Mia Shalom-July 8, 2009...

Early Morning-
Bad:
1. Smells from another camp signifying breakfast-can you tell I’m
hungry?
2. Camp mornings are cold, especially when your jacket is wet
3. Only two cabins for 24 girls-squish
4. Upstairs girls talking until 2 a.m.
5. An unearthly scream at promptly 6:30-or someone’s alarm clock

Good:
1. Clean shirt
2. Quiet enough that I can hear the river
3. The gold-mantled chipmunk dancing around my shoes
4. Finding my misplaced Health textbook
5. Sun coming up so quickly and warming my wet jacket

Today is the Camp Cook-Off. Each ward was given two secret ingredients, which they had to use in a main dish and a dessert. My ward was given cream cheese and brown sugar. I had the idea to use the cream cheese and brown sugar over bread to make sticky buns. We also used brown sugar in sloppy joe meat, and some of the cream cheese to make a salsa dip (yuck). I think it all turned out well, because that's what we ate for lunch that day before going to get ready for camp skits. Here's what ours looked like:

6th Ward: Bandit Feast
The Most Wanted!

After I helped hand out stuff to the wards for their skits, Sister Burton and Sister Lawrence asked me if I would make awards with two other girls for the Cook-Off participants. I took pictures of the two that I made because I thought they were super cute. And they sort of are. :)

Award One-Marching Picnic

Award Two-Life Really is a Picnic

Afternoon-
Bad:
1. FuhREEZING shower water!
2. Having a major role as M.C. for the Stake skits, and narrator for my ward’s part
3. Burning face and dumb sunscreen
4. Losing my favorite pen-sniff
5. Journal supplies ran out in the pavilion

Good:
1. Skit Day is over!
2. Hilarious mascara mustaches on various girls (make-up: not just for beautification)
3. First “Polar Bear Plunge” winner in my camp
4. Making awards for Camp Cook-Off winners and participants
5. Aloe Vera Ice gel

The skits really weren’t that bad. This year they were super creative and way entertaining. Each ward was given a single bag or box full of props (the Stake leaders had cleaned out the Camp closet back at home and found 7 years worth of skit supplies) from the Stake. The rules were these, one) Use everything in your bag/box, and two) It has to have something to do with the theme. Here’s an overview of the wards’ skits:

First Ward-Miss Integrity Pageant
A line of judges watched as several contestants showed off their talents and what they stand for in their lives. Miss Texta (pretend phone in hand), Miss Flava-Flave (can’t spell it, and neither could she), Miss Worldly (no idea on anything except fashion), Miss Drama (“I think everyone is so amazing, but if you get in my way I will crush you.”), and Miss Integrity (I talk to the animals) each made their appearances and the judges had to decide. Guess who won?

Second Ward-Prepared in the Kitchen
I don’t really understand how this fit in with the theme, but parts of it were funny. The one part I remember was when one girl got another girl’s apron dirty. The second girl was upset about it and made a move to fight with the first girl. Then a third girl ran in with six aprons, three on each arm, and said to the second girl, “Ah, ah, ah! Polyester or cotton?” holding the aprons out for the second girl to look at. I thought that was funny.

Third Ward-Search for the Kingdom of Light
This must have been amazing, because I don’t remember it at all. I’m trying to picture girls dressed up in their Red ward color, but it’s not happening. Maybe this was when Linnea and I were running around the back of the building to make another entrance. Oh, no wait! I remembered! It was about these bugs (girls in butterfly, dragonfly, and other bug masks) looking for the right path to the magical Kingdom of Light. They got sidetracked by some gangsters looking for a bit of fun and were rescued by the Knight of Light. The gangster was the knight’s brother, and he was jealous because of all of the knight’s different names.

Fourth Ward-A Tight Ship
It started out with a ship in disarray. The captain blamed his mistakes on everyone else, the crew members had no idea what they were doing, the captain got angry and threw someone overboard, and when the crew members tried to rescue her they threw out a deflated life raft. Enter part two-a ship in complete order, with sailors shaving, using maps, cleaning cannons and guns, hoisting sails and fixing ropes, with a captain who listens to his crew members and knows just what to do. “Captain! There’s a homosapian in the H2O, exactly 52 degrees north-northeast!” A successful rescue which is watched by the other ship leads them to say, “Aw, man. I wish we could have rescued our friend like that.” A split second hesitation, and one girl says, “I’m going over there.” I really liked this skit. It was cute and clever.

Fifth Ward-The Garden
Two groups of flowers, each makes a different choice. One group grows bright and beautiful, keeping to the gardener’s instruction and allowing her to care for them. The other group clings tightly to the thorns and weeds that have taken root in their bed, shunning all care from the gardener. My favorite part was when Marissa, playing the gardener, went up to the last weed, played by Mindy. Mindy had a seven foot long tree trunk propped up against her side, leaning on it like a “cool kid” against his locker. The stick was three feet taller than Marissa. When Marissa tried to pull up the “weed” Mindy said “I’d like to see you try,” in a Yeah-right-I-don’t-think-so voice. In the end, a storm blew away the bad flowers and weeds, while the good flowers were protected by the gardener.

Eighth Ward-The Tree in the Forest
The tree, one of the girls in the eighth ward, steps forward to tell the story of the Bad Birds and the Bugs. She was wearing a sign around her neck that said “Tree” and a bird feeder on one arm. Girls holding the yard decoration birds and bugs had them flapping, buzzing, and twirling in the air in front of them. Then the tree began. The birds are always the bad ones, aren’t they? Bringing up their iPods to camp, gambling Starbursts with their smuggled face cards, hiding in the bathrooms when their leaders tell them to cook dinner or clean up. They’re just having a party, jamming to their tunes and breaking all the rules. The bugs seem to be having a great time, too. Scripture study early that morning was the bomb dot com, the flight up to Lone Pine was amazing, and all of the leaders are so nice. Then four or five bugs get bored and decide to check out what the birds are up to. “Come on over!” cry the birds, “We’re having a party!” The bugs make a choice and join them, only to be eaten as soon as they enter the circle.

Yes, I know, I know, I skipped Sixth Ward. That’s because I wanted to save the best for last, of course! Hold on to your hats!

Sixth Ward-The Judgment Day
Cast of Characters:
Simon-Hannah
Paula-Brittan
Randy-Rachel N.
Narrator/Ryan-Me
Bus Driver-Miranda
Banditas-Kim, Sandra, Meghan, Shanae, Emily N.
Beer Buddies-Gabby, Stasia, McKenzie, Kaitlyn
Party Hardies-Amanda, Ashlyn, Rachel, Emily R.
Celestial Heroes-Katrina, Allyse, Meghan M., Sierra
Judgment Bouncers-Ashley, Jessica
Choir-Sister South, Sister Saffell, Sister Whitaker, Sister Baird

It starts out with the narrator telling how a group of girls is on a bus going to Camp SPARKS. Some are more prepared than others for what lies ahead, and camp will teach them how to be more prepared.

“The wheels on the bus go ‘round and ‘round, ‘round and ‘round, ‘round and ‘round! The wheels on the bus go ‘round and ‘round, going to Camp SPARKS!”

Enter banditas, snapping and dressed in bandanas, cowboy hats, and mascara mustaches. Snap snap, snap snap, snap snap… Kim begins with a whispered “Who’s bad?” The rest follow, “I’m bad! (singing) I’m bad! I’m bad! I’m really, really bad! Yeah, I’m bad! I’m bad! I’m really, really bad! Whoo!” All the while side shuffling, moon walking, and ending with the Michael Jackson toe stand. Then they turn……….and shoot the bus driver.

Meghan M. yells out “Oh, no! There’s no driver! We’re going to crash!!!”

And crash they do. The banditas go around congratulating one another, but the bus driver isn’t dead. Miranda stands up, grabs a bucket of water, and throws it onto the banditas, shouting “I banish you to Outer Darkness!” Away the banditas run, and a heavenly choir begins ah ah ahing the theme from “The Little Mermaid” as the campers go to “heaven.”

Narrator explains that you never know when you’ll need to be prepared for your time to go. Let’s see who deserves which kingdom of glory.

Narrator pulls up their hair into a bun, turns around the bandana so it says the name “Ryan” on it, and gets into character.

Me as Ryan Seacrest says, “Welcome…to the Judgment Day. Here we are at Heaven Idol, where three groups will compete to see which kingdom they will go to. Who is prepared, and who is not? That is up to our judges to decide. Here we have our lovely lady Paula (Brittan), my brother from another mother Randy from the Dawg Pound, and our ever honest, blunt as a knife Simon. Let’s give it up for our three contestants-the Beer Buddies, the Party Hardies, and the Celestial Heroes. Give it up folks!”

The Judges: Randy/Rachel, Paula/Brittan, Simon/Hannah

Enter Beer Buddies, water bottles in hand, dancing around like they’re completely nuts, crazy, or both. “I just wanna rock and roll all night, and party every day!” They sing and sing, crashing into one another and soaking the audience with their “booze.”

Paula tells them nicely that they just aren’t ready for the highest glory. The Telestial, or third kingdom, is where they belong. They go off with a green ticket in hand.

Enter Party Hardies, hair brushes and mirrors in their pockets, singing and jumping up and down. “Girls just wanna have fuh-un, oh girls just wanna have fuh-un! They just wanna, they just wanna! Girls just wanna have fuh-un, oh girls just wanna have…they just wanna…”

The Party Hardies: Emily, Rachel, Amanda, Ashlyn, Sierra

Randy interrupts, “Dog, man. For me, for you, for me, I mean…it just…it just wasn’t in the dog pound tonight. You know what I’m saying? It just didn’t do it for me. Yours is Terrestrial, that’s it, man.” Hands them an orange ticket.

Enter Celestial Heroes, sunglasses on their faces and capes around their necks. They begin with a count of “A one, a two, a three…”

To the tune of “Best of Both Worlds” by Miley Cyrus

We’re the Celestial Heroes!
We read our scriptures each day,
and we pray spirituallay.

You’ll get Celestial glory!
Without the sins and the pain
you can make it okay.

Mix it all together
and you know you’ll get to Heaven
someday!

Simon’s judgment-“That was………brilliant. Celestial Kingdom. You’re in.” Hands them a yellow ticket.

Ryan switches to hair down and bandana in back, says the theme and gives the little spiritual ending thing-“You never know when you need to be spiritually prepared. Any little trial can make it hard to stay strong, but as long as you have made yourself ready you will always be safe. Camp SPARKS-Spiritually Prepared, Always Ready, Keeping Safe.”

The End

See? Told you it was the best. ;)

The Banditas: Kim, Shanae, Emily, and Allyse

In the end, the skits really weren’t that bad. I just hate getting up and performing in front of small audiences. Linnea and I M.C.ed the whole thing. Then I was in my own ward’s skit, switch back to M.C., switch to SYCL commercial slot, switch to M.C.-phew. It didn’t help that a very large bumblebee decided to land on me. Fareaky. Linnea and I told jokes, “tap danced,” and looked stupid. On purpose. I guess it was a success, because we got a lot of laughs and people told us that it was fantastic. I still felt stupid. Oh, well.

Earlier in the day I’d washed my hair in the outdoor faucet, which was so amazing. Then I decided to use the showers. Major cold. But hey, I’m clean. It’s so nice. I’ll probably shower again on Friday. AND because I showered, Sister Baird gave me a Kool-Aid bottle and a medal to wear around my neck, declaring me Polar Plunge Winner. :) Haha.

I made eight journals today. Impressive, no? Now that I have eleven, I wonder what I’ll do with them all. Probably use them to consolidate all of the poems I’ve written on the backs of receipts. There are a lot of those. Just call me Emily Dickinson.

Our ward was supposed to go for a hike today but no one wanted to go. Except the leaders, that is. So we stayed in camp. Yay. Since I was here, I helped to write verses for “The Gossip Song” or Singing News. It will be fun, because I wrote part of it.

Evening-
Bad:
1. Feel so sick
2. Messing up during SYCL Flag Ceremony skit
3. Stinky bathrooms
4. Having my ideas stolen by leaders and then passing them off as their own
5. Hike tomorrow at 5:30 AM

Good:
1. Watching the Chubby Bunny Contest
2. Pretty landscape with the molten silver pool of moon cradled in the treetops
3. Chapstick
4. Being able to vent boredom on arts and crafts
5. Mrs. Long’s talk at Flag Ceremony

Brittan and I were in charge of this evenings Flag Ceremony. It was kind of a mess. So was the SYCL skit. I had the main part, so my screw up was the worst. I did get dinner though, after Flag Ceremony. Tin foil dinners. They’re one of the best parts of camp. I love them.

Singing around the campfire was followed by roasting marshmallows and Starbursts. If you have never tried a roasted Starburst then you have never lived. I know it sounds weird, but it is such an amazing treat. I made some for each of the leaders who had never tried it before. So yummy. But soon, roasting the marshmallows wasn’t enough. A Chubby Bunny Contest began. The point is to be the last person able to shove marshmallows into your mouth, no chewing, no swallowing. It’s actually really gross. Sandra won at 14 marshmallows. Ew. Oh, and they weren’t the small marshmallows. They were the jumbo, big as the palm of you hand kind. Gag me with a spoon! Or a mallow. It’s about the same.

Shanae and Katrina, Chubby Bunny Contestants

Kim, Sandra, Allyse, Brittan, Shanae during the Chubby Bunny Contest

No more writing. I feel too horrible. Stupid sun!

Mia Shalom-July 7, 2009...

Morning-
Bad:
1. Truck breaking down on the way up the mountain
2. Sunscreen does not seem to be working-at all
3. Sister Baird is WAY edgy
4. No hot water-I seem to have forgotten since yesterday
5. Feeling so stupid at Flag Ceremony with the other SYCLs that I started crying

Good:
1. Two men stopping with trucks to help us when the truck broke down, and one of them pulling us up the mountain
2. Not sleeping in tents-yay for cabins!
3. Cute girls to watch and film for the Camp Video I’m going to help make
4. Not having to cook lunch-or dinner or breakfast-ever
5. All of the stuff in the trailers unpacked in less than ten minutes

The Suburban being hooked up to the truck after we'd broken down.

Everything was going smoothly-we (meaning the leaders and eight other YCLs [seven ward YCLs and one other SYCL, my friend Brittan]) left at about 5:45 am to reach Camp Shalom. With about twenty miles to go, Sister Baird’s suburban/truck decided it was too tired and grumpy to roll another step. It coughed, lurched, and died with a hiss of steam and the smell of something burning.

Overheated. Darn. We sat there, five girls and two leaders (the others were in separate vehicles), with the truck and trailer in the middle of the road. We couldn’t move left, right, forward, and we sure didn’t want to move backwards, so we just sat tight and waited for something to happen. We did what we could; lifted the hood to find that the oil was boiling too much to measure and the radiator so hot that if we added water it would crack like an egg. Seven women and not a one of use clued in as to how to fix our broken truck.

Until two men stopped, one going down the mountain and one coming up. Sound creepy, but it wasn’t. Down-man (I didn’t catch his name) knew how to attach tow ropes, and Up-man (who I later learned was Nathan) had an old F-350 with which he could pull us up the mountain. And he did. We moved all of the girls into Sister Robinson’s van and left Sister Baird and someone else with the truck. Phew. So grateful!

Afternoon-
Bad:
1. Absolute boredom
2. Girls stripping off into their underwear after a giant canoe water fight which I was luckily not a part of
3. Continually burning face with no hint of a sunburn at all-still glowing white
4. Hunger and no access to food
5. No Internet
6. No…haha. Yeah, I miss him

Good:
1. Soft pad to sleep on
2. Fun journal that I decorated down at the Stake pavilion
3. Always able to stay out of trouble with the leaders-just one of my talents I guess
4. SYCLs do pretty much nothing around their own ward camps
5. Bug repellant!
6. Swedish fish that Kim is sharing-yay

Sandra and Kim making journals at the Stake Pavilion.

I’ve finished all of my assignments and certification that I was in charge of today. Now there’s nothing to do. I’ve got a headache-I can’t be dehydrated, I’ve had four bottles of water all ready.

Keep thinking about him. Brittan thinks that I should tell him that I like him. Um, NO! He’d never speak to me again. Just friends. Sadly.

I miss him.

Evening-
Bad:
1. No red, white, and blue felt flowers left for journal decorating
2. Moth attacks-yikes!
3. Stinky feet-cough!
4. Flashlight batteries died
5. Getting no lunch or dinner today because of my SYCL jobs-sigh

Good:
1. Buff arms from canoeing ;)
2. Successful Flag Ceremony skit-so hilarious and way, way creative
3. No parents!
4. Making new friends
5. The bathrooms (aka BIFFY) cleaned right before it was my turn to go in
6. Making five journals and decorating my camp Book of Mormon
7. Jessie not getting burned when the camp stove almost fell on top of her

All of the crap, I mean, stuff people brought up.

The problem with being a SYCL is that you have almost zero opportunity to eat meals and still be on time for your assignments. I had ½ a sandwich for lunch and ½ a cup of soup for my meals today (the other half cup of soup dropped when I tripped walking down the road). Hungry!

The Flag Ceremony skit went well-I didn’t feel so scared anymore. I mostly helped by directing the other SYCLs to speak more clearly and louder, and then my part was just to “ride” in as a Dudley Do-righter and help save the day. Back in camp Sandra brought Fudge Jumbles to share; they are so amazing, so I’ll get the recipe soon and share it. Jessie almost died when the gas stove started to tip on her. It was so scary! She caught it by the legs though, so she wasn’t burned. So, so lucky!

The girls wanted me to read the story that I wrote three or four summers ago at camp. It’ll take about three nights to read, I think, due to my voice dying and lights out time. No singing though. Yay.

Never mind. Me and my big mouth.

YCLs in camp before the other girls arrived.
Left to right: Brittan, Emily, Shanae, Sandra, with Kim in the front row by herself.

big bugs...

My good friend Kirt and I spent Friday evening at the park near my house. We stopped by the Snow Shack to pick up a treat (his root beer, mine peach) and made our way to the swings nearby. Kirt, being to me an older brother, gave me advice on boys, politics, school, and pretty much everything under the sun. I don't think he's afraid of anything, and he's super confident. Which is even more amazing because Kirt is blind. Saying this, you will understand why I pretty much freaked out when he decided to swing as high as he could and then jump out. I can't do that and I can see where I need to land. Kirt just lets go and "hope I come out okay." Crazy boy.

As we were swinging, a gentleman by the name of Mr. Beetle stopped by. Large and black, he cut an impressive figure, albeit forcing a scream from my throat at least once. He stopped in front of me and asked for a portrait to take home, and I obliged (though still frightened and wishing him to go away). Here is Mr. Beetle, my first official Camera Critter:



A second large and rather more attractive insect has taken up host in my hair. At the fair on Friday, I ran into a man who was selling real butterfly hairclips and displays. These beautiful creatures are raised on farms in the forests and jungles around the world. Habitats for endangered species of butterflies are protected, and these butterflies are able to reproduce and recreate their populations. When some of them die, they are gathered up and made into hair clips, displays to put on the wall, and bouquets. I couldn't resist having one of this little beauties of my own. She now perches happily on my head, wings spread in constant flight:




I can't wait to hear what some of my friends will say. Cami hates butterflies and will probably scream and run. Same with Meri. Tony will probably point out that I have a bug in my hair. Lol.

bugged...

Our neighborhood sits on top of a gigantic extension of anthills. This complicated net of tunnels and little caverns has finally gotten tired of being under our feet. A parcticularly determined colony has had a rebellion. "No more darkness!" screeches their leader in a teeny weeny voice, "No more oppression! No more extra weight on our heads! Divide and conquer! Divide and conquer! CHARGE!!!" A full scale invasion has been launched by their commander, and after weeks of fighting, the offensive party has breached the walls and floors of the fortress above. Meaning my house.

Now, we've had the general small string of ants every once in a while, but this is crazy. Through the drains in the floors and showers, under the cracks in the carpet padding, up and down inside the walls come the ants. They've brought friends with them-winged termites have joined the shock troopers, pikemen, and ground troops as their calvary. To battle they go, chewing holes in sheetrock and siding, ripping through carpet, and biting dogs' noses.

Yes, I know they're not doing it out of spite. That's just what ants and termites do. Divide the walls and conquer (as their battle cry suggests), for it's much nicer inside the cozy wood of a house than that of a tree or log. The people build the home so they're work is half done; all they've got to do now is open up a few holes and presto! Bug Hotel is in service!

But no. No, I don't think so. The exterminator is back for a second appointment on Friday evening. After one or two more visits, our reinforcements will overpower those of the invading creepy crawlies. They'll feel the boot on their backsides and here a resounding "GET OUT!!!"

It's nice being big. :)