although it is not something i have focused on much and try not to talk about a ton, weight and fitness have always been a struggle for me (and many in my family). in college i did a pretty good job of tackling it. then i tore my ACL and that put a wrench in my fitness routine. after college i did ok at not gaining all my weight back with having rather active jobs.
then i started my current job. although it is a camp job, it is primarily a desk job. after my first year of being here, i decided it was time to do something about the fitness i had lost and the weight i had gained and most of my clothes being a little too snug. so a year ago, i tried some strategies on my own, which worked-ish. but once summer came around i just couldn't maintain it.
so in october i decided enough is enough. with the encouragement of my boss, Leanne, i joined weight watchers. i was pretty opposed to this method because i just wanted to be able to do it myself.
but low and behold, it works!
for some reason the points and the tracking and the way weight watchers is setup just really worked for me physically and mentally (and the fact that i was paying for it helped). it was almost like a game against myself. and as much i like to think i'm not overly competitive, i am.
today i met my first goal. i have lost 25 lbs and am down 2 sizes!
and as it turns out, none of my old clothes really fit anymore, which is a good problem to have.
since it has worked so well, i am deciding to keep up with the weight loss rather than going into maintaining. the next goal is 10 more lbs and then re-evaluate from there.
to those that were aware of this current venture in my life, thanks for the encouragement and support!
Monday, December 31, 2012
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Christmas Break
I realized something today as I sit and enjoy my first day of Christmas break from work.
To not be a student or a school employee and still have a full 2 week long Christmas break as an adult is rare.
And I didn't realize this until today because I have always had one. All the jobs I have had in the past 6 years of living a days drive from home have shut down for the 2 weeks around Christmas. No need to use vacation time. We all just get a gift of a break to enjoy family and friends.
And this break is a HUGE blessing. Huge.
I get to spend more than a weekend at home. I get to do (most) of the family traditions while still having time to just be at home. No rush or pressure to fit everything in.
I have time to run errands and load the car and rest before driving the day away tomorrow. And I will have time at the end to just be in my own house and get in some friend time too.
So to Habitat of Wake County, Camp Greenville, and now Look Up Lodge I must say thank you for seeing the value in a little time off around the holidays.
I sure do enjoy the break.
See you tomorrow OHIO!
To not be a student or a school employee and still have a full 2 week long Christmas break as an adult is rare.
And I didn't realize this until today because I have always had one. All the jobs I have had in the past 6 years of living a days drive from home have shut down for the 2 weeks around Christmas. No need to use vacation time. We all just get a gift of a break to enjoy family and friends.
And this break is a HUGE blessing. Huge.
I get to spend more than a weekend at home. I get to do (most) of the family traditions while still having time to just be at home. No rush or pressure to fit everything in.
I have time to run errands and load the car and rest before driving the day away tomorrow. And I will have time at the end to just be in my own house and get in some friend time too.
So to Habitat of Wake County, Camp Greenville, and now Look Up Lodge I must say thank you for seeing the value in a little time off around the holidays.
I sure do enjoy the break.
See you tomorrow OHIO!
Sunday, December 16, 2012
great day: a list
many days can be great.
and many different things can make a day great.
the gentle sound of the rain on the roof of our peaceful and quiet home makes this day great at this time.
some days are great just because and you have no real understanding of why.
and some days are great and you can make a list a mile long of the reasons why.
yesterday was a great day. as i went to bed a wee bit past my usual bedtime, i thought to myself, 'man, today was just a great day.'
and since i like great days and lists and this was a great day that could be made into a list, here is why yesterday was great:
- the weather, it was sunny, but not blinding, cool, but not so cold you have to bundle up
- a quiet morning at home (some people might not think of a morning spent straightening up the house and cleaning up from a holiday party as great, but i thoroughly enjoy it)
- roommate rambling time (have i told you i love my roommate? because i do)
- reading a bit of an enjoyable book (check out my mom's blog for a short review)
- cashing out for the month where i am selling crocheted goods and actually having sold things. almost all my things!
- lunch at a favorite restaurant with some of my favorite people
- meeting the family of friends (i love meeting families of friends and getting a little better understanding of what makes them them)
- hunting for and finding the mice on main in downtown greenville
- spill the beans frozen yogurt, mmm mmm good as always
- contra with a fabulous band and wonderful dancers
- getting to see some of my girls at contra who have been away for the semester and seeing how they are growing up in the short months they go away
- hitting the pillow mildly exhausted, but feeling truly blessed to have had such a great day
and many different things can make a day great.
the gentle sound of the rain on the roof of our peaceful and quiet home makes this day great at this time.
some days are great just because and you have no real understanding of why.
and some days are great and you can make a list a mile long of the reasons why.
yesterday was a great day. as i went to bed a wee bit past my usual bedtime, i thought to myself, 'man, today was just a great day.'
and since i like great days and lists and this was a great day that could be made into a list, here is why yesterday was great:
- the weather, it was sunny, but not blinding, cool, but not so cold you have to bundle up
- a quiet morning at home (some people might not think of a morning spent straightening up the house and cleaning up from a holiday party as great, but i thoroughly enjoy it)
- roommate rambling time (have i told you i love my roommate? because i do)
- reading a bit of an enjoyable book (check out my mom's blog for a short review)
- cashing out for the month where i am selling crocheted goods and actually having sold things. almost all my things!
- lunch at a favorite restaurant with some of my favorite people
- meeting the family of friends (i love meeting families of friends and getting a little better understanding of what makes them them)
- hunting for and finding the mice on main in downtown greenville
- spill the beans frozen yogurt, mmm mmm good as always
- contra with a fabulous band and wonderful dancers
- getting to see some of my girls at contra who have been away for the semester and seeing how they are growing up in the short months they go away
- hitting the pillow mildly exhausted, but feeling truly blessed to have had such a great day
Monday, December 3, 2012
the new rooms
'i'm living alone! i'm living alone!' kevin mcallister chants in the holiday classic, Home Alone.
and that is what i did for over two years. (not necessarily by choice)
prior to my 2 year stint of living alone, i had a plethora of roommates. my sisters; candace, tabitha, amber, norah, and meghan in college; amy and clarissa during the summers; sommer and a sublet with some college girls in raleigh; and at camp greenville, if i counted correctly, i had somewhere around 20 different housemates in my almost 2 year stay. that's a lot of learning to live with people.
but having lived alone for over 2 years i was pretty used to having my space just the way i liked it, whether my 2 room apt at boclarken or my 3 bedroom double wide at look up.
so upon the request of a friend to live with me i was a little concerned at how i would be able to give up what had been my space for almost 2 years.
despite any concern for my lack of adjustment ability, i quickly accepted and she quickly moved in at the end of october.
having now lived together for a month-ish, i could not think of anyone who would be a better fit to be my roommate.
we leave fun notes for each other often, watch cheesy christmas movies, fill each other in on our days, eat together, play board games, and talk about life and how we kind of think of ourselves as crazy, but as it turns out we are conveniently the same breed of crazy.
this is, sadly, a short term agreement as she will be getting married in april. but short term or not, i am so pleased to have a fun friend living with me for this season.
and that is what i did for over two years. (not necessarily by choice)
prior to my 2 year stint of living alone, i had a plethora of roommates. my sisters; candace, tabitha, amber, norah, and meghan in college; amy and clarissa during the summers; sommer and a sublet with some college girls in raleigh; and at camp greenville, if i counted correctly, i had somewhere around 20 different housemates in my almost 2 year stay. that's a lot of learning to live with people.
but having lived alone for over 2 years i was pretty used to having my space just the way i liked it, whether my 2 room apt at boclarken or my 3 bedroom double wide at look up.
so upon the request of a friend to live with me i was a little concerned at how i would be able to give up what had been my space for almost 2 years.
despite any concern for my lack of adjustment ability, i quickly accepted and she quickly moved in at the end of october.
having now lived together for a month-ish, i could not think of anyone who would be a better fit to be my roommate.
we leave fun notes for each other often, watch cheesy christmas movies, fill each other in on our days, eat together, play board games, and talk about life and how we kind of think of ourselves as crazy, but as it turns out we are conveniently the same breed of crazy.
this is, sadly, a short term agreement as she will be getting married in april. but short term or not, i am so pleased to have a fun friend living with me for this season.
this is lindsey, the new rooms.
and that is callisto, our favorite board game.
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
dear rory gilmore #3
do you ever wonder what happened to your favorite characters later in life?
where are they now, what are they doing, did they fail/succed as an adult, are they still friends with the other characters, did that long lost relationship ever come to fruition?
recently, my book worm cousin, emilee, informed me that one of my favorite book series had a '10 years later' installment released last year.
where are they now, what are they doing, did they fail/succed as an adult, are they still friends with the other characters, did that long lost relationship ever come to fruition?
recently, my book worm cousin, emilee, informed me that one of my favorite book series had a '10 years later' installment released last year.
the sisterhood of the travling pants series became a favorite of mine one summer probably 6 years ago.
if you have seen the movies, i must say that having read the books, the movies do not do the sisterhood justice.
each book was a book that i could not put down. and ended wanting more. and thankfully at that time there were 4 books in the series.
finishing each book in record time, i wished i hadn't read them as fast so that i could spend more time absorbing the characters and their stories.
but then i came to the end of the 4th book.
i wanted to know where their lives went, what they became, did they stay united without the pants?
now don't get me wrong, i love using my imagination to develop the future lives of my favorite characters, but when the author lets us in to know what happens in the imaginary world inside their mind, that is a delight.
if you are a fan of the sisterhood, i recommend the 5th installment. but be forewarned, there are some twists and turns that made me want to throw the book away without finishing it. but as any good book should, it kept me wanting more, and i just had to know what came of my old friends lena, tibby, carmen, and bridget.
Thursday, November 22, 2012
a list of thankful
1. family (especially the ones that are also my friends)
2. friends (especially the ones that are like family)
3. laughter
4. books, used, new, old, re-read, half read
5. a washer and dryer in my house
6. a job where fun is a value
7. Jesus, God's word, the Spirit, something to have faith in
8. a community of people in my life that let me be me
9. dancing, all sorts
10. my new roommate, Lindsey
11. my car that is still going strong after 6 yrs and 100,000 miles
12. music and how it can change a mood and be what you need in that moment
13. travel and new things and places
14. food (and that i have always had what i need)
15. weight watchers, and that i have lost 13 lbs and am forming better habits
16. the US postal service through which i recieve letters and packages and things that brighten my day and through which i can brighten someone else's day
17. living in the foothills of the blue ridge mountains
18. crocheting, and Chelsea for teaching me back in college
19. movies, tv shows on the internet, people that can tell a good story through film
20. comfy cozy blankets and clothes
21. chocolate and its many forms
22. clean water and its many uses
23. playing games, all sorts
24. religious freedom
25. good conversation
26. a good long walk with a friend (or alone)
27. health and wellness
28. all the experiences and people that have shaped me and continue to shape me in these 28 years of life i have been given
2. friends (especially the ones that are like family)
3. laughter
4. books, used, new, old, re-read, half read
5. a washer and dryer in my house
6. a job where fun is a value
7. Jesus, God's word, the Spirit, something to have faith in
8. a community of people in my life that let me be me
9. dancing, all sorts
10. my new roommate, Lindsey
11. my car that is still going strong after 6 yrs and 100,000 miles
12. music and how it can change a mood and be what you need in that moment
13. travel and new things and places
14. food (and that i have always had what i need)
15. weight watchers, and that i have lost 13 lbs and am forming better habits
16. the US postal service through which i recieve letters and packages and things that brighten my day and through which i can brighten someone else's day
17. living in the foothills of the blue ridge mountains
18. crocheting, and Chelsea for teaching me back in college
19. movies, tv shows on the internet, people that can tell a good story through film
20. comfy cozy blankets and clothes
21. chocolate and its many forms
22. clean water and its many uses
23. playing games, all sorts
24. religious freedom
25. good conversation
26. a good long walk with a friend (or alone)
27. health and wellness
28. all the experiences and people that have shaped me and continue to shape me in these 28 years of life i have been given
Monday, November 12, 2012
ohio in the fall
now, don't get me wrong. i live in the foothills of the mountains, fall here is wonderfully beautiful.
but.
there is just something a little more attractive to me about my part of ohio in the fall. the air is just the right amount of crisp. there is often a smell of burning leaves filling the air. the sunset on the silhouetted almost naked trees.
hay rides, festivals, sweaters, beggar's night, bonfires.
maybe that's it. ohio actually has fall. once it's october you can generally count on it being sweater/sweatshirt weather. here it is a little more hit or miss. one day it's nice and fall like, the next it's warm enough for a t-shirt and shorts.
and this year i made it to ohio in just the right crispness of fall. it has been a few years for this.
and not only was it the right crispness, it was the perfect company for the weekend as well.
for the wickfam reunion we took advantage of the wonderful fall weather with a hayride pulled by grandpa buck's (now my dad's) tractor through a neighbors freshly harvested field and returned to enjoy an evening around a bonfire with hot dogs, s'mores, hot chocolate, and shenanigans.
i love all the season, but i think fall might be my favorite. however, once it is spring, i might write that it is my favorite. either way, the changing seasons have always been a favorite part of life and creation to me. and i am so glad that i got to spend a small piece of my fall in ohio with fantastic weather and even more fantastic people.
but.
there is just something a little more attractive to me about my part of ohio in the fall. the air is just the right amount of crisp. there is often a smell of burning leaves filling the air. the sunset on the silhouetted almost naked trees.
hay rides, festivals, sweaters, beggar's night, bonfires.
maybe that's it. ohio actually has fall. once it's october you can generally count on it being sweater/sweatshirt weather. here it is a little more hit or miss. one day it's nice and fall like, the next it's warm enough for a t-shirt and shorts.
and this year i made it to ohio in just the right crispness of fall. it has been a few years for this.
and not only was it the right crispness, it was the perfect company for the weekend as well.
for the wickfam reunion we took advantage of the wonderful fall weather with a hayride pulled by grandpa buck's (now my dad's) tractor through a neighbors freshly harvested field and returned to enjoy an evening around a bonfire with hot dogs, s'mores, hot chocolate, and shenanigans.
i love all the season, but i think fall might be my favorite. however, once it is spring, i might write that it is my favorite. either way, the changing seasons have always been a favorite part of life and creation to me. and i am so glad that i got to spend a small piece of my fall in ohio with fantastic weather and even more fantastic people.
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
and just like that...
after 4 months of anticipation, really years since we all always wanted it to happen, but 4 actual months with a plan in place, it is over. just like that.
the 12 cousins and grandma pat
the time together flew by. as in lightning speed flew by. as in i wish we were all still together. so much so that we have been 'joking' about forming our own self sufficient compound. (im not joking, im in if it could ever be possible)
it was fun and wonderful and exhausting. i fell asleep at the airport, on the airplane, and at about 7pm the day i came back. i had no idea i was that tired.
and i would do it again this weekend if it were an option.
this picture. i love.
i love it because after it were taken i said out loud to myself, 'i really need to stop making cheese faces and just smile like a normal human being.' to which emilee turned to me and said, 'no way, i was just thinking the same thing!' to which brooke, alex, eric, and jen responded the same. so apparently, for a wickline, i was making a normal face : )
there are many more pictures to share and stories to tell, and i will sort through them in the next few weeks and share a few with you.
but for now, i just want to say that i am so thankful for the time i got to spend with my wonderful, loud, funny, crazy, obnoxious, loving, fantastic family.
here's hoping we can do it again someday!
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
let the wild rumpus begin!
all 41 of us, in the same place, at the same time. 4 generations of wickline (and some other last names). starting with grandma pat who just turned 82 and going to heidi who is not yet a year old.
i dont know if any room on the planet can handle that amount of crazy.
but it is happening.
this weekend!
thanks to brooke initiating the idea and facebook for allowing us all to message back and forth to find a date that worked and make a plan.
3 days of cousins and aunts and uncles and playing games (all sorts).
i dont know that i have ever been this excited to go home since i flew the coup (almost) 6 years ago.
im sure i will have stories and pictures to share upon returning. but here are some classic wickline family pictures to get you started:
cant wait to see everyone all at the same time! it has been way too long. im sure a good time will be had by all. i cant wait to laugh til i cry, cry til i laugh, tell old stories, and just enjoy the craziness that happens when a whole lot of people all sharing the same gene pool spend time together.
i dont know if any room on the planet can handle that amount of crazy.
but it is happening.
this weekend!
thanks to brooke initiating the idea and facebook for allowing us all to message back and forth to find a date that worked and make a plan.
3 days of cousins and aunts and uncles and playing games (all sorts).
i dont know that i have ever been this excited to go home since i flew the coup (almost) 6 years ago.
im sure i will have stories and pictures to share upon returning. but here are some classic wickline family pictures to get you started:
grandma pat and grandpa buck circa 1948
our parents circa 1960
our generation circa 1988
the last time all the cousins were in the same place at the same time.
(emilee and alex didn't exist yet, let alone the 17 in the next generation)
think we can still all fit on a porch swing?
dont miss our cousin alf, he is sitting on brooke's lap.
christmas 2008
missing the cali cousins and any new additions since then.
cant wait to see everyone all at the same time! it has been way too long. im sure a good time will be had by all. i cant wait to laugh til i cry, cry til i laugh, tell old stories, and just enjoy the craziness that happens when a whole lot of people all sharing the same gene pool spend time together.
Thursday, October 25, 2012
they call me aunt hanny
dylan started it. about 5 yrs ago.
she couldn't say hannah. she said hanny. and we sort of trained her to keep saying it that way even when she grew into her words.
it seems many little ones call me hanny of their own accord. (the keiglets do it on occasion as do the woods) but as much as i love it from any little ones, the ones i love to hear it from and that melt my heart the most are dylan, eli, and zeek.
and in one week. just one short week. i get to see them! and hug them. and cuddle. and play. im going on 4 months without going home to OH. and this trip im sure will be well worth the wait.
(i also get to see my entire wickline extended family in one place at the same time. this has never happened, chaos will ensue. but more on that on a different day)
one of the best moments at home is always when i walk in and without fail dylan is waiting anxiously for me to arrive and she runs and jumps and i catch her and we spin around. and always, she asks to play ring around the rosey. this is not typical ring around the rosey. this is playing airplane, but im ok with her thinking its ring around the rosey. i pick her up, we spin around until i almost fall over and she says 'let's do it again!'
and then there are these two:
she couldn't say hannah. she said hanny. and we sort of trained her to keep saying it that way even when she grew into her words.
this is dylan now. not 5 yrs ago.
she is growing too fast. much too fast.
it seems many little ones call me hanny of their own accord. (the keiglets do it on occasion as do the woods) but as much as i love it from any little ones, the ones i love to hear it from and that melt my heart the most are dylan, eli, and zeek.
i mean really, how cute are they?
and in one week. just one short week. i get to see them! and hug them. and cuddle. and play. im going on 4 months without going home to OH. and this trip im sure will be well worth the wait.
(i also get to see my entire wickline extended family in one place at the same time. this has never happened, chaos will ensue. but more on that on a different day)
one of the best moments at home is always when i walk in and without fail dylan is waiting anxiously for me to arrive and she runs and jumps and i catch her and we spin around. and always, she asks to play ring around the rosey. this is not typical ring around the rosey. this is playing airplane, but im ok with her thinking its ring around the rosey. i pick her up, we spin around until i almost fall over and she says 'let's do it again!'
and then there are these two:
they are almost 3. almost. (cousins, not brothers)
and my goodness, i can only imagine the trouble they will get in.
eli warms right up and just loves his aunt hanny. zeek however likes to play hard to get. but im ok with that. i love their unique personalities.
and i am so excited and ready to spend sweet time with them. (and with the rest of my family)
things have been rather non-stop busy here for the past 2 months and i could not think of a better reward at the end of the crazy than to go home and spend time with my (possibly equally crazy) family.
Saturday, October 20, 2012
mondays with harry
mondays with harry are something like tuesdays with morrie. except harry wasn't my professor, and he isn't terminally ill. but he is full of wisdom and good questions to help those around him think more deeply about the life they live.
harry is a coworker of mine who is close in age to my parents. he has come in and out of the look up lodge world over the past few years working in maintenance to begin with and now in leader care.
he is a person with much wisdom and life experience to share.
mondays at work begin with a directors meeting for many of the office staff. i, however, am not a director. nor is harry. and lately i have been feeling a little spiritually dry with no real direction to study or delve into the Word. then one day harry accidentally printed a sheet of questions he used for his small group to gauge their knowledge of the Bible.
for someone with a degree in Bible, i didn't do so well. and this gave me an idea: mondays with harry.
every monday harry gives me a new question to think on and find the answer to. sometimes there is a definitive answer. like the first week the answer was 70. and sometimes it just leads to more questions. like this week.
this weeks question isn't really a question so much. it is: compare and observe closely the passages about spiritual gifts in Ephesians 4 and Romans 12. so far it has led to more thinking and more questions.
but it has also led to me being outside of my own thoughts and needs and learning more about the heart of God and how He communicates with His people.
i think mondays with harry will be a great learning experience. and if you have someone around you that you recognize as wiser and more experienced than you, i think you should pick their brain to see what you might find.
this is harry.
harry is a coworker of mine who is close in age to my parents. he has come in and out of the look up lodge world over the past few years working in maintenance to begin with and now in leader care.
he is a person with much wisdom and life experience to share.
mondays at work begin with a directors meeting for many of the office staff. i, however, am not a director. nor is harry. and lately i have been feeling a little spiritually dry with no real direction to study or delve into the Word. then one day harry accidentally printed a sheet of questions he used for his small group to gauge their knowledge of the Bible.
for someone with a degree in Bible, i didn't do so well. and this gave me an idea: mondays with harry.
every monday harry gives me a new question to think on and find the answer to. sometimes there is a definitive answer. like the first week the answer was 70. and sometimes it just leads to more questions. like this week.
this weeks question isn't really a question so much. it is: compare and observe closely the passages about spiritual gifts in Ephesians 4 and Romans 12. so far it has led to more thinking and more questions.
but it has also led to me being outside of my own thoughts and needs and learning more about the heart of God and how He communicates with His people.
i think mondays with harry will be a great learning experience. and if you have someone around you that you recognize as wiser and more experienced than you, i think you should pick their brain to see what you might find.
Thursday, October 11, 2012
being a Reds fan
something i have learned and become accustomed to, being a lifelong fan of the cincinnati reds is this:
come october, more likely than not, they'll break your heart.
often it happens long before october. but not this year. no. we clinch the division a few weeks from playoffs. things are looking bright.
we win the first two games in san francisco. spirits are high.
then we head home for what we hope will be a sweep.
and then no sweep. not even a light dusting.
3 games later around 5:15pm on a regular thursday afternoon, there it is. the end of another season.
until today i had no idea how much i love the reds.
the last 15 minutes of the game i refreshed the gameday screen on my computer more times than i could count. i wasnt even watching the actual game. but my heart was pounding. i couldnt wait for the next pitch to be thrown. they had runners on base at the end of the last 4 innings.
it was so close.
but then.
another season comes to a close.
my heart fell, my head hung low. another season over and no NL championship or world series.
but.
as much as it saddened me, it doesn't matter. bc although they may break your heart year after year, they will be there next spring. looking bright and hopeful. ready for another shot.
and to be a fan of the hometown team isnt about whether they win or lose. it's about the love of the game and the comraderie of the fellow fans.
and the hope that maybe. just maybe. next year is the year.
come october, more likely than not, they'll break your heart.
(reds game 1990, the last World Series year)
often it happens long before october. but not this year. no. we clinch the division a few weeks from playoffs. things are looking bright.
we win the first two games in san francisco. spirits are high.
then we head home for what we hope will be a sweep.
and then no sweep. not even a light dusting.
3 games later around 5:15pm on a regular thursday afternoon, there it is. the end of another season.
until today i had no idea how much i love the reds.
the last 15 minutes of the game i refreshed the gameday screen on my computer more times than i could count. i wasnt even watching the actual game. but my heart was pounding. i couldnt wait for the next pitch to be thrown. they had runners on base at the end of the last 4 innings.
it was so close.
but then.
another season comes to a close.
my heart fell, my head hung low. another season over and no NL championship or world series.
but.
as much as it saddened me, it doesn't matter. bc although they may break your heart year after year, they will be there next spring. looking bright and hopeful. ready for another shot.
and to be a fan of the hometown team isnt about whether they win or lose. it's about the love of the game and the comraderie of the fellow fans.
and the hope that maybe. just maybe. next year is the year.
Friday, October 5, 2012
the busy-ness of life
since my last post i have pretty much been working non-stop, with a little fun thrown in around the edges.
we had 2 of our biggest fall weekends here, 2 overnight weekday school group retreats, and sandwiched in the middle our annual staff retreat.
i will write more on the details of work in the fall soon, but for now let's stick to the fun around the edges!
the staff retreat, although work related was pretty fun. we stayed at a cabin in Gatlinburg that can sleep 28 people. it was a really great cabin. we went for an easy hike all together to a waterfall you can walk behind and with many rocks to climb on. we played an intense game of kickball. went to a really nice restaurant (nicest i have ever been to). played putt putt (which i forgot how terrible i am at that game and would be ok if i never played it again.) and just hung out and enjoyed each other's company for a few days.
after arriving home from the staff retreat i almost immediately got in my car to head to atlanta for a braves game. (making this my second new stadium this year) my friend and former staffer, stacy, accompanied me. she had never been to a baseball game of any kind. and we were met by two more former staffers, maggie and kinsey, to enjoy one of chipper's last games and a braves win. and we sat in the best seats i have ever had at a game thanks to stubhub.com . i got 4 tickets in the 200 level for less than the price of one including all the processing fees.
within a 1 week period i saw briefly or got to hang out with 15 different summer staffers from my two summers. that's a good week in my opinion.
i started a course called CERT. it stands for community emergency response team. the classes teach how to appropriately respond in emergencies until the professionals arrive.
we had our 3rd volleyball league night. we won both games. our team is actually pretty good for having only played to together one time before.
i started weight watchers. not that this is a fun thing right now. i'm more looking forward to the fun part a few months from now when my old clothes that fit 10 yrs ago fit again.
yesterday i framed some wall at habitat. it's like riding a bike. each time i go, i can't remember at the start, but then once you start swinging the hammer, it all comes back.
so although i'm run a little ragged from working 12 days straight. i'm glad to think a little of the run ragged is coming from the fun i'm trying to squeeze in around the edges.
we had 2 of our biggest fall weekends here, 2 overnight weekday school group retreats, and sandwiched in the middle our annual staff retreat.
i will write more on the details of work in the fall soon, but for now let's stick to the fun around the edges!
the staff retreat, although work related was pretty fun. we stayed at a cabin in Gatlinburg that can sleep 28 people. it was a really great cabin. we went for an easy hike all together to a waterfall you can walk behind and with many rocks to climb on. we played an intense game of kickball. went to a really nice restaurant (nicest i have ever been to). played putt putt (which i forgot how terrible i am at that game and would be ok if i never played it again.) and just hung out and enjoyed each other's company for a few days.
after arriving home from the staff retreat i almost immediately got in my car to head to atlanta for a braves game. (making this my second new stadium this year) my friend and former staffer, stacy, accompanied me. she had never been to a baseball game of any kind. and we were met by two more former staffers, maggie and kinsey, to enjoy one of chipper's last games and a braves win. and we sat in the best seats i have ever had at a game thanks to stubhub.com . i got 4 tickets in the 200 level for less than the price of one including all the processing fees.
within a 1 week period i saw briefly or got to hang out with 15 different summer staffers from my two summers. that's a good week in my opinion.
i started a course called CERT. it stands for community emergency response team. the classes teach how to appropriately respond in emergencies until the professionals arrive.
we had our 3rd volleyball league night. we won both games. our team is actually pretty good for having only played to together one time before.
i started weight watchers. not that this is a fun thing right now. i'm more looking forward to the fun part a few months from now when my old clothes that fit 10 yrs ago fit again.
yesterday i framed some wall at habitat. it's like riding a bike. each time i go, i can't remember at the start, but then once you start swinging the hammer, it all comes back.
so although i'm run a little ragged from working 12 days straight. i'm glad to think a little of the run ragged is coming from the fun i'm trying to squeeze in around the edges.
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
take me out to the ballpark
one of my goals in life is to attend a regular season game at every major league ball park in the country.
i have a book on how to do this all in one summer, the ultimate baseball road trip. it offers helpful tips and things to know about each park. after skimming my most recently visited stadium it has come to my attention that i may need to upgrade to the second edition.
what was my most recent visit you ask?
it was to rangers ballpark in arlington, tx.
the game started a bit slow and the rangers gave up 5 runs in the 3rd inning. (while i was waiting in line for the worst ballpark pretzel i have ever had)
they then started to come back and the crowd got a bit more excited.
it is a very big stadium with many people there and it was a sell out game.
it is a fairly new stadium, built in the 90's, but modeled to look like many of the classic stadiums like wrigley, tigers, yankee, and fenway.
the rangers almost pulled off a win. but alas, they did not. but i was ok with this because they are ranked 3rd in the nation right now, just under the reds.
some highlights (and lowlights):
- we did the wave, i appreciate the crowd unity in succeeding at the wave
- to me all the seats we tried out were good
- i always get a pretzel and a lemonade, the pretzel was terrible. the lemonade was really good
- there was a home town home run, which always brings more excitement to a game
so far i have attended games at riverfront stadium/cinergy field (reds), great american ballpark (reds, and yes i count them separately), old tigers stadium, wrigley field twice (cubs, my fave ballpark), jacob's field (indians), coors field (rockies), and now rangers ballpark in arlington. making a total of 7 of around 30 parks.
and next week i will bring the total to 8 as i plan to attend a game at turner field in atlanta. i have lived in the area for 4 years and have yet to attend a game there.
i have a book on how to do this all in one summer, the ultimate baseball road trip. it offers helpful tips and things to know about each park. after skimming my most recently visited stadium it has come to my attention that i may need to upgrade to the second edition.
what was my most recent visit you ask?
it was to rangers ballpark in arlington, tx.
sadly, i did not get many good pictures
they then started to come back and the crowd got a bit more excited.
it is a very big stadium with many people there and it was a sell out game.
it is a fairly new stadium, built in the 90's, but modeled to look like many of the classic stadiums like wrigley, tigers, yankee, and fenway.
the rangers almost pulled off a win. but alas, they did not. but i was ok with this because they are ranked 3rd in the nation right now, just under the reds.
some highlights (and lowlights):
- we did the wave, i appreciate the crowd unity in succeeding at the wave
- to me all the seats we tried out were good
- i always get a pretzel and a lemonade, the pretzel was terrible. the lemonade was really good
- there was a home town home run, which always brings more excitement to a game
just before the game started
so far i have attended games at riverfront stadium/cinergy field (reds), great american ballpark (reds, and yes i count them separately), old tigers stadium, wrigley field twice (cubs, my fave ballpark), jacob's field (indians), coors field (rockies), and now rangers ballpark in arlington. making a total of 7 of around 30 parks.
and next week i will bring the total to 8 as i plan to attend a game at turner field in atlanta. i have lived in the area for 4 years and have yet to attend a game there.
Saturday, September 8, 2012
a book review: Blue Like Jazz
Blue Like Jazz:
Non-Religious Thoughts on Christian Spirituality
Donald Miller
I read Blue Like Jazz my senior year of college, with a group of girls that gathered in the 206 (also known as the APT) each week to hang out and talk about life. I remember liking the book a lot then. And liking the little community of ladies even more.
APT 206, how i fondly remember you.
Recently in my quest to read all the books with book marks in them on the my shelf I picked it up again.
* I have finished 5 of 13 of the bookmarked books so far, by the way.
Although I have read Blue Like Jazz previously, it was like reading a new book this time. With 7 years of life experience added since my first reading the perspective from which I read the memoir was a bit different.
More than my goal to read all the bookmarked books, i was inspired to re-read it because of the recent movie that was released based (loosely) on the book.
Both are good as individual pieces, but comparatively they had to walk away from the style of the book to have a storyline worthy of 90 minutes of entertainment. The movie carries the same ideals and presents a similar message, but i must say, I will always like the book better. But for me that is true of almost anything that goes from book to movie.
From a spiritual standpoint, i thoroughly enjoy a story of someone else's journey toward God. However, I feel it important to warn the reader to not take everything written as ultimate truth. Although reading someone else's journey may be useful, encouraging, and life changing, it is important to remember that our only source for ultimate truth, if we are believers, is the Word of God. We must remember that contemporary inspirational writing is not the Word of God, but a way through which to learn and be pushed toward a deeper desire to know and seek truth in out own lives and to find the answers that He has set before us.
I could write a full post on what I gleaned from each chapter, but I am going to try and limit myself to the 5 quotes that I took the most from. This post could get long, but here goes:
"Sometimes you have to watch somebody love something before you can love it yourself. It is as if they are showing you the way."
And the first quote is in the author's not. Ha. Since my first reading this has been my favorite quote. This is so very true of life. At contra, there are some mildly creepy men. Some of them are uncomfortable to dance with because of their smell and particular breed of creepiness. One day this quote popped into my head while observing one of them. He loves contra. Even if he is creepy and smelly, he loves it. And that day I realized how judgemental I was being. I still don't enjoy dancing with him because his scent really is that displeasing, but...I can now appreciate him as he is, just doing something that he loves.
If I am with someone who enjoys something that I am not fond of, watching them enjoy it makes it enjoyable to me. If I went to a basketball game by myself, I would not enjoy it. But if I went with an avid fan, I would, because they love it. (Unless they are one of those terribly angry obnoxious fans)
Watching someone else love something really does show you how to love it and how it could possible by lovable. And how to love them as well.
I hope that through my life people close to me can see how I love God by how I live and hopefully learn to love Him as well. (which I am sure I fail at daily)
"They talked about Noah and the ark because the story has animals in it. They failed to mention that this was when God massacred all of humanity." pg. 30
Another thing that stuck out to me in this reading that I also remember from the first reading was the above line on pg 30. Although I have known this story for as long as I can remember, this never hit me. The Bible is not a children's book. It is full of death, murder, adultery, war, deceit, adventure, love, redemption, etc. If many of the stories were made into movies they would not be G rated.
The story of God is scandalous and adventurous and the American church (myself included) has turned it into flannel graph and potluck dinners to support the purchase of new window treatments.
There is so much more to the story God is writing.
Imagine if we all did what we were capable of and what He is calling us to.
"Jesus, please let me be the good soil." pg 48
Along with the paragraph on page 47 where Don's friend Penny talks about how the Bible is best read while eating chocolate and smoking cigarettes, this quote rings true to me (minus the cigarette). I want to be the good soil (Mark 4.1-20). I want to soak in the teaching and grow and produce good fruit.
And then the line on pg 77 comes around and kicks me in the teeth. "Ultimately, we do what we want to. I like to think that I do things for the right reasons, but I don't, I do things because I do or do not love doing them." I want to love the right things. I want to be the good soil. But is seems many times, I want to be comfortable more. And I think that each day can be a step closer to loving the right things. But it can also be a step further. And I pray that God helps me to develop a love for Him that overtakes my love for self because I know I cannot change myself without Him.
"All that beauty happens right above the heads of more than a million people who never notice it." pg 203
I have a fascination with nature and all the beautiful things that are in it and how it all works together. From sunrise to spider webs, I think it is all magnificent.
Photo credit: maggieCphotography
Here he is talking about how People don't stop to take in the scenery. Even just looking up for a minute to catch the sun setting overhead.
I went to see sunrise at Pretty Place at least 4 times a week my last month as Camp Greenville. I stop to soak in the lake and clouds reflecting here regularly. A friend of mine was changing my oil a few weeks ago and I was hanging our while he did it and turned around to say something to him and lost all train of thought when I saw a rainbow in the distance and my most girly excited voice said, 'oooooo, a rainbow!' He just looked at me like I was crazy.
I am so very thankful that God blessed me with parents that placed in me an appreciation for His creation. It breaks my heart a little to think that not everyone can do this.
I never feel more full of God's spirit and grace than when I see a sunrise. Like Lamentations 3.22-23 says, He faithfully renews us every morning. No matter what we do, the sun will rise.
His creation sings His wonders and calls us to worship Him.
I'm glad I worship a God that can't be boiled down to something that makes complete sense.
"I loved the fact that it wasn't my responsibility to change somebody, that it was God's, that my part was just to communicate love and approval." pg 221
I think this is a very important thing to grasp. We can't make someone believe in God. Only His spirit can that. BUT. We can show someone how to love. We can plant a seed. We can lead the way.
We can love without condition.
OK. 5 quotes was the limit. there are more I could write on, but this has far exceeded my usual blog length.
Overall, it was a very good time for me to read this book again. It opened a path for many conversations with guests at work. I was reading it one breakfast and a guest stopped to talk to me about it. He has not read it, but recently watched the movie. I recommended it to him and he took my tray to the dish room for me. I never caught his name.
I think the most important thing I can take from it is the idea of love and that we are not here to judge one another. As John 13.34-35 says:
"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
We don't need programs and flashing lights. We need to love well and love much.
Thanks, Don, for sharing your story with the rest of us through a good read, film, and re-read.
Sunday, September 2, 2012
friend art wall
in my house there are many rooms, which have many walls, which i like to cover with many things.
i do not care for a blank wall.
*there is actually one right in front of me right now that i have been thinking about how to decorate for a few weeks now.
my favorite wall is the one that i like to call 'the friend art wall'.
.JPG)
'the friend art wall' is the largest wall in my house. when i moved in i thought it would be a grand idea to use this large space to hang any art that has been gifted to me. there is art from my family. my mom, sister, niece, nephew, grandpa, pa, and aunt. there is art from a few of my favorite kids. there is art from staffers and from some of my dearest friends.
the style and media vary. and this is how i like it to be. acrylic paintings, a hand written quote, an embroidered owl.
there is still plenty of room for pieces to be added. style and media do not matter.
if you would like to contribute, you can send your art to:
hannaH wickline
100 Look Up Lodge Rd
Travelers Rest, SC 29690
happy creating!
i do not care for a blank wall.
*there is actually one right in front of me right now that i have been thinking about how to decorate for a few weeks now.
my favorite wall is the one that i like to call 'the friend art wall'.
.JPG)
'the friend art wall' is the largest wall in my house. when i moved in i thought it would be a grand idea to use this large space to hang any art that has been gifted to me. there is art from my family. my mom, sister, niece, nephew, grandpa, pa, and aunt. there is art from a few of my favorite kids. there is art from staffers and from some of my dearest friends.
the style and media vary. and this is how i like it to be. acrylic paintings, a hand written quote, an embroidered owl.
there is still plenty of room for pieces to be added. style and media do not matter.
if you would like to contribute, you can send your art to:
hannaH wickline
100 Look Up Lodge Rd
Travelers Rest, SC 29690
happy creating!
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Hey Staffers!
one of the best parts of my job is the summer staff. honestly, maybe THE best.
24 staffers (+1 video guy) show up in mid may. some of them are returners and know exactly what they are getting themselves into. some of them are 100% new to look up and the first time they ever stepped foot on the property was their interview.
24 staffers (+1 video guy) show up in mid may. some of them are returners and know exactly what they are getting themselves into. some of them are 100% new to look up and the first time they ever stepped foot on the property was their interview.
summer staff 2K12
last year we had 18 new staffers and 6 returners. this was good for me, as I was also the new kid in town whose first look up experience was my interview.
this year we had 7 new staffers and 17 returners. this also proved good for me.
in April when all hiring was made final, we had only 1 short month to wait to be reunited. the staffers most excited about each other of course. but myself most excited to see their bright and shining faces and to have 24 (whether they knew it yet or not) of my favorite people back around for 3 months.
these students are beasts during the summer. i honestly don't know that i could function on the level that they function for those 3 months. they get up, go to breakfast with their kids around 8am, go to chapel, lead an activity, go to lunch, lead group rec, work free time, go to dinner, sing and act in funapolooza, go to chapel, lead group application time, hang out with their kids, probably had meal duty once that day, likely helped some kid with a minor injury, go home and have quality time with their roommates no earlier than 10pm and get up the next day and do it again. and again and again. and when each camp session is over they clean the entire camp.
there are many ups and downs during the summer.
some weeks we all want to not be here.
some weeks everyone gets along seamlessly.
some weeks there is that one thing that happens that can make the entire summer worth it.
and at the end of the summer, after the end of summer dinner, they all leave. (well, a few stick around a little longer and a few others don't stay gone for very long)
the relationship you form with someone in one summer at camp is just different than with any other people you meet in your day to day life. so much intense time in each other's lives. you know so much about someone in these short short months but looooong days.
and then in mid august you go back to your regular life.
being a former staffer at a few different camps, i know how they feel. as if you leave a part of you with each person you met this summer. as if a part of you leaves with them.
the staffers (for the most part) have been gone for almost 2 weeks.
being the introvert that i am, i have enjoyed the peace and quiet. BUT. i would have them all back in a heart beat to share the laughs and chats that were so good this summer. and i look forward to surprise visits and planned times that they will each show up because they just can't stay away.
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Dear Rory Gilmore #2
i'm not the best reader.
but i LOVE books.
the smell of a new book. the smell of an old tattered used book. the notes in the margins. the dog-eared pages of a favorite book read many times. the first bend in the spine of a fresh new book soon to become an old fave. the characters that become friends. the note about the author and small glimpse into their life on the last page.
pictured below are most of the books i am currently reading:
there are a few more books scattered throughout my life right now that are not in this picture.
i started some of these very recently and will read them quickly. and some of them i started over a year ago and will finish them eventually.
in looking at this stack of books, i find it easy to pinpoint my favorite types of writing.
#1 being memoir.
i love a book that is written like a journal. as if someone is talking to me like an old friend. i enjoy the glimpse into someone else's life that allows me to learn a lesson or to see that maybe i'm not as crazy as a i think i am and that we are not alone in this world. or maybe we are all crazy, just each a different bread. one of my absolute favorites is tuesdays with morrie.
#2 being YA fiction
i love classic YA chapter books. many of which containing familiar stories that have been retold in various ways. my favorite YA books are peter pan and bridge to terrabithia. both are about imaginary places that are full of adventure and interesting characters. sometimes i feel a little silly being an adult (for the most part) and reading kids chapter books. but i love a simple story with some imagination required too much to feel silly enough not to read them.
most other books fall into the #3 all together in no preferred order.
my new goal is to finish all of the books pictured above by 10/1/12 before beginning any new ones.
this however will be a difficult task partly because of the time it takes me to read. but also because of my love of amazon.com and used book stores. i already found myself perusing amazon.com yesterday and adding potential new reads to my cart.
i have started to chip away. since setting the goal, 3 of the books in the pile have been finished. one of which it took me a year and a half to read the first 165 pages and i read that last 180 in 24 hours.
but of all the goals to set in life, i think finishing the pile of half read books that i have acquired will be one of the more enjoyable and rewarding this year.
but i LOVE books.
the smell of a new book. the smell of an old tattered used book. the notes in the margins. the dog-eared pages of a favorite book read many times. the first bend in the spine of a fresh new book soon to become an old fave. the characters that become friends. the note about the author and small glimpse into their life on the last page.
pictured below are most of the books i am currently reading:
there are a few more books scattered throughout my life right now that are not in this picture.
i started some of these very recently and will read them quickly. and some of them i started over a year ago and will finish them eventually.
in looking at this stack of books, i find it easy to pinpoint my favorite types of writing.
#1 being memoir.
i love a book that is written like a journal. as if someone is talking to me like an old friend. i enjoy the glimpse into someone else's life that allows me to learn a lesson or to see that maybe i'm not as crazy as a i think i am and that we are not alone in this world. or maybe we are all crazy, just each a different bread. one of my absolute favorites is tuesdays with morrie.
#2 being YA fiction
i love classic YA chapter books. many of which containing familiar stories that have been retold in various ways. my favorite YA books are peter pan and bridge to terrabithia. both are about imaginary places that are full of adventure and interesting characters. sometimes i feel a little silly being an adult (for the most part) and reading kids chapter books. but i love a simple story with some imagination required too much to feel silly enough not to read them.
most other books fall into the #3 all together in no preferred order.
my new goal is to finish all of the books pictured above by 10/1/12 before beginning any new ones.
this however will be a difficult task partly because of the time it takes me to read. but also because of my love of amazon.com and used book stores. i already found myself perusing amazon.com yesterday and adding potential new reads to my cart.
i have started to chip away. since setting the goal, 3 of the books in the pile have been finished. one of which it took me a year and a half to read the first 165 pages and i read that last 180 in 24 hours.
but of all the goals to set in life, i think finishing the pile of half read books that i have acquired will be one of the more enjoyable and rewarding this year.
Saturday, August 11, 2012
book art
in recent artistic endeavors i have come to thoroughly enjoy art with words on it. i dont think i have made any art in the past 3 years that didnt have some word or quote on it actually.
for a while now i have been trying to decide how to turn my favorite peter pan quote (*see below) into something to hang on my walls.
*'it would be delightful to report that they reached the nursery in time...but then there would be no story.'
i probably saw this on pinterest and cannot claim this as my original idea...
but the idea that hit me last week or so was book art.
as in, you tear up a book and turn it into a piece of art to hang on the wall.
at first, being the daughter of a librarian and the niece of an english teacher (and a few other teachers and avid readers), i couldn't bring myself to tear up the book. i thought maybe i would just keep the used copies i acquired and start a peter pan collection and become a crazy book lady as opposed to a crazy cat lady.
but then i made the first tear.
and it was actually rather satisfying to destroy a book and turn it into something else.
i should have taken pictures of the step by step process, but i get too involved in my projects to be hindered by pausing to take a picture or each step.
here are the final products:
i have been debating on purchasing the peter pan one for about a year now, but can't bring myself to spend $32 on a poster.
i am pleased with the project and look forward to such a simple gift idea for the future. so if you have a fave book and a quote from it and a birthday, let me know and maybe you will receive one of these.
even though i kind of like tearing up the books, i still might become a crazy book lady with multiple copies and editions of my favorite books...
for a while now i have been trying to decide how to turn my favorite peter pan quote (*see below) into something to hang on my walls.
*'it would be delightful to report that they reached the nursery in time...but then there would be no story.'
i probably saw this on pinterest and cannot claim this as my original idea...
but the idea that hit me last week or so was book art.
as in, you tear up a book and turn it into a piece of art to hang on the wall.
at first, being the daughter of a librarian and the niece of an english teacher (and a few other teachers and avid readers), i couldn't bring myself to tear up the book. i thought maybe i would just keep the used copies i acquired and start a peter pan collection and become a crazy book lady as opposed to a crazy cat lady.
but then i made the first tear.
and it was actually rather satisfying to destroy a book and turn it into something else.
i should have taken pictures of the step by step process, but i get too involved in my projects to be hindered by pausing to take a picture or each step.
here are the final products:
the quote is from the live action movie, but is very similar to a sentence at the end of chapter 3 in the book. this one will hang in my tv room, where many a story is watched and told.
this is actually a quote from the movie hook. tinkerbell is talking to grown peter pan. i am going to make this into a sort of head board.
this is a going away present for my pal and coworker landon.
this is also a gift. it is for my friend kendall.
if you aren't ok with tearing up a book, you can check out this website that has a different kind of book art:
http://postertext.com/i have been debating on purchasing the peter pan one for about a year now, but can't bring myself to spend $32 on a poster.
i am pleased with the project and look forward to such a simple gift idea for the future. so if you have a fave book and a quote from it and a birthday, let me know and maybe you will receive one of these.
even though i kind of like tearing up the books, i still might become a crazy book lady with multiple copies and editions of my favorite books...
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
thank you for calling look up lodge...
another part of my job involves guest services.
i would not hesitate to say that parts of this are the least fitting to my skill set in this job. but other parts fit just right.
my guest service requirements during the summer are much narrower than the school year.
during the summer (minus the occasional filling in for others) my duties are carrying the guest service after hours phone, answering the phone when the front desk is on the other line, and setting up for the leaders meetings we have at the beginning and end of each camp session.
setting up for the leaders meeting includes setting up chairs, printing and laying out evaluations, baking cookies, and filling coolers. although by this time in the summer this part of my job has gotten a little tiresome (well all parts really) this side of guest services fits me perfectly. i like order and organization and baking. and that is what this needs. it is behind the scenes and often a small place of solace from the madness that is camp.
answering the office phone can come in many shades and colors. often i just transfer someone to a voicemail box. but sometimes, people think i have all the answers. and as i usually have to disappoint them after they explain their situation and tell them, 'im sorry but i really cant answer that or help you with that, can i transfer you to [name]'s voicemail' they still just want to tell me what they need. sometimes it's funny, sometimes it's frustrating, sometimes people walk through my office and make faces at me making it really hard to concentrate on what the person on the other line is saying.
carrying the guest service phone after hours is, well, difficult, but not hard. it is difficult because from 5pm-9am i have to answer it and be in a reasonable location to help a guest in a reasonable amount of time. this means i rarely leave camp in the evenings all summer. it is not hard because it often doesn't ring and when it does, the problem are usually pretty manageable.
so what is on the other side of the guest service phone when it rings.....who knows. i think the top 3 needs are: 1. problems with the HVAC system, 2. locked out of chinquapin b1 or b2, and 3. toilets needing plunged. however this summer injuries/illnesses are creeping up the list of frequent calls. at least one a camp it seems.
although i do not see this part of my job as quite my niche, i am learning from it. and one thing i have learned is that if i am not struggling, i am not learning. and although much of my job could be done with my eyes shut and one hand tied behind my back, i need the parts that arent my niche to help me grow. (more on that in Romans 5.3-5)
those are my summer guest service responsibilities. more to come on the school year, well, during the school year.
i would not hesitate to say that parts of this are the least fitting to my skill set in this job. but other parts fit just right.
my guest service requirements during the summer are much narrower than the school year.
during the summer (minus the occasional filling in for others) my duties are carrying the guest service after hours phone, answering the phone when the front desk is on the other line, and setting up for the leaders meetings we have at the beginning and end of each camp session.
setting up for the leaders meeting includes setting up chairs, printing and laying out evaluations, baking cookies, and filling coolers. although by this time in the summer this part of my job has gotten a little tiresome (well all parts really) this side of guest services fits me perfectly. i like order and organization and baking. and that is what this needs. it is behind the scenes and often a small place of solace from the madness that is camp.
answering the office phone can come in many shades and colors. often i just transfer someone to a voicemail box. but sometimes, people think i have all the answers. and as i usually have to disappoint them after they explain their situation and tell them, 'im sorry but i really cant answer that or help you with that, can i transfer you to [name]'s voicemail' they still just want to tell me what they need. sometimes it's funny, sometimes it's frustrating, sometimes people walk through my office and make faces at me making it really hard to concentrate on what the person on the other line is saying.
carrying the guest service phone after hours is, well, difficult, but not hard. it is difficult because from 5pm-9am i have to answer it and be in a reasonable location to help a guest in a reasonable amount of time. this means i rarely leave camp in the evenings all summer. it is not hard because it often doesn't ring and when it does, the problem are usually pretty manageable.
so what is on the other side of the guest service phone when it rings.....who knows. i think the top 3 needs are: 1. problems with the HVAC system, 2. locked out of chinquapin b1 or b2, and 3. toilets needing plunged. however this summer injuries/illnesses are creeping up the list of frequent calls. at least one a camp it seems.
although i do not see this part of my job as quite my niche, i am learning from it. and one thing i have learned is that if i am not struggling, i am not learning. and although much of my job could be done with my eyes shut and one hand tied behind my back, i need the parts that arent my niche to help me grow. (more on that in Romans 5.3-5)
those are my summer guest service responsibilities. more to come on the school year, well, during the school year.
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
3, 2, 1, fly!
remember when i said sometimes i get to sit and wait for things that need doing? this is what needed doing last camp:
for the past 3 summers look up lodge has been blessed with the presence of a camper named Christina. she is no ordinary camper. she has the beautiful spirit and gratefulness of a person beyond her 12 years. she has also suffered a very physically difficult life. she is mostly in a wheel chair because she is lacking the majority of her legs. but sometimes you will catch her walking on her hands from place to place.
last year we successfully harnessed her to the zip line, which she loved.
this year, her request was to ride the giant swing. seen below:
for the past 3 summers look up lodge has been blessed with the presence of a camper named Christina. she is no ordinary camper. she has the beautiful spirit and gratefulness of a person beyond her 12 years. she has also suffered a very physically difficult life. she is mostly in a wheel chair because she is lacking the majority of her legs. but sometimes you will catch her walking on her hands from place to place.
last year we successfully harnessed her to the zip line, which she loved.
this year, her request was to ride the giant swing. seen below:
because of her proportions, this was no simple task. (unless you have done this before, then it would be). i have a little experience in special setups for participants with special needs from my other camp work, but thankfully my friends in the industry have more.
after trying a few things with the equipment that we had on hand, we decided it would be a no go for Saturday, but we would go back to the drawing board and see what else we could come up with.
with the permission and credit card of the executive director, we bought a new harness. and with the permission from the recreation director from another camp, we borrowed some daisy chain.
and at about 3pm on Sunday we set out to try again.
after harnessing up in the new harness and some extra strapping to help support her torso. Christina was secured to the swing ready to give it a try.
with the extra support of her counselor trey and her step mom with arms locked behind her, we attached them to the winch and began the ride.
much to the joy of those watching and especially to the joy
of Christina and her step mom, the ride was a success! and Christina shouted with
joy and proclaimed “this is awesome!”
there is also a video here
once the ride ended and we unhooked everyone from the swing,
Christina hugged and thanked each of us that were working the swing that day
multiple times.
and again we are all reminded of why we do this thing from
day to day.
some days around here are pretty typical, even mundane, but this day was not that. this day, as Christina said, "was awesome."
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
hey kid, i can take your money
my primary job in the summer is running the camp store. (currently referred to as the canteen, but we are open to new names if you have any bright ideas)
in this store we sell candy, drinks, slushies, and various souvenirs.
part of my job is deciding what we sell, with the approval of my supervisor of course. this is part of what i do during the school year. i research products and t-shirt designs and try to keep an eye on what the kids are wearing these days. then i get to work with a few companies that order things for me. and sometimes i get to use my dormant artistic abilities to design things.
day to day in the summer running the canteen looks like this:
morning
- check stock
- replenish what needs replenished
- place food/drink orders if needed
- place merchandise orders if needed
afternoon
- check in with staffer working the store for afternoon free time
- restock if needed
- move a whole lot of crates of the pepsi delivery into the store room
evening
- restock before we open at 9pm or so
- clean the slushie machines
- sweep the floor
night
- oversee the running of the canteen while the entire camp can come through for a late night snack or souvenir
- take money from people (i refer to call it taking money from people, rather than checking out people)
- restock after a couple hundred people have come through with the help of the staffers
- count money
- enter some info into the computer
the tasks are rather easy to me. i think running a store fits my particular skill set pretty well. it's working behind the scenes, keeping things organized, designing things from time to time, counting money, etc. although the tasks can get a little monotonous, i enjoy this part of my job a lot.
in this store we sell candy, drinks, slushies, and various souvenirs.
part of my job is deciding what we sell, with the approval of my supervisor of course. this is part of what i do during the school year. i research products and t-shirt designs and try to keep an eye on what the kids are wearing these days. then i get to work with a few companies that order things for me. and sometimes i get to use my dormant artistic abilities to design things.
day to day in the summer running the canteen looks like this:
morning
- check stock
- replenish what needs replenished
- place food/drink orders if needed
- place merchandise orders if needed
afternoon
- check in with staffer working the store for afternoon free time
- restock if needed
- move a whole lot of crates of the pepsi delivery into the store room
evening
- restock before we open at 9pm or so
- clean the slushie machines
- sweep the floor
night
- oversee the running of the canteen while the entire camp can come through for a late night snack or souvenir
- take money from people (i refer to call it taking money from people, rather than checking out people)
- restock after a couple hundred people have come through with the help of the staffers
- count money
- enter some info into the computer
the tasks are rather easy to me. i think running a store fits my particular skill set pretty well. it's working behind the scenes, keeping things organized, designing things from time to time, counting money, etc. although the tasks can get a little monotonous, i enjoy this part of my job a lot.
although i have plenty of water bottles from lost and found, i still like the one my boss and i designed with the little circles. maybe someone will lose one.
yes, i am the one responsible for this display organization. the staffers hate me for it.
the slushie machines. i like to think of them as the bane of my canteen existence. they make everything sticky if not well cared for. but what is fun about them is you can put any beverage in them to be slushed as long as there is sugar in it.
finding an affordable quality teddy bear was really difficult. who knew?
but the squirrels were a great find!
this design is from a sketch i gave the t-shirt guy. it's definitely my fave this year.
snacks. lots of them.
this kind of give you an idea of the size of the store.
this is the view from the front door.
you can see a kid splashing into the lake on the zip line if you look close.
this is the view last night at sunset. the picture doesn't do it justice.
Sunday, July 22, 2012
so what exactly is it that you do?
that's a good question i guess. since working at a camp i have often been asked, what is it that you do? it's not summer, how much could there be to do? it is summer so you must be a cabin counselor.
well let me tell you, there are many things to do and many ways to do them. and i have never been an employed cabin counselor at a camp.
i will be the first to admit, some days there isn't that much heavy lifting to be done. and some days my job consists of just being here in case something happens. and some days you work 14 hours without stopping to sit down other than to eat in the dining hall full of people and noise. but i think it all balances out. you learn to take the light days when they come because inevitably there will be a 14 hour day in your future.
some days it consists of having the leader for the group using the camp ask you to ambush their rec team with water balloons because they have been doing it to everyone else. which you gladly do and then spend the rest of the morning soaking wet. but to the average camp worker, those days are the best days.
some days it consists of having talks with your college age employees (while making bracelets) about what they should do with their lives and how they should get there.
some days it consists of crying in your office because you reach your limit. what limit, i'm not really sure. but some limit and you just need to cry. maybe too many 14 hr days in a row. maybe it seems no one on staff hears you. they may listen, but they don't hear you. maybe you hit your shin on that same box that you hit it on 5 times already today but haven't taken the time to move. maybe it has nothing to do with work.
some days it consists of moving 6000 t-shirts. actually that was just one day at the beginning of summer. but who knew how heavy a box of t-shirts could be?
some days you love it.
some days you search the internet for places to run away.
and some days you just aren't sure why you are here.
but then you hear a story. from some adult or older teenager. and they tell you about how camp changed their life. how that summer at that camp made a lasting difference to them. so no matter what your job at that camp, each part plays a role in shaping the experience of each camper. so some days you may wonder what you are doing as a grown person working at some job that has you doing who knows what. but alas, the camp experience changes lives.
i do not think i am a lifer in the camp industry (i could be wrong), i dont really think im a lifer in any industry, but this is where i am right now. if i were not meant to be here, i would be somewhere else. so until that somewhere else presents itself, this is where i will be.
some days working long hours, so long that you forget what day it is. some days sitting around waiting for something to need doing.
but what exactly do we do? we change lives. for worse or better. that's what we do.
(if you are curious as to what i actually do day to day, hour to hour, no worries, i will begin chronicalling that in my next post)
well let me tell you, there are many things to do and many ways to do them. and i have never been an employed cabin counselor at a camp.
i will be the first to admit, some days there isn't that much heavy lifting to be done. and some days my job consists of just being here in case something happens. and some days you work 14 hours without stopping to sit down other than to eat in the dining hall full of people and noise. but i think it all balances out. you learn to take the light days when they come because inevitably there will be a 14 hour day in your future.
some days it consists of having the leader for the group using the camp ask you to ambush their rec team with water balloons because they have been doing it to everyone else. which you gladly do and then spend the rest of the morning soaking wet. but to the average camp worker, those days are the best days.
some days it consists of having talks with your college age employees (while making bracelets) about what they should do with their lives and how they should get there.
some days it consists of crying in your office because you reach your limit. what limit, i'm not really sure. but some limit and you just need to cry. maybe too many 14 hr days in a row. maybe it seems no one on staff hears you. they may listen, but they don't hear you. maybe you hit your shin on that same box that you hit it on 5 times already today but haven't taken the time to move. maybe it has nothing to do with work.
some days it consists of moving 6000 t-shirts. actually that was just one day at the beginning of summer. but who knew how heavy a box of t-shirts could be?
some days you love it.
some days you search the internet for places to run away.
and some days you just aren't sure why you are here.
but then you hear a story. from some adult or older teenager. and they tell you about how camp changed their life. how that summer at that camp made a lasting difference to them. so no matter what your job at that camp, each part plays a role in shaping the experience of each camper. so some days you may wonder what you are doing as a grown person working at some job that has you doing who knows what. but alas, the camp experience changes lives.
i do not think i am a lifer in the camp industry (i could be wrong), i dont really think im a lifer in any industry, but this is where i am right now. if i were not meant to be here, i would be somewhere else. so until that somewhere else presents itself, this is where i will be.
some days working long hours, so long that you forget what day it is. some days sitting around waiting for something to need doing.
but what exactly do we do? we change lives. for worse or better. that's what we do.
(if you are curious as to what i actually do day to day, hour to hour, no worries, i will begin chronicalling that in my next post)
Saturday, July 14, 2012
the world wide web
thanks to our IT guy the internet in the nearest camp building now reaches my house across the expanse of the maintenance field.
i have a phone through which i have done all of my home interneting the past year and half, and it hasnt been that bad at all. but. this is better.
and faster.
and i dont have to tether anything and connect anything. it's just there. waiting to be used.
so i will likely blog more regularly.
and probably purchase music and books i dont really need.
i am considering getting netflix. but i am hesitant because i have enjoyed life without easy access to even network television for the past 4 years. but, im not an addict anymore so maybe it would be fine to try it out.
any thoughts or suggestions on this? is netflix worth $10 a month?
either way, im still pleased to have the blessing of free wireless internet brought to me from the maintenance building.
this is the lovely view from my front porch. the dreary day adds to its loveliness : )
the internet comes from the little grey building
i have a phone through which i have done all of my home interneting the past year and half, and it hasnt been that bad at all. but. this is better.
and faster.
and i dont have to tether anything and connect anything. it's just there. waiting to be used.
so i will likely blog more regularly.
and probably purchase music and books i dont really need.
i am considering getting netflix. but i am hesitant because i have enjoyed life without easy access to even network television for the past 4 years. but, im not an addict anymore so maybe it would be fine to try it out.
any thoughts or suggestions on this? is netflix worth $10 a month?
either way, im still pleased to have the blessing of free wireless internet brought to me from the maintenance building.
Monday, July 9, 2012
what to write?
i started this blog primarily to write about the trip to israel per the request of family and dear friends. and as it turns out i like blogging. i never wanted to, but i do.
i am done routinely writing about israel. (i can't promise it will never come up again) so what should i write about?
thoughts, suggestions, smart remarks?
i have a few ideas floating around.
but what do you, my reader want to read about? mom, dad, ma, aunt kris this means you. because you are the only ones that comment : ) so what do you want to know about my life?
and since i like having pictures on this i will leave you with this from the 4th of july in OH. thank maggs! for my new fave picture of myself.
i am done routinely writing about israel. (i can't promise it will never come up again) so what should i write about?
thoughts, suggestions, smart remarks?
i have a few ideas floating around.
but what do you, my reader want to read about? mom, dad, ma, aunt kris this means you. because you are the only ones that comment : ) so what do you want to know about my life?
and since i like having pictures on this i will leave you with this from the 4th of july in OH. thank maggs! for my new fave picture of myself.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)