Camp Communication: Day 5- Good Night's Rest, Morning Ache.

7:38 am 8/5/10
Last night before lights out we went out to the point to look at the stars. There were a couple of people that stayed back and went to sleep, so it was dark in the cabin when we got back around midnight. I slept really well, but when I got up this morning I had a pain in my neck- literally- I think I just slept on it wrong but I'm really sore. I hope I don't need to use it much for the land Olympics today. I'm off to taize now with Angela again.
9:38 am
For breakfast we had Ham, egg and cheese Mc Muffin knock-off things, orange juice, and these super cute and REALLY good miniature grapes. It's cabin time right now and the counselors are having a meeting, so most kids aren't in their cabins. It's the last full day at camp and I'm feeling a little sad about leaving, but I'm excited to be going home. Back to technology... and reality. It's freezing this morning! I was only wearing a tank top at taize -along with yoga pants and flip flops- and I practically ran back to our cabins after breakfast to put on my purple t-shirt and hoodie. At 10:30 I've got morning programming, but I'm actually excited for vespers tonight. It's when all of the seniors say goodbye since we won't have vespers tomorrow. I just can't believe we're almost to the end of the week already- almost to the end of summer already. Where does the time go? Before I know it the school year will be over and I will graduate (Ain't that the truth, right now as I'm typing this I'm already done with all of my work for the first semester of senior year!) Eeek! Just thinking about it makes me miss my elementary school days hanging in SACC with BB and Ash. (It still makes my stomach turn thinking about it.) I really miss Ash sometimes. We were BFF's and when she moved to Byron she just lost touch with BB and I, it's not like we didn't try to call her, we just had a hard time getting a hold of her. We're all so busy nowadays. (She actually has a Facebook now, so we've been talking a little more recently but we're not nearly as close as we used to be) BB moved away the year after Ash, but she only moved to the other side of town and we're still close. She and i still talk about Ash sometimes, though. I've got to get going to morning programming soon, but I'm just waiting to get home more than anything. The girls next door in South Annex are talking about A Very Potter Musical and Harry Potter. They might be girly-girls, but I'm able to find some things in common with them I guess. Weird place to find it, though.
1:13 pm
Field Olympics are after cabin time. We just got another year's worth of cabin pictures finished. (At least we didn't break any tables standing on them like last year) The Olympics start at 2:30 so we've got like an hour and 15 minutes to sleep or write or whatever. Lunch was hamburgers, but I didn't eat one. Instead I had a salad as well as the snicker/apple stuff, tatter tots with ketchup, and an apple. For desert they had leftover punch cake from the other day. The morning activity movie was extremely terrible. Bad acting, bad filming, just a horrible movie, but I guess the questions it raised were pretty interesting. Our family group is great. I feel like we're just so close to each other now. My cabin had to set tables or I would have written during the 15 minutes before lunch and after talking with Pam's family group. We also played Frogger during our family group time and afterwards Eric had to leave for some cross country thing or whatever. Wade has gone, too, because he needed to go to a funeral in Missouri on Saturday. I take it he is driving there. I was assigned a table at lunch today and ended up sitting with a bunch of seniors who have graduated and this is their last year here. It's hard to think that I will be one of them next year. (Maybe, church is having issues right now so... I may not even be able to go this year...) Well, if camp is still running anyway. (Which it is, they're getting volunteer groups to clean it up because they got funding to keep it running) From what it sounds like they aren't really sure what is going to happen in the future for Pilgrim Point Camp, but I know I'm going to miss is all the same. Last year I didn't make a lot of close friends and sorta felt like an outcast, although weather-wise it was nicer. I just hung out with everyone rather than making good friendships. This year I made some really great friends and I know that going home is going to be harder than I ever thought possible going into camp this year. I can't start thinking like I'm going away forever, though. We've still got the rest of today and part of tomorrow ...and hopefully next year, too. Life has it's twists and turns, but I've just got to stay positive through it all. I may be a serious person sometimes, but that doesn't mean I have to be pessimistic. Now that all of that is said and done, I still can't wait to be back to typing on my laptop in my own bed rather than sitting here in this uncomfortable one at camp. (Right now I wish I was at summer camp... it's too cold here! It was negative 40 wind chill last night and this morning it was only negative 16 degrees out!) I miss my parents and my pets, even though this experience has been great for me and I will miss the good times.
3:57 pm
It's beach and recreation time now after the Olympics. Eric and Sam's 'wedding' is today after Abby is done planning senior stuff and Eric gets back from kayaking. The water from the beach is pretty cold where I'm sitting right now. The field Olympics were okay. I think our team was good about cheering each other on and other teams, too. I had fun at least. I assume that the winners will be announced at dinner at 6. Vespers tonight is going to be so sad since the graduated seniors will all be saying goodbye to everyone. I'll miss Abby, she and I were closer than Sam and I. In the end we all need to move on from our high school days, though. It's already 4pm. Tomorrow I'll already be leaving and heading home at this time. It went too fast.
7:00 pm
This is the only free time before evening programming, the talent/ no talent show, vespers, and the bonfire (which I might skip to go to sleep or look at the stars) Dinner was the usual spaghetti. (The annual goodbye dinner from the staff). I got sunburned a bit today so I know Mom is going to be disappointed that I didn't wear sunscreen at all this week when I see her tomorrow. (I almost made it the whole week without it, that's how strange the weather was.) Tomorrow for breakfast I'm sure we're having cinnamon rolls as another annual thing. I'm tired and I just love how beautifully peaceful it is here. I could fall asleep anywhere, I swear. Taize again tomorrow, I'm sure, in case I can't write until after then. Sam had her wedding earlier and it was amazing. I think North Shore cabin is having a stealing problem with Jessi again. I'm glad that I'm not in their cabin- I'm also glad that I don't need to resort to that. I'm going to make some more duct tape bracelets, so I'll write when I can.

Mini Blog: New Year, New Blog

It's a new year and I'll be blogging as much as I possibly can! January is going to be a hectic month for school, so posting is going to be delayed even more most likely, but I thought I would update once for the new year :D

If you want to help me out, I need viewers to vote for me in this scholarship competition: Brickfish Social Media: Eyes

Mini Blog: Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!

I haven't been online a ton lately, but I'll get back to posting as soon as I am able. I've still got camp journal stuff to post and all of that, but I've also got a ton of other stuff on my plate so I'll get to it when I get to it xD

TTYL,
~Haley

Camp Communication: Day 4- Up and at 'Em...

Note: it's really fun to be typing about camp back in August when I thought 70 was "chilly" because right now it's only 8 degrees, we're in the middle of a blizzard, and we've got at least a foot of snow- maybe even 3 feet. I find it funny, anyway.

7:28 am 8/4/10
...with nothing to do but sit outside. I finished my book yesterday with a whole 3 days of camp left, so now I've got a lot of time to be writing. I was feeling a little sick this morning and got up early to take a shower, so I'm a little early for taize. I think the camp Olympics start today. I hope it's as nice out later as it is now. It was a little chilly last night in the cabin, but this morning it's the perfect temperature. Plus there are birds chirping as I'm sitting on a picnic table by the dining hall, so it's pretty nice right now.
9:32 am
I was so tired that I was falling asleep in taize this morning. I know it's optional, so I could have slept in, but I've gone every other day and it's pretty relaxing to just sit and listen to the chanting-type music (so relaxing that it made me sleepy!) After taize I went to breakfast, which was pancakes and sausage. I also had an apple to wake me up before we got the pancakes. I wanted cinnamon toast crunch cereal, but that cereal didn't get taken out so I had some cheerios instead.
Now it's cabin time, so I'm hanging out in the annex lounge. Later I'll be going to the first day of Olympics. I'm sorta hoping it's not the water Olympics for today since it's cool out today and I don't need to go swimming. It's sorta interesting to watch the people go in and out of the doors here. People watching is so fun. The maintenance guy is out mowing the lawn on his riding mower, which just reminds me that I'm going to have to start mowing again when I get home. Ugh, work. I've just got to keep in my mind that I'm saving for AD and the Latin trip.
I saw Ronnie today. He's the cutest dog in the universe (aside from my dogs at home, of course) I should probably change to tennis shoes for the Olympics, so I'll write later.
1:22 pm
We had family group time after talking with these 2 ministers about their jobs for morning activity. We played Mafia (Angela and I won!) and ate candy. Then we hung out a bit before lunch: gross chicken patties and chips. The chips were good, though, because I don't think I could go a week without chips. Now we're having cabin time before the water Olympics. I'm not exactly excited for it, but I think I'll be okay. I don't really think I'm going to be *swimming* a whole lot, more just getting hit with water balloons. At least, I hope not.
I found out that the girls across from me are Rachel (I got is right!) and Jackie. Jackie is the one on the bottom of the bunk whereas Rachel is the one on the top.
Sam is crying. She had just gotten her wisdom teeth out and her mouth swelled up again. Part of it is just because she was just talking to her parents- which makes people emotional, I guess- but I remember getting mine out. I know her pain. BB got dry sockets when she got hers out. we got ours out at around the same time. Soon I'll have to go to *ugh* the water Olympics. I'm not really excited at all.
4:26 pm
The girls in South Annex are listening to 'Rock your Body' by the Black Eyed Peas. It makes me miss my iPod I left at home. I've got an mp3 player, but it has really old music since I can't change the songs anymore. I've also got a fly pestering me here in the Annex lounge. It was happening earlier during family group time, too. Water Olympics were't as bad as I thought they would be. After dinner the winners will be announced. My family group is a little intense, but it's all in the name of fun. After getting some Gatorade Mary and I went to the north shore cabin to get some stuff. It brings back memories of fall CYE here. I've never gotten a bottom bunk any time that I've been here. I was in the north shore cabin the first time I was ever at Pilgrim Point. Then I was in the maple cabins on the hill. (Both are considered the worst cabins to be in at pilgrim point) but now I'm in the annex, which is okay.
I think it would be nice to be in the cabins just a few feet from us towards the point. The guys are there now and no one is on the hill. I believe it's called the lodge. They've got one of the best lounges and some great cabins (and the best bathrooms.) It's one of the few places here that isn't practically falling apart. Ack! Now there are two flies bugging me. I'm moving somewhere to draw. I still can't wait to go home. I love camp, but I miss home while I'm here and miss both home and camp while I'm at school. Oh! Now they're listening to Owl City (whom are also from MN, by the way) Okay, time to go draw before these flies drive me nuts!
6:49 pm
We got 6th place in the team stuff, but it's okay. I'm not really interested in competition anyway. I'd much rather be home sleeping than here wasting away my last few summer moments before senior year. It's super fun and everything, but I feel like we're always on the move- that when I do get free time I'm so tired I just want to sleep. Then, by night time I'm so rested I don't need any sleep. I guess I just need to stop taking naps. Or get more adjusted to "camp time" as Leah calls it. I'm going to make some duct tape bracelets now, I think.
8:54 pm
For dinner we had quesadillas, sour cream, etc. we also had ice cream- vanilla for once!
We played Mafia again in our groups, but beforehand we had an affirmation circle. It was hard not to thank everyone. Everyone was so nice! We even made Mary go into the circel and tell her the things we like. Afterwards, she said that at first she was annoyed that our group never talked or stayed on topic, but by the end she felt we were really a family. I made a bracelet for Lindsy and for Mary (although I can't find her in order to give it to her.) She might be at the super hero dance already. I'll go look. It starts soon anyway.
11:15 pm
The dance was fun! There weren't as many people there for some reason, but it made me feel less self-conscious and I could actually let go and have fun (very different from the previous dances). The girls are thinking about going to the point for star gazing. They asked Cecilia who basically told them to ask Julia whom they haven't been able to ask because she does Vespers planning and stuff. Angela and I go to taize together every morning and have good talks about anything on our minds. She's one of the many people I'll miss. At first I felt really homesick, but now that it's reaching the end of our camp days I know I'm going to miss it here. I've finally become confident anyway. On the first day they asked us what we wanted out of our camp experience to take home with us, and I think (even though I said I would just learn and take home with me anything and everything I could) that what I truly wanted was to come home with was the ability to conquer that Yuki-type shyness (props for fruits basket reference!) I get when meeting new people and begin to work at bettering myself. I know that they wanted a more religious answer, but I'm not a very religious person. I don't know if God exists, but I do know that I won't feel certain about other issues like that in my life until I'm confident in myself and my ideas. (and not just around my friends, whom I know will like me no matter what)

Deviant Update: Stressed

Haley is stressed. In 2 weeks Haley's first semester of college will have finished. Now, this means 2 things:
1) in 2 weeks I will only have to go to one class a day
...and that class starts at around 12:15 daily, meaning I will get to sleep!
2) I've got finals this week and next. I also have a quiz in Latin.

AND! Because of my schedule in January at the high school, I will have to leave about 15 minutes early for about 4 days just to get to class at the college on time. (The high school schedule doesn't switch to third quarter until the end of January)

Schedule changes Haley does not like. Usually I miss a day every other month because of early release schedule at the high school- which I will be doing again this Friday.
However, when the schedule switches to next semester at the college I will miss late start days instead of early releases.
MEANING: I miss my high school class once two months in a row. And have to leave early 4 days as well. AND THIS CLASS SUCKS TO MAKE STUFF UP IN! Dang it, Latin! Grrrr.

And to add insult to injury I just had to pay 100 dollars to get my DSi exchanged at Gamestop for a new DSi because the battery went and esploded! Or rather, my parents had to pay for it because I'm broke... and they also bought me new expensive boots. Which means I'm not getting a new laptop for christmas anymore. Sad.
(Although I'm planning on getting money instead of gifts from most of my relatives, so I'll buy it myself if I have enough.)

Anyway, I will now continue my job search! That way I will be able to afford Christmas presents!

Update on job search, since I just now realized I haven't posted anything about it here
I have applied to the following places:
-Herbergers (Denied my application within 2 hours or something like that)
-Chuck-E-Cheese (Hasn't opened yet here, probably won't before the holidays)
-Michaels
-Quite a few other places I can't remember right now (all online applications and will e-mail me later)

I have applications to turn in for the following places:
-Barnes and Noble
-Bath and Body Works

I am currently applying for:
-Macy's
-Sears
-JC Penny

...and I should also really be working on Latin homework, so TTYL!

Mini Blog: High School Musical

Well tech week has come to an end and the Mayo Stage Door production of High School Musical will finish it's last show this year tomorrow. Then I will get back to blogging. School plus Drama equals no free time. However, I like being so busy and I'm going to miss it. :(

In any case I have to get back to homework. Bye-nii!
~Haley

Camp Communication: Day 3- Swimming...?

Note: Muffins Weasley told me to introduce this some way when we were talking in Latin earlier today, but I forgot what she said... so I'll just introduce it like this. It's been around 2 months since my last post, so I should probably try and finish this camp stuff which happened around 3 months ago xD

7:32 am 8/3/10
Apparently at 7:30 am today the polar bear swim was supposed to happen, but there are no lifeguards here. Well, one showed up eventually, but I don't think she's very happy about being here. I got up to take a shower because someone's alarm went off at 7, plus it was nice to cool off from the hot night. I wore shorts last night and used the fleece part of my sleeping bag as a blanket and the sleeping bag itself as sheets for the bed. (Why on earth did I bring a *cool* weather sleeping bag?!?) I'll head to taizei at 8 I think.
7:55 am
The candles aren't lit yet (thank goodness), but the music is nice. Taizé is actually spelled like this, I've just learned. The song books are really neat! They're in all sorts of different languages (including Latin, and I actually understand it!) I also just noticed I'm using an RCTC pen. A cruel reminder that when camp is over (not that I'm not still counting down the days until Friday or anything...) I'll only have a short amount of time until college starts.
9:34 am
Breakfast was biscuits, gravy, eggs, potato cakes, and apple juice. I had lemon tea this morning and it was really good, even by my standards. I actually slept really well last night for some reason. I should definitely wear shorts to sleep from now on. It's really nice out right now, so I'm hoping it doesn't get warmer during the day and make it really hot tonight. It's day 3 of camp. I leave in 3 days. Still counting down. I love camp, but I just feel more comfortable in my air conditioned home. Plus I don't know as many people this year and I feel left out. I guess I'm just letting my shyness get the better of me (like Yuki from fruits basket) At home I'm not shy, but I guess with my church friends is a different sort of atmosphere than with my friends at home, especially since at home I'm not really close with any of my church friends. They're the sort of prep/ jock type of group, but not as dumb blonde-ish as "Rachel" whereas I'm more of an artsy/nerd/theater type. There are lots of musical/artsy people here from the cities, but the only person I know is actually into the technical side of theater is Erica, even though she is primarily an actress. I know I'm horrible for labeling people like this, but that's really how the world of a teenager works. I'm not really an adult, but I'm pretty sure the adult world works like that, too. They're just better about hiding it. Mom says her work is kind-of clique-y sometimes. Speaking of Mom, she wouldn't let me bring my phone so I'm pretty much out of reach from all of my home friends right now. I've got to be in the Rec. Hall for morning activity (another movie) and family group stuff again by 10:30. It's almost 10 o'clock now and I really want to read before going back.
1:19 pm
For morning activity instead of a movie Wade talked about the future of camp and what we would like to see. He said that less people are coming to camp number-wise, although senior high is the biggest. Then, in our family groups we went to the lake to discuss things using an imaginary budget of $50,000. Then I read a bit before lunch. We had sub sandwiches that were really good. "Rachel" gave me a candy apple lollypop when I got here and I've been saving it for the ride home, although I sorta want it now. Speaking of wanting something, according to Wade someone broke into the freezer last night sometime and took ice cream. Now it's bunk time and people are resting- we just finished practicing our cabin skit for tonight. My line is "which boy?" for a joke we're doing at the beginning (instead of doing background dancing.) Out of context it probably sounds silly, but we're supposed to be acting out Veggie Tales in the pretend camp bathroom set... and Veggie Tales is silly. Larry is played by Abby, Bob is played by Sam, Little Asparagus is played by Leah, the Peach is played by Maggie, the girl who's name I don't know is the narrator, and the Grape is played by "Rachel." The rest of us are just girls in the bathroom as back-up people. I've got about 50 minutes before "drawing club" workshop with a staff who's name I forget (It's Jon). All I know is that it isn't Ben, who looks sorta boyish and apparently passed out drunk last night in Collin's room the other night (according to Collin's mom, the health nurse).
For workshop I was thinking about going on the pontoon, since I haven't gone on it here, but I don't think the point is very big or open to have a lot of fun on the pontoon. I also thought about going on the picture hike with RJ (Ron, our pastor's, son) but I brought my art stuff and I've got plenty of pictures from last year. The scribble in the corner of this page (non existent online, obviously) is because the pen started running out of ink, so I'll take that as a sign that I should read; and write later.
11:00 pm
After drawing for an hour, which was very relaxing, I went over to the dock to hang out. I was going to go swimming, but we had vespers planning soon and I wasn't in a huge hurry to get changed. Then I had a peanut butter sandwich in the dining hall before hanging out with David Becker, the camp director, and some of the other campers I rarely hang out with. After seeing my sandwich they made Cody be a waiter and get them food from the dining hall, too. It was funny. I don't think I'll be swimming much this summer, but I'm fine with just hanging out by the water. Just before vespers planning I was spraying on bug spray on my left leg and I saw a mosquito bite my right leg. I was pissed off.
Then I helped the message portion of vespers by summarizing the bible verse we read.
"Samuel 1; 20, 1-42 summary:
The friends David and John were talking. John was the son of the king and David was next in line to be king. David wanted to know why John's father, Saul, wanted him killed. John and David made a plan for John to find out whether Saul actually wanted David killed because John was unsure. After the plan succeeded and John found out that Saul did, in fact, want to kill David, John went to tell David instead of letting Saul get away with the murder."
Vespers went very good tonight, I thought. It centered around friendship and how that connects with religion. Earlier today we were talking about relationships in the afternoon group time. I was "Bill Clinton" and had to find Hillary Clinton and explain how our relationship was good- which I found ironic since theirs wasn't very good. Then we had to do some stuff using communication things (connecting communication to friendship) and non verbal communication (no hand signals, either) to get in order of our birthdays. It was interesting how people mouthed words and wrote down the date on their arms. We also watched a Youtube karaoke of "lean on me." Then we got into our family groups (we now call Mary "Mom") and did some friend- making activities like this thing with toilet paper where we said things about ourselves for each piece of toilet paper we had. Afterwards we went to vespers. Along with our "message" part, Kirk, Leah, Sam, and Eric helped with the ritual part. Tonight we did a baptism ritual where we went to the beach and got water from bowls and more washed our hands than anything, but it was the symbolism that counts. I'm waking up tomorrow for Taizé again with Abby.