I Go to Camp Like It's My Job

So, basically I get to go to camp for 7 weeks, and I get paid for it. Yeah, it's awesome. I went to this camp 6 or 7 times as a kid, and I really enjoyed it.

But now I love it.

Why?

Because I work here now.

The people I work with are fantastic. They've become friends and brothers and sisters to me in just the few short weeks I've been here. I love spending time with them, and I admire something about each one of them.

Also, I am in the athletics department, which means every afternoon I get to help run fun games for the kids: soccer, kickball, SPUD, archery, volleyball, basketball, etc. It's like field day every day! I love to run around playing games with kids, so that's always fun!

And it should go without saying, but I love the kids. This was my first week as a counselor, and I have six 5th grade girls in my cabin. They are so much fun and absolutely hilarious! They make me laugh until I cry. We made up a rap, we play ridiculous games, and we like to share our favorite Bible verses! I am going to miss them so much when they leave.

I've gotten the opportunity to serve doing so many of the things I love. I sing on one of the worship teams for chapel a few times per week, and I really enjoy it! I haven't really led worship in a long time. I just love seeing it from that perspective. It makes me so happy to see people worshipping. Also, it's camp tradition that the counselors put on an on-going skit each night for the campers. We're basically Christian super heroes who save the world. That is also a lot of fun.

Leading devotions for the 9-year-olds in my cabin has been a bit of a challenge. I've lead devos before, but sometimes it's hard for me to remember what it's like to be that age. I don't want to bore them to death, and I want to talk about things that apply to their lives. But hey, at least I don't have to do work through it on my own strength.

Sure, I don't really like getting up super early and having a midnight curfew. Sometimes I'm a little tired or whatnot. But hey, it's camp right? I might eventually have an uncooperative cabin or a difficult week. But it's been so awesome so far.

Prayers are still appreciated though!
1. That the campers' hearts would be opened to learning God's truth...
2. That the staff would be open to learning as well...
3. And that none of us would become weary in well-doing...

:)

MY NEW SCOOTER!

And I will henceforth remember June 11^th as the day that Melissa Landon FINALLY got a new scooter!  I’d been scooterless for nearly four months. And for my 20^th birthday, like I’d been hoping, I got a new scooter!

Here it is! Isn’t it beautiful?

I was very excited. I’m at camp right now, so I don’t have it with me. But there it sits in the garage, waiting for me to return. I’ll ride it up and down the street once I get back! And then it will come to college with me, of course.

!!!!!!

I am a happy camper.

Quite literally. J

Tomorrow's Grand Adventure

Tomorrow I'm leaving.

And I'm NEVER coming back.

Just kidding. By "never," I mean I'm not coming back for seven weeks. That's because I'll be camp-counseloring (yes, I made up that hyphenated word) 8 hours away from where I live.

I'll be back for one week at the end of the summer so I can go to a bunch of appointments, pack for college, get some rest, and hang out with some friends. :)

I've never been a camp counselor. Well, I worked at a day camp once, but that was 20 minutes from my house. That's totally different! Interestingly enough, I went to this camp as a camper more times than I can count.

I've never been away from home in the summertime for more than a week. As I mentioned in this post, I won't even be home for my own birthday, for the first time in 15 years. Summer birthday—you know how it is. Good ol' June 23rd—I'll be 20! Can you believe it!? I feel so ancient. Seems like just yesterday I was excited to turn 16.

But anyway, the way I see it, I'm going to summer college. I'll eat in a cafeteria, just like I do at college. I'll live in a dorm-ish thing. I'll get up early. I'll stay up late. There will be bonfires. (Yes, I frequently make bonfires at school.) I'll go to church and chapel a lot. There will be lots of games and kids and tight schedules and work and community bathrooms and no transportation anywhere. But no classes... which I'm not complaining about.

Well, this will be an adventure!

The One Way Street

Knowledge is realizing the street is one-way. 

Wisdom is looking both ways anyway.

-Anonymous

Jumping Out of a Plane

Who is that crazy girl sliding down the giant slide in the pile of leaves? Well, that's me. That late fall of my senior year when I was at a leadership conference. Some friends and I discovered this giant in-ground slide. We covered it in leaves. Some of us started running down the slide from the top and went flying into a pile of leaves and slid down on the stomach. I did that once or twice. Ended up with a few bruises, but hey it was fun.

And this is me last spring attempting to do a handstand on the beach. Didn't turn out too bad, eh? Well, for the moment in which this picture was taken anyway. 

And this is me two months ago. My mom took this picture from the ground:

Just kidding! Actually, that's just some random picture I found on the internet. However, I've always thought it would be awesome jump out of a plane. With a parachute, of course. Some might be too scared of heights to actually jump, but wouldn't that be awesome? I think so.

You Need to Laugh More!

How do I know you need to laugh more? Well, because I think laughing is important. And I'll just bet you don't laugh often enough. Now, granted, we all have a different sense of humor. And not everyone is as easily amused as I am. But I think laughter is good for the soul. If I need a laugh, I find something funny.

These are two of the youtube videos that I can't watch without laughing. Now, you might not think they're funny. That's fine. But I happen to think pianos flying through walls and 20-something-year-olds acting like idiots are hilarious.

This is a classic:

And also this one:

Enjoy! If you didn't laugh at either of these, there isn't much hope for you. 

Just kidding.

But seriously.

Find something funny. And laugh. It's good for you.

How to Not Choke on Grapes

Someone once told me that if you hang upside down and swallow whole grapes, your hiccups will go away. I'll take hiccups over choking on a grape any day, thank you very much. My big claim to fame, however, is that I figured out how to REALLY get rid of hiccups. Seriously, it works every time. For me, anyway.

So here you go: my four home remedies, including the elusive hiccups cure.

CURE FOR HICCUPS:
     1. Hold your breath.
     2. Swallow as many times as you can while you're holding your breath.
     3. Breathe.
     4. Repeat if necessary, but you shouldn't have to.

CAN'T SLEEP?
     1. Count backwards from 500 to 0.
     DISCLAIMER: This always works for me, but it doesn't work for everyone. But hey, it's worth a try, right?

SORE THROAT
     1. Luden's throat drops. They work, and they don't taste like crap.
     2. Hot water, hot chocolate, or hot tea.
     3. Half-chewed pretzels. (Seriously.)
     4. Grapefruit. I personally think they taste terrible, but apparently they're so good for you they'll make everything better.
     5. Gargle with Listerine mouth wash. It kills germs, so it might kill your throat infection. And plus it deadens the pain for a while.

MOUTH WASH/TEETH WHITENER
     1. Use Hydrogen Peroxide like mouthwash.
     2. Apparently it strengthens teeth and helps prevent cavities.
     3. Some people think it's too strong, so you could dilute it with some water first if you want.
     4. Spit it out; don't swallow it. Good grief.

I know I have some more random remedies, but I can't think of any more at the moment. So enjoy these. May you never have to suffer with hiccups again.

Attack of the Killer Skunks

I've always been scared of skunks. For years I had never even seen one, and all I knew about them was if one got you, you had to bathe in tomato juice. I didn't even like tomatoes. And my hair would probably get died red.

Anyway, I've now seen real, live skunks. Three skunks, to be exact. My family went on a walk today, and we saw one. That sighting reminded me of that fateful day, many years ago...

It was a humid summer evening about three years ago, and my sister and I were at my old high school playing soccer on one of the fields. I think I was playing goalie, which isn't something I usually did. But we wanted to practice shooting, so practice we did.

We realized it was getting late, and the sun had slipped unnoticed almost completely beneath the horizon. It was time to go inside. I stood holding my bag, waiting for Katie to get the soccer ball.

Suddenly, I noticed something. I saw what looked like a pair of black shoes in the grass. "Hey," I began. "Hey, Katie. Those soccer cleats. Are they Richie's? Katie, why are the cleats moving?"

I was a bit tired and out of it.

I could hear Katie breathing behind me. "Those aren't cleats."

I suddenly realized what the moving "cleats" really were: a mommy and baby skunk.

Mommy and baby. What if they felt threatened!? We were doomed for sure! We were only ten feet away! I had read somewhere that when a skunk stands on its front feet, it means it's about to spray you with its putrid stink. I froze, staring, bidding the creature not to start doing any kind of acrobatics.

Have you ever seen Jurassic Park? Well, there's this one scene where Dr. Grant, the paleontologist and dinosaur expert, runs into a T-Rex with some of the people he's traveling with. "Just DON'T MOVE," he says, explaining that dinosaurs see much better when things move. Dr. Grant turns around to see that everyone has run away, completely ignoring his wise instructions. He runs, too.

Katie grabbed my arm, lowering her voice to a whisper. "Don't move. No sudden movements."

I honestly don't know what I was thinking. I took one more look at mommy skunk and her black and white fur, and that was enough for me. I jerked sideways and sprinted away as fast as I could.

I could hear Katie exclaiming in surprise behind me, but she followed close at my heels. She was not pleased. She said something to the effect of: "Whatever happened to NO SUDDEN MOVEMENTS?!"

Long and short of it is, no skunks did any handstands, and no one had to bathe in tomato juice.

And I decided to work on my sprint.

Why do we live for yesterday when it's the only thing we can't change?

Life's a game? No, it's a story to be told,
We're to go on if we're young or old,
What's the point of living if we're not awake?
Pay attention my friend—that's the point I make.

Time marches on pushing you from the past
You don't have to get away—the pain won't last
Why do we live for yesterday when
It's the only thing we can't change again?

They say "compared to what" when they hear life's brief
But I've heard eternity's long—I mean good grief
Do you remember when time began?
No, you don't, cause you weren't there, man.

But hear me when I say you'll be there at the end
It could be in the future or just around the bend
But you'll be there whether you die or live—
Just remember that only God can forgive

Can you see the finish line?
I can't and I'm feeling fine
It's hard to keep running when you can't see the end
That's why everyone needs a light and a Friend

Just keep running. Keep running. And if you're not, get going.

I Was Chased by a Giant Rabid Bear

During the school year, I sleep 3 to 4 hours per night during the week and 6 or 7 on the weekends. Therefore, I'm usually so tired that being asleep = practically being dead.

In other words:

A helicopter could land in my dorm room, and I wouldn't wake up.

I've been known to sleep through alarm clocks that woke people up in neighboring counties. But that is another story altogether.

In conclusion, I rarely, if ever, remember my dreams. They say that everyone dreams, and the average person has 6 or 7 dreams per night. I believe it—I simply don't usually remember mine.

However, that changed recently, as it usually does in the summer. I've been sleeping 7 or 8 hours per night, which for me is unprecedented. But anyway, I've been remembering my dreams. And last night I had what could be considered a nightmare, if it wasn't so ridiculous.

I was at some national park or something with two of my friends from my University. We weren't there for long before this giant rabid bear started chasing us. I don't know why I thought it was rabid. I just knew it was.

I had to run through this cornfield, and the stalks were so close together I kept tripping. I eventually had to just crawl. I could tell when the bear was coming because the corn stalks would shake and bend around me.

And plus I could just hear the bear roaring maniacally behind me. That helped, too.

But anyway, one of my friends was next to me, and the other was nowhere to be found. The bear suddenly roared and appeared in front of me.

I realized I had a gun. I pointed it at the bear, drawing my finger over the trigger. I aimed, and...

BAM!

It was just a BB gun. It was the same one I learned to shoot at my friend's cabin a few weeks ago in real life. The little "bullets" just bounced off the bear's nose, further angering it.

I threw the gun aside and ran away as fast as I could.

The terrifying rabid-bear-in-corn-field chase continued for an hour or so. (When I woke up some time later, all of my blankets were up around my head. I'm pretty sure they were the "corn field.")

The three of us finally escaped the field and got into this little building thing that reminded me of a car, it was so small. We closed the doors and windows, thinking we were safe. My phone beeped, and I got an email.

Email? I don't even get emails on my phone. I checked it anyway, and it was from one of my friends who was in the car with me.

It said:

The bear came flying out of the corn field and started smashing angrily against the side of the car/building, trying to knock it over. I felt like I was in the Jurassic Park movie or something.

With each hit, the car/building tipped farther, almost falling onto its side. The bear's expression was murderous, angry, almost human-like.

I almost forgot I was dreaming.

Until I heard the piercing sound of my alarm clock. You know, the one that didn't used to wake me up? This time I was actually thankful for it. I survived the bear attack. (And my friends did, too. I know because I texted them both today to make sure. Anna said it made her laugh. It took me awhile, but eventually even the rabid bear was funny.)

Let's just hope it's not going to be rabid bear: round 2 tonight. I'm not in the mood. Watch out, bear. Just watch out. That's all I'm saying.

Advice for Movie Characters

1. When the villain tells you he's your father, believe him.

2. The iceberg IS a big deal.

3. Giant T-Rex skeletons like to play fetch.

4. Don't go in the basement. Ever.

5. The butler did it.

6. If you're a minor character, you have a 85% higher risk of dying.

7. If he's had the ring once, he's gonna want it back.

8. Don't go off by yourself in the woods. The monster will get you.

9. Listen to the kid. No one ever believes the kid.
10. You want to be on whatever side Bruce Willis is on.
11. Police officers: you're going to lose your badge. But don't worry; you'll get it back.
12. CIA, FBI, and police force: Someone on the inside is responsible. It's only a matter of who.
13. Lifetime movie wives: Your husband is/was an ax murderer. You're next.
14. When the time machine breaks down, just use the old lightning/town clock trick. Works every time.
15. Always keep a knife in your pocket. Chances are you'll get tied up sometime in the next hour and a half.
16. Yes, the road trip will go horribly wrong.
17. Don't go parasailing right next to a dinosaur-infested island.
18. It will never be the day when you actually catch Jack Sparrow.
19. You really are still in Kansas, since you're just dreaming.
20. Yes, the big game and the performance will be on the same day, at the same time, every time.
21. If you don't ask her to the prom, the biggest jerk on the planet will.
22. He's not dead. He's going to come back after you've fallen in love with someone else.
23. Write a book about your crazy experience. Everyone's doing it.
24. Yes, the bad guy is inside the house.
25. Bring the insulin on the hike.
26. If no one can see or hear you, you're probably dead.
27. Always make friends with the natives.
28. Guys in a romantic comedy: your girlfriend/fiance/love interest works for a newspaper or magazine of some kind, right? Ha I knew it!
29. Even if you didn't kill your wife, everyone will probably think you did.
30. Go ahead and jump off the cliff. No main characters ever die that way, especially if they're escaping from bad guys.
31. If you're not sure if you're dreaming, check the carpet.
32. There's always one bad guy who's not really all that bad.
33. You don't have any bullets left.
34. If everyone seems too happy at the dinner table, something really bad is about to happen.
35. Don't ignore the underdog. The best heroes are unlikely.