Monthly Archive for June, 2006

I like driving

Published on June 26, 2006 in Family & Friends and Work. Closed Tags: , , , .

I am home. Camp has started. I am exhausted. I didn’t have a break today… got on the bus a little before 8am, worked with three of the older groups doing some basic team-building, sort of working my way up in intensity throughout the day… no break for lunch … did the bus thing after camp and got back to the Y around 5.15pm. I think the next two days are supposed to be almost as fully booked, too, except we might actually have lunch breaks. It looks like it’ll be a good summer. Staying up late and barely getting any sleep and then driving for 15 hours and getting a few hours before work might not have been the most logical decision, but falling in love seems to have that effect, even on those who claim to be very logical.

This recent trend of posts is kind of a rarity for me in the summer. Don’t be surprised if I disappear a little. Work will wear me down all day and I’ll spend most of my time after work in mega-relax mode… listening to music and trying to figure out when I can get back to Chicago.

coming home soon

Published on June 24, 2006 in Family & Friends. Closed Tags: , , , .

More strange hotel-ness this morning, when my key suddenly stopped working… as did all the maids keys and the managers cool keycard reset device. Somehow they got it working, after a little while where we were all hanging out outside my door. I’m glad this room wasn’t some big embarrassing mess, or I would’ve felt a little weird.

I haven’t been into Chicago, itself. I’ve stayed in the suburbs. The closest I got was the zoo. The zoo was excellent… everything has been excellent. Some might say I could go out to eat, or the movies, or a zoo, or play mini-golf, or play video games or go to the drive-in and watch more movies or not watch more movies, back at home. And that might be true, but I wouldn’t have such awesome company the whole time. This is essentially my last day here, tomorrow is reserved for driving, and I’m already a little sad about not being able to pick up the phone, give Sarah a wake up call and make some plans.

Rain in the windy city

Published on June 22, 2006 in Family & Friends. Closed Tags: , , , , .

I made it and I don’t think I forgot anything important. I’ve spent a couple days here, now, and the rain has been either looming overhead or happening almost the whole time. Making fun outdoor plans has been difficult because of this, but it’s been a great time, so far, regardless. I get the feeling Sarah may not think so, but she’s a great hostess/guide. I really enjoyed our dinner & a movie thing the first night. And sitting around and watching movies all day yesterday was a good way to avoid potential rain. I had dinner with her family last night, too. It was really entertaining, and very tasty. Hopefully we’ll get some pictures today, if the rain ever stops, definitely tomorrow, though, as that’s our planned adventure to downtown. They just moved me from one room to another at my hotel because of a leaky toilet. It was pretty bizarre, but otherwise the hotel has been everything I expected it to be, and the frickin’ huge bed is way more than I expected it to be. It’s really nice to have this break, not thinking about work, and knowing that when I do get back, things will be in totally different gears, as we start summer camp. Trying not to think about the fact that I only have a few more days here…

the list

Published on June 18, 2006 in Family & Friends. Closed Tags: , , .

List of things I should not forget for the Road Trip

  • clothes for 3-5 days
  • MassPass for the tolls, at least through NY State
  • little laptop with GPS (even though 99% of my route is one road)
  • iPod
  • big laptop
  • both working cameras
  • battery charger
  • phone charger
  • toiletries & towel
  • sleeping bag, unless I know it’s gonna be motel/hotel by the time I leave
  • …everything I’m forgetting…

I should probably print this out when I’m doing the actual packing, too.

Road Trip

Published on June 17, 2006 in Family & Friends. Closed Tags: , .

It is arranged. At least all of the rearranging of schedules and making of free time is arranged. Haven’t planned exactly when I’m leaving, or figured out exactly how long it’ll take to get there, or decided exactly where I’m staying… but Chicago, here I come. Itinerary includes: find Chuck (optional), meet Sarah, visit Skinnycorp/Threadless, do whatever Sarah wants to do :) … I’m working on Saturday, for someone, though it’s not clear who yet… maybe I’ll call out on both places and extend my little trip. Now, I need to start my initial packing/planning and make sure I don’t forget anything essential. Feel free to comment with things I shouldn’t forget and help me make a list.

Summer Busy-ness

Published on June 15, 2006 in Family & Friends, Web and Work. Closed Tags: , , , , .

It’s starting to happen again, the weather gets good and I get lots of hours from work. We’re not at the steady work-every-day level that happens at camp, but we’re getting there, with the spring Ropes schedule and various Field Days. Camp this year is shaping up to be very similar to last year… with maybe a little more focus on helping out the LITs and a little less Ropes, only because they plan to reserve the Ropes for the middle of the camp season. I have a meeting on Monday, where I’ll probably get a better idea of how much I’ll have to guide the LITs and how much the staff will be able to handle on their own.

After that meeting, I’m trying to arrange myself some time off next week, so I can get in that Road Trip I’ve been itching for since … well, forever … but, the itch has definitely been more intense since I got the new car. Hopefully, this actually happens this time. Last summer’s road trip sort was a disappointment waiting to happen, one I was simply not letting myself see on the way there, forced to realize when I got there and then mulled over and contemplated during a very long drive home. This one holds some great promise, instead.

I’m still very addicted to Threadless. They’ve just released a butt-load of new tees and if you hurry, you can catch the last of their $10 Launch Sale (launched a new interface to the site, and some new sections). I’ve bought way more shirts than I care to admit, recently. You should become addicted, too.

Anybody know anyone in Japan?

Published on June 9, 2006 in Family & Friends and Work. Closed Tags: , .

Y got me a gift certificate. I ordered a bag. It came today.

It’s nice… though quite inferior to my last bag(s). The “Guapo” was bigger, had more pockets, kept it’s shape when empty, had a padded back and a longer shoulder strap. I’m sure it will be just as indestructible, and it will do it’s job nicely. But unless someone can help me order a bag from a site in Japan, the only site that still seems to have a Guapo for sale, I will forever miss my Guapo-ness.

(site for the store in japan, just in case: http://www.cycle-yoshida.com/motocross/timbuk2/comuter/guapo_page.htm I sent them an eMail asking about international orders/shipping and got one generic reply, which I translated through babelfish. I don’t know anyone doing that “teaching english in Japan” thing right now, or else I’d call them up immediately)

the new bag:

woot