Sunday, May 31, 2015

Training Week 2: "Let's Go Exploring"


Bill Watterson's last comic strip for his long running comic Calvin and Hobbes showed them riding their toboggan down a fresh sheet of snow off with a sense of adventure in their hearts. I got this tattoo to commemorate starting my own adventure. The offset printing style was how the strip was printed in newspapers, along with a CMYK key [the squares featuring the four layers of color], which seemed an appropriate style given my years at the Grand Rapids Press.

This week, I went through the surprisingly lengthy process of being trained in life-guarding, CPR, and first aid. For most of my scenarios I got to practice on some of the other lifeguards, including guys who were a full foot taller and sometimes 100 pounds heavier... so... you know, good practice. During the training process I think I did pretty well at remaining professional and serious... until we got the recitation masks, because those totally need to used to make Bane impressions.

 This training was additional to other training and I spent a lot of time away from my day camp team, whom I missed seeing this week. I am happy to be spending time with them this weekend as we travel to Tent Rocks by Albuquerque.

This is only a few members of the team, but they are all a fun bunch. I mean LOOK at those faces.
My Michigan companion, Casey, was awfully sick this week, but was still up every morning playing his guitar on the front porch of the guys' cabin. I got clearance to go into town and was able to get him some medicine, which seemed to quiet his incessant cough. I was also happy, because its creepy trying to sleep in the same room as a dying man. 


This week, it has been wonderful being able to talk all the staff here. Honestly, I have learned a lot about some of the people here, many of which I thought I understood. It's refreshing to learn the crazy circumstances that brought so many people to the same camp.

Here's to shattered misconceptions and comic adventures.
- Patrick





Sunday, May 24, 2015

Training Week 1: Introductions and Training

I began my week by driving around Sante Fe, learning the city as best I could. Though a pretty small place, it packs a lot into a small area. On the northside is the Sante Fe Railyard which is home to the Violet Crowne Cinema, which featured a full bar and restaurant. My last day off before work was spent watching Mad Max, in fully reclining theatre with a steak dinner and a cider.


My view from my cabin


I have worked at camps before where I needed to learn staff names, maybe 30 immediate counselors and 20 service staff. There are over 200 summer staff at this camp ministry. It took a bit.
I met my two guy counselors who would be part of my core group that I would be working with the whole summer.

Even though we were still training, we still ran activities on Tuesday for the Albuquerque School for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. I got to practice my American Sign Language as well as helping out a group on the fly, when nothing seems to be going correctly. I bumbled around, and I made it work. I had a feeling this would be a reoccurring lesson to learn this summer, and I was up for it.

Thursday we got to get trained on 3D archery, which was a shooting range with large rubber animals to shoot at. One of our gents hit a target perfectly to where it's head blew off ... it was pretty cool.

The face of a cold-blooded rubber animal killer.
One of the nights in particular, the newly acquainted staff met together to sing worship one night. It was a sincere and heartfelt session, much like many of the interactions I've had here with staff. I remember being surprised by the sound of my own singing. I'm not sure if it was all the loud camp-talkin' or the thin air, but not recognizing my own voice seemed appropriate given this transition in life.

Here's to finding our voice, even when it's gruff and worn.
-Patrick

Saturday, May 16, 2015

Westbound Day 5: El Paso to Sante Fe

We woke up in graphic designer Alan's house early to get a head start on the day [which proved to be a good decision as we needed the extra time]. Another person couch surfing at the apartment in a different room was a gentleman from the south side of France named Jean. Jean had been travelling by motorcycle for almost 5 years straight through the Iraq, Syria, and other countries through Africa and Central America. We caught him on the very end of his journey, where he was leaving that morning for an interview to become settled in El Paso. As he left he stated, in his flowing french accent, that it was "time to try the mundane".


Our last stretch of the trip brought us through the mountains to the Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico. They were enormous, even in comparison to places like the Mammoth Caves. I don't have really much else to say on them, they were great.



Poor planning on our part of not filling up before leaving El Paso means that our gas tanks were eaten up by the mountains and ran on very literal fumes for a couple miles down the mountain. For comparison, Casey's truck has an 18 gallon tank. He pumped 17.812 gallons into his tank. We had an emergency tank just in case, but stopping in the high desert isn't desirable. 

After passing though Roswell, avoiding abduction, and scaling the foot of the Rocky mountains, we completed our 40 hour, 2,690 mile trip and are set up in the cabin we will call home for 3 months.

Now that it is complete I will blog once a week on Saturdays to cover the events through each camp session.

Here's to the end of one journey and the beginning of another one with less back sweat... I hope.
-Patrick

Thursday, May 14, 2015

Westbound Day 4: Houston to El Paso

We departed from Houston with a delicious breakfast and sandwiches for the road provided by my Aunt Renee, who is the hostess with most likely the mostest.

The next jaunt of our trip was the longest single stretch we had to travel. We were to travel along I-10 for... basically the entire length of Texas. Casey appropriately dubbed said excursion "Operation: Lonestar Runner".

Given the description from others, we were prepared for the worse. We stocked up on a nautical league of water, prepared our vehicles for desert conditions, and mentally braced ourselves for a trip beyond the Thunderdome.


What we found instead, was probably our favourite stretch of landscape so far this trip. It was a sort of calming transition from curving mountain roads to plateaued flat-lands. We were two of only a few cars on the road and were able to take in the grandeur of it all. With no obstructions, the clouds seemed larger than ever before and the skyline stretched infinitely.


Since we were travelling directly west, with changing altitudes and a sprawling skyline, we experienced a beautiful sunset as we crested a peak which lasted around 3 hours.

It is is true we experienced some troubles on our trip. My tailpipe broke free of its bracket and is being held by a sturdy combination of items I found at a local truck stop. Casey's keys got locked in his car, but he was saved by a Buc-ee's [Texas gas station] attendant named Jay, who was apparently trained in the art of the coat-hanger by monks. However, this was my favourite part of the trip as driving is concerned.

We were able to stay in El Paso with a graphic designer named Alan who Casey communicated with over Couchsurfing.com, who set us up for staying in his apartment while he spent the night in his studio. Once we got out stuff inside and got a key, we finished the night with a drink in Rosa's Cantina [we kind of had to] and ate some wonderfully unhealthy food.



Here's to the untouched beauty of the desert, because touching it would be a bad idea. It's still pretty hot and can be pointy.
-Patrick

___________

Dear Texas,
Thank you for the recognizing the need for a 80 mph zone through the desert, you da real MVP.


Wednesday, May 13, 2015

Westbound Day 3: New Orleans to Houston



Disc Golf at 7am is a pretty decent way to start your day, for all that were wondering. Finishing out stay with Jon and Bridgette Mundiger called for playing a beautiful disc golf course Jon recommended near his military base. This was my first time playing more than one or two holes of disc golf, and I though I was throwing from the white tee-off [for beginners], I'm only went 11 over par for 20 holes.



Though there were some surprise finishing trips to retrieve discs, but it was a fun and surprising way to end our time in Mississippi [along with one round of the card game SpaceFluxx].

Casey and I passed by New Orleans on the way and picked up some lunch in the form of a full muffaletta sandwich. This may have been the single greatest decision we made this trip. The one sandwich fed the both of us, and was one of the best sandwiches I've ever had. We passed by New Orleans again and saw Lake Pontchartrain in the daylight, which was a lot less scary than crossing it at night while listening to the corresponding song by Ludo.

Driving over bayous in Louisiana made me really want to take a fan-boat tour... and glad I didn't have to build the many miles of bridges it took to pass over it.

This is clearly taken by an alligator and not me.
We arrived in Houston and was greeted with a warm reception from my Aunt Renee and my cousins Ryan, Sean, and Dusti. It was lovely spending time with them and relaxing [except for Euchre. That's never relaxing. Still fun though].

Here's to family that will make any place feel like home.
-Patrick
_____________

Dear Jon and Bridgette,
Thank you so much for the hospitality, but we have very different ideas about what is "okay" and "funny".


Tuesday, May 12, 2015

Westbound Day 2: Memphis to New Orleans


After a really good sleep, Casey and I left for Mississippi [and yes, I did I spell that in my head as I typed].
The shorter drive helped the trip down seem less exhausting and we arrived with plenty of energy. We stayed with our friends Jon and Bridgette Mundinger, whom I had not seen for a long time. However, it didn't take long for all of us to catch up ... which was good, because we packed in a lot of fun into a short time. 


After an afternoon of firing off a lot of graciously provided rounds of ammo, eating some burgers, and watching some fifth element, we headed to New Orleans.

Bourbon Street
It's so amazingly pungent! 

The french quarter at night was full of live music, seafood gumbo, and surprisingly affordable beer... though I made sure to avoid the questionable puddles.
Jon and Bridgette accompanied us, and even drove both ways [which was a welcome change of pace].
We made it back to Mississississsisppi and slept up for an early morning of activity before we hit the road to Houston.

Here's to good friends at all corners of the country.
-Patrick

______________

Dear Mississippi,
Your gas stations are FANCY!




Monday, May 11, 2015

Westbound Day 1: Lansing to Nashville/Memphis

We drove southbound, with a storm on our tail and the rising sun on our shoulder. I left home [Grand Rapids] around 4am. Thanks to my many years of working at the Grand Rapids Press, I was well acquainted with being up this early and driving. After meeting with Casey in Lansing and shooting south towards Indiana, the sun was just starting to creep over the horizon. I remember having the dopiest grin as I met the sunset, as I have many times while working, but this time as a free men. I was up with the first light of the day because I made a terrible decision to get going this early wanted to!

Fast forward a lot of banter between Casey [CB Handle: Manifest Destiny] and I [CB Handle: Heisenberg], and we arrived in Tennessee. Casey and I were both meeting up with separate people, so parted ways just outside Nashville for the afternoon. I hung out at the Soda Parlor on the south side of Nashville. For those who know of his work, the Soda Parlor was a collaborative effort to open a communal space/merch shop by Youtuber Olan Rogers and his friends. I got a delicious rootbeer float made with Jeni's Ice Cream, and picked up a great t-shirt.





In Nashville I met with the infamous Danny Walen for a quick hour and a half jaunt including two bars and a visit to the Nashville Parthenon. I received a delicious reuben sandwich, a couple beers, and some great music recommendations.  Afterwards Casey and I met back up and were hosted for dinner by Olive and Ben Kann. It was a delicious dinner with a delightfully honest conversation. Olive and I have been friends for a while before she moved down to Nashville, where she met and married Ben. Though Ben and I do not each other very well, we were able to have very frank and open conversation involving faith and our own journeys. This has often been myl experience when meeting other people who have a sincere faith in Christ, and I love the fellowship with new people based on this commonality.

We arrived in Memphis to stay the night with my brother-in-law Greg. Casey immediately crashed and I followed soon after, though I stayed up with Greg to edit photos and watch @midnight. Naturally.

Here's to soda parlors and unconditional camaraderies.
-Patrick


P.S. Louisville, I love you, but does your entire greater city have to be under construction?

Sunday, May 10, 2015

Commit to the Bit

A friend of mine, who did not have English as his first language, used to talk with me about English idioms and expressions. It was a truly enjoyable experience to discuss the absurdity of such phrases as "throwing the baby out with the bathwater" and the synonymous relationship between "slim chance" and "fat chance".

One day, he sent me a comic strip...


...asking about the expression 'commit to the bit'. I replied back...
"To 'commit to the bit' is something I've always come across in theatre, particularly in comedy improvisation. A 'bit', in this context, means a short act or sketch. The example I usually give is of someone falling down [usually dramatically, perhaps after being shot with a gun] falling flat on their face, and to the best of their ability, not making it appear that they are bracing their fall. So, in their commitment to the bit, they are risking bodily harm in order to continue the authenticity of the performance.

Applying that to real life would probably mean to continue a facade or 'act' for the sake of the facade itself, even at the exclusion of self-interest.
In the case of the comic, Pierce is committing to the facade of false identity by creating one that isn't even remotely true, which is certainly not in his best interest, but 'commits to the bit'.
Though it's worth mentioning that Jeremy says this in a purely negative sense, when usually committing to the bit in theatre is admirable in, if nothing else, it's persistence).
You see, I was actually excited to answer. Back when I was younger, my two best friends and I treated the idea of "commitment to the bit" as our own immutable truth. We were big fans of prat falls and dramatic physical comedy, so it became a way of demonstrating our commitment to each other by investing time, energy, and even safety into our own play. When I decided to write this blog, 'Commitment to the Bit' seemed appropriate. All these years later, the 'bit' has grown to encompass all the things we hold dear. In a sense, we are all committing to the 'bit' of life, even if it means you have to fake your way through the uncertain parts. I am living with the supported assumption that this life is God-intended to be full of love, joy, and adventure. Until I am given a different script, I am committed to that bit. I will make sure to remember that as I embark on this adventure. Not just to New Mexico for the summer or a job in social work upon my return, but the entire adventure ahead of me. Here's to commitment to the bit.
-Patrick