Today Was Strange.

Today was a strange day for a number of reasons. Here's one. One of our Program Directors, Anthony, whom I've worked with for 5 years had to leave camp for policy violations. Anthony was in my very first cabin was the out of the other 3 staff the one I got to know the best. He was a returner that year so I learned a lot from him and really admired him early on. Two years ago Anthony and I were partners as division directors. We didn't make great partners but not terrible either and were still friends during and after. Anthony had 6 staff that he directly supervised. I have volunteered to take on three of his staff; the Archery director and two waterfront directors. It was my choice and it's the right one but it will make the next couple of weeks really tough. I had been downshifting the last week and taking it a little easier. That is pretty much over now. I know have 12 staff I directly supervise which is the most I have ever had. Currently the next closest is 9. I also hold myself to a pretty high standard when it comes to staff I oversee so it will mean a fair amount of effort. I will also be trying to support Wig, the remaining program director, as well as Laura the program assistant as I am the only other person on camp who has done the job. I was looking for ways to push myself this second session and I've found it.

Today was strange for another reason. Our evening activity in Prep tonight was "Wake Up America". When we plan what the evening activities are going to be I like to come up with the name first and then figure out what to do with it. It is seems counterintuitive but I've found just having a good name focuses the creative process. This name was derived about 10 days ago (when were planning for session 2) when I said that I wanted to name as activity after a song on the upcoming Miley Cyrus (Hannah Montana) Album. We saw the name "Wake Up America" and it was an easy choice. Wheras Miss Cyrus' song is a political ballad about enviromentalism our activity was more from the prespective of "Wake Up America, and Get Patriotic". We decided to theme it with over the top patriotism.

I wasn't in charge of it but those who were tried to encourage staff to dress up as figures from America's actual or folk history. I decided to be Johnny Appleseed. So all day today I pretended to be Johnny Appleseed. I even made a nametag that said it. I've done this before, I'm pretty good at playing charecters at camp because I can think quick. It's the same reason I can make up stories as I go along and am such a good liar when I want to be. It becomes a game of them constantly asking me questions to find a hole in my Johnny Appleseed story and 'prove' that I am actually Joey (who I claimed was my cousin, in St. Paul for a doctors appt. and asked me to fill it). For every question I had an answer, sometimes rational and sometimes not, but always an answer. It is kinda tough to be in character all the time. It is like being one of the people in one of those 'pioneer towns' where everyone pretends it's 1750.

The last reason today was strange: Around 900pm there were around 20ish horses on the athletic field and in the parking lot. To clarify we don't play polo at camp and actually prefer to keep the horses away from moving cars. So this was not good. This isn't the most uncommon thing for the horses to escape but they usually just go down the road not into camp. At one point they were a little too close for comfort to Gopher cabin (8 year olds). Not closer than 100 meters but still too close. I always feel akward in these situations. Most times at camp I know more about what to do and how to do it then anyone else save a few sometimes. This is not one of those situations. I can ride a horse just fine but a bonafide wrangler I am not. I'm mostly good to stand in an area to passively dissuade the horse from going there; a sometimes neccesary job but being a poor substitute for a fence isn't my idea of a good time. Eventually we worked together and got them back where they needed to go.

Then I did rounds (walking through camp) for Wig because he was busy with having to do some extra work now that he is by himself. He'll be fine though. Wig remains in my opinion the most competent person I have had the pleasure of knowing and if anyone can handle it its him. Plus I'll be there to help along with others. Tommorow will be a long day. That is okay.

I miss people. As much as I love camp, these days it can be a strangly lonely place. I'm off to bed now. Goodnight and God Bless (take that Palmer).

Joey