micheler's Xanga

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 08:53:44 GMT

I'm bringing Xanga back - drop a comment if you're with me!

Tuesday, August 08, 2006

Tue, 08 Aug 2006 22:39:58 GMT

I am not ready for summer camp to end. This is my last week working for Camps and Retreats before I head back to the Outdoor School Program. It's been an incredible summer...fun times with my day camp crew, my week at dreamacres and now this week with MDA. I am a happy girl. I hope that I can make the transition back to OSP easily without missing C&R too much. I know I will survive and I know that as soon as I get back into the swing of things that I will love the OSP world!

Tuesday, July 25, 2006

Tue, 25 Jul 2006 23:38:20 GMT

This week is Dreamacres - camp for kids with cancer. I left my day camp kids for the week and I am coordinating Dreamacres. It is amazing. I miss my DC kids but I LOVE THIS WEEK!! I have an incredible staff and wonderful kids. Everything about it is fun. The nurses and docs that come out to camp are great! I am bummed because we have had three kids go home because they were homesick. Sunday was a hard day because we found out that one of our campers from last summer had recently passed away. It upset us all but it was comforting to think that we were able to provide her with a super week at camp last summer. Monday was a little bit rough but extremely exciting and happy all at the same time. One of our campers that we did not think would survive through the year is still here, unfortunately she is in a much different state. She can barely talk and she is in a wheel chair but it so awesome to have her here at camp. This week is full of smiles. I am so lucky to have my health. Our kids surprise me everyday. We climbed the climbing wall last night and they got to climb the tower today. It was great! Even those that didn't have the ability to climb on their own got to use universal accessability. Pretty neat stuff! I am loving life right now1

Wednesday, July 12, 2006

Wed, 12 Jul 2006 20:25:46 GMT

It's been a while. Things are going well down at JOEC. I definitely miss HHC - the culture, the people, the kids! But things are good here. Day Camp definitely keeps me really busy and I have been making sure to spend time with resident camp. This week my favorite resident camp program is here...Reunite! It's a program for sibling who have been split up through the foster care system.

I was home in Cleveland last weekend for a wedding and was reconnected with CVEEC friends which was great. I'll be back this weekend..so Cleveland people we should hang out!

I don't know much else... or at least I can't think of anything.

I hope you are all doing well!

Sunday, June 25, 2006

Sun, 25 Jun 2006 13:26:25 GMT

I love camp! JOEC is so different from HHC but it's great! Day Camp is going well. My staff are incredible and they are doing a fabulous job. Our first week of camp was Mission Possible...we had fun learning lots of spy skills and going on different missions. This past week was Slimy Science and we definitely had our share of slime and mess! It was a blast! Topped off with a special visit from Nate and Travis as our mad scientists. This week is Pirate Paradise -- AARGH!

I hope life is going well for all of you at HHC, in Chicago, at school in Cleveland, out in Colorado, near by in Dayton, down in Atlanta and anywhere else you might be. I miss you guys! I am working on writing more snail mail...so check your mailboxes in the next few weeks!!

Well, I am off to lifeguard. I'll talk to you all soon

Sunday, June 11, 2006

Sun, 11 Jun 2006 22:28:31 GMT

CAMP STARTS TOMORROW!!!

I can't wait. After a loooong two weeks of support staff training and full staff training the time has come for kids to arrive. I am super exicted. I can't lie though, I am pretty nervous too. I have a wonderful staff and I know that they will do a fantastic job but I'm not sure that all of my program stuff is finished. Hopefully it'll come together.

Hmm..let's see. What else is new... I moved down to the Farm House this week. It should be fun. I am living with Brad and Kevin, and Clint will be moving in soon. It'll be interesting but fun.

The summer staff is great. I've already been reconnected with some great people and I am really looking forward to talking with new staff too!

Sunday, May 07, 2006

Sun, 07 May 2006 12:28:29 GMT

Hello All..I apologize for being the biggest xanga slacker ever. I hope that all is well with you! Things are going great in Clarksville, OH. Life is incredibly busy with OE that raps up at the end of May and camp that starts before it is even finished.

I am incredibly excited for the summer...Day Camp Program Director seems like it is going to be great and I get to work with the one and only Dan McKay, not to mention run cancer camp again this year and work with a great staff and cool kids!

The question becomes life after this summer....stay at JOY or move on? I am hunting for medical need camp opportunities and if I find the right match, I am going to go but if not, I love this place and I would really like to stay here. So, I guess time will tell and I'll figure it out eventually. I will definitely keep you posted.

I had some fun friend connections in the past few weeks. I talked to Natalie and Brad this week, I got reconnected with Rico who is a great friend who worked at HHC in the late 90s, I finally caught up with Courtney and I got to see Amanda, Alyssa, Cheryl, Pete, Rachel and Scott last night in Columbus. GOOD STUFF! I apologize for not being good at keeping touch lately. Today is going to be a letter writing afternoon.

AND I ALMOST FORGOT....GO CAVS!!!

Thursday, March 02, 2006

Thu, 02 Mar 2006 08:19:36 GMT

this is really interesting....

http://www.worldonfire.ca/

good music and a new perspective!

enjoy

Wednesday, February 22, 2006

Wed, 22 Feb 2006 08:25:35 GMT

I don't know what I would do without my friends. I have been going through some tough times as of late and I have incredible friends that have kept me smiling and sane. Those of you who are far away...thank you for being there to listen! It was so great to connect with so many people this week - THANK YOU FOR ALL THE BIRTHDAY WISHES!!! I apologize if some of our conversations were short. I do appreciate your thoughts...and some of you have follow up phone calls coming because we barely got to talk at all.

JOEC is good...I am so happy that we have kids around here again! They make a world of difference. Yesterday Elliott and I led a diversity workshop for a group of doctoral psychology students which was an interesting experience. Challenging but good at the same time. I'm getting excited for the summer but somewhat second guessing if it makes sense for me to stay here. I want to but does it make more sense to try and go to an all medical needs camp???? I also struggle with life in general and I think it stems from not knowing how I fit in here right now with our OSP staff. I am at a different place in my life and it's making it hard. I also feel really torn because our staff is somewhat divided and I am able to fit in with everyone. I spent a lot of time talking to Kevin on Sunday night...if I haven't said this before (and Kara I know you'll agree) - he is an awesome friend and someone I am so lucky to have such an incredible relationship with. He has become one of my greatest friends here and I don't think that I would be sane if he wasn't there to listen. He spent Sunday night walking and talking with me from the Farm House all the way to the entrance of camp and back which is a good mile if not more in COOOLLDDD weather. He's a special person!

AHHH....Life is so confusing...how do you know what to do. So many options and choices and decisons to make. I suck at making decisions...and then how do you know what the right decision is...it's so confusing. I guess things will fall into place but I hate not knowing what to do.

On a lighter note, I got to dogsit this weekend for Duke and Buford. They were so much fun. We went on walks and curled up on the couch together! They made me happy And Monday night, Brad and I went to the YMCA...we lifted and then I swam - it felt great to workout!!!

Saturday, January 28, 2006

Sat, 28 Jan 2006 22:32:48 GMT

I didn't realize it had been so long since I last updated. I apologize for falling off the face of the earth.

Let's see...OSP training started 2 weeks ago. So far, so good but I am ready for kids to be here. Week one of training was really tough!!! I was not a happy camper and I didn't know why. If Amy, Brad, Kevin, Val and Elliott had not been here, I don't know what I would have done. They dealt with many tears and managed to make me happy again. I had a fun weekend and spent some quality time with people including Kara, who came up to visit. Krista and I also had a chance to chat and I really appreciate that she trusts me. This week was much better! Possibly because I got to spend Monday night with the coolest group of core camp kids ever! Dan and I had so much fun hanging out with them. I got back to camp and immediately went down to the farm house to show Kevin the cool picture they had created! Tuesday was fun because I got to talk to Natalie, Brad and Marie even though they were short conversations. It was also fun to have some bonding time with the goats as I had the opportunity to bring them up to the pioneer cabin and then take them back down to the barn when class was cancelled. Wednesday was great because we spent the day at Hilliard Tharp and Station. Two schools that brought out lots and lots of 6th graders this fall. It was so fun to hangout with them and talk with them. It was a great day finished off by bowling and watching the Cavs beat the Hawks. Thursday was fantastic as we travelled back up north to Columbus. I spent the day at the Ohio Camping Confrence and I got to see Rachel, Pete, Lisa and some of my other camp buddies from the Cleveland area. I learned a lot at different sessions. JOEC people are great - Amy and Mike both made sure that I talked with an important person for my future. I am so greatful that they are looking out for my well being. Even though they didn't hire me for the full time job, they want to make sure that I end up in a good place. After the conference, Amy, Brad, Kevin and I had a chance to go visit Brad at the lacrosse store. It was great to see him but I wish we had the chance to talk. I miss him!!! We went to dinner at the Blue Danube, a great bar, before meeting up with Mike to drive home. We dropped Mike off at his car and Kevin and I had an awesome conversation on the way home. He is such a great person to talk to, I hope he realizes how much I appreciate his friendship and support. I am so glad that Dan's job has not come between us.

Sorry that I rambled on and on....

This weekend has been great. I went on a long walk with Leggy today and then Val, Leggy, Kristin, Josie and I made a great dinner! So much fun! Tomorrow I am headed to the Y to sign up for a membership. I need to get in shape! Hopefully I will also get to climb and somehow watch part of the Cavs-Suns game which is going to be on ABC.