He slides.. and is safe! Then he heads around again!

summer blast was flipping amazing! i dont think i could have asked for much more. a few more people maybe, but even there everything worked out well. i was in a small room for the first time. i think i like the bigger rooms, cuz there were only 4 of us total in my room. that was fine, dont get me wrong, todd, hobie, mikey and i held down the fort nicely. the 3 of us were red warriors, and mikey was a green giant. a very non-confrontational group if i do say so. there were no super-late nights of mexican train or poker this year. actually there wasnt alot of time where i was in my room that i wasnt sleeping. that is mostly attributable to one of two things 1) activities of the day just totally wore me out, 2) i just didnt go to my room until i was really ready to go to bed. early to bed, early to rise though. i spent every morning outside upon eating breakfast (and sometimes before that even) and just walked around the lake, noting the serenity of the morning, and natural environment. i love taking walks in the morning. i took one this morning as a matter of fact. i love just sitting by the lake and watching the wildlife and boats and whatever else God decides to show me at a given time.

This year's games were alot of fun. i personally helped with the creation of human foosball. i really enjoyed that one, and the pull your neighbor into the trashcan game was sweet too. reason being; i won that one! red definitely dominated the day games, and lost it during the night games. this was a complete reversal from last year's innagural victory over the (mostly) hated white knights. this was the last year of sumer blast of its kind. very sadly, next year, unless we have some college-fresh interns, which will still be different,... i dont know. its really sad. i dont want to be the oldest ones at camp. its responsibilities, its.. its sad. but things happen like that.

i got my schedule for this next year. staci i will be excited to see how yours compares. i need to get mine fixed though. they didnt give me physics, which i guess isnt a huge deal, but i figure it can only help my transcript. oh transcripts, and entrance letters, and scholarships, and oh my goodness... i really dont want to deal with this at all! it's scary. i cant wait for soccer season this year. i am hoping we decide we want to play as a team. we will see how that works. i really want to play forward, but that wont be very likely. i am not what you would call a good finisher. i needed to get out and kick around a lot more this summer, and i just didnt get it done. oh well, i did play quite a bit at the beginning of the summer. im hoping mexico, if nothing else physically, will get me hydrated..? if wendy does her job. hmm...

i guess it is still surreal that we leave for MEXICO in 11 hours. i havent gotten that through my thick skull yet. it will be a major shock i can already tell. im all packed, and it isnt even 10 yet! i guess that may be all the accomplishing i get done tonight, unless i get lucky. i really look forward to the bonding that will occur over the next week and a half. the heat, albeit dry heat, which i will be able to handle alot easier then this gross humidity we are having here. we will see how much difference 20 degrees makes without the humidity. i just want to live in the carribean. that would be my dream. i guess a vaca (staci) there would suffice though. oh well. i need to get going. im either going to bed, or being pathetic, either way, im excited! have an awesome week everyone who is staying here, and those of us going to mexico, get some sleep and dont forget ne thing. good night.

SUMMER BLAST AWESOMENESS

yeah, its that time of year again. summer blast off departure time in t-minus 47 hours!! but who's counting. a few summer blast traditions, feel free to add some if there are a few i left out.
atomic situps-- what? that's only a guy's room thing?
people mover-- truly the only way to travel while on the trip.
mafia-- although not isolated to summer blast, it is still a tradition.
mexican train-- many a late night consisting of dominoes and 'tag' between the leaders.
pop ice-- i have never seen so much pop ice consumed in 5 days then i see during this week.
cry night-- need i say more. but, we didnt have one last year so maybe we have a new tradition..
heavy amounts of initiation for the newbies, for guys at least.
showe...-- ne way..
table rock lake-- i love being on the water.
go-karting-- in the rain last year, that was amazing. i dont remember a single more fun day at summer blast.
large water slide, plus flour and fire balls-- what else is there to say about that?

ok, thats all i could get. i know i will think of more later. RED WARRIORS!! so that didnt take as long as i thought it would.

ok, so i just finished giving a tour of topeka high, then we took a 45 minute lunch. that was fun, and tiring. maybe i will take a nap here pretty soon. lol, i love my job. i guess i better, im expected to be back for a second go next summer. so now the count is down to 44 hours.

my summer is like over now. the fun isnt over, thats for sure, but time is running out.

and then there was 43 hours remaining. after a hard hour of basketball and a reunion with past textbook kings, i may actually finish this post.

Empty, but not blind
his eyes were gray with signs of easier times.
empty, yet full of heartache and turmoil.
beset upon a face of sorrow, but not sadness.
things past and present float around in a dull haze.
its not clear what is understood and what is incomprehensible.
but, what is clear is that his time is nearing a close.
sorrow not in a sense of regret, but in not being able to be there for his family.
not seeing all his grandchildren grow up to be everything he tried so hard to be.
not being able to sit and bear witness to the marriages, and life renewal of the genereations.

they, being his eyes, no longer shone with amazement at the creations of his heavenly Father.
they were hollow, and were unable to return the ignorant stares that leaves a person in disbelief.
they showed no fear, yet maturity that comes with years.
his skin drooped, pale across the strong cheek bones that were so prominent at another time.
photographs of his life partner, a woman of Godly character, and love exceeding expectations.
his family remains strong, and visit when they can, but it isnt the same.
there is nothing they can do to save him from enevitability.
behind the cold eyes, the color of the sky before a storm, are memories, and pictures of times his grandchildren can't imagine.
world wars, and depression, and simpler times.
times that generation X would no longer be able to appreciate.
his presence is no longer domineering or intimidating, but who he is has not changed.
and that is what matters.
although he cannot see, he knows.

that was a spur of the moment thing. it followed a recent dream i had. kinda sad. oh well. just hang on for a little longer. summer blast will be here soon.

so much to say..

..to borrow a line from Dave Matthew's. but really, these last 2 weeks, yeah, i feel bad for not posting sooner life gets crazy like that, have been very fun, a little bit stressful, and alot of God doing what God does best.

Countdown to Summer Blast... 7 days 23 hours 9 minutes.. (if we leave at the time i am thinking we leave) i havent been more excited about summer blast before. i cant even describe the number of things that i look forward to on this trip. and, for the solid price of $10 it makes it that much more worth it. $10, im okay with that. i guess that's what happens when you are good at tubing, right thomas? lol. i cant believe that was 7th grade too...

God really had His hand over this last week, as usual. i dont know why people worry about things. honestly, when you have faith that what's going to happen is going to happen, and that God's will will be done, no matter what, who's going to question that? God's in control, and im okay with that.

i love fireworks. i have never spent $50 on them though.. until this year. i know, that is a freaking lot, but the exhiliration of lighting them off and watching them do their job has some awesome rewards, especially when the people you are with appreciate them as well. i spent the evening with jacqueline and the gonzales family and the night with the whole blaylock family. i love energetic families that are all about having a good time. and dry ice bombs just make things that much cooler. interrogations, though unneccessary and unnerving for some (!!!) are not all bad. it could have been worse. im okay with that. i had an awesome time.

so, its july.. 5th, and i still havent gotten to swim yet. how ridiculous. this week will undoubtedly provide some opportunity to do so though, so i am excited. maybe even tonight? that would be nice. i can look forward to only one more week of work between now and Blast. that makes me happy. work is slow. we have a lot to do though. its worth what im getting payed though, and im okay with that.

Dana, i hope you are enjoying your time in Guatemala. you are in my thoughts and prayers.

Countdown to mission's trip: 2 weeks 5 days. its not close enough for me to know what time we leave. can you say life changing? that's what im hoping for.

well, all these fun things coming up are distracting me from my work. i need to get back to at least attempting to focus though. have an awesome week everyone.