Camp Week 7: Fun points, but still frustrating...

This kids week really wore on my patience.

Let me explain...

My one camper whined at me, to no end. Whined about Friday coming, and about feeling sick, and throwing up, and about some guy getting killed off on "As the World Turns"

(Groan)

Also, some of the other kids deliberatly screamed and disobeyed us. Patience wore thin fast...

Then one kid slept with whichever female counselor was in the lobby of the men's unit.

I wish I were so lucky...

I got into trouble this week. A camper vomited in the middle of the night, and I didn't clean it up. "That's not how we treat campers!" Marc, the camp director says to me.

(Another Groan)

But...

There were some points that were extremely fun. For example, I got to go on a field trip to Living Treasures with Justin and Jess. It was nice to see all the animals. Then we went to McConnels Mill State park for a Picnic lunch. FInally we stopped at Dairy Queen for an ice cream treat.

Great!

Also, the pool was a lot of fun. I finally had a group that knew how to play "Marco Polo" and that was fun.

Today, I went to a graduation party for my cousin. This was in South Park. It was fun.

Two more weeks to go...

Camp Week 6: A better week, with a Kennywood Trip, the following week.

Week 6 at camp was much better than the past two weeks...

None of my campers gave me any real problems. I liked them.

We did our usual activities. Arts and Crafts, Swimming, Hiking, etc.

Nicole was absent this week. Jess took over as unit leader this week.

I went to Ryanwood again. This trip had no real problems, except for a wandering camper, in the middle of the night. I got worried for a second, but soon found him in another cabin.

There was another major mishap. During the dance, we noticed that one of our campers was missing completely. So we all went out in search of her. Jake and I had the field. It turns out Raeann, the assistant camp director, kidnapped her, nd lectured us on losing campers. Poor Laurie Cawley, was in tears about the whole thing.

Oh man!

On a brighter note, I wanted to mention a funny thing here, is that every Monday, we talk about going to Duffy's on Friday. But when Friday comes, we all just wanna go home.

Also, I forgot to mention, the dances are fun. But, I find myself doing the dance from "Footloose" if the song is played.

Anyhow, today some of us went to Kennywood. I came too. For about one hour I searched, untill I finally found the crew. Mitch, Jeremy, Angie, Katie, and Belinda, were all with us.

So we rode Noah's ark, and the Turtle, Wipeout, and the Pittfall. Well Jeremy, Mitch and I did. The girls chickened out.

While waiting in line, I did a countdown to drop time, each time the car was at the top. But I missed, until the last one before our turn. On ours I cringed the "One" untill we dropped. I screamed the whole way down. The three of us staggerd off the ride. Then Katie and Belinda left. Angie and Mitch went on the paddle boats, while Jeremy and I checked out the arcade.
Then we went on the Log Jammer and the Raging Rapids, both with record short waits.
Jeremy got dissed bad on the Rapids. Got squirted in the ear. then we rode the Thunderbolt. Finally we rode the Phantom's revenge.

Cool!

So I bought fudge and drove home. Tomorrow, is another kids week. Goody, Goody!

Camp Week 5: A Rougher week.

I didn't get my wish. this week was much rougher than last week.

My campers were less aggressive, but that was about it. my one camper was on a walker and had little bladder control. A deadly combination; I had to change him the second he arrived.

Then, there were two other campers that weren't even toilet trained. Mitch and I bathed the bigger of the two, which was hell. There was him flinching around so badly he broke the bath seat, there was water and shit flying around everywhere, and there was Mitch and me jumping down each other's throats.

Ah! The joys of camp! And that's just the beginning.

On Tuesday, I went to Ryanwood, with CHristin, and Andrea McIlhatten another close friend of Jess and Christin. During the cookout and bedtime, everything went alright, but in the middle of the night, trouble happened again...

One of my campers had the runs in the middle of the night. I took off his pants and I sent him to the outhouse. Then I looked in his sleeping bag, and spilled shit all over myself. Then I ran to the unit, to get some clothing, and ran back to the outhouse, changed him, and went back to bed. All the time, I worried that he might wander, and get lost. Thankfully that didn't happen.

Thursday night, I didn't sleep, because of another camper sleeping in the hall, who wouldn't shut up. He had doused his room with sunblock, and had made a mess, and then moved out.

Joy!

On Friday, the Tram that takes us to the Dining Hall at Kon-o-Kwee broke down. And I had to push a wheelchair up the hill, already exhausted.

Then, meals were extremely brutal. There were seven campers at my table, one of whom needed to be spoon fed. The other six were very demanding, and demanded seconds, ans other food items.

Ooh!

Today, I attended my church's annual lawn fete. It was fun, despite the fact that it rained the whole time.


Anyhow, Next week better be better...

Camp Week 4: A rough week...

This past week was...rough actually.

I had a rough camper, who hit me if I wouldn't give him an extra cigarette.
There were a couple of other mishappenings that added on as well.

First of all, the pool had a malfunction that suspended all use of it until Tuesday.
Then I had a sleep-less sleep duty, on Sunday night, because one camper wouldn't stay in his room.

I had a major mishappening at Ryanwood. One of my campers crapped himself at another camping trip to Ryanwood. He was a wheelchair camper too. I felt bad for him. He had to sit on a portable toiled naked because all his clothes were soiled. We got him a clean pair though, so everything after that was alright.

Then my other camper lost his temper, because of the cigarette rule I was given. He hit me too.

Oh yeah, I was a mountain, this week.

So, there are some things about camp I enjoy. Activities are fun, and I enjoy working with the other staff. I alos enjoy the Monday night meetings we have. Lots of refreshments are served. But there are some things than aren't so much fun. Sometimes you gotta change diapers, and wipe butts, and other stuff like that.
Oh well, it's all part of the job.

I hope next week's better.

Camp Week 3: One Man Down, Kids up

It was kids week this week.

Before I get into that, Justin, due to his injuries, moved out of the men's unit and into Snavely lodge. Mitch moved into his room, and is now, a unit leader, with Aaron.

So the kids came, and they were active. I didn't have too much trouble, but one of my campers shouted inappropriate words at times, and another girl bit me and called me "Husband."

Wow.

Still, a good week. I was a Hill, this week. Did the usual activities, and I went to Ryanwood again, with Leshawn, a first year girl named Sam Slater, and another first yearer Katie Collins, who is from England.

There are two other foreign girls working here. Belinda Guerron, who is from Ecuador, and Val Verbitskaya, who is from Kazakhstan.

Interesting.

So, I'm getting to like the other counselors. Most of them are really nice people.

Six more weeks to go... Stay tuned