Camp Week 3: Fun week, but a rough Kennywood picnic.

Week three starded out kind of crappy, but it got better.

I had the feeding table this week. That's the table where campers need to be spoon fed. Not too big of a deal though. There were only three of them, and me, Val, and Mitch worked together, to get them all fed.

So anyway, Nicole had me take pictures on two seperate occasions, on Monday. At the pool, in the morning, and at the climbing wall/hayride in the evening. Ok, but I neither got to swim, nor ride that day. I'll never forget Christen's refusal to be in a picture as a lifeguard (because she was in a bathing suit), despite my saying "You're a lifeguard now. You should be proud!"

I also went to Ryanwood again, and had few problems there, except for one of my campers, having to pee every five minutes.

Wow.

Not too much else to talk about at camp though, this week.

After camp, yesterday night, I went to another party at Matt Puntereri's Place. I finally got my lost shoes back. and also Matt made me a CD, with some 80's dance hits. I wanted it partially for the camp dances.

Then Today, was what I was really looking foreward too:

The Kennywood Picnic.

It was fun at first, once we got there.

Phil and Celeste picked me up at my place. Then we met Nicole and her cousin Katie Moyer, who's working with us this summer, in Baden. Then we picked up Katie B. and Anne, in Edgeworth. Then we had a ling drive through West End area to find Fred's place in Dormont. Phil and Celeste took off to find him, while Nicole took the rest of us to Kennywood.

Finally everybody was there. Christen and Jess, with their boyfrinds, Tom Natalie, who also works with us now and Jason Mars, met up with us later.

We all rode the Jackrabbit, and the Log Jammer. But afterwards, Phil, Celeste, Fred and I went our own way, and rode the Pitt Fall. I did my countdown again, like last year, but still messed up. (And on out turn on the ride I sait "One" three times.) Later we rode the Exterminator, and we watched the Pittsburg Plunge and got splashed.

Then we went back to our pavilion and ate. From that moment on, everything went downhill for me. After lunch, we rode some spinny rides, that led to a rebellion in my stomach. I got sick in a garbage can. Despite that, I still went on the Phantom's Revenge.

Big mistake! More illness! By now, Nicole noticed the shade of green I was turning. She sat with me, while the rest of them rode the Pitt Fall again. Finally, I did ride one or two more rides, without getting sick again. And Nicole drove me home.

Once arriving home, I was sick again. I ran into the bathroom, while Nicole had a nice chat with my mother.

I'm feeling better now, but after that little mess today, I really don't want to go back to camp tomorrow.

Camp Week 2: Colder weather...

Last week, I wished for cooler weather, and I got my wish. But we went to the other extreme.

So the week started out still plenty hot. But it started to cool down on Wednesday, Then, it cooled down even more, on Thursday. It's only in the sixties right now.

So, this week, was slightly rough.

There was this one camper, who was severely retarded, and screamed things a lot. I managed to cool him down by singing "Santa Claus is coming to Town" He even shouted the "To Town" part.

The two non-toilet trained brothers were here again. Remembering how helping bathe the bigger of the two, led to my worst argument ever with Mitch, I bathed the littler one. Much easier. He didn't flinch around.

Anyhow, we did arts and crafts, and I went to Ryanwood, with campers. No real problems, there.

The arts and crafts are pirate themed, this year. Painting a pirate chest, shaping
foil into a ship, making pirate hats, and colored telescopes. Stuff like that.

I had a good swim, Monday, but that was the only swim I had this week. I never got assigned to go, in the afternoon, and then it got to crummy to go swimming, in the later week.

Sad.

Hopefully it will warm up a little next week.

Camp Week 1: HOT!!!

A photo of a pure coinsidance from pre-camp training. Even here "Grease" is the word.

Anyhow, I'm back from my first week of my second year at Summer Camp...

Here's how it went...

First we had the pre-camp training.

A little FYI, Laurie is head of the men's unit this year. Aaron, who is coming later, will also be a unit leader. Christen and Jess are the women's unit leaders.

So, the staff assembled Saturday to put camp together. It went well. This year, we have "Day Staff". Staff who work during the day, but leave before the night. Weekend camp worker Rachel Gohean will be one, and one of Nicole's co-workers Kevin Anderson will be one too.

Sunday, we had training for the various aspects of camp. The one thing I'll never forget is "A Day in the Life of a Camper". Nicole and Christen played two typical campers, who wet the bed the night before. The new staff, had to deal with them.

Nice!

Then we had another lost camper drill, in search of Nicole. Zach and I, have been assigned to Ryanwood, for the year. We ran there and ran back. Nicole, was hiding in the driving range area though.

Oh!

Val is back as well, and there are two new foreign girls. Katie Barfoot, from England, and Anne Kilhms, form Germany. They seem nice.

I also met two older staff, who are now married. Phil McClure and Celeste Hackett McClure. They're day staff. Also really nice people.

Monday, we had our swim training. I'll talk about that a little. To avoid drowning anybody, particularly Jess, I played the victim. Like I said before, Christen is a lifeguard this year, and led this part of the training.

Campers didn't show up until Tuesday. This was geriatric week, so the campers were older.

There were only four guys working this week. Phil, Mitch, and Zach, and myself.

This week was HOT! Temperatures were up into the 90's, I think. However, campers were older folks and few wanted to go swimming. I remember during one swim session, there were some campers in the water, but they all left the water before the session was over. Jess and I, however remained in the water, because it was hot, and neither of us was willing to get out, but we were the only two.

Still, when chosing between Bingo, and Swimming, No Matter, what the weather, Bingo, was the unaminous choice, between most campers.

So then the week, ended. Before we left, we cleaned the golf carts. But due to the heat, we were squirting each other, more than the carts. Then we went home. It was still hot and all the fans were running. That night we went out to dinner and we got a new cat, one of our friends had to give us, for personal reasons.

Next week, Aaron and Jake are returning to camp. Others are coming back as well.
Hopefully it won't be as hot.

The last week before Summer Camp...

Tomorrow, I leave for my second summer at Camp Arc Spencer...

I hope it's a good on. But I have a hunch it's goning to be harder than last year. I'm a second year counselor, so I'll probably have more responsibility.

Anyhow, this past week, I've been running around getting ready. I've run to stores getting clothing for the summer. During one run, to Wal-Mart in Cranberry, I ran into Andrea, who isn't coming back this summer (I'm crying about it too). Also, this week, I went off to see Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. Good, but saddening. I also stopped by the Arc of Beaver offive, in Bridgewater to drop off some papers, and then got a pizza at Pizza Hut.

Wow.

Tommorow is the official beginning of Summer Camp: Bring it on!