It’s been *too* long...

Hello everyone!

So yeah, it's been over a month since I last blogged... aka WAY TOO LONG! I don't know why I put off blogging... although part of me wanted to allot a time to blog (and as the days went on, it felt like I had more to blog about...). So where did I leave you last time? If I remember correctly, it was something along the lines of just getting back from camp...

Well, I don't think I blogged about it properly, so yeah, camp. It definitely seems like a long time ago. In all honesty, I don't remember what I told you, so here goes... over the summer, I was a cabin counselor at CYC. Over each week, I got a different group of guys (7-9 on average) in a certain age group (there were guys and girls about 8-16 years old every week) typically with another counselor (some weeks I was on my own and some weeks I had a Counciler in Training). I also led/co-led/assisted morning activitites that the kids signed up for at the beginning of the week. Part of me blogging was getting this information off my facebook profile (since it's been getting pretty long and I wanted to skim some stuff off), but I still wanted to remember it:

Grunt Work has included the following:
-raking -weeding -working on computers -clearing/burning stuff (trees, weeds, sheds, etc)

Training week has included the following:
-sampling all the camp activities
-enjoying sunsets and bonfires with new friends
-canoeing underneath the only road connecting the penisula from the "outside world"

Camping weeks:
Olympic Week - assisting in archery and drama (two groups)
Superhero Week - leading drama, assisting in music and dance
Christmas in July Week - leading drama, assisting in music and dance; Ms. Ugly contest--2nd place (Madame Otis)
Hawaiian Week - leading drama, assisting in dance (2 groups); Angels & Demons--97 papers
Secret Agent Week - assisting music, newspaper, and arts & crafts; Angels & Demons--77 papers
70's Week - leading drama, co-leading music and paddle boating; Angels & Demons--83 papers
Pirate Week - leading drama, assisting newspaper and music; Angels & Demons--156 papers!!

So yeah, I definitely was the only male counselor doing stuff in Tec for the morning activities (dance, drama and sometimes music). Oh, and Angels & Demons was an all-camp night activity where the kids ran around camp looking for angels to sign a slip a paper. Over several weeks, I was a "demon" who chased the kids around and if I tagged a kid, I got their paper and they would need to go back and get a new one. What else... oh yeah, the Ms. Ugly contest... basically, that was a point when the drama costumes and art barn was opened up to the kids and they dressed up a counselor from each cabin. We only did it like two or three weeks in the summer, but I definitely remember the two times being in it.

So yeah, overall, the summer was a blast. I got to meet amazing counselors as well as spend time with really inspiring kids. It was odd since it was my first summer away from home, but I'm really glad I went. There were bumps in the road, of course. There were kids each week that, for one reason or another, wouldn't behave or follow the rules. Also, starting in July, the boats had this knack of not working (and I do mean more than one boat). While I was at camp, I was able to journal several times a week, and I know there's stories in there about being stranded out on a bad pontoon or my first day when Zak, Nathan, and I encountered a fallen tree that completely blocked the road (we then proceeded to cut it apart using hacksaws and a two-handed lumberjack saw).

Oh, and seeing as it was my first summer away from home, it was nice to not be home but at the same time, not have to worry about paying for housing, food, or utilities. In terms of the actual wages, it wasn't spectacular, but honestly, it added up and I definitely ended up with a good deal more than I did last summer (sorry PBP people).

Oh the PBP... when I was home, I was able to see "The Last of the Red Hot Lovers" and "Chicago". They were really good, and of course I would have loved to be involved with the entire summer stock. I was able to read Teej's blog some over the summer and it definitely sounds like a boatload of fun (I had to use some Northern Minnesotan term :-P).

After I moved back to Bemidji, I had three days to get everything in order... including packing! Ack! Well, I didn't forget a power cord or clean underwear, so everything worked out alright (even if it was a little pressed for time). If I remembered correctly, I moved in the day before new CA training began, so I was able to hang out with some of the other first-years (Kyle, Ben, Sara, etc) that night.

Then training began. The first weekend was for first-year CA's only and it focused on the judicial process and other social justice/justice justice things. It was interesting having all the first year CA's from all the buildings living in Middlebrook (since all the lectures/activities for that weekend were on West Bank), and it was really nice to get to stay in my own room (rather than move some of my stuff out and into a double room... thank you Tam!).

After the judicial retreat weekend, the returning CA's moved in and then we began full blown CA training! A good chunk of it was big lectures with all the UMN CA's (which was weird to think about), and smaller lectures with another building or two. There was also a lot of time devoted to buildings having staff time with itself--which was also awesome. The campus staff all went to Camp Pepin for a three-day retreat at Camp Pepin on the WI side of the border. The first day's fog definitely gave the river a mystical effect. While at Camp Pepin, we listened to some speakers about programs/advertising/etc, but there was still that individual building time. The very first night was really amazing because all the Middlebrook CA's sat in a circle, and gave one word answers to questions Tam asked (and it was more substantial than "where are you from?"). That whole night was really awesome period. Oh and on the last day, I successfully climbed a rock wall for the first time ever! I climbed alongside Julie (my floor partner), which was definitely encouraging. After Camp Pepin, we had building-specific training (maintenance runs, making rounds, etc) and there you have it.

So yeah, we have 26 CA's in Middlebrook (the largest staff by far) and our building holds about 1/6th of all the students living in residence halls. Each floor in the tower (2-12) has a male and female CA and 60+ kids on the floor. Then, there are four floors in the New Addition that have one CA per and have about the same number of kids (maybe a few less). The lowest floors in the tower and new addition are looked after by the CA from another floor, so Tariq and Moni are CA's for 1st and 2nd floor, and Mark is the CA for the New Addition's 1st floor and basement. Oh, and our staff is amazing! At first, our staff seemed disconnected (into groups like the returners, last year's 5th floor, and other clusters of first-years), but even after training, our staff really connected. Seeing as we're in such a large building (and since we have a lot of residents to interact with), I don't consistently see all of the other CA's (exc the weekly staff meeting of course), but there's no one that I would feel ackward hanging out with.

The main stream of residents moved in on September 1st, which was the majority of my floor. My community is the IT/CLA Living & Learning Community (read: freshman honors students either in IT or CLA... or some really ambitious people doing a double-major: one major from each!). There have been really funny conversations to overhear, because it totally reminded me of my freshman year (especially since I lived in the IT/CLA LLC my freshmen year, which was only a floor up from my current floor). Despite it being almost all students from IT or CLA, it's a noteably diverse group (for the first time ever, I'm living on a floor where it's 50/50 for IT guys: CLA guys). It's been different since coming into this year, I was "used" to having the floor be one large community. 6th floor, however, is definitely more small groups and I've been doing what I can to get them involved with each other as well as 9th floor (the other IT/CLA floor in the building). Ben and Sara are the CA's up there, so it's really easy to coordinate plans with them.

Well, the residents have been here for three full weeks now. It's been great getting to know them, although I do know a few residents that I haven't really spent much time with... I will definitely work on that.

Hmm... what else to say. Oh, during one of the few days off during training, I went back to CYC for their end-of-the-year BBQ, where there was a little award ceremony (I got the "Spirit Fingers Award"), a photo montage, a picnic, cleaning up of camp, getting my last pay check, and seeing people again (it was awesome seeing the other counselors again). *changing subject only slightly* I went with Lauren to a SPO open mic night one Friday night, and Zak ended up being there! (He was one of the program staff, but I didn't see him at the BBQ because he had to return home partway through the summer.) Oh, and the next weekend after the BBQ, Erin and Kate (sisters who were both counselors) were at MOA for a shopping spree, so I spent the afternoon with them.

Well, as a floor, we are watching the Family Guy season primiere (Star Wars special!) at 8:00, so I should head out. Oh, and after that, we're watching Hot Fuzz (same people as Shaun of the Dead), which I haven't seen, so I'm excited.

Oh, 3 last things:
--I've been able to take guys from my floor on a few Taco Bell runs... the tradition carries on!
--On more than one occasion, I've run into Bemidji friends/families that are visiting and such, which has been amazing (as well as excellent timing when I ran into the Williams clan).
--Speaking of "excellent", I saw Bill and Tedd's Excellent Adventure last night... gnarly!!

Alright, well I'm off! Talk to you all later!