Four Down,

thirteen to go.


Our MMAPer ladies have painted our punch- stained tables. They look great, but the paint won't be completely set for a few days still, and we are about to be swarming with Girl Scouts, so we're hoping that plastic tablecloths will prevent any chipping. Bring on the masses!

I'm A Bit Of A List-Maker.

Placa Azul Especial

Because cooking and dish-washing is a big part of my job, I tend to shy away from recipes that require multiple shallow dish filling, dipping and excess- shakings when at home. I am glad, though, that I wasn't deterred from the pistachio crusted chicken recipe that I tried tonight. It was a little ridiculous. I just wish that Stater Brothers hadn't been out of coriander.

Ausgezeichnet!

Our last two summers here at camp have been internationally seasoned, as we have had kids come all the way from Germany to be a part of the staff. This winter Dominik sent some Kinder Eggs our way. Kinder Eggs are made of delicious German chocolate and house a huge variety of little toys and figurines like those pictured above. My prizes were surprisingly appropriate.

I don't know the person that they used as a model when designing Ipod earphones, but one of us is freakishly misshapen.

There Goes My Quick Bank Run On Payday.

Highway 74 is, as my friend Katie says, "Out of order".

Jeannie Oleson, a longtime Camp Maranatha employee, brought me a bag of coffee today from her daughter Rebecca. Rebecca lives in Costa Rica where she teaches the kids who live in shanties along the river in Jaco.

I was a week late, but got to celebrate Jen's birthday with lunch at Mojito, pedicures, four games of Catan, some Wii Fit and lots of visiting. I love being there for longer than a night or two- we even had time to get my car's oil leak fixed!



Miranda wanted in on this photo op.



Jen made delicious chicken piccata for us; I forgot to steal the recipe- next time.

One of the Wii Fit games asks that you flap your arms like a chicken. I caught the kids flying alongside their feathered father.

Seventeen?!

Lacey is one of the few youth groupers who we've been able to talk into being on summer staff. She moved down to Hemet last year, so is no longer in our youth group, but fortunately is still available for coffee dates. She wanted to hang out on her birthday- what a sweet girl. After Starbucks and a quick trip to Anady's Trophy Shop, we realized that we were hungry, so we made like Del Boca Vista residents, and early- birded our way to Red Robin for a 4:15 dinner.





I don't know where she learned "The Job", but she shows much promise, no?

This Is Real.

Really. I received these directions tonight: "Okay, well you go down Tollgate pretty far, and then you will pass a street, and then keep going straight, then you will see a semi- big, red house, and mine is the bright blue one right after it." After a few follow-up questions, I learned that her house would be on the right, and the street that I would pass "might be" Delano. Break the cycle. Teach your kids their addresses. Thanks.

I'm A Sucker For Packaging.

I'm Thinking Maybe Some Weather Stripping?

A lot of last Thursday didn't go well. It poured during the food deliveries. I went up to my house for a shovel when Sysco arrived, as there was a pile of slushy snow on the loading dock that needed to be cleared. On the way back down to the kitchen I stepped in a hole, fell, tore my jeans a little and the skin on my knee a lot. With my furry snow boots filled with mud, I finished checking in the order. I went up to the house, changed, and washed the rubble from my bloodied knee. I went back down to the office- LL Cool J style- with one pant leg rolled up, to get a giant band aid. While still en route, I got a text from my dining hall moppers saying that they couldn't come because of the weather. I grumbled. Then my umbrella blew inside-out just as it began to hail. To my own surprise I yelled "OUT OF THE OVERFLOW OF A MAN'S HEART, HE SPEAKS!" which is a jumbled translation, but it made me smile and feel a bit less pathetic.

A Trip To The Store

Olives- mine.
Perrier- mine.
Half-empty bottle of 409- Fairway Market's.

Happy Birthday Jen!!!

On the very last day of my years as a teenager something wonderful happened- Jen became my sister. That milestone is easy to pinpoint- there's a video and everything- but somewhere between then and now, she became my dear and irreplaceable friend.












I hope that you are having a wonderful day, and I will be invading Casa-taic soon, even if I have to use my blow dryer to thaw out the igloo that swallowed my car. Love you!

January Sixth

Ethan's seventh birthday- I did some shopping in the morning, and eventually found myself at Office Max buying envelopes and a mouse pad. The cashier asked to see my license twice and my credit card thrice. I asked if he perhaps needed a vial of blood or a hair follicle for the transaction. He didn't think that was funny at all.


I picked this little crowned fellow up from school. He informed me that the teacher had to measure his head BEFORE she stapled the crown on. We thought that we might squeeze in some Wii time before Jen got home, but she beat us there, and homework was the first thing on the agenda. Fortunately, Ethan really likes homework.



We had plenty of time for games before Jim got home. This distracted him from the mountain of presents that had been calling to him.


The birthday boy with his bodyguard, Mr. T.




We went to Macaroni Grill for dinner. It still kind of kills me to pay full price at a Brinker concept, but my dinner was particularly delicious so I dealt with it.


We had one too many passengers, but didn't want to split up the party, so I was breakin' the law, breakin' the law in the very back.


Brace yourself- here comes a turn!

Sometimes Youth Grouper Text Messages Make My Day

- Can i ask u a serious question???

~ Sure.

- What is ur opinion on elton john???

~ Pro- Tiny Dancer, anti- Candle in the Wind.

- Good opinion.....

Jack's Got My Number.

Yesterday in front of the log house, I stood with Sarah, Katie, Marin and an assortment of kids. An invitation to the coffee shop surfaced, but I had an order to place.

Jack: "Isa! You go coffee shop?"

Me: "No, not today."

Jack: "Oh. You go Starbucks?"

I love that kid.

It's All About The Exit Row, Baby.

If you want to avoid traffic on your way to LAX, leave at 5:15 on a Sunday morning. Aside from accidentally pulling into the employee parking lot of the Anheuser-Busch Brewery instead of the Van Nuys Flyaway (the sun wasn't up yet, okay?), my trip to Colorado was perfect. All went smoothly through security. Once on the plane, though, the man next to me seemed a little put out by my existence, and I was leery of the couple in front on me passing slices of stinky, cured meat to one another across the aisle- just then I became aware of the empty emergency exit row. I couldn't believe that both seats were free! I pounced immediately. There is something really wonderful about crossing your legs on a plane.



Look at all that room!

Real. Live. Scrabble.

Yes, it's easier on Facebook with its dictionary and two letter word list, but then we miss out on table talk.

We Get Our Fair Share Of Candy Wrappers And Used Kleenex, Too,

but I like this kind of litter.

The Irvings Came For A Visit. I Heart Them.

Catan!


Waiting for banana splits










So sad. God bless you and your crew!