my first day and I have not been paid a dime. I love my job, and I say that a lot on here. It helps a lot when something like this happens.

I am assured that a paycheck should be made for me tomorrow. Tomorrow, however is not the typical pay day, as they are a biweekly system and we are at the off week. I was told if I checked online, it would listed the pay check that I would be picking up tomorrow. There is nothing online. By the time I found this out, there was no one around to inform.

On Tuesday I agreed to go test at the facility this Friday (tomorrow). My plan was to head to NY and if I could leave from testing, I would already be an hour into my trip and that would mean out of the city to avoid the congestion of traffic on a holiday weekend.

My dad called me Wednesday to ask if I could get time off to come to watch Tiger play at the golf tourney that is in our area tomorrow to which he somehow got passes to. The day of the passes: Friday. I found out that he had asked all of his friends, but on such short notice, no one could get off on a Holiday weekend. He called me figuring I could, and hoping that to be the case as the result of a no would mean going alone or not going at all. Unfortunately he was a day too late and I already committed to testing.

By volunteering for testing, and after realizing that I may not actually get paid tomorrow, I need to follow up with accounts during the day to make sure I have money in my bank account by the end of business tomorrow. Unfortunately, again, I will be offsite testing. At the facility I cannot bring in my cell phone, and if I leave, I have to go through security again. With this being a holiday weekend, even if we get out at 3:30, the people I need to talk to about getting paid may already be gone. Additionally, I may not make it back to the office in time to even pick up the check. You see, since this is my first check (after 6 weeks) it is a physical check. Only after the first will they do direct deposit.

You know what that means. I have to drive back into Philadelphia tomorrow after heading an hour towards NY, so that I can pick up my check because otherwise I literally won't be able to afford the gas to get me home. I am that broke.

Why am I that broke? Because 6 weeks ago when I was convinced to not bother financing my computer, I had the money then, I was sold on the idea that yes I would be down to a couple hundred dollars initially. But I also had my Go Trip coming up where I would not be spending any money for a week. By the time I returned, my first check would be waiting for me and it would replenish my funds.

I spent all of my graduation money on my Trip cost and the computer and 6 weeks later I have almost no money to my name. You know what that means. If I do not get paid tomorrow, and having no one to contact anyone to force them to write me a check by any means necessary, I will be unable to even go to NY for 4th of July weekend. With no NY trip, there would be no reason to volunteer to test in NJ tomorrow to make myself closer to my destination. Had I not volunteered I could have been around to sit down with people at payroll and finalize things. I also would have been able to go to the golf tourney with my dad.

So, somehow, everything converged on this day leaving everything up in the air, me broke, my dad without a friend to go to the golf match tomorrow, my friends in NY unable to make plans since they do not know if and when I will be coming, etc. etc. It's both incredibly frustrating and impressive at how much this situation is total FUBAR. Sheesh.

Go Mississippi Day 7

Go Out With A Bang

Friday, June 18th - Today was to be the last day of camp, or at least the last full day of camp. After getting the full run down, which no one was going to remember past the first or second event, I went to bed. The end of camp was bittersweet. I was so excited for the events of Friday but I was really getting upset at the proximity of the plane ride home and the return to 9-5.

I woke up Friday morning at the same time as I had the rest of the week. Today was filled with special events, one last trip to the waterway, and the dance. What could be better? To say that Friday was the most emotionally intense, draining, happy, and trying days of camp is an understatement. Father Tim had told me that Friday can be difficult, especially as the day progresses because kids who really love camp and have rough home lives will start to act out with the thought of going home in the minds. I felt like saying, yeah me too. I have a great home life, but spend a week outdoors doing something like this is hard to give up.

After my morning shower I headed to the dining hall, as I had all week, to grab my cup of coffee, fill my water bottle with ice (it'd be water in an hour), and head to the porch to write down the events of the day before. At 7:15 I flipped on the lights, got everyone out, walked down to the flag, did our "Rise and Shine" and were dismissed first (straightest and quietest!) into the dining hall. I was a little on edge this morning due to an added stressor. Yesterday (Thursday) I was told that the CIT, Chris who played the acoustic guitar at mass in the mornings, was told that I can sing and wanted me to lead all of the songs in mass, fitting in Let It Be (The Beatles) and Amazing Grace. I love to perform in my band, but I really get nervous when it's a more solo effort. My plan was to meet up with Chris after breakfast and talk him out of it. (Ok sure I was chickening out!).

Typically in these posts I skip breakfast in my posts because nothing notable happens. Everyone is too tired to do much more than eat. Today, as Father Tim warned, things were not as easy. The boy who had had the sloppy-joe-melt-down yesterday after being told he could not be an alter server and then 180'd after Father Tim's intervention was crashing again. I missed the start of this but essentially, his counselor Mr. Mauro scolded him for something and followed it with "and eat your cereal." Apparently the back to back combination of being yelled at and being told to eat something caused him to react as he had the night before. He put his head down and began crying, refused to eat his cereal or look at anyone. I am too empathetic for something like this and I started getting bothered by him being upset. Talk about poor timing too, Brother Craig was walking by and this triggered Mauro to tell the boy that if he did not stop crying and finish his cereal that Brother Craig would have to find another alter server. Mauro viewed this as the same situation as the night before and went for the same punishment. Surprise, Surprise when it lead to the same result. The boy refused to respond, lost his chance to alter serve, and then shut down.

Well, it was showtime for me. I had been there through everything yesterday and so Ms. Sandra, his other counselor, asked me if we could switch places. She would watch my kids if I would try talking to the boy. I agreed and took a seat across from him. He had his head buried on the table and so I did the same, placing my cheek on the table, looking at him. He looked up, crying, and I asked him to tell me what happened. After he described the situation I asked him why he wouldn't eat. He told me that Mr. Mauro made him too upset and he couldn't eat. Ms. Patti started to give her wrap up speech, telling everyone what was to come next and then moved into dismissing the female counselors and then the girls. We were running out of time and I knew if things didn't improve before we left the dinning hall that today that he would never rally.

I reminded him about what Father Tim said yesterday. That he says the mass, and that he makes the decisions. I told him that Father Tim and I are good friends and that if I talked to him he would let the boy regain his job of alter server. He didn't believe me at first and I had to convince him to look right at me and I repeated myself again. At this point, Patti had called the counselors of Swamp. The boy started to eat. I told him he had to eat 4 big spoon-fulls. If he did I would go talk to Father Tim right away. He ate them like he was eating ice cream. It was time for the boys to get up and walk back, and he waited until they all passed before getting in line and trailing a bit, tears still in his eyes.

I stood up to go talk to Father Tim. There are 6 male counselors and without me, the 5 others are more than capable to handle the campers. Patti stopped me and asked me where I was going. I told her that I needed to talk to Father Tim about the boy and the alter server situation. She very sternly told me to go back to the dorm and that she would go talk to Father Tim in a very "I am the authority here" voice. I walked back half mad because of what was on the line here. I wanted to make sure today went as smoothly as possible, for all of the campers, and for myself. It was my last day too, and I wanted to have a lot of fun. A dilemma this early would surely drag through the day.

I got back to the dorm and because the boy had been lagging a bit, still upset over breakfast, another counselor yelled at him. Already shaken up, he got back to the dorm and went back into turtle-mode in his sleeping bag. I spent my 10 minutes of getting washed up and ready for mass trying to convince him to please get ready so I could go talk to Father Tim for him. I knew this would go on all day and I didn't want that for either of us and now I was more determined than ever to make sure Father Tim knew to let this kid do this. I know it could read like he was a spoiled brat but that isn't the situation at all. He had his moments of being a trouble maker during the week but certainly not more so than anyone else. Unfortunately, he had a harder time taking the criticism and often he would either not listen initially, sparking a more harsh disciplinary response, or he would just shut down.

I told the other counselors I needed to go talk to Chris because that was the plan all along. I could also use that as my excuse for leaving the boys and going to the pavilion early to talk to Father Tim. I showed up and said, in apparently a more stern voice than I thought or am used to having, that I was not doing the singing. Chris didn't even question me once and instead said ok but can you help with the music and play the tambourine. Sure thing. I went to Father Tim and wanted to just add my two cents to what Patti had already said. Brother Craig was there first, cutting me off before I got to Father Tim, stating that the boy acted out twice and lost this opportunity twice and he felt that we shouldn't give in on this. I told him my opinion on the situation and luckily Ms. Heidi, the other camp head (next to Father Tim) completely agreed with me. I brought this to Father Tim and he was completely unaware of anything past Mauro telling the boy that he could not do it anymore. It turns out, Ms. Patti had no intention of talking to Father Tim. The campers were entering the pavilion by now and I went over and told the boy that Father Tim was looking for him to alter serve. He, once again, bounced back. The entire time he was at mass he was beaming.

After mass it was time to get into our bathing suits, tennis shoes, and head to Field A. We were having the camp games. First up was a mock-relay race. One counselor went about 30 yards opposite their group, with each group lined up next to each other in relay race formation. When the "race" started, each child ran to the counselor who then sun screened the kid. Essentially the goal was to get all the kids sun screened and make it a little more fun. Next was the pringles race. Each team had to have every member run to the other end, eat a number of pringles, be able to whistle, and run back. Counselors had to eat 10 pringles, campers: 5. Let me tell you, it is really really hard to eat 10 pringles fast and next to impossible to whistle before you swallow it all. We got killed. Next up was the "soak the counselor". One counselor went at sat at the 30 yard mark. At the other end, in the front of the line was a bucket filled with water and a giant sponge inside. Each person would soak the sponge, run down, wring it out over the counselor's head, and run back. I was not elected as our counselor, and instead my female counter part got the job. I wanted it because it was getting really hot. Next was another relay race where you would have to jump rope 10 times.

At the end of the relay races we all took a much needed water break, had popsicles, and then got back in line. It was time for the tug-of-war competition. The 3 groups were paired and 3 winners emerged. GR8 and Toad Camp J were 2 of the 3, with The Little Rascals, having defeated the previously Undefeated and our Rec rivals Hamburger Helpers Of The Future. They had GR8 and TCJ face off first, with GR8 taking the victory handily. Now to give you an idea of our athleticism, we hadn't won a single relay race, coming in last in all of them. We fell to GR8 almost instantly. Still, the Rascals had defeated a previously undefeated team and come in 2nd overall. Next it was time for the counselors tug-of-war. It was guys vs. girls and the guys had all schemed to drop the rope on the count of 3, causing the girls to all topple over. On 3 both sides dropped it. Apparently they had the same plan. We decided to have a second round since both sides had essentially forfeited and the kids were mad. Unfortunately for the girls, they didn't think we would stick with our plan. Oh, and they fell hard! It went over really well with the campers, too.

The last even was the waterballoon toss and I was paired with my rival counselor, but also partner in Dorm Duty, Mr. Andrew Gorman. We made it to the final 3. They had us about 25 feet apart at this point. It was two groups of campers and us. In. The. Bag. The first group made a shorter toss and it popped. The second group surprisingly made a successful toss. Apparently I got nervous, and before I could even swing my hands back I popped the balloon in my hands. I insinuated that I had thrown the game to the other counselors and staff without letting the winning campers notice what I was trying to say. In actuality, the balloon really and unexpectantly just burst in my hands.

We all headed up to the pavilion for lunch. We had planned to do some slip and sliding (the real purpose of getting all the kids into their suits in the morning) but games took too long and it was only about 40 minutes until lunch. Rather than get them soaked and have to get them changed before eating, everyone just decided to play volleyball or foursquare or toss the frisbee while waiting on lunch. Lunch today was PB&J and carrots.

The boy with all the recent dining hall dilemmas, well he loves PB&J and pounded two sandwiches. When it came time for the veggie on the table, he had no interest in carrots. I hate carrots as well and again sympathized at the unfairness of being forced to eat foods that you may dislike. Having had success earlier, Sandra asked me to talk to him. We switched seats and I only had to ask the boy once. I told him that I hate carrots too. They don't taste like anything and they're too crunchy. Sandra found this method to be unproductive and almost cut me off. I continued saying that they're good for you, they don't taste gross, and if you dip them in ranch, you can get a few down easily. I asked him to eat 3 for me and without an argument he did just that.

After lunch was our last rest period before heading to the waterway.

**Tonight's blog is getting long and there is still a lot to talk about. I am splitting Day 7 into two posts (it's just like the HP movies!)