Finally! A much-due update...

The top two photos are from last night's social (Sarah B and Melony were on their day off). Jenny put these outfits together, and I was pretty proud of her, even if they were mildly camp-inappropriate. Look at T-Rex's redneck outfit....Awesome!

The last one is a photo of the CLC at DJ Jeff in our 80's outfits . You can't see our legwarmers in the photo, but they sure did look magical.

So, yep, it was Lyme's disease. I am on antibiotics, and am feeling much better, although I'm still really sore and tired and headachey. Pat and Kev Sweeting have Lyme's now too... I think we should start a gang.

Other than the Lyme's, things have been great. Today is my day off, and T-Rex and I went to get some pirate outfits for Watersports Day. I'm not going to lie, I think the CLC will make great pirate wenches.

Cabin 16 had another dance-off last night, but we just used the previous one that I had choreographed last session, and added a few new touches. Once again, we schooled the girls, and probably made them cry. Tucci is giving me an afternoon period this week to choreograph a new one with 1-6 for the Watersports Day social (DJ Dryer and DJ Paul!). Also, I get to organize the painting of the War Canoe paddles with the CITs... Last year when I got stuck with the responsibility, I wasn't too happy about it. However, after it was finished, I sat back in the arts and crafts room by myself and realized how much it meant to the kids. Last year's paddles ended up looking great, and I'm sure this year's will be the same.

Flutag is on Sunday....Heck yes!!!!

Real life is not fun...I want to stay here forever. Why does camp ever have to end?

CLC at the track meet!

How are things going? Good and Bad. Bad news first: I either have Mono or Lyme's Disease (will find out tomorrow), which means I am sleepy all of the time, and feel like a 75-year-old with arthritis.

The good news is that I am beginning to feel quite a bit better about my program. That is, until I have to endure my evaluation next week, where thay usually tell me that I'm doing about a million things wrong, and I end up thinking "why didn't you tell me this earlier, so I could have fixed it?". Someone complained about not being praised enough at camp....I don't want praise, but I want to be told when I'm doing something wrong, or could be doing something better, so that I can fix it as soon as the problem arises, and not long afterward.

...Back to the good. There are a bunch of kids this session that are totally into the darkroom, which is great.
My hands and hair constantly smell like stop bath, I spend hours in the muggy darkroom, and I couldn't be happier. Those who know me well know that the darkroom is where my heart lies... The negatives that are developed at camp are full of scratches, and (due to the lack of proper equipment), are never properly printed, which is what makes them so charming. As a professional, observing the photos that come out of the Awosting darkroom is amazing, as they are all so full of raw eagerness. In the real world, I spend all of my time worrying about the technical aspects of photography, which means that I often lose touch on why I started taking photos in the first place. This place always brings me back down to earth...
There are some really amazing kids here, and I am very lucky to know them all.

It was great to see Ron, I really wish I would have been feeling better so that I could have spent more time with him.

This year is very funny, as I find myself less and less drawn to Dittos, and more and more drawn to spending time with the CLC, CITs, and the Tuccis. My mom says that you can tell a lot about a person by the people that they surround themselves with... If this is true, then I must be doing pretty darn well for myself.

...Will let you guys know the results of the Mono and Lyme's tests soon, mmm-kay?

Wind suits in +30C....Good idea, or GREAT idea?

P.S. I love you, Sara D, and we miss you sooooo much. We're working on a group e-mail for our favorite Arts & Crafts counselor of all time, I promise.

Sarah P. Loves Awosting.

There, I said it...I love Awosting. I love the kids, I love the staff, I even love my bosses....

I love my classes, but I feel like no one else does. :( I teach all day, and I'm super excited about it, but I feel that admin hates my program, and that it's just not good enough. I can't figure out what I'm doing wrong, but it makes me sad. My attendance has never been high in my activity, but my numbers have not dropped from previous years at all, and the kids that show up seem to have a blast. However, I feel like my program, in the eyes of the office, is boring and uncreative. I'm trying my best, but feel like photography is getting a pretty bad reputation right now, and it's all my fault. The stupid part is that I have not had any indication that the office actually dislikes my activity, but unfortunately I have had nothing to counteract my gut feelings, where as it seems as if the other activities are showered with praise. Maybe they just feel that I don't need it...It just makes me sad when I feel as if I'm doing a good job, but have a feeling in the pit of my stomach that others see things completely differently. I need to make the office love me again, and it may involve some sort of wacky scheme (most likely a scenario where I save some of the Ebner children from an erupting volcano, and then buy the Tuccis a big-screen TV with my prize money). I'll keep you guys posted.

In better news, I think I am headed down to North Carolina after camp with Mr. Whitehouse. Richard would like me to spend more time with the boys, and is having me stay for a bit. I couldn't be more excited, as I do my best to stay in the boys' life, but it's hard to be a proper influence on them from a million miles away. I'll probably stay until the end of September...

Besides the insecure photo-teacher side of me, today was a lovely day....A really lovely day.

Tick #2

So, I'm sitting on the benches in front of the dining hall, and I feel a pinch on my leg. I figure that I have just gotten a splinter, but then I realize that my leg is nowhere near the bench. So I lift up my pantleg, and find a new little buddy burrowing into my leg. Yep, another tick. I named him Thomas St. Claire.
A week or so ago, I bet Nicole $5 that I would not get a tick this summer. Now, Pat Wilson and I are in the race to see who can get the most ticks this summer. I think I will go roll in some mulch.

I know Tyler says he's the worst Blogger in the world, but....

Pretty sure I come in second.

Good news...The CLC now has an internet connection. Holla!!!!
I promise I'll try my best to write more often.

I've been very paranoid today, as I got a tick last night (in a very personal and hilarious area, might I add), but he was accidentally squished a bit when he was removed, and I'm worried that a little chunk of my tick pal, who I named 'Pete Fairfax', is still inside of me, having a blast. A huge thanks to Nicole for being comfortable enough with me to be able to remove Pete even though it involved a bit of bad-touch.

I'm pretty darn tired, but having a blast. With each year comes a bit more responsibility here, which isn't a bad thing, but it leaves me a bit sleepy at times.

Check out the new website: www.awosting.com/summer . Dryer did such a great job!!!

Camp is rad, I'm pretty pleased with the way my classes are going, and I don't think the CLC could be any more awesome. I feel like I should get Tucci to talk to the girls and tell them to tone down the awesomeness a bit, because they are making me look a lot less awesome compared to them.
I love you, girls!!!

Miss you guys.