Weekend Camping Adventure

This weekend, a group of six of us went on a camping excursion in Boulder Lake for Man Friend's best friend's birthday. With only a few minor disasters, it was about a 90% success...which is pretty high if you ask me.

The weekend started off a tad on the rocky side. There hadn't been very good communication or organization of the trip until about a day beforehand, which drove my very anal retentive self crazy. I need to know exactly how everything is going and have a borderline unhealthy need to plan things down to the detail. The campground and site weren't even chosen until Friday morning, less than ten hours before Man Friend and I were supposed to leave town.

Well, the site was determined and I started to feel a little more at ease. Not so fast. Nothing ever goes that smoothly. It started pouring and even hailing in some areas. After checking the weather, I found out the area where we were camping was expecting intermittent showers throughout the weekend. Assured Monica very quickly grew into Grouchy Monica. I did not want to spend the weekend cold and miserable and went into the trip expecting the worst...and in a very sour mood.

Alas, the rain ended (for a while) and by the time we reached the campground, skies were mostly clear.

Saturday did have some scattered showers, but luckily for us, it was mostly just sprinkles. The worst part about the weather, though, was that all the wood/logs/sticks were soaked and nearly impossible to start a fire with. Man Friend and his BFF ended up going into town mid afternoon to get more wood. Anyway, the camp ground was really nice and I definitely wouldn't mind going again. Clean, big, no one too rowdy and the grounds had a beach as well. We swam for a while in the afternoon, even though I initially would have rathered sit on the beach reading. I'm not one for water, and by that I mean, I hate swimming, and am scared of it. It took quite a bit of coaxing from Man Friend for me to even get in waist deep. After a while I did manage to have a decent amount of fun with everyone else.

Back at the camp site, we made a little friend with a friendly chipmunk. At first we decided to call him Alvin, you know, from Alvin and the Chipmunks. Man Friend started throwing Reeses Pieces towards him and we very quickly discovered that apparently chippies love them. The little guy was stuffing every one in his mouth, occasionally scampering away to hide it somewhere unknown to us stupid humans. It didn't take long for a game to develop to see how much and/or what he would shove in his mouth. The answer is pretty much anything, which turned into the new name of Theodore, you know, like Alvin's fat brother. Theodore's biggest accomplishment was fitting an entire Carmello square in his mouth and running off with it. He was also particularly fond of green grapes and my pesto noodle salad.

Approximately 5:00 Sunday morning, it started storming. And hard. Rain was pouring down and thunder and lightning started. Storms are loud enough normally, but when only a tent is between you and a storm, it seems about a zillion times louder. I'm typically not scared of storms at all, but the whole being outdoors with next to nothing for shelter changes that. I was pretty scared we could get hurt by the lightning...not to mention paranoid water would get in the tent, leaving me cold, wet and miserable. This was everything I didn't want out of the trip. It took quite a while, but eventually the storm subsided, I was able to chill out and fell back asleep.

Despite the few glitches, it was a really relaxing weekend. It was so nice and, and frankly, much needed, to be away from home for a few days and leave the stress of reality behind. And really, is anything better than having a few cold beers around a fire?

One Fabulous Weekend

This past weekend was one of the best I've had in quite some time. It was one of those "I've barely had time to sit down, but I'm having so much fun it doesn't even matter" times.

My mom was home for my sister's graduation and stayed for the full weekend. I was able to hang out with her and her best friend one night and Man Friend and I took her to Hu Hot on her last night in town. She had never been before and I think she really enjoyed it. It was a lot of fun hanging out with her, but I don't think it's really hit me that she won't be home again until Christmas time.

Friday my youngest sister had her graduation/end of the year party with a bunch of friends. I made her BLT dip and embarrassed her in front of her friends. She invited the boy she likes (well, now boyfriend since the party), one more thing I'm not sure how I feel about. As far as I'm concerned, she's too young for a boyfriend (nevermind I had been seeing a boy for a full year at this point in my life) but I'm more than ok with embarrassing her about it.

Saturday during the day was a little uneventful, but after taking Mom out to dinner, Man Friend and I had a bonfire at his place with some of his BFFs. It was the first time he had used the fire pit since moving in to the place, and the previous tenant left it a shithole. Everything from cans, bottles, wires and bolts were in that pit, among the massive amount of ash just sitting in there. After a little TLC, the pit was a little safer, less full and the fire worked much nicer. We sat around the fire drinking, enjoying the warm weather and, of course, talking about a zombie apocalypse. They always talk about what they would do to survive an apocalypse, and recently they've come to the conclusion that they will meet at Man Friend's dad's house in the event of an attack...because that's where the most guns are.

Sunday Man Friend and I spent the afternoon at the Wildlife Sanctuary. It was honestly one of the best dates we've ever had. I wish there were words to explain how much fun I had. It was the perfect day, too. Nice and hot, with a cool breeze, sunny and a mostly clear sky. We walked around for hours feeding the geese and ducks, looking through all the exhibits and walking the trails. We were there for a good two and a half hours, and every single minute of it was wonderful. Getting out of the house and doing something other than watching tv was much needed. Spending time alone and without our cell phones was so relaxing. That's exactly what being in a relationship should be and a reminder of what makes me love him so much.

Graduation and a Day Off

On our sister date last weekend

On Thursday, my baby sister graduated from eighth grade. I realize that ending eighth grade and getting ready for high school isn't exactly "baby sister" territory, but it's a pretty hard transition. For me, anyway...she has no problem heading into this next chapter in her life. Not only am I the big sister, but while my parents worked many long hours at their restaurant, I grew up helping them raise her. Accepting that she's growing up has been quite the task for me, but I'm getting better. It is nice, though, to be able to carry on more adult and meaningful conversations with her.

With both my sisters after the ceremony. The ONE time I don't wear heels.

Anyway, back to graduation. It was a really nice ceremony, though the principal did get a little long winded. She hit the expected topics of how much they've grown up, highlights of the their last three years and high school prep. One thing that did make the ceremony unique was the really personal admissions from her. The principal had been diagnosed with cancer and was out for about seven months. She shared how the students helped her through the chemo and to fight her way through the disease. All of the students and staff had sent her little notes when she was first diagnosed, and she read some of funniest messages to the graduation guests. "I feel really bad for you, even though you aren't a relative," and "get well soon...like a boss" were two that made me LOL so hard I thought I was going to pee myself.

After the ceremony ended, we took a few pictures before my sister scurried off to be with her friends. My middle sister and I went to lunch at Panera and got to spend some time chatting. With her on third shift, me on first and me not living at home, we don't get many opportunities to hang out alone, so it was a really nice spur of the moment decision. I picked up some food for Man Friend and surprised him at work. We got to sit outside together while he was on his lunch break. We've never been able to have lunch together during the week and it made me wish we had more opportunities to do so. Hopefully if I ever get a job in town, we'll be able to do so once in a while.

I was able to spend the rest of the afternoon taking care of Monica. I went on a 2.5 mile walk, hula hooped with my weighted hoop, and finished Mockingjay, the third book in the Hunger Games trilogy. I finished each book in two sittings; they are so phenomenal. Young adult/unrealistic/overly popular novels normally aren't my cup of tea, but these books were actually really well written and very engaging. I couldn't put them down.

Finishing off the day, Man Friend and I met some of our friends out for drinks for a while. It was still nice enough out that we were all able to relax/sit out on the bar's patio. Now that's what summer is all about.

It's days like Thursday that I wish I was able to work four tens. Having that one extra day off during the week is so wonderful. I can get stuff done that I normally can't during working hours, tend to be obnoxiously productive, and feel less stressed about work because I'm only there four days instead of five.

My Before 30 Bucket List

Lately, I've been struggling a lot with the idea of what it means to be successful. Mainly because I don't feel remotely successful at all. I always thought that after graduation, two years to be exact, I'd be so much farther along in life than I am. Still being in a dead-end temp job with no leads in the job search, I feel like I have so much catching up to do, even though I'm not quite 24.

My roommate and I have this discussion a lot, mostly because we're both in the same boat. Neither one of us are where we want to be/where we thought we'd be at this point in our lives. These pity parties for two then develop into the "I'm scared to turn 25 and/or 30" conversation. I've come to the conclusion that the people who have the issue with hitting those dreaded numbers are always the people like us, worried about where their life is headed and why it's not headed there fast enough.

So I've come up with a Bucket List for myself of things I want to accomplish by the time I'm 30. Something to hold myself accountable for not falling into any more of a slump. In no particular order:

• Have at least 1, preferably 2, fiction pieces published
• Work for a non-profit
• Visit my mom in TN as much as possible
• Take at least one big vacation
• Visit at least 6 restaurants in my Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives book (one a year)
• Visit my family out on the East Coast
• Have at least 1,000 views on each blog, or whatever blog I'm working on
• Get married
• Put a significant dent in my student loans

Sucky and Super Not Sunday

Sucky:

•  Over the weekend, Man Friend's mom had to be brought to the ER twice. She developed a pretty severe migraine that just didn't go away. At the hospital, she got an IV for the pain and anti-nausea medication. When the pain didn't subside by the next day, she had to be brought to the hospital by an ambulance. Man Friend found out she recently (in the last year or so) has had 11 mini-strokes. It was really scary, and I know he's been worried about his mom. Watching your mom get hauled off on a stretcher isn't exactly something that you can forget easily. She's been getting a lot of sleep and seems to be feeling a little better. She's also had an appointment with a neurologist, so fingers crossed that they figure something out.
• Monday was the first anniversary of one of my friend's passing. I knew Friend through my sister and is actually how I met Man Friend. Even though I wasn't as close with him as my sister or man friend, it's never easy losing a friend, especially someone as young as 20. The day was pretty difficult for all his friends and family, but a small group of us visited his grave with a little Jack Daniels (his famously favorite drink) and went out to dinner. As much grieving that went on, it's just as helpful to be able to celebrate his life and remember him as more than just sick and/or dead. 

Super:  

• Over the weekend there was a mini crisis at work. Before you ask why a work crisis is listed under the Super category, keep reading. Said crisis involved a massive influx of consumer e-mails. For the first time in the year I've been there, I was put on dedicated e-mail time. I only had to sit on the phones for about two and a half hours the whole day. It was a wonderful and much needed change of pace. Also, I left work not wanted to jump off a cliff. Success.
• I've been doing a lot of volunteering lately, and for the first time Man Friend joined me Saturday. We worked with the Healthy Kids Day put on by the Y to kick off summer. It was one of the most fun events I volunteered for. The free even featured college basketball and soccer players, a bounce house, face painting, a magician, healthy choices tables, MMA demonstrations, hula hooping, a trail mix bar, arts and crafts, rock climbing and a children's run. We served over 8,000 families that day. I helped with he trail mix bar, and holy shit, did we go through a TON of food. Cases of each: goldfish crackers, cheerios, marshmallows, raisins, pretzels, and sunflower seeds. 

Sucky and Super Saturday

Sucky:

• It has been cold and rainy this week. I hate weather changes, and hate being cold even more. I also lose any and all motivation to do anything with myself when the weather is crummy. I just want to curl up in bed and watch tv. For eternity.
• Work hasn't gotten any better. In fact, it's gotten worse. Last week we were so busy I was taking between 75 and 85 calls every day, got shouted at by consumers for the long wait time, and had far too many nasty calls. I left work in tears almost every day, was so frustrated I was just ready to give up, have been having nightmares, lost sleep, and was even fighting with man friend because I was so stressed out I turned into a crabby, irrational bitch. 
• The hot flashes have started back up. They calmed down and even went away for a week or two, and I thought I was in the clear. I was wrong. I start flashin at super inconvenient times, and get so overwhelmingly hot I just want to rip my clothes off. If I ever get health insurance, I can go to the doctor and see what the fuck is the deal.

Super:

• Wednesday was my man friend's birthday. We hung out at the Stadium bars, he got his free drinks, and we hung out with his coworker, friends and cousins. I wrote him a little piece and got him a rotating picture frame (it looks like a ferris wheel and I'm fascinated by it) and printed off pictures of us for it. For being in the middle of the week, it turned out to be a great night
• Thursday I went out as well. Two nights in a row, especially during the week, is almost inexistent for me. I met up with some friends I hadn't seen in a while and had a really good time. I'm really glad I went.
• I FINALLY got a laptop! My desktop had been giving me a lot of problems ever since it got "fixed" by the campus IT people when I was in college. For the last year, I've pretty much just been borrowing other people's computers. It's so nice now to be able to job search, write, and just simply surf the Internet whenever I want and not have to rely on someone else. It's equally as fantastic being able to take my laptop with me somewhere and not having a stationary desktop.
• Last weekend, today and next weekend have been/will be filled with volunteering and goodness. I spent the day at Camp U-Nah-Li-Ya, you can read about it here, today I participated in the March of Dimes walk for babies and next Saturday I will be volunteering for the YMCA's Healthy Kids Day. It feels so good to be donating time/money to such worthy causes. My volunteer work is the only thing keeping me from going crazy about my lack of success after college.  

Camp U-Nah-Li-Ya

Last Saturday was the end-of-session day trip to Camp U-Nah-Li-Ya with Girls Night Out. To conclude each session, the GNO groups from all the Green Bay Ys spend a day at camp. This particular trip was rather small, only two groups. It ended up working out just fine that way. 30 sixth graders is a tad more manageable than 60.

This was my third time up with GNO, and maybe the best. Certainly better than in December, that's for sure. The girls were super well behaved and seemed to really enjoy themselves. There was only one minor meltdown when one of the girls had a giant spider land on her and she started crying. Otherwise, a definite success.

The weather was beautiful, better than what we had anticipated. The sun was out all day, it was decently warm after lunch and there wasn't any snow. Because it was so nice out, we actually got to spend the whole day outside, whereas the last two trips we spend at least half the day inside.

The day was broken into two main chunks, survival skills and canoeing. My group did the survival skills section first, and the staff guy had made it a Hunger Games theme, which I think the girls really liked. It was cool to be able to make it into something relatable for them. I feel like survival skills were more appealing to them when they could think of it in terms of a movie instead of just because.

The girls learned how to build a fire, and became part of the one-match club. They split into two groups and had to use their new knowledge to build a mini fire. Each group had an area to build in between two steaks in the ground and a string tying them together. The first group to get their fire big enough to burn their string won.

When the fires had been put out, they moved a little farther into the woods and learned how to build shelters. Of the three trips, this group of girls had the best teamwork by a landslide, and thus, had the most successful shelters. I've found that typically one or two girls designate themselves to be leaders and completely take over while other girls stand in the background. Last Saturday, the girls communicated great, shared the work, and followed instructions to result in working shelters.

After some large group games/icebreakers and lunch, we headed out to the lake for some canoeing. I'm not even going to pretend like I was excited for this. In fact, I was really hoping we wouldn't go. Well, we did. One of the girls was really scared too, so we got paired together. At first I thought putting two scared people together was probably the dumbest idea ever thought of. Neither one of us really wanted to even get into the canoe. We both just stood there, trying to think of excuses for why we couldn't get in. I think we both realized at the same time that we weren't going to get let off that easy. Trembling, I got in and sat down.     Although we didn't master turning as well as most of the other teams, and we were still uneasy, we managed

to get out to about the middle of the water and we saw the giant snapping turtle.

When we finished canoeing, there was a little extra time left and the instructor took us on a nature walk through camp. We got to see some the brand new buildings, and got to see a bunch of turtles. The instructor told us that in the middle of the afternoon, the turtles like to come out of the water and soak up the warm sun, so if we were extra quiet, we would be able to see him. Believe it or not, 15 sixth grade girls managed to stay silent and we got to see at least 20 painted turtles and five or ten of the big snapping turtles. It was a phenomenal sight to see (pics coming soon).