Logan & Benny

Normally I avoid writing about specific RP kids (Rustic Pathways...not to be confused with "real people") but tonight I am making an exception. Two of my campers are on a cyber-wide quest to find this very blog. If they accomplish their mission--they will have deserved this entry.

Logan (Loegan?)is a fellow Ging (proper noun) and a native of Texas. Though his swag can only be matched by that of Waka Flocka Flame, I suspect him to be my long-lost twin. He often goes in and out of a British accent and carries around a half-torn-up photo of his mother whom he claims to have never met. Funnily enough, I posses a similar photo of my Dad whom I have also never met...



I knew Benny and I would become fast friends when the first words he muttered to me were, "Can we look for Sandra Bullock's Baby?" Anyone that has read my second post knows that it is a personal goal of mine to meet LB (Louie Bullock). Benny and I have spent the last week trying to locate his coordinates.

Initially I thought our rendezvous would consist of straight chilling and/or hanging out....maybe Louie would end up putting in a good word with Sandra? It wasn't until recently that I discovered Benny's evil intentions....Benny hates Sandra! The only reason he wants to meet LB is so he could use him as bait to get close to her. Once he gains her trust, he plans on stealing the Oscar to which he feels she wrongfully deserved AND RECYCLING IT. RUDE.

Eenie Menie

I am inspired to write tonight solely so I can avoid cleaning the granola off my bed. I know I really should, but the proximity between the broom and bed are far beyond what can be considered reasonable at this point. I may have to accept my inevitable fate and deal with cockroaches in the morning. Considering Lauren was greeted by one in her pants the other day, this is a genuine concern. Yet even still, I refuse to get up.

Today is Wednesday, which means another group has yet again, moved on. I will say, this last bunch kept me VERY entertained. For instance, one of the kids invested in a rubber snake which he choose to use effectively throughout the trip. Most memorably being when one of the girls woke up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom and found what she assumed to be a real snake lying on the floor. Immediately she ran to our room begging for us to remove it. Nancy reluctantly put on her hefty boots and started thrusting inanimate objects at the "snake" in hopes that it would slither away. It didn't.

The snake was also utilized when Paul's replacement, Mickyo came into town. Unfortunately it didn't have the same level of success as it did with the girls, so they hazed our new guy with the ultra mega death hot sauce.

This week I'm back at the Williams' house (same site as last week). Michele (homeowner) brought her iPod on site today so we sought out to create the GREATEST PLAYLIST OF ALL TIME. Seeing as how Michele is a 12-year-old girl, our musical tastes correlate perfectly. She had a ton of Justin Bieber, so I urged her to include as many of his songs as possible. CONFSSION: I know I'm late for the party, but I have most definitely caught a mild case of Bieber Fever since I've been down here. Shameful sure, but his songs are so freaking catchy! Most people walk around naked when their roommates are out, I listen to the Justin Bieber station on Pandora. It happens.

So in addition to our awesome background music, one of our kids had the brilliant idea of purchasing a large tarp and dish soap and creating the GREATEST SLIP N' SLID OF ALL TIME. Again, I can't say no to these awesome ideas. We purchased the tarp and had ourselves a fantastic afternoon!!! I swear, work does get done.

Being that I have a mere 3 weeks left and my future post-NOLA is still TBD, I thought it might be a practical idea to have my palm read. Ya know, just to see if the crazy ladies in lawn chairs lined up around Jackson Square could provide me with some direction and/or insight. Unfortunately, that turned out to be among one of the worst ideas I've ever had. "Naturally-born" palm reading lady informed me that within the next 2-3 years, I will have become a mother. Well gentleman, as a result of that conversation I have decided to join the convent and avoid all possible contact with the male species for the next 7-8 years. Hopefully then, the odds will work in my favor.

Goodnight :)

AAAAAAAND....We're Back!

Su-Su-Su-SUPPPPPPP!?

Though it's been week or so since I've felt compelled to update, so much has happened!!! In addition to having to say goodbye to another WONDERFUL & FANTASTIC group, we lost one of our staff to the magical land of Laos ::sigh:: So long Pauly D!!! My only wish for you is that South East Asia has repetitive pop stations so you can one day know all the words to California Girls. Miss you already :(

AND SO...as they always do, our new group arrived on Tuesday. So far our work sites have been AWESOME. The homeowners have made it a point to be around, which makes the experience significantly more enjoyable for the kids. The family we've been working with is wonderful:) Everyday their 12-year-old daughter and her best friend come around to help hang dry wall, chill with the volunteers and teach us how to "jerk." (There is video evidence of of my pathetic attempt at the dance move which may or may not be posted later). Despite the horrors that Katrina has brought to this family, they remain among the most positive people I've ever known. It's been a joy to be on site with them. Plus they make really great brownies. Hollaaa.

(SIDENOTE: On Friday our site coordinator suggested we all play a game during one of our extended water breaks. She decided to teach us all "WAH." "WAH" is actually the poor man's version of "SAW." It's all the same, only players shout "wah" instead of "saw" and there is no mandatory bowing to your sensei at the beginning of each round. Lame.)

The day I was almost arrested
While on site, a few of the girls asked me to escort them to the bathroom. Like a good chaperon, I happily obliged and led them on their way to an old base where our site supervisor once stayed. Seeing as how they always let us use their facilities, I saw no harm in taking the girls back. However, when we arrived, the door was locked. We noticed a few construction workers were in the back so we opened the gate and let ourselves in. Upon entering, a friendly construction worker showed us the most convenient path to the bathroom as we went on our way. We didn't get 5 steps before a man in a hard had began furiously waving his arms and shouted at us to leave. We turned around and were greeted by two men (one who was jacked and reminded me of Kate Gosselin's body guard) escorting us off the premises. The smaller one told us that we had just trespassed onto private property. The once volunteer base house is now owned by BP and if ever one of us were to pass by again, we'd be immediately arrested. Shaaaaaaaadddddy. We apologized for getting in the way and walked home to warn the rest of the volunteers. Well, five minutes later the sheriff shows up on my work site and demands to speak to "ya'lls boss." Realizing "oh crap, that's me," I went outside to see what the fuss was about. She then threatened to make an example out of me in front of the kids by taking me straight to jail for we had been warned "three times prior not to cross the premises." LIES. She said if she ever saw one of us again, we'd be taken right downtown If one of us were underage, it'd be straight to juvie. Dramatic Much? Nevermind that these are well-intentioned kids spending their summer vacation rebuilding a city that YOUR COMPANY is slowly destroying with your oil spill. I thanked her for the warning and watched as she drove away.


Alas, the day had a happy ending. One of the kids bought "Ultra Mega Death Hot Sauce" and challenged us all to a contest. The rest of the night was spent chugging hot sauce and chasing it with a glasses of milk as observers chanted participants names. I would like to say I was the responsible adult and put a halt to the situation, but I figured my time was better spent participating. It's been almost 24 hours and my insides still feel as though they are about to implode. Oh well.

I would like to thank everyone for the consistent LNT's (late night texts) I've been receiving over these last few days. It means a lot to have you all include me in your weekend festivities. I hope you're all enjoying Central Pennsylvania's Festival of the Arts. Miss yous!