Today's the day....

that Virginia is finally 21! Hooray for celebrating at the only bar in town that is not completely sketchy! I can't imagine going there with anyone else but you. Its been a crazy 7 years (wow that makes me feel old) but through it all you are there to laugh, cry, vent, or drool over Zac Efron with. You are the Nemo to my Dory, the Flounder to my Ariel, the Eve to my Wall-E. So happy birthday love and many many more!

Hottie Boy at 10 o'clock

I probably should have counted how many times I heard that phrase uttered in Cabin 12 this week but I doubt I can actually count that high. To say that they were boy crazy is putting it lightly; every boy was a hottie and no one was immune from their obsession. The good news? I'm sure all of the boys at camp have increased self-esteem and according to my campers, Matt and I are perfect for each other and will be getting married in a double cermony with Rodney and Shelby. So that's how my week went...absolutely ridiculous things that my campers say that never cease to amaze me and make me smile. I did, however, how annoying it is to be sick at camp and feel awful; but I certainly felt much better knowing that one of my sweet campers prayed for me to feel better at lunch. I feel like there are so many things that I am learning at camp, about my campers, about myself. Rarely would you ever meet a group of people so loving and unconditionally accepting as you will at camp. Their love and devotion is inspiring and truly I must say I feel blessed to have met some of my campers. I think my favorite part is the sense of pride I feel when the complete somehting they didn't think they could or how proud they are after the talent show. The past 2 weeks have already been a whirlwind that I don't think I could adequately describe to someone who hasn't been there. But as much fun as it is, I'm not quite sure I have ever treasured the hours from 1 to 3 as much as I do now. Either I get some much needed rest or I go to Starbucks or Leopard Forrest to check my email like an addict. Or I find out all at the same time that Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett, and Michael Jackson all died. Seriously, talk about shock. Oh and the governor of SC? He totally went missing but was really in Argentina with his mistress. Really??? Apparently a lot can happen in a few days without connection to, oh say, any form of communication. Now I feel like I need to catch up on a weeks worth of Perez Hilton posts which is a lot. Sure I could just ask someone but I needed a dose of biting humor (I did like that one of campers finally caught onto the sarcasm I constantly spew- I liked that one a lot.) I guess I must need some sort of flow of information to keep me connected to the world but I am learning that certain things just aren't necessary to check all the time. Example, I no longer excessively stalk people on facebook. Certain people occasionally but the mass stalking that news feed enabled has been squashed. Progress I say. But still I refused to believe any of the news until I read it somewhere because I am sort of incredibly gullible. Alas, so much had happened in my 2nd week of camp that I am still processing it. I keep feeling like there are stories to share but then I am reminded how exhausted I am so I stop thinking. I'm sure at some point there will be many stories but until then enjoy a list of some of the funny, albeit not always socially acceptable quotes and notes from the week.

- One of my campers thinking she was a cat. I wish I could say this was made up but its true.

- A Barefoot Contessa obsessed camper who will sometimes talk to Ina herself.

- Our pet butterfly we kept in a box with holes in it. I have no idea how it actually lived 3 days. Resilient little bugger.

- One camper telling me that both of my bosses were hotties. To their faces. Awkward.

- Being told I was a radically cool friend because of my love of the Little Mermaid.

- He then told me I would be the one person he would choose to be a merperson with.

- It's culture!

- Fantasia 2000 with a little Toy Story thrown in

- Anything ever said by Paul Benton. I quote him often.

- The enormous spider we found on a campers bed. I was in no way calm.

- Escaping to Starbucks at any chance.

- Seeing my favorite professor at L.F.- it felt like the real world finally.

- Being smothered in the pool by Henry and Joel.



Now I'm going to go a take a shower...without shoes! And get into a bed without the fear of bugs! Little victories I say.

Can I ask you a question?

The first session of camp is done and I feel exhausted already. A good kind of exhuasted but exhausted none the less. We had a lot of fun this week despite the fact that it rained, oh every single day. Ever been in a cabin with a bunch of people terrified of thunder storms? That was fun. Oh, and I got married I think three times to a 10 year old who calls me his honey and apparently believe that it is ok to have 4 boyfriends. Camp definately does something for your self esteem because at some point, I think we all had someone who thought we were their boyfriend or girlfriend. The good news is that this first week was a lot of fun and definately a learning experience. Even though we are all so tired and were so ready to return to places with internet access, I miss camp and all of the funny things that happen there. The good thing? I am learning that really it is not necessary to check facebook 20 times a day. I think that is a positive life change.
Things I learned at camp this week:
- Modesty is an interesting thing at camp- it doesn't always exist
- Campers love when you lip synch to miley cyrus. love it.
- Chelsea Garber was right- when in doubt, bleach it.
- I have never been more excited to go to Walmart in my life. Ever.
- Having someone give you an imaginary crown and tell you a princess can make your week.
- Fighting imaginary giants is harder than it looks.
- Nap time is a good thing. A very good thing.
- Being cut off from the media can be really refreshing.
- Just say no questsions- that always works.
- Never forget that you're diabetic.
- If you think you've stepped on a snake, just run and don't look back.
- It is possible to forget what society is like in a week.
- You don't realize how dirty you are until you're in public and you realize that everyone else is a lot cleaner than you.
- Always wear shoes. Always.

So until my next access to internet,
here's to many more stories of ridiculous things that happen at camp.

Live from Leopard Forrest...

So my friends this will have to be quick because I have precious few moments on the internet here at Leopard Forrest. Somehow with only two days under my belt I am already exhausted! As always I feel like I need a nap. The first two days have been a whirlwind of stories that I wish I could put into words. I am doing well without facebook which is a huge accomplishment for me! Our campers are really fun to be around and of course are stoked that our theme is Camp Rock. There may in fact be some dancing to Camp Rock at the talent show. I hope you are all having a wonderful summer and I really cannot wait to tell all you so many hilarious stories!

Can I have some hand sanitizer?

So we survived the first week of training at camp and what a week it was. There was lots of cleaning, painting, mixing a beautiful mauve color that Marty hated, shoveling a little dirt, learning how to string fishing line, dance parties, movies, painting Camp Rock lyrics on the walls, and a little bit of digging for worms. And there was the part where we all stared at our cell phones on the way to the Wal-Mart in TR to get service. I don't think I have ever seen a group of people so excited to go to Wal-Mart on a Tuesday night or probably ever will again. And the movies, oh the movies. Where else would you watch My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Holes, Mean Girls, Rent, and Wild Hogs all in the same week while laughing hysterically/hyperventilating/making weird animal noises (cough Becca cough). And the classes where Shawn slept and Ben and I made up MASH for Cuadrado while Eric said some really, really awkward things. Oh, and hand sanitizer. Lots and lots of hand sanitizer.
Here are just some of the highlights:
- I'm wearing a watch!- Cuadrado
- Cuadrado's subsequent panic attack
- I'm like Beetlejuice...- Shawn
- Triplets? That's like twins with 3 right?- Shawn
- Unnawares?
- Seriously, just don't do the split.
-Man capris? No thank you.
- Artic blast
- Miss Allison, that's a rat!
- Let's get freaky in the pool! Yeah, don't ever say that to a camper- that's bad.
- 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8, you choose.
-Ben's mad crazy dancing skills
- The WTF face
- You're a twin!?!?! No way!
- Can we take Mimi, Tuck and Ling Ling too?
And perhaps the greatest thing of all....
Cuadrado wearing Chacos. Yes Chacos.
Here's to the next 8 weeks.

I'm a senior?

So somehow I have come to realize that I am actually going to be a senior in college which means that in a year, I'll be in the real world. Well, crap. Where did all the time go and how on earth am I an adult? I mean I still want to be a mermaid and love the zoo so how am I quite nearly an adult? The good news is I still have a year left to be, well, not quite an adult and eat cereal for all meals and sleep til noon. So these are some of the things I have learned this year...and yes, they all really did happen.


1. Olive oil is flammable. Very flammable.
2. Microwaves are wonderful inventions, except when they attack.
3. Regarding 1 and 2, the fire department is very understanding. Campus police? Not so much.
4. Good roommates are key, including ones who will turn off your alarm and tell you go to class.
5. Edward Cullen is a god.
6. Comparing a boy to said Edward Cullen is a very, very disappointing thing.
7. Seeing the midnight showing of the Jonas Brothers in 3-D? Awesome. Being told its nice your parents let you out at midnight? Priceless.
8. You don’t know popular until you are the only adult surrounded by 20 5-year-olds.
9. Those 5-year-olds? They think that you knowing the hoedown throwdown dance is really cool.
10. 2nd graders are TALL. Somehow they are all almost as tall as you.
11. When you’re down, reading fmylife.com will instantly make you feel better.
12. Being carded for a drink is expected. Being carded to get into a movie in front of high
schoolers is embarrasing.
13. The GRE sucks. A lot.
14. The only thing better than being in Wales for two weeks are the friendships you make.
15. The friends you make in college are your family, for better or worse or smoking microwave
or panic attack- whatever.
16. Showering in a rugby club in Wales? Not nearly as bad as it sounds.
17. It is vitally important to know how to use a fire extinguisher. Teach your roommates if
necessary.
18. True friends will put your dress back together with safety pins.
19. Having all the elementary schoolers measure themselves against you how tall they are?
Wow, that was sad.
20. Note to boys: Girls don’t think vampires are attractive. They think romantic boys are
attractive.
21. I may have the soul of a gay man, or a least part of it.
22. Cranberry juice is disgusting. Absolutely disgusting.
23. It is completely ok to have a Little Mermaid themed 21st birthday.
24. Princess movie marathons are quite possibly the best thing ever.
25. Spray painting a wall only makes the damage look worse.
26. Want to see real Southern culture? The Barn and Delilah and karaoke. Oh and jello shots
carried around on a platter by Deliliah.
27. You know how in High School Musical they say they wish it would all just slow down? That’s
how you feel when all your friends graduate from college.
29. If you don’t know this, know it now: Claymation is of the devil and is out to get you.
30. The teacher voice always works. Always.
31. The Hills is completely fake but watching it always makes you feel so much better about
yourself.

And finally…
32. Greeting the janitor in the 24-hour study room at 5:30 AM is generally frowned upon as he
will not be hyped up on caffeine or quite so chipper.

This is a day in my life...from January

As I approach my 21st birthday I slowly realize that I am becoming an, eeek, adult. The mere thought terrifies me. I am, after all, the girl whose life goal is still to be the Little Mermaid and I want a crown for my birthday. Safe to say that the idea of being an adult terrifies me but today I am even more scared. Why? Because today is my first visit to the “big kid” dentist. My entire life I have gone to the kiddie dentist but apparently they can’t treat you once you’re 21 so alas I must venture to the terrifying place of a dentist’s office without toys, kites on the ceiling, and numerous copies of Highlights magazine. I wake up on this doomed day having not been able to sleep out of fear and the fact that I literally CANNOT breathe. Seriously, I am so stopped up that I feel like the Hoover Dam releases every time I sneeze. So alas I get ready to head to the dentist. I have only ever been to one dentist in my entire life and have known this man since I was 3 so embarking on a journey with a new person poking around in my mouth is terrifying. He was the same dentist who cured my fear of going his office when I realized that routine cleanings weren’t nearly as horrible as when I had to go to him for orthodontic check-ups that involved lots of wire and pain but, natch, colorful rubber bands. I was so comfortable with my old dentist- they practically knew everything about me- so going to someone new is utterly terrifying and I feel just like I did when I was a kindergartener on my way to my first day of school. I even want my mommy. I have tried to make myself look awake and refreshed this morning despite the way I feel so that I make the best possible impression on these new people entering into my life. I put on a cute but comfy outfit that makes me look at least 18 (which is an accomplishment) and meticulously brush and floss my teeth. Yes I know it’s a bit like working out before going to the gym so you look better in your cute new work out clothes but first impressions matter, especially in matters of oral care. I am nothing but a perfectionist so arriving at the dentist with sparkling teeth is essential. Unfortunately, my perfectionist nature means that I am also terrified of having unsightly, un-perfect teeth- even if no one else would notice. Cavities have always been one of my biggest fears (coming in only slightly behind snakes, failing grades, and evil personified in clay- Gumby) so the mere thought of having one nearly sends me into panic mode. The entire week before my appointment I have been brushing far more than necessary to ensure that I don’t loose my membership into the exclusive “No fillings” club and that I make the best possible first impression upon a dentist who knows my family and if my previous dental experience is any indication, I am going to be with these people for a while.
I get in my car on a dreary Tuesday morning to head to the office of my new dentist armed with my new insurance card and $60 cash from my dad (also known as the man who fears all checks and has written maybe 5 of them in his life). The office is the cutest little house that looks absolutely charming and I walk in feeling much better about the situation. I fill out my information and nearly panic about writing down previous hospitalizations. Sure, my head trauma because I fell off the counter as a baby hasn’t affected me at all (really) and probably has nothing to do with my oral health but I want to be thorough so I put it down anyway. That said I feel like they don’t need to know that I suffer from OCD a- I don’t want to freak these people out after all. I am reading my drop-dead, laugh out loud, utterly hilarious new book in a desperate attempt to keep my mind off the impending doom and chat with a sweet lady from my church about how ridiculous college schedule are and have almost forgot where I am when the dental hygienist calls my name. I feel like I am walking to my death although my head is so heavy that I may as well be. Let’s just say that that hygienist was probably very grateful for that small paper mask protecting her from my germs. I sit down in the chair of horror and look at all the high tech equipment surrounding me. I was used to kites on the ceiling and toys in the corner. This was going to be a long day. After taking my x-rays (I was a bit disappointed they didn’t call them pictures), we begin the torture. The hygienist is as cute as she can be and she tells me about her children while she meticulously scrapes my teeth with some form of twisted metal that makes me want to run and go get my Pinky bear. I have never experienced this particular kind of painless torture before but I still look to make sure she isn’t getting too much junk off my teeth- doesn’t look too bad but I’m no expert so I’m still terrified. When she finishes and tells me that my teeth look great, I sheepishly smile and ask her what on earth she was doing to my teeth. Apparently, that whole teeth scraping thing is routine and is nothing to sneeze at (literally) and anyway my teeth look great so it doesn’t matter. Whew. First crisis averted. And now to the cleaning. I get cookie dough polish (they have more flavors than my kiddie dentist which means I’ve been getting gypped my whole life) but it doesn’t matter because like I said, I can’t smell anything so it may as well be utter lack of sense of smell flavor. She finishes the cleaning and declares I have beautiful teeth (HOORAY) and that the dentist will be in shortly. This is my final hurdle in my big adventure because dentists are always the ones who announces the dreaded expulsion from the “No Cavity” club so I am still somewhat (read absolutely) scared.
My dentist comes in and he is the most adorable little old man I have ever seen. He is just presh and makes me wish he was my grandpa. This man even has cute little old-fashioned glasses he uses to look at my teeth. He is perfect and I could get used to having to go to the big people dentist. He does that little poking and prodding thing all dentists do and then announces that I have great teeth! Alas, my membership to the “No Fillings” club is intact and I can go home with the knowledge that the world’s most adorable old man thinks my teeth are pretty. I head out with a spring in my step and a turquoise toothbrush (my favorite color) and the knowledge that I have completed my first big adult-like appointment. I feel accomplished and naturally decide that I need a new pair of fabulous shoes to celebrate my survival of doing something that most people wouldn’t think twice about doing. Unfortunately, I’m a poor college student so instead I head back to my trusty Facebook account to announce to the world that I have successfully completed my first visit to the big people dentist and read up on a little Perez Hilton. And now, with my 21st birthday less than 2 weeks away, I begin to prepare to work up the nerve to order my first legal drink (when they will no doubt think I am 17) and cement the fact that I am no longer 5 like I think I am. But I still want those Ariel cupcakes and crown at my birthday.