March 24, 2010

The Perfect Camp Day

The other day we were driving up to camp for tours.  Kathryn and Tricia were my co-pilot and back seat driver.  They were trying to imagine what I was like as a child.  So as we logged miles along I-84, I started to daydream about being a camper at Minisink.  Thus, I designed in my mind's eye, The Perfect Camp Day.

Up at 7:30 AM because I am truly a morning person. I am the first one in to brush my teeth because I like the second sink from the end. I am dressed and ready to attack the day.  Breakfast of champions is not really my calling, so I grab a quick bowl of cereal and some eggs.  I am going to need the protein to power through this day.  At the first assembly of the day, Ashley allows me to run through the schedule for everyone.  In fact, I sing the schedule for all to hear.  I am sure this caused some birds to cringe in their nests.  Period one is a quick walk over to the baseball diamond for a spirited match.  As some of you know I am a huge fan of the sport and a dead pull hitter to left field.  I hit one ball to deep left and Mark Hill almost made a spectacular diving catch.  Luckily he couldn't catch my line drive as I staggered into third with a triple.  Back to assembly after our fun filled game.  Period two is a close call between some adventure activities, mountain biking, or something I have never tried before.  So period 2 I am off to fencing.  I wish I had a puffy shirt and an eye patch.  At fencing I realized that I love this activity and will 100% be signing up for fencing club.

After some quality bunk time with my co-campers and counselors it is off to lunch.  The mid-day meal could only be one thing.  A truly special camp lunch.  A weird combination of food but a personal favorite.  Taco Tuesday and Wings of Fire.  Sure there is a great salad bar for some of you, but have plenty of hot sauce and napkins ready for me.  After lunch we have a quick game of Frisbee football and then Ga-ga.  Now it is off to period three.

The afternoon of fun begins with the aqua zip.  I don't think that anything can match soaring out of the mountain and making a perfect landing into the lake.  I hope the water is warm, but I do not think it will matter much.  The thrill of the ride is worth the price of admission.  Period four is another difficult choice.  Should I sign up for radio, music, or rocketry?  I really want to learn how to play the guitar.  I think with some practice I could play somewhat like Clapton, Hendrix, or the Boss.  Plus with my strong singing voice I might be ready to try out for American Idol.  Not really!  So music is the choice and learning some chords will be my goal.  After some rocking and rolling it is off to snack.  It is a beautiful day so I will drink some extra water to stay hydrated.  Period five is really an easy choice.  Having the lake in the middle of camp is perfect.  I could go sailing or fishing or sign up for a nature activity and search for frogs.  I will skip those choices for today and sign-up for free swim.  An afternoon dip in the lake is invigorating.  However, there is a bonus with this activity selection.  The mighty Blob is available during free swim and this guy was born to blob.  Hitting the blob in the direct center and sending a pal soaring into the water is silly joy.  I think I made a wise choice to end my program day.

As the daylight begins to phase out, there is still plenty of action left in a camp day.  Dinner was a delicious bar-b-q that included a small helping of yummy baked beans.  The evening program in my perfect camp day would either be our carnival, the apache relay or gold rush.  If I have to pick one then Gold Rush wins by a tiny nugget.  I have participated in 25 gold rushes and every year it brings a big smile to my face.  I am still anxiously waiting to win one of the shoot-outs.  I have been practicing my aiming all winter.  After the hunt for all the precious gold, my cabin group grabs our evening snacks.  We head back to our village for some jokes, bonding time, and even some sleep.

It was really fun planning this perfect day.  Sign me up to be 12 years old again.

Brad