Thursday, August 18, 2011

Dragonfly Heart Camp 2011


http://www.dragonflyheartcamp.org/

This was easily the best week of my summer. I had a fabulous time working Dragonfly last year and I’ve been looking forward to it all this summer. Last summer I was asked to stay at EHOS longer than I had intended so I could work Dragonfly part time but help out in the kitchen and office the other part. This year I watched one of our directors’ son during the day and Dragonfly in the afternoons and evenings. I would have much rather worked Dragonfly full time, but it was presented to me in a way that suggested if I didn’t watch Ben some of the time I wouldn’t get to be on Dragonfly, so I gladly agreed. Working Dragonfly is a very coveted position among staff, usually given to senior staff, so I’m just glad I got to work it for the past two years.
So the week leading up to Dragonfly I hardcore cleaned the dorms, which I think I’ve mentioned. I mean, absolutely everything was vacuumed, swept, mopped, and disinfected, and no one was really put in charge of the prep cleaning, so I did the majority of it alone. I was fine with it actually because I get self conscience when others witness how fucking OCD I can get, but anyways! So everything was clean and ready to go. Like last year the CHOP Staff (Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Staff) got here on Sunday and went sailing and to a BBQ. I was watching Ben when the kids arrived on Monday, so I wasn’t there to meet the parents and help get them settled. As excited as I was to see the kids again, I was also pretty nervous. I basically remembered all the campers and we’re told byt the CHOP staff that the kids talk about “camp” all year long and love it, but I was still nervous to see if the kids would remember me. I know I was just being stupid and I told myself it didn’t matter anyway, after all there was a lot of staff for the kids to remember, but let me tell you, nothing felt better than when I drove up on Monday afternoon and several of the campers from last year audibly said, “Yay! There’s Harper!” It was kind of great.
The first thing I realized was bow much the kids from last year had grown. I mean, I know teenagers grow up quickly, but I was still surprised. And a lot of these kid’s growth was set back while they were sick, so to see the kids that were obviously “behind” last year as just these normal kids was awesome. Two of the older girls, Ronnie(15) and Bree(14), became so pretty over the last year! It’s surreal to think that I only knew them for a week last year, but when I saw them this summer I was just so proud of them! Dragonfly is pretty incredible like that.
Everyday went along in the same manner: I’d wake up, grab breakfast with the Dragonfly kids, hang with Ben until about 2 or 3, then spend the rest of my day with Dragonfly. Since I was with Ben during the day I did miss out on going to the beach with them, which is something I particularly enjoyed last year, which was admittedly disappointing. Another thing that Dragonfly has gotten me to know more about is the Make a Wish Foundation. I’ve always known what it is and such, but basically all of these kids have had “a wish.” Its great to talk about what they did or what they think they’re going to do for it. Last year Ronnie had just come back from a week in Paris with her parents before she came here, and two of the girls this year had been to Disney and Universal earlier this summer with it. Kendall, who I have to admit is one of my favorites, is just this spunky 8yr old that is easily the size of a skinny 4yr old. She has pulmonary hypertension, so she wears a backpack that gives her a constant stream of medicine. I know the medical term for it, but I have no clue how to spell it. She is one of the girls that went to Disney this summer, so of course we talked about that a lot.
On Thursday night we had a crab feast and talent show. Even though the kids live in the Bay area, a lot of them have never eaten crab, so its hilarious to watch them crack them open for the first time and clean out all the guts and goo. The talent show was great too. The girls tried putting on a play, which of course was an epic failure, but some of the kids did a great job. One of the boys, who is almost completely deaf and blind, signed along to a song. One of the new campers, a 16yr old who is almost certainly gay, sang along to the Kelly Clarkson song “My Life Would Suck Without You” (at least I think that’s what its called). It seemed like a strange selection at first, especially for a guy, but then he got all of his doctors that helped him through his transplant last year and his performance nearly made me cry. A few of the girls sang and one brought her clarinet, but overall it was a great night.
On Saturday I was there for their departure and it was bittersweet. Several tears were shed but even more hugs were given. It’s a hard balance, because we all want to see the same campers here next year, and probably most of them will come back, but its such an important experience that we want even more new campers to come. The issue is that we have a limit of only 24 kids. I won’t worry about it, but it is kind of a rough predicament.
In conclusion, it was a fabulous week and although I am considering looking for an outdoor ed program with a change of scenery for next summer, I’d come back for Dragonfly in a heartbeat. I’d be more than happy to even volunteer for the week, and I’m so happy knowing that. I mean, obviously you’re supposed to find/have a job that makes you happy and fulfills you and shit, but who thought I would find one right out of high school?
Kendall before the dance on Wednesday night.

All of the campers and CHOP Staff


On a much sadder note, last Saturday one of our Dragonfly campers from last year passed away from a double lung infection. His name was Austin and I think he also had pulmonary hypertension. He didn’t come to camp this year because he had a girlfriend, and unfortunately he got sick quite suddenly and just couldn’t recover. He’s the first Dragonfly camper I’ve experienced “loosing,” so I’ve been thinking about his quite a lot over the past week.

Sunday, August 7, 2011

"Jake? No Jake! Pull up your pants before you leave the bathroom!"

July 25-July 30
A couple of weeks ago I worked with our Little Explorers program. It lasted from 9-12 and we had 12, 4-6yr olds. It was tons of fun but also pretty exhausting. There were 9 boys and just 2 girls, which was perfect. All of the kids were adorable and hilarious, except for one girl named Madison. She cried all the fucking time, and not even for "legitimate" reasons. She cried if we were walking down a hill because she was "scared," she cried if we were standing too close to water. Her cousin, the other girl who was 4, was so much more fun and cuter, mostly because she never cried. This is why I must have all boys.
In the afternoons I just helped around with a few of the other programs and helped out in the office and kitchen. And my friend Sara's, who got knocked up at Rockfish last November, due date came and went with no baby.
I'm sure other things happened too, but I guess forgetting things is what I get for not updating my blog in a timely matter.

My Little Explorers at the outlet on our beach

Little Explorers on the boardwalk in the swamp
(Madison is the one in the pink hat)

Sunday, July 24, 2011

Back on the Eastern Shore

After a long and grueling day of driving, I finally arrived back at Echo Hill Outdoor School in Worton, Md on Sunday. Being back feels really good. It's a bit weird because most of the staff that was here when I first started is gone, but all the new staff are really great. I was "in" all week, but the scheduling was pretty hectic. We were over programmed and under staffed, so I got to jump right back into things. We had a group of high schoolers that were here all week, and they were really chill and very smart. On Wednesday and Thursday I worked with some kids going into 4th grade, but I had to work with them like I would a first or second grade group. On Thursday one of the high schoolers went into a diabetic shock, so she ended up going to the hospital. It was pretty scary, but she was ok and got back to campus after lunch. Also on Thursday I had my first solo class of the summer and I thought it went well. I was with the 4th graders and they had a pretty short attention span, but we looked at a lot of bugs and went into the garden and played a few games. We had some extra time at the end of class so I even ventured into the swamp where we saw a big bull frog. On Friday I had a pond studies class with the high schoolers and Megan (who I live with and know from last spring). I think Megan and I had more fun than the kids, but the heat was killer so it was nice o just spend the morning in water. A couple of the boys found a baby snapping turtle that was born without a back right leg and had a stump front left foot. He was definitely a hardcore little turtle. Thursday afternoon, again with the high schoolers, we saw a Ichneumonoidea Wasp (one of the kids identified it) laying her eggs in an old stump. They're parasitic, so when they lay eggs a huge, long, black "stem" comes out of their butt and then they poke it into a log where other insect larve is, so when the baby wasps hatch they have a meal. I took a video with my phone, but I didn't want to get too close so the quality isn't too great.
Its also been insanely hot this week. On Friday the heat index was 124! After we got rid of all of our kids, the kids from camp came over and took over out dorms and office building because we have air conditioning. At first it was really frustrating because everyone who works for the school is like expressly forbidden to go to certain areas of campus during the summer because of the camp, and all of a sudden we were just invaded by tons of children and staff who started eating all our food and making messes. I live in the Green House, which is one campus, which had no air conditioning. So me and everyone else I live with had planned to sleep in the dorms over the weekend because it was literally 110 degrees in our house. But it actually turned out ok because the guys who owns Echo Hill offered to put the 5 of us up in Holiday Inn for the weekend. So it was nice to be able to take a shower and then not immediately begin to start sweating again as soon as you get out.
Yesterday me and some other folks drove up to Delaware to go to a rock climbing gym and a Moroccan restaurant. The rock climbing was tons of fun and after I figured out how to not rely on my arms I was actually pretty good at it. A couple of the guys who came were absolute beasts, but they were also helpful with tips and belaying. The Moroccan restaurant is great. You pay $25 and are given a 7 course Moroccan meal of pure deliciousness.
Today we had to leave the hotel, but its not quite as hot as it was last week. I'm already excited for this coming week. I'm working with the Little Explorers all week, which is a camp from 9-12 with kids ranging from bout 6-9. I'm not sure what we'll get up to, but I love kids that age so I know it will be fun. And then the week after this is Dragon Fly Heart Camp!!! So I'm sure I'll do a bunch of cleaning this week to get ready for it.
Haha, I've seemed to have left nothing to the imagination... But everything here is really great. The directors are already beginning to work on the fall season programming and I'm really jealous that I won't be here for it. God damned school and my "education."

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Viva NashVegas!!!!

I have two dogs.
My dog is Obie. He is a pitt/lab/hound mix. He is neurotic, funny, smart and thinks with his nose. He is also allergic to fleas and sometimes sees imaginary bugs in the air which he tries to bite... He is a very good dog.
Then there is Huck. Huck is my parent's full bred Golden Retriever, or more accurately, my replacement when I went off to Asia. We got him the spring of my senior year of high school and he really was the cutest puppy ever. Well its been 2 and a half years since then and Huck still thinks he is about 15lbs and can sit in everyone's lap. My parents didn't bother to train him so he barks when he is excited, happy, sad, angry, frustrated, or breathing. When he's excited he also bites shirts. When Huck was 9mo old he was the average size of a 2yr old Golden Retriever.  Now that he is actually 2 and a half years old he is 115llbs of muscle. He would be an entirely different dog if he were smart, but Huck is dumb. Last summer when I first saw Up I was genuinely a little freaked out because Dug was so similar to Huck. Huck also likes balls.   Due to the tennis court and tennis playing brother at my house, we have a plethora of tennis balls. There are legitimate tennis balls and then there are Huck's tennis balls. It is not hard to distinguish between the two. A real tennis ball is fuzzy, hard and neon green. Huck's tennis balls are usually broken, neon brown, and slimy. His favorite balls are the ones that he has chewed completely bald. Huck has many nicknames, the most common being Huck-a-roo, monster-dog, and cow(because his bark can sometimes be similar to a cow).
Why am I going into so much detail about my dogs? Because I spent all of last week back in good ole' Nashville and for most of it I was alone with my animals. I got home on a Wednesday, but my mom left that Friday to go to Colorado. The following Tuesday morning my dad and brother also left for Colorado, leaving me and my animals and Sybil home all alone. My garage was quickly converted into a beer pong masterpiece, which even included a real ping pong table. I think Sybil spent every night at my house, but during the days I was incredibly bored. I, unlike all of my friends, do not have a Nashville based job, so while everyone else was out being productive I was bored as shit and left alone to endure the intense Nashville heat and humidity. I did go to the Frist Center to see an Andy Warhol exhibit that was very good. I spent a lot of time with Sybil, which was greatly needed and appreciated, and we spent all of last Friday at the quarry, which was perfect as always. Of course, the culmination of the week was the HP7 premiere. We went as a group and dressed up. I was a unicorn. It was great... minus the part when I got gorilla glue in my hair. That was not so great.
I actually was not too impressed with the HP7.2 movie. I thought it was good up until Harry died, but then it just kind of sucked. And the epilogue was just a joke! I do need to see it again though before I make my final judgement.
I'm currently back in Maryland working at Echo Hill Outdoor School and I'll be here for the next few weeks. Its good to be back and I'm ready for my schedule to get busier. Hopefully I'll be out on a trip all of next week and then its Dragonfly Heart Camp!
Visiting Nashville was fun and necesary, but I was ready to move on. I'm still not sure how my summer will be ending. Will I stay in Maryland? Go back to Utah? Or take some time in Nashville? I guess we'll just have to stay tuned to find out...
 Perfect Beer Pong Set-Up

 Snitch+Unicorn=BFFs   Duh....

Quarry

Friday, July 8, 2011

Can't Sleep

So Tuesday afternoon Danny and I drove up to Durango, CO. We were going to go to Crested Butte, but my plane left the next morning in Durango and the drive from Crested Butte to Durango is like 3hours. Durango is a actually a very neat, old cowboy town. I went there when I was 10 with my family to do a river rafting trip and also considered going to Fort Lewis College, which is located there. We stayed in a hotel that was built in the 1880s, so it was all decorated like that and with antiques and such. Our room was small, but very nice with a window that overlooked the main shopping street. It was also nice to have a shower curtain seeing as Danny's was destroyed in the "shit coming up the drains" incident. We walked around town for a bit while I desperately tried to find I dress that I could wear out to dinner, because silly me, I didn't think that when I packed to go work at a vineyard for a month that I'd ever need something nice to wear. Before dinner we went back to the room to drink some wine and get changed. Dinner was excellent and we were going to see if any of the saloons had music, but since it was a Tuesday they didn't, so we retired for the evening.
Wednesday morning my plane left at 9:56am (according to the ticket). It was not a happy occasion. The following plane ride was even unhappier.
By the time I got to Denver and got my bags checked with SouthWest, I decided I needed food. I've mostly been "eating-in" while in Utah, so the cartoon panda mascots from the  Panda Express seemed to be calling my name. I think I misheard them. My so-called "food" was so unappetizing that I think I'll be good to not eat Chinese food for a while.
I go into Nashville about 6:30. My animals were all very happy to see me. Huck bit and slobbered all over me and Obie peed in excitement. Even Chrysanthemum didn't pretend to be mad for too long, although she did throw up a hair ball on my bed in the middle of the night, so I guess she considers us even. I was generally unhappy and moody all of today, but I did some serious retail therapy at Target and Publix. Who knew shopping for food could be therapeutic?
I also began watching HBO's Game of Thrones earlier and it is really good. I just finished the second book last night and the show does  not disappoint. Huck has some gross, pussy/gooey spot on his head, so I'm taking him to the vet tomorrow. Right now I obviously can't sleep. Chrysanthemum is sleeping next to me. Being a cat is so easy. I would gladly sleep 18hours a day with only getting up to move sun spots and eat. Maybe I should start killing people so I can be reincarnated into a cat. I see Sybil next week for the first time since January! I wonder if she's gotten fat? I hope she's  gotten fat...

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

The End

The alleged newcomers made good on their word and appeared Friday night. They were 2 guys and a girl from Massachusets who were making their way across the country after graduating. On Friday night a friend of Danny's and his girlfriend also came down from Salt Lake City for the weekend, so the house was once again full. it was decided not to go to Arches again, but that we would go to Canyonlands on Sunday, which I was very excited about.
On Saturday we just hiked around the canyon rim, but to get to it we had to drive up this incredibly steep and narrow road. It was mostly unpleasant, but probably more so for the people in the back of the truck. We went to several different ruine sites and after a while we decided to go to a lake. We went back to a lake in a state park thats very pretty and fairly secluded. This time the water wasn't nearly as freezing and Danny's friend was able to catch 8 trout. We got back to the house and just hung around while the coals in the fire were burning (we grilled the trout and pork). I went to bed right after dinner, which was close to midnight.
On Sunday we woke up late and decided to try to go to Canyonlands on Monday. Instead we just hung at a different lake all day, which was perfect. We brought out the kayaks and canoes and stayed there until a storm started to roll in.
Monday brought another day of late sleeping, so by the time we got up it was already too late for us to go to Canyonlands, which was disappointing. It was the only nearby National Park that I didn't make it to.  Instead we went back to the place in the canyon with the incredible pictographs and then we returned to the midden heap and looked for more pottery shards. Two of the guys found arrowheads, which inspired us all to really try and get one for ourselves. I, of course, was not lucky enough to find one. On the way back to the ranch was stopped by some other ruines that we had been to before so we could show the new group. Just as I was walking along I saw what looked like a claw under a bush near the ledge. I picked it up and thought it was just part of a skeleton although the rest of it wasn't around. I called up to Danny and asked if this place had ever been professionally excavated, and he said it hadn't. When I showed him what I found he said that it was a talon or claw pendant that was at least 1000 years old. Needless to say, I was ecstatic. Its without a doubt one of the coolest things I've ever found, including that driftwood/oyster shell from the Chesapeake. We went back to the house and got a snack and changed, then Danny's friend left and we all loaded up into the truck and went to some guys house were we could get a good view of a local firework show. The house was about an hour away, but it was tons of fun. The owner was very nice, although a bit of a gun fanatic. Danny's neighbors Bill and Bob also came, who turned out to be quite characters. Right after we got there we decided to go to a nearby river to swim. Joe and I rode an ATV to it. The ride was longer than expected and incredibly dusty, but it was fun. The river we went to ended up being at the bottom of this absolutely gorgeous canyon. Unfortunately I didn't think to bring my camera, but everyone said it looked like whats in Zion National Park. We expected the river to be freezing since the water was just snow melt, but it was actually warmer than the lakes we were at. I hated that we hadn't spent all day there and that I was leaving soon so I couldn't go back. On the ride back Joe and I got to take the lead, and with my fabulous sense of direction we raced back to the house without going under 40mph once. Then we just hung around the house and talked and ate pizza and snakcs until the fireworks began. We got to talking to Bill and Bob and they are really something else. They're in their 60s, twins, and are both ex-military special ops. They have incredible stories, but both alos happen to believe that it was aliens, not the Anasazi, who left all the pictographs and such in the canyons. To say the least, the conversation was anything but boring. The little town of Dove Creek put on a very elaborate firework show for being so small. It really was a very great day, however it ended on a shitty note. After the fireworks were over we began to clean up and round up the dogs, we realized that Jack, the confused spaz dog, was missing. We spent a good hour looking absolutely everywhere for him, but we were in the middle of farm land and he seemed to be no where. We ended up having to leave without him, with the reassurance that the guy who owned the house would call if he showed up. It was a very sad trip home.
Danny left early Tuesday morning to take Joe to Green River so he could catch a train to Chicago. I woke up about 9 and began to pack since Danny and I planned to leave early and stay the night in Durango. After several hours passed Danny still wasn't back. I kind of began to worry, but he showed up eventually with a very happy companion. The guy called to say that Jack showed up at his front door, so Danny went to pick him up on his way back to the ranch. I had hoped thats why it was taking him so long to get back, but I honestly didn't want to get disappointed. Jacks a dumb and submissive dog, but also happy and lovable. Jack basically fell out of the car and started half running around, half flopping on his back to kick his legs in the air. It was a very happy scene.
Now I've got to get on this damn plane that will take me back down south. I'll write about my last night out west later.
I would also like to end this post by saying Panda Express should not be allowed to be categorized as food. That is all.

Thursday, June 30, 2011

Two Southerners and a Scotsman

I wrote this last night but the internet was being stupid. 
Our number has finally dwindled down to just three. Everyone has left except me, Joe(from Scotland), and, obviously, Danny. We're allegedly getting some new people on Friday, but we've been told that before and no one has shown up. Here's an update on my super exciting life!!!
Last weekend Danny had to go back to California for a wedding, so he left early Thursday morning with no hopes of us getting much work done while he was away. That was smart. Carter, an ex-Mormon who arrived the same day I did, left midday Thursday and Thursday evening we were expected to take Liz, a Brit who got here about a week before I did, to Green River to catch a bus to go to Vegas (eventually I'll get around to actually just describing all the people I've encountered here). 
So Thursday around lunch a game of beer pong began. I was not ready to continue drinking, so while I read the rest of the beer in the house was quickly consumed. Soon I was asked to drive everyone into town so we could procure 2 more 30packs so the beer pong could continue. At this point it was also established that I would remain sober all day (which I was happy to do) so everyone could continue on their bender and we would all go to drop off Liz, while still drinking. We left around 4 and began the 2.5hr drive to the town of Green River, UT, which is the nearest Amtrak and Greyhound stopping points. I really don't know why, because Green River has like 2 streets and 4 gas stations, but unfortunately, I've now spent a lot of time there.
The car ride was amusing to say the least. Although its definitely illegal, everyone else was drinking and were pretty drunk. At some point Lee and Joey decided that they needed to become "blood brothers," so they cut one another's fingers, but since they were drunk after they pressed them together they didn't stop bleeding. Long story short, they both ended up with blood all over their teeth and gave themselves blood goatees. They walked around Green River like this. After waiting for the bus for about 2hr Liz decided it wasn't coming, so Joey agreed to drive her to Las Vegas the next day (he was going to go back home anyway because he broke his foot earlier in the week on Trashy Tuesday during a dance party), so they got another 30pack and we drove back to the canyon.
Finally, on Friday, it became just me, Lee (a guy from South Carolina who had been here since April), Joe (the Scotsman), and the dogs. I spent most of the morning cleaning but we did get some work done on the cabin that afternoon. That evening, as we were settling down to watch Blow, the power went out. I kind of knew how to turn the generator on, so I went and pressed some buttons and it came on. However, the power didn't come back on so we had to get a neighbor to help. Not surprisingly I didn't turn on the generator correctly.
We spent most of Saturday in Moab, UT, however, we had to take the trash to the dump beforehand. Basically as soon as Danny left on Thursday the dogs started misbehaving. One of the great things they did was get into the trash and spread it all over the garage and yard. Predictably, no one bothered to actually pick any of it up, so we had to deal with that, which was disgusting. After I swept and bleached the garage and took a shower we made our way to Moab. Its allegedly supposed to be some little touristy-outdoorsy town, so I figured there would be enough things to do there to keep us occupied for the day. I was wrong. After about 2hr of walking about we decided to just drive the five minutes down the road and go to Arches National Park for a bit, which was a wonderful decision. We didn't get there until about 5, so we didn't have much time to do things, but we went on a small little hike and drove around to see the views. I'm trying to get Danny to take me back this week so we can go on a longer hike since the pass I had to buy is valid for a week. We got back to the house and started drinking. I actually was able to use this neat app on my phone where you list all the alcohol you have and then it tells you what drinks you can make. We did that for a bit and made some really horrible drinks and then I went to bed.
Finally Sunday came around and I was very ready for Danny to get back. We spent all morning cleaning and put in a pork shoulder, which needed to cook for 8hr, as a nice surprise for Danny when he got back(we expected him about 11ish). Just as I was about to make my way back to shower and clean our bedroom, Joe came running into the kitchen saying that we had a problem. We followed him to the bathroom to find that sewage had begun backing its way back up the bathtub and all the shower drains. We were at an utter loss at what to do. We, meaning the boys, didn't want to get the neighbor since he'd already been over twice and we couldn't get ahold of Danny. So we did that only thing there was to do; We began drinking. Several drinks/shots and a few episodes of It's Always Sunny [In Philadelphia] later, I decided it was time to alert someone of our problem. Just as I was rallying the boys, Chuck (the neighbor) rode his ATV down the driveway. It was destiny. We went out and let Chuck in on our situation.
Technically Chuck is the vineyard manager, so he at least had an idea of how to fix it, however, Chuck almost continually stoned and we were all drunk, so it was kind of a shit show. After about 45min of Chuck kind of doing stuff (or at least looking like it) and us standing around helplessly/drunkenly, Danny drove down the driveway. He was able to get an early flight back, which would have been great if I was showered, shaved, and there wasn't shit invading his house via the drains.  After about another hour or so Chuck and Danny (mainly Danny) unclogged the septic tank, which is disgusting, and the sewage drained back down to its ungodly home under the house. All that was left to do was clean the showers and tub and keep drinking!
Monday was a recovery day up until noon, when we had to drive up to Grand Junction, CO, another 3.5hr drive. We went to Sam's Club and stocked up on the items that needed to be purchased in bulk, but then we had to drop Lee off at the airport. Just the three of us, plus the dogs, made the ride back and it was lonesome. Unfortunately Danny has been sick all of yesterday and today, so we really haven't done much. I finally got to clean our room/bathroom! But today Joe and I did spend some time outside weeding.
I'm trying very hard to not focus on the fact that I will be leaving soon, actually in  about a week, which I only grudgingly came to realize last night. However, Danny is going to take me up to Crested Butte, CO the night before I depart, so thats kind of something to look forward to. Actually, if we make it up there we'll only be missing my mom, her sisters, and my grandmother by about a week. I got a chance to talk to Maddie on Monday night, which was very nice. As much as I don't want to come home I do miss a few select people and I am incredibly excited about the last part of DH. Also, I was supposed to talk to Sybil and Molly on Saturday night, but I never received their call. I assume the only reason they would neglect to phone me is death, so if someone can tell me where to send some flowers I would greatly appreciate it...


Joey and Lee with blood all over their mouths.

Delicate Arch, which doesn't look very delicate, but its actually on the side of a cliff.

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Lake Powell

Alas, it is yet another Tuesday so I'm going to try and update before I begin drinking too heavily.
Last week ended well. On Thursday we did a full day of weeding, which was actually fairly therapeutic. I didn't know I would receive so much pleasure in killing things, even if they were only plants. It was hot and I got pretty badly sunburned because I'm an idiot and did wear sun screen, but the worst part was the bugs. We all came out with about a million bug bites. Its not even mosquitoes, they were just dusty-weed-bugs. With only five WWOOFers we make painstakingly slow progress, but after we were done for the day Danny ordered some type of mechanized weed pulling things, so those are due to be arriving soon. As I said, Saturday was Danny's birthday, so on Friday we didn't actually do any weeding because it had rained and the bugs were just too bad, so we cleaned the house and packed up to go to Lake Powell. Also, another friend of Danny's drove up Friday, so our number grew to 7. We left the house about 7 for a 3 hour drive, so we didn't get to the campsite until at least 11:30, but we didn't pick one until after midnight. Obviously, it was dark outside so we couldn't really tell much about the site we had picked, only that it was closer to the main road than we would have liked, but it seemed far enough away from other people that we wouldn't disturb them. As we unpacked we started drinking. Music was also being played. I am an old woman and was exhausted, so I went to bed about 11 I think. Danny and I took an adventure up a nearby mountain/hill thing, and I'm not sure if 11 was before or after we got back.
Anyway, on Saturday when we got up we discovered that everyone haf continued to party straight until dawn. Swimming and kayaking was involved. Upon waking we also discovered that our site was actually much closer to other people and later in the day we found out that several of our neighbors had contemplated leaving at some point in the night. Oops... In short, I spent my saturday swimming, laying in the sun, and jet skiing around gorgeous cliffs and views.
Several of us, those of us who stayed up the whole previous night drinking, also stayed very well lubricated/drunk all of Saturday. Due to various reasons, I was again exhausted on Saturday night and I PTFOed before dinner was even done cooking. However, everyone else only partied until about 12 or 1, so I didn't miss out on too much. Danny and I woke up around 9 on Sunday and after finding that there was no edible food to be found, we went out to a nice breakfast at a small restaurant over looking the canyon and lake. I bought donut holes for everyone else, although they were still all asleep when we got back, but they were greatly appreciated. It was about midday at this time and everyone was still just kind of getting up and slowly moving to leave, so Danny and I took a legitimate adventure up a very large butte/mesa. I have pictures. It was incredible. And the wind was so strong that if I was any smaller I might have actually been knocked off my feet.
I felt kind of bad, but by the time we got back everything was already packed and we pretty much just went ahead and took off. Once we got off the main highway I rode in the back of the truck with the dogs and a Scotsman, and the views were once again fabulous.
For some unGodly reason we started drinking again once we got back to the house and we were all completely gone by 11. So Monday was a recovery day for the weekend and Sunday. I've also officially moved into Danny's room with him, so thats been interesting to say the least.
Today we worked on the cabin a bit, but I had to go to town in the afternoon. However, I did finally get my new debit card, so hopefully my bank woes are over. Here are pictures:

Lake Powell from the top of the butte/messa. On Sunday it was a bit overcast.

Another view from the top. If I could tag this I'd show you our campsite. 

The butte/messa from half way up. 
There are several drops and severe inclines not very visible in the picture

From the ride back.


Wednesday, June 15, 2011

As of Now

We're embracing our tendencies to get trashed on Tuesdays, so yesterday we began drinking around 6 to kick off our Trashy/Tanked Tuesdays. Last week at Walmart we bought 2 inflatable swimming pools and put them on the roof, so we spend the evening playing roof top beer-pong and sun bathing until the sun went down. The sun sinks below the canyon about 6 or 7, but it doesn't actually get dark until 8:30 or 9. I really love these long days. Anyways, we got real drunk last night so we didn't work today. In fact, we really haven't worked much this week. We started late on Monday and on Tuesday we started late again and I had to go to town with Danny, so by the time we got back we made lunch then pretty much started drinking. We eat really late here. For the past week we haven't even been waking up until 10 or 10:30, which may or may not be my fault, so we don't get started until at least 11:30. We take lunch at 3 or 4 and even though we stop work at about 6, we still don't eat until 11ish. Some nights we haven't eaten until past midnight. It doesn't bother me, seeing as we're all used to this weird schedule, but Its going to be strange when I have to eat at normal people times again.
Here are the plans for the rest of my summer as of now:
I leave here July 6th, however my mother leaves for Colorado July 8th, so I will be doing daughterly duties the 7th. My entire family will be gone as of the 11th, so from then until I leaves for Maryland the house will be mine. I will be implementing an open door policy, although Sybil will be living with me for that time, so if you don't like her, which means you probably don't like me anyways, you're not welcome. During that time we will be having a HP Premiere marathon, with a different movie every night. Drinking will be involved. Sadly, on the 16th Zeke and I will be making our way up to Maryland to spend the rest of the summer. I will probably stay a night in Knoxville to break up the trip and to see people.
Thats all I can think of right now. This Saturday is Danny's birthday so we're going camping on Friday and spending all day at a lake on Saturday. I've also made him promise to take me to Arches and Canyon Rim National Parks, so I'm looking forward to that as well. Tonight we're making soup and watching Pulp Fiction.

Thursday, June 9, 2011

The Hangover Day

Apparently Tuesdays are our party nights, because once again we got super drunk this Tuesday. Since I'm still recovering from my horrible hangover last week and the thought/smell/taste of alcohol makes me want to vomit, I didn't get too drunk, but its hard not to drink when everyone around you is taking shots. Fuck, I totally should've failed D.A.R.E.... Well anyway, we woke up late on Wednesday and decided that taking a hike would be way more productive than working. It was.
First we went to this place that was pretty tree covered for being in a dessert. We took more of a "walk" than "hike" to this old cave that Danny found a few years back. Basically it has Anasasi paintings and pictographs that are 3000 years old. It was incredible. Everything was in such great condition. I obviously wanted to touch them, but having grown up in art museums I figured that was probably a bad Idea.
Next we drove to this old hill that was an Anasasi midden (trash heap). There were pottery shards everywhere. My pockets were completely filled by the time we left. Apparently there's a $750 fine for every artifact you take out of Utah, but if I say I found them all on private land then its ok, I think. I also wondered what the Anasasis would think about people going through their 3000 year old trash.
After we took a drive to Monument Valley. Danny had never really been there, so we weren't quite sure what we were getting ourselves into. It turned out to be just a very long off-roading trip, but the views were great. We discovered that no roads go into the valley, just around it, which I guess is kind of nice. Unfortunately our drive was very long and very dusty, so once we got back to the house around 10 my allergies had began to pick up. I pretty much went straight to bed after dinner, a shower, and watching the Scientology episode of South Park. A good part about living with foreigners is that you are obligated to show them all about American culture in the most efficient way. Tonight we're going to watch Pulp Fiction and we have very serious plans to watch the South Park episode on Mormons, a necessity seeing as we're living in Utah.


3000 year old cave drawings.
Towards the middle there are some really amazing hand prints, but I thought I got a better picture of them than I actually did. 

I'm so tired of taking pictures, they never come out how I want, but I don't know if me or my camera is the issue.
But those are the Abahos Mountains

(I turned 180 from the last picture)
This is Monument Valley and the mountain range is the Sleeping Ute, which is in CO

Monday, June 6, 2011

A Very Good Weekend

When I woke up on Saturday there were blueberry pancakes and bacon cooking. I should've known it would be a good day. I woke up at 10:30, and around 12ish some of the guys and I went on a hike just around the back of the property, aka our back yard. The hike was about 2 hours or so, but we saw some really great things. There truly are ruines everywhere, so we saw a bunch of pottery and old cooking ware, and an old house in a cave. I can never seem to find very interesting things. I mean, I touch and pick up plenty of shit, but none of it is particularly unique or interesting. I did find a really beautiful type of lily though. Another thing is that every time I see something and want to know what it is, about 80% of the time Danny doesn't know what it is either. I need to start carrying guide books with me when I hike. And band aids. I've already gone though all the band aids I brought with me.
After the hike we just got ready to go into Moab because we had plans to go to the Moab Rodeo! Its an hour and a half drive to Moab, and we brought the dogs, so it wasn't very pleasant either. About an hour in Danny suggested that we go to an overlook that was about 45min out of our way, but was really neat. I would have been happy to just get to Moab and get out of the car, but thankfully I agreed and we went. The view was absolutely spectacular. I'll post a couple pictures, but they don't give the reality justice. We were easily a mile above the ground overlooking canyons and gorges and the Colorado River. I simply, or rather very unsimply, could not fathom how any of it had come to be. We stayed there for at least an hour, all though we could have stayed all day. Every time you'd turn a corner a new perspective on the landscape would appear and you needed another 15min to take that in.
Eventually we got to the Rodeo, and I honestly had no clue what to expect. At the beginning there was a big tribute to America with several songs and flags and shit, so I promptly took that time to go to the bathroom. A stadium full of patriotic Mormons probably wouldn't have appreciated me not standing/saluting to the flag and such. There were probably about 200-300 people there, so it was bigger than expected, but not huge. It really had all the typical rodeo stuff. Barrel looping, calf tying, and, of course, bull lassoing. Although that was great, the best part was between every different "act" kids from the crowd came and did different things. As creepy as the whole Mormon thing is, they base everything they do around their families, which are huge. So we also got to see kids try and catch greased piglets and which kid could stay on a terrified sheep the longest. Great fun was had by all.
As to be expected, outside the Rodeo arena there was a "carnival," because what is a Rodeo without a carnival? It was probably smaller than the Bellevue Carnival, but just as sketchy. We rode a few rides, and while they were fun in themselves some extra excitement was added by the unpredictability of the brake and locking systems.
We'd all been looking forward to Sunday all week because we were finally going to Cortez, CO to make a much needed Walmart trip! The drive to Cortez is another 2hours in the opposite direction of Moab and we werte challenged to fit 7 people in the cab of a pick-up. While we drove the back roads 2 people sat in some lawn chairs in the bed, but once we got on the highway we all had to cram inside. It was tons of fun... On our way to Cortez we went to the Hovenweep National Monument. Its basically a couple thousand year old ruines of an Anasasi city. Even though it was cool, it was really fucking hot. For all the hikes we've been on I never wore jeans because of the heat, but then my legs got all torn up. So I finally decided to wear jeans for a hike and I was incredibly uncomfortable. Another example of myself just never wearing enough clothing.
We finally got to Cortez around 6, and even though I've left the south, there were still no restaurants open that late on a Sunday. Our only option was Wendy's, and Jesus Christ it was good. I only wish I had had the sense to get a Frosty. Walmart was good. We filled 2 carts with food and it will still probably only last us about a week. The ride home was just as uncomfortable as the ride up, I'm just glad we didn't bring the dogs this time. Once we got on the back roads and everyone had enough room we broke out the PBRs and did some legitimate drinking and driving. Obviously, Danny (the driver) wasn't drunk and was totally fine to drive, but it was still odd to be handing a driver a beer. Although it held us up a bit, the funniest thing that happened was getting stuck behind a herd of cows. Herd animals are just so stupid, so rather than run out of the road they just kept running ahead of the car. I thought it was incredibly funny, but after about 10min I think I was the only one still amused. We got home, put up groceries, and since we had bread I was finally able to make a PB&J. We also broke out the boxed wine,  which has been "aging" on the counter for a while. For working on a vineyard I have drank far more boxed wine and beer than legitimately nice wine. I'm currently in the process of getting Danny to change that. However, last week I did introduce everyone to sweet tea, which was received incredibly well. Here I am, out West just continually breaking boundaries and stereotypes. Of course, we immediately found that sweet tea drinking can be immeasurably bettered by adding whiskey to the mix.
Today I became a cave creature and worked on plumbing under the house. I got satisfactorily filthy, although the brambles and tumble weeds stuck beneath the house were really fucking annoying. Right not I'm basically sitting at the kitchen table watching everyone make dinner. I should probably go help, but let's be real, I'm more help by sitting here than actually attempting to help. I'm sorry this is so long and boring, but at least you all are aware of my every waking moment for the past three days!


 These pictures are kind of pointless, but they at least show the gist of the scenery.

 NBD, just a few 1,000 year old houses.

COWS!!! IN THE ROAD!!!!
(I don't know why this excites me more than the ancient ruines...)

Thursday, June 2, 2011

All My Decisions Are Good Decisions

Well, on Tuesday night we started drinking early. It was the first time we all were really drinking since the festival, so we began to take some shots. Then beer. Then more shots.
By the end of the evening four of us decided to take a drunken hike. A lot more really good decisions ensued.
On Wednesday I had obtained several more scratches/bruises on my legs and I had a hang-over that kept me in bed all day.
The End.

Monday, May 30, 2011

Desert Rocks Music Festival

On Friday we went to a music festival in Moab, and lots happened.
Actually, I'm going to go take a shower before I write this because I'm having trouble thinking of words right now...

***TIME***

Where should I begin... Danny has a RV that we took up to camp in. The festival was Bonnaroo style, but way smaller. We got there, dropped off the RV and traded cars with the Brits so we could go to the store. The store was incredibly exciting, however I discovered that my debit card is no longer working, so even though I was in civilization I could not restock on anything. We also got 10 cases of beer that held 30 beer each. Once we returned to the festival we began to drink. We got very drunk. We headed to the music area maybe about 10 or 11. On the way there somebody decided to take a short-cut, which was directly down a cliff. My inner-mountain goat does not come forth when I am drunk. I ended up tripping and tumbled, literally head over heels, for a bit. I now have a 4in scrapey-scab thing on my left arm. The music was good, but it was a lot of reggae and jam band type stuff, so definitely not my favorite. We actually didn't stay for too long because Liz, one of the Brits, was incredibly trashed. Me and two others went back with her, and the walk that should've taken about 10minutes took 45. Then I went to sleep.
On Saturday I basically woke up and sat in the sun all day. Yes, I am sun burned. At this point its less of a burn than rather a dark red, leathery splotch all over my body. My freckles turned into almost browny-purple spots, so as you can imagine, I look pretty fucking good right about now.
Here is reason #5 why my Molly should've come with me, for if my Molly was here I would not have done molly. On the bright side I didn't smoke any pot this weekend, however I did smoke some Spirits. But anyways, the molly wasn't actually that bad and I quite enjoyed myself. It was similar to being drunk, but I was just very happy. Actually, I was already drunk so the effects of molly may be nothing like being drunk, but whatevs. Do I regret doing molly? No. I was apprehensive because I figure if I can't handle weed how the fuck am I supposed to handle anything considerably stronger? But I took the plunge and I was fine. We ended up staying until about 2 or 3. We made it over to the rave tent and sat on a cliff with an incredible over look for a while. Oh, and at the cliff I fell again and scraped my knee. As the night wore on it got colder and windier. By the time we walked back we were walking through a full on dust storm. It was cold, windy, and it sucked.
We got a late start home on Sunday and 3 of the 4 Brits left, which was a bit sad. However, on our way back to the ranch we stopped at this super weird petting zoo. The petting zoo was awesome, but around it there was just weird touristy stuff. oh, and it was all on the side of a giant rock formation. Thats important/why anybody goes there. But at the petting zoo I got to pet some cool deer thing, a bison, a watusi (the African cows with the giant horns), a camel, and an ostrich! Ostriches are super weird. They're heads move super strangely and it hurts when they eat cheerios from your hand.
Very soon after leaving the zoo, some part of the truck, which was pulling the RV, broke. The truck could still drive, but it wouldn't shift so the RPM was way high. At least, I think that was the problem. They used a lot of car part words I didn't understand. We made it back safely though. Once we were back i basically just went to bed.
I feel like something else happened too.
Oops.
 Our camp site. 
A way better view than at Bonnaroo...

We were at a music festival, so we needed a flag. 
The Brits provided one of Wills and Kate. 
It was perfect. 

Pictures!!!!


 Above are pictographs that are over 1,000 years old. We saw them on a hike we took last Wednesday.

 A gorge we climbed through to reach the waterfall.

 View on top of a mountainy thing looking at the front of the canyon.

View from mountainy thing looking further into the canyon.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

I loathe painting.

All of my body is sore.
Whenever I decide I don't like something unreasonable I generally stop associating with said "unreasonable" thing. However, since I've stopped interactions with the "unreasonable" thing, I forget how much and why I dislike it. Like painting. After I painted my grandmother's house I vowed to never paint walls again. I kept this up for about 2 years, but over the years I forgot how much I truly hate it. So today, I painted. It sucked. And the worst part is that I'm actually kind of good at it. Why can't I be good at things that are important??? Like French! Or cooking! The paint got everywhere and I'm sick of the color yellow, which sucks because I really like the color yellow.
After work we did on a really amazing hike. Eventually I'll post the pictures, but my feet and legs are exhausted from my extensive rock hopping. We hiked to a waterfall at the end of a canyon/ravine thing but the water was freezing. I was very tempted to jump in anyway, but we ended up not getting back until after dark so finishing the hike in wet cloths would've been awful. We also saw 1000yr old pictographs and artifacts.
Shit, I can't believe its nearly 1. No wonder I'm so exhausted. So much for reading...

Monday, May 23, 2011

Monday, May 23, 2011

Things I Left at Home:
Camera
Bathing Suits
Contact Case
Tooth Brush
Winter Cloths

Perhaps this is why its not recommended to begin packing for a 6wk trip at 11 o'clock the night before you leave.

So here I am, sitting on a porch at the bottom of a canyon. Its kind of awesome. I've never been to a dessert and I must say, they're quite incredible. One of the most astonishing things is the silence. What I would hate in the campus woods at Maryville and in the Smokies, was that no matter where you go you can always hear cars and "civilization" and such. Here, there's nothing. The only thing I hear right now is a few crickets, a fly, and that eerie sound the wind sometimes makes that I love so much.
So far the weather has been good, but cold. When Danny, the farm owner, picked me up at the Durango Airport we still had a 3hr drive over the Rockies until we got to the farm. On the drive we went through a snow storm and two thunder storms. I was wearing shorts and flip-flops, but at least I looked adorable... cold and adorable. Apparently, there has been a lot of rain lately, so the canyon is much greener than I would have expected. Yesterday we went to a nearby lake/reservoir to swim and hike. It was too cold for me to want to swim, but I took a very long hike. I probably didn't cover very much ground, but I went up and down every bouldery formation I could find. My Chacos held up well as my inner Mountain Goat was satisfied.
Now I see three birds. And I hear an owl. And I've decided that fly might actually be a bee.
So here at Montezuma Ranch there's me, Danny, a guy from South Carolina, A guy from Utah, four British people, a French guy, and two dogs.  Although I don't know for sure, I'm fairly certain that Danny comes from some serious money. He's mentioned that his grandfather was an ex-VP of American Airlines and his dad is an investment banker who raised Polo horses for fun. He basically went to college in Santa Cruz, went to LA to work in television for a while, hated it, so he bought some land in Utah and started a vineyard. The vineyard definitely does well, but I can't see how he was able to start from nothing without some serious financial help.
Now there's a flock of small birds (sparrows maybe) and that "fly" was definitely a bee.
In conclusion, I'm working on a farm in a canyon until July 2nd, which is owned by 27yr old, probably rich, hippie. Beer is drunk at an alarming, although not surprising rate, and usually it can be guaranteed that at least two of the many people living here are stoned. Right now, life is very satisfying.