Friday and Saturday in the Woods

Adventure Challenge Programming, camping trip
Day 1:
We arrived at Camp Edge in Alloway, New Jersey at around 2:00PM on Friday. We headed to the ropes course right away and learned how to hook up our harnesses and about safety and then we basically got to play on the High Ropes course all afternoon and evening. I did pretty much all the activities that were available to do on the high ropes course. I did the Burma Bridge: (this isn’t me, but the pictures of our trip haven’t been posted yet), and then this other thing. I don’t remember what it was called, but basically, you had to climb up there and there were little wooden platforms about 2 x 2 feet and they were strung up with the wires, and you had to walk across them and then back, except there was nothing to hold on to and they were swinging all over the place. Then I climbed up the net and walked across a single wire, just holding onto a rope. And lastly I did the zip, which is basically just that I was strapped onto a rope, let go of the wooden platform, and went zipping down the wire at about 40mph: (again, not me, but so you get the drift).

Then we went to our little cabin in the woods and ate dinner. Some people still had to run activities (we had to lead a group activity), so we did that until around 10:30 at night, and then 12 of us went out to build a campfire and make s’mores. We also told a really dumb ghoststory (by going around the circle and each person making up a line) about 12 TR students who were standing around a campfire when the seaweed witch from the lake came out and dragged them all away. About 2 hours later, we put out our fire and went back to the house and Melissa, Allie, Steffen and I took the telescope out of the house and into the field, because it was beautiful and the stars were amazing, but alas… the telescope was broken, so we had to stand there with our head tilted up to see the stars. Totally worth it though.

Day 2:
We woke up at 7AM (it was horrible), had breakfast, cleaned the cabin/house, and then headed out to do the Low Ropes Course. We had to basically spend all day doing this, because coming out of the course, we’re all trained to facilitate a Low Ropes Course group, meaning that I could go work at a place with a Low Ropes Course. We learned how to do each activity, how to do different variations, and safety precautions and stuff. It was a really fun time. I participated in a lot of stuff, and of course being one of the smallest people in the class, got lifted and carried a lot. For instance, I went through one of the upper holes of the rope web (the object is to get through the holes without touching the sides, but each hole can only be used by the group once). So I was lifted and went through head first and supported by the other group on the other side. It was amazing, because I had so much trust in my group, that I knew they would never drop me, and I felt completely safe. I also tore up my arms on the tire thing (you have to get through the tire to the other side, but it was over my head and I had to get lifted into it and climb out the other side (insert tire burn on my arms here). Bruised and burned, it was still totally worth it. It was such an amazing two days. I can’t wait to see the pictures that people took of the whole experience, even though I probably look like an idiot in half of them.

Below is a picture of the wall (that I didn't go over. I was going to but I chickened out) at Camp Edge. It was our last activity of the day:

Ranty Rant

I'm going to go on a little rant right now, and I'm warning you that if you don't know anything about William Beckett, the scene, or fangirls, it will probably be a waste of your time.

The past few days have just shown how fucked up so many fans in the scene are. Every time I get on Twitter, or read some of the comments on Bill's blog, there are these little girls complaining because he never writes back to them and they're pissed about it. Well you know what? He:
1. blogs for you,
2. has a Twitter account to keep YOU informed about his life so all your little stalker fantasies about him can play out in your silly little minds,
3. Started a poetry/writing club (Monday Eyes) so that YOU could post your work and he could read it an occasionally repost some of the great stuff on his blog,
4. Has meet and greets at every single show so that whoever wants to meet him can,
5. Has been known to stand outside of venues, outside of the bus until the last fan who wants to meet him leaves. Even when the weather is horrible, or it's 12 degrees or 3 in the morning, you will find him out there if a fan is out there,
6. Lets you know sometimes when he's going to be somewhere so that you, the fans, can hang out with him. For example, he's been known to post via Twitter, something along the lines of, "At Cuppa Joe coffee house, come hang out."

So don't be such vicious little bitches because he doesn't sit there at his computer for x number of hours each day, @ replying all your twitter comments and responding to your blog comments. Considering that the majority of musicians out there don't do any of the things listed above, or if they do, it's that they have a Twitter and that's it, don't fucking bitch about him. He's doing everything he can for you people while still leaving enough time for himself and his friends and family.

And shut the fuck up about this Demi Lovato thing. So what... Demi Lovato's celebrity crush is Bill (funny, since she's like 100x more famous then he is), and the lucky girl gets to write a song with him for her new CD. Don't bitch because you're jealous that she gets to write a song with him and you don't. Yeah, I'm not a huge fan of Demi Lovato's music, but the fact that she listens to TAI and other music in the scene indicates that she has pretty decent taste in music, and on a personal level I would probably really like her if I were to ever meet her. Besides, it's pretty cute that William indulged Demi's inner fangirl by going out there to write with her. Don't be so catty TAI fans.

However, if I have to hear one more Demi Lovato fan say that they would make "such a cute couple" I'll probably vomit. She's 16. He's 24 and already has a woman. They wouldn't make a cute couple at all, because it would mean that he would be a child molester, which he most certainly is not.

Top 13

The top 13 things I wish people would think about before calling a receptionist (aka, me) – btw, this is about 90% of the phone calls I get:

1. If you’re calling to ask for a number, have a pen and paper ready when you call me. Don’t call me and then make me wait while you scramble around trying to find something.

2. If you’re calling at 8:00 in the morning and you’re really upset because your sister/brother/mother/father/aunt/uncle/friend/etc… doesn’t answer their phone, don’t call me asking me if they’re dead or something. They’re probably still sleeping.

3. No, I can not personally leave my desk to check on your family member.

4. If you call me and say, “Hi Aurora! How’s my mom doing?” I really appreciate that you know me and my name, but if you don’t say yours, then how do I know how your mom is? How do I know who your mom is?

5. If you call between 8 and 9:30 AM, the nurses and CNAs are actually really busy. They have to give everyone their morning meds, breakfast and get every resident up and get them ready to start their day. So if they don’t answer the phone, don’t start yelling about it. Wouldn’t you rather have your family member get their breakfast, meds and get dressed?

6. If you’re trying to find your long lost second cousin, or your neighbor from when you were a kid, and you heard that they’re in a nursing home, but all you know is that their first name is Mary, then sorry, I can’t help you. Do you know how many people are named Mary? If you don’t know a last name or anything else about the person, then I can’t look them up to see if they’re here.

7. If you call me and ask if your Aunt Edith so-and-so is here and I check my list and in our computer records and there is no sign of her, then she isn’t here and never was here. You were fed false information, so please don’t argue with me. Wishing that someone was in the facility doesn’t just make it happen.

8. Not a phone call thing, but if you show up for a tour of the facility because you want your grandmother or your father or whoever to come here, but you don’t have an appointment and no one is available, then you’re not getting a tour. This is my biggest pet peeve. I think it’s so rude when people walk in and demand that they get a tour of the facility without even calling to make sure that someone will be there to give them one first. What I hate even more is when people waltz in, and I say, “so-and-so can give you a tour, but you’ll have a wait a little while, because she’s giving a tour to another family right now (who actually made an appointment!!!)”, and then they get pissy that they have to wait.

9. No, the business office is not open at 5PM on Sunday. They keep normal business hours. Are you at work at 5PM on Sunday? No? Well then don’t complain that they aren’t.

10. If you call me, and then while you’re waiting for me to answer the phone, you start talking to someone else and don’t stop even after I answer the phone, I’m probably going to hang up on you. I usually will say “hello” twice, but if you’re too interesting in what your friend is saying to listen to me, then I’m not going to stick around. I’m busy, and most likely one of my other lines is ringing, so try calling back when you’re not distracted.

11. If you call and say, “Is my mom there?” and I ask who your mom is and you say, “Amy,” and I ask you for a last name, and you say you don’t know (this happens more then you would ever think. People apparently have no idea what their parents names are.), and then I ask you what department she works in and you say you don’t know, then I can’t help you. If you don’t know your own mom and dad’s last name and what their job is, then how am I supposed to know it?

12. If I answer the phone by saying “Good morning/afternoon/evening. This is Saunders House. How can I help you?” (which is what I always say, btw), and you say, “Dietary.” Not even, “Can you transfer me to dietary?” or “Can I speak to the Dietary department?” Then I judge you, because you’re rude and an idiot. Just sayin’. At least say please.

13. If you call and say something along the lines of, "yo, you hiring?" We're not. Even when we are. If you can't inquire about a job in a polite way (or in proper English), then we don't want you working here. We only want nice people.