Heading into week 4!

So this week I have sailing again. I'm really excited because I do enjoy being out on the water so very much. Oddly enough because my parents are not big on the out on the water deal.  

I was invited to dinner last night and it was wonderful and I even ate stake. Then we got the idea to go out sailing. I have only ever sat on a sail boat and never sailed. So to actually sail was so amazing. Then the skipper Kristi asked if I wanted to skipper.   It felt so intuitive, for my first time I feel like I did a good job, and we did not capsize so it was a successful trip in my opinion. 

But I feel like the DRAMA at camp has reached an all time high. I meen last summer the drama was high but nothing like this.  Well only a few more weeks of it. 

Its my new mission to make Betty Smile

Ok so I made it though the half way point of the summer! I finished up Pink Thunder and it was a terrible weather week because from Tuesday to Thursday it threatened to storm each and every day. Thursday it did finally storm. In the morning we just stayed inside and played inside then in the afternoon we played messy games, where Joe attacked me with whip cream, marshmallow, and banana. It was so nasty but it was so fun at the same time. Greg the director said that was the first time that he had ever heard me laugh. 

Its just I have a dry sense of humor so I do not always appear to be laughing.  But it started to rain and then we jumped in the bay without lifeguards it was cute.  

Betty Battery (or so one of the campers from sailing called me this week)

This week I have Pink thunder and I thought I would share some of the drop off day quotes

"so this is spa camp"

"there is an extra bed in here can we tape it off?" (parent to one of my consolers)

 Pink thunder is a camp made up of 23 girls! Holy cow right?  Everyone said that this is the camp that you need to watch for, and I think everyone was bullshitting me.  It was hairy at the start but its been great so far. Today we had a women come in and do organic bug spray, color workshop, how to put on makeup, bug book marks, and the facials.  We did facials and everyone was having a great time,(I was just entertained watching them all!) and then it turned into a party because Jesse Lee was the cool place to be.   The hard part about them is geting them to bed, once they are out they are out.  I had one camper who tonight because it is storming freek out. She is afraid of the dark but also afraid of light, so I told her that when it lightninged out the Angels and God where bowling and thats when they got a strike, like Las Vegas all light up.   

Equestrienne camp is interesting, I don't do alot. When we go to the barn I just sit and the pepple at the place do all the work. I worked today on my first lanyard of the season, I was trying to turn it into a fish but it was sort of an epic fail. 

 

 

We did team building this morning and I have four staff this week so its hard when you have a lot chiefs but no Indians.  But the girls do go to bed early, and now it seems like we are having an unofficial staff party in the lounge as there is ten people in here and I'm siting on the floor. Hey whatever.

 

I also started to plan for the week after next, for pink thunder and I have set my personal goals for the group and I bounced some ideas off of some other staff and we are totally making Ya-Ya hats.  I also switched camps with two other PD's so now as opposed to Kyacking I have another sailing camp, sweet right?

Are we racing for pink slips?

So I had my first week of camp and survived! It was a mad long week, filled with more visits to the nurse then anything else in my opinion. I think I was really stupid for choosing three weeks of all girls. I could use a little bit of testosterone. This week I have horsy camp or AKA equestrienne camp. I have four staff and seven campers. Talk about overkill! I have no clue what i'm going to do with all of them, its just a people party!

Yesterday we the staff just sort of lost it after the campers went home and there was a lot of yelling and screming, and peging each other with a hacky-sack. Then a group of us drove out to the Hamptons to look around. People from outside of New York just don't know how to drive in NY to save there lives. So a game of chicken was in order. Anywhoo, we also stopped briefly in Riverhead for the eternal quest that is the bathroom. And there we found BORDERS! I did come home with a book would anyone have expected any less.

But todays story of how Betty embarrassed herself is during all camp. We where playing the blob, a version of tag and some how I tripped or was tripped and I fell on my head then rolled over because I could not breath because I was laughing so hard. It was very graceful if I do say so myself! I hope that my gracefull-niss ends soon because I just might end up breaking something before the summer is over if I keep going.

They will know we are sailors by our screams

So this week I have been Sailing camp PD. This is beginning sailing, so its all about learning new things and working out the kinks. I'll share my best story of the week so far. I was getting on the motor boat where I sit perched out on cooler and I catch the sail boats if they need an instructor to help them, so that we don't drift away from each other.  

Anyways there was two parked right next to each other, and I was able to get on the first one then attempting to get on to the second one I got stuck. So I have one foot on the first boat and the other on the second boat, rocking back and forth back and forth. Yeaaa me! So the driver of the motorboat was kind enough to grab the top of my life vest and yank me into the second boat, but not before I had caught my pants on a metal bar and ripped them.  The driver was really embarrassed, and asked me if I wanted to go change. I had on my bathing suit so it was totally not a big deal, but it was very entertaining. So now I have my first official pair of camp pants!

We might go out to do a night sail twomrow and I'll be taking photos if we do! 

One to many songs at Jesus camp

 I forgot just how much you scream when you are a cosolour and when at Jesus camp just how much you sing! I think i'm headed to lose my voice by tomorrow afternoon.   But otherwise its been good, but sometimes i'm not sure who acts more like campers. Campers or staff. 

Today's highlight was me totaly going out of how I have behaved at camp so far. I was talking to my RD about a game called Bang the pot, and someone else was there and said "Whoh Betty this is America, and a Christian camp." to witch I said "well don't you know thats how pasters chill out before sermons*? (in  a stoned voice and acting stoned )Yeah man! Praise Jesus I love Jesus, dont you love Jesus! GOD IS AWSOME MAN!" Both pepple staried at me and then my RD said "I never expected that from you." One must always keep them on there toes becuse you never know what is coming. 

carried away by the wind

As my last post was lacking some photos I thought I would share some of the few that I have taken over the past few days.  The first photo is of my teambuilding group, doing chocolate river, the second of Hilliary one of the overnight PD's, holding an acordian and the last is of Sara (english sara) and Kirsti after they had had a whipcream fight.  Its hard to see in this photo.

I went kyacking for the first time yesterday and that was fantastic, I did not fall out of the boat and the worst part was that my but to my feet was wet.  Oh yes yesterday was Canada day and we learned about that, I was very entertained by the entire situation.  We took our swim tests today, and boy did that ever remind me how out of shape I am! I was only able to make it to the intermediate section but that dam currant and the cold just took it right out of me.  

 Finally there are sail boats out on the water in front of camp, I just love watching them, its so peaceful and realizing to just watch the wind take you where you need to go.  These are little sail boats so they look like they are out of a photo.  But you my faithful readers if you need or want to send me something at camp (hint hint) like food, or a musical instrument or something to throw when the accordion/concerena gets to be to much, please e-mail me. 

Wow! Its been a crazy few days.  On Saturday I went out and sat on the sail boat, that was cool. Then I got a little motion sick becuse the boat started to rock back and forth back and forth. Then the ten of us, got off the sail boat and loded on to the moter boat. not a good idea! We where out for 6 minuest and a police boat pulled us over, with the blessing of God, and our SD's smooth-niss we did not get a ticket.  Then I took a realy super good long nap, and then got up and went to Greenport, and saw Wall-e, it was realy super good. 

 Then Sunday I slept some more, sleep is a gift of GOD, and proof that GOD does realy love us. Anywhoo, I sat around and read my book, then pepple started to show up. Sunday night was the first time that all the staff EVERYONE was realy together. I did my first injury of the season, I rolled my ankle yeaaa!  

But things are looking good, and it will be a good summer I beleive, becuse I can see all kids of good things going on already. Except maybe that dam concertina..

Photos: Above my bed and space

days 2-3

So I think my brain might explode, or implode! We have done so much planing for camp and I still have more to do! As a program director i'm sorta running the show.  We have presentations for the staff about each age group, about what they are thinking, how they want to be treated, and games and activities to do with them.  

The photo is of my first SI sunset. This was taken from the gazebo, looking out to the North Fork of LI. 

We had a really fun campfire, on thursday night with singing and general merriment. There is a song that you could totally only sing at Jesus camp, but its like your on pep squad or something to that effect. 

Yesterday we took our driving tests so I can now drive the camp van! yeaa, its more about the campers i'll be toting that freaks me out.  But we went around to all of the places on the island that we bring campers, I thought that SI was bigger then it really is, when I looked at it on maps.

But today I believe we are going out sailing! I'm so excited as I have never been, and when I go out with my sailing campers the week after next I want to pretend I know what i'm doing.

 

So I made it out to shelter Island, I made the 10 am ferry from New London, so that set me an hour ahead.  It was good until the boat rocked side to side, then back and forth. The island is beautiful, and camp has water on almost three sides of it.  Makes it a little hard to sleep at night when you hear a motor boat go by at some insane hour. 

I'm rooming with two girls from Russia in Clif Cabins. There is five beds and I really only hope that we get one more girl because otherwise it would be  close quarters otherwise!   Last night, we play sardines and that was fun to get to know everyone. I still must admit that I don't know everyones name. 

 

We had our first full day of traning today, it was realy long. We did some team building games and related them back to camp, and then we went to the ropes corse. Its totaly difrent being here then being at Epworth. Ocean vs Woods.  But the boats are ever so beautiful, I can't wait to go out on the sail boats the camp has six or seven, but only one is out on the water right now.  

I also say its a been an ok day,  with me getting sunburnt on the back of my neck. Bother. 

I don't have any pictures because, my camera had a hissie fit yesterday, and wanted me to feed it new batteries. Some soon hopefully! 

History of CQ

Hi everyone, I just wanted to post a little about the camp that i'm working at.  Started as a boys camp, then becoming a training institute, CQ is on the national register of historic places. 

Today it is owned by The New York Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church, and runs both overnight and day camps for children and young pepple. For more information please visithttp://www.quinipet.org/id22.html

I am leaving on the New London CT- Orient Point Ferry on Tuesday morning at 11 am, thus leaving my house at 7:45-8:00am. It will take me about an hour and half to cross the sound, then about 30-45 minuets from Orient Point to the North Ferry, then about 15-20mins to camp once i'm on the island, OLY COW!  

 I will have my cell phone, so feel free to call me when i'm gone but if its a few days before I call you back don't get mad/insulted because i'm working!  If you want a notice of when I update please e-mail me! Thanks!