On Beer and the Manner of Things, or: My Two Trips to Rochester

This was promised a long time ago, so it is vastly overdue and will probably disappoint.

I just arrived at my apartment in Rochester (for the second time) about 45 minutes ago. I'm sure I was unclear in my last post; I came out here earlier this summer to move in a back-of-a-minivan-and-U-Haul-trailer-full amount of my stuff into my apartment. This was part of a longer road trip with my parents. Now I am here for the beginning of the semester next week.

On our road trip we visited: my aunt and uncle at their cabin in northern Wisconsin (on a lake named “Papoose” to be more specific) and my sister, her boyfriend and family in Lansing. This trip took about a week (I think we left on a Wednesday morning in July and returned on a Tuesday evening in August). It seemed like we spent an at least equal amount of time in the car as we did out of it—discounting the time spent sleeping (mercifully not in the car) of course.

Despite the long hours of driving, the trip was overall good. I will recount one experience now as I don't have time to recount most all of the trip (you wouldn't want to hear about sitting in a car anyway) and it is relevant to my situation at the moment. While in Michigan I got to go to Bell's Brewery (or brewpub as it were) in Kalamazoo. Those of you familiar with Bell's know that it is a microbrewery that makes great beer; those who aren't will have to take my word for it. Anyway, besides the beer, the actual premises of the brewpub were excellent. It didn't seem great from the outside—or even from the inside initially—but after we got our beers we headed out to the patio. This was a large mostly grassy area that looked almost as though it could have been someone's backyard. This backyard feel was amplified by the fact that the burgers and other delicacies that could be ordered there were cooked right outside the back door on a regular, back-yard, propane (or at least I think it was) grill. My family and I sat at a picnic table underneath an arbor with hops vining their way all over it. Around the corner from us was another large grassy area with a small amphitheater at it's end. It appeared that on many summer nights a band would most likely play on the stage, drawing a sizable crowd of young concertgoers on the grassy area before the stage. As it was a saturday afternoon when we were there, the grassy area was instead occupied by a few tables, one at which a group of half a dozen aging yuppies (first Google hit) from Chicago appeared to be enjoying their sojourn in Michigan tremendously.

After sampling half the menu of beers I had chosen a smoked rye ale to enjoy. It was an interesting beer. At first the smoky flavor overwhelmed the rest of the beer, but after I became accustomed to it, I could taste rather mellow pale ale flavors underneath. It would have been delicious with a barbeque pork sandwich.

Now, I earlier said that this experience related to my current situation, and you are doubtlessly wondering how. While at Bell's I also picked up a sampler six pack of beers. I brought them along to Rochester and stashed them in my refrigerator once here, with the intention of enjoying them at an unspecified future date. Upon arriving once agin at my apartment tonight (now nearly an hour and a half ago) these beers remained (and still do) the only form of caloric substance in my apartment—besides that which under even the most dire of situations would not be considered edible. And so, as I began to scribe this post I decided to sample one of the beers stowed in my fridge. I chose a cherry stout. I had very high hopes for this beer, and I was a bit disappointed (I have just minutes ago finished it). The cherry flavor was, unfortunately, a bit syrupy, and overshadowed the more hearty roasted grain flavors. Alas.

I now realize that this beer had a rather healthy 7% alcohol by volume which, as I ramble on, may be affecting my post a bit. As it is now rather late and this post is teetering on the edge of bombast (and that seals it), I must retire.

If nothing else, I can now truthfully claim that there was a time that the only thing in my Frigidaire (I just checked, unfortunately it's not actually one) was a six pack of beers.

My Summer as a Camp Counselor

My turn for a mid-summer "oh hello there, I still exist" blog post.

This summer I am working at a YMCA summer camp (or a "Cult Camp" if your name is Tim) in Western Michigan. After a week of orientation and two sessions, we take a week of for the week of July fourth. So until Saturday, I am back in the OP to relax with my HS friends, eat some delicious non-camp food, and rest up for what we call the marathon.

The marathon is 5 weeks straight with no extended break. Starting July 5th and going until August 10th. Yes, we do get some weekends off. But let me explain that a weekend off at camp only lasts from 5:00pm on Friday (when the last kid finally leaves and we have our staff meeting) to Sunday at 10:00am, when we have our start-of-the-session staff meeting. Not much of a weekend if you ask me (but when the kids are gone, the wonderful balance of mischief and relaxation is king). But the marathon is fun, and it when all the unorganized bullshit that exists in the beginning of the summer has been figured out.

It's been fun so far. I'm working with the teens this summer, so for the past two weeks, I was training 16 year olds how to be a counselor. In other words, what to do with kids who are homesick, vomiting profusely, or starting fights with other campers. But its a little more than that. There is a big child psychology aspect to it, which through teaching it to others, I have learned more about it myself.

One example is positivity. A child is less willing to respond to, "Don't leave that wet, sandy towel on the cabin floor." than to "Can you please pick up that towel off the cabin floor?" It may seem like a "duh" principle, but consider how often you say the words "no," "not," "stop," or "don't." It may surprise you. Try speaking in only positive terms for a day. If you are a lifeguard for example, say "Walk on the deck!" instead of "No running on the deck!" It's actually really tough. Or at least for me. I can never last more than an hour, but then again, I have to deal with kids who are doing stuff they aren't supposed to be doing practically my whole day.

I realize that my summer job is pretty untraditional. But I wouldn't have it any other way. I do more in the time from when I wake up (7:00am Michigan time) to when I go to bed (11ish) than many people do in a whole week. I also am outside for the whole day, except for when I am eating Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner, or sleeping. But thats not even true, I've been sleeping in a tent for the last 3 weeks. Being outside that much is good for the soul. And it means that I'm probably more tan than everyone except for our funemployed friend from Cali.

Elliot often told me last year that soon I will have to get a real job. That may not be the case... First off, for what I want to do with my life (teach), I don't really need an internship. And if the point of an internship is to get real-life experience in your field, being in charge of a dozen or so kids at a summer camp is fairly close to actual teaching. Plus, I'm climbing up the ladder at my camp. Some of the more administrative posts are opening up next summer, which opens up a new type of position and experience, to be sure. So maybe I'll just delay the real world for a few more years/summers. I know I get paid crap, but I don't really need the money at this time in my life and it's the most fun I've ever had.

That being said, every time "I Love You Always Forever," "Someone Great," "You've lost that Lovin Feeling," "Jumpin All Over the World," "White Collar Boy," Chromeo or The Go! Team comes on my iPod (thank you SadSteve), I get reminiscent of the past year and the epicness that was Stadium 110.

So I hope everyone reading this is doing well and that your summers are enjoyable.


Also, only a few will understand this: I brought Charlie to camp with me and I am carefully planning some big ol prank with him. So stay tuned.