Desolation Row
(29 August - 7 September 2004)

7 September 2004
Happy Birthday to Beth Mandel
-I even got an extra hour yesterday.  Not that that's a good thing by any stretch.  Suffice it to say that a short-staffed Labor Day Cookout was, in retrospect, a poor plan.
-Haven't read other folks' webpages in a while, & my round-up revealed the unearthing of a wonderful thing... the Cop-in-a-Box Flow!!!  Now the most entertaining round I ever debated in (Fire Drills is a close second, probably) can be reviewed by all.  Thanks so much to Beth for posting this.  Additionally in the round-up, I was amused by Luke's entry on trash disposal & The Sims.  I guess you sorta had to be there for that one, or perhaps both of these references.
-Have I ever mentioned how much I miss debate?  Just pondering any given round, let alone weekend from the old days sends me into a spiral of mostly good memories.  Where are you competitive social activity that stimulates the mind after college?  Brandzel, I don't even want to hear it.

6 September 2004
Happy Birthday to Russ Gooberman
-Em has Labor Day off, but I certainly don't.  Still, I get $26/hour to work today, so I guess it's not all bad.

5 September 2004
-Today almost made me consider retracting my promise to resign from my work.  I'm exaggerating a little, since I did promise myself that I'd work 2 weeks before making any decisions about leaving my job or taking major time off.  It was wonderful to have "we're not at camp anymore" as an intervention.  After every anarchic binge, there is the hard reality that everything does have consequences.  Just seems it would be easier without the anarchic binge.

4 September 2004
-Went up to the State Fair today to relive the old days of showing animals & photos & riding the rides.  The Fair was a lot more expensive than I remember, perhaps an equal testimony to increasing prices, price differences between Oregon/New Mexico & California, & my lack of awareness of money at the time of prior attendance.  Still, we hit most of the highlights, including a llama show & meeting one of Em's old llama-showing friends.  The "Fur & Feathers" area was severely depleted, but there were still a few cages of rabbits, geese, ducks, & chickens that were great to see.  A little disappointing overall on the animals front, though we were briefly captivated by a sheep show where I guessed the winner.  The midway has lost a little of its appeal, but we rode the rickety coaster & the swings.  The highlight was probably the hall of counties, where almost all of California's 54 counties offered up a nifty display on their territory, people, & agriculture.  Alpine County's walk-in snow lodge was truly spectacular, though many counties had stellar displays.  I love fairs.
-I also love Chipotle.  I know I mention this more than Ozzy Osbourne, but still.

3 September 2004
-Tell me that my urge to quit, or to fail at my job is just a passing phase.  Camp sparked the worst emotions in myself & several of my co-workers, but what I feel now seems to have larger implications about the job as a whole.  I can't face my unwritten notes because they remind me of kids who I am having trouble tolerating.  Just thinking about them is frustrating.  I understand that this is really no way to think, but I simply can't help it.  UGH.
-I need to think a lot.  & talk even more.

2 September 2004
-Just.  Need.  Rest.

1 September 2004
-Finally home.  Finally done with the horror that was camp.  Very surprising to arrive home & see strange faces in the house, who were taking a 6-block retreat from Fish's office.  Just too tired to worry about these things...

31 August 2004
[from Glen Ellen, California]
-Moments that were better, but many that were worse.  I've been counting the hours all day long.
-I feel like six months of work have been destroyed by two days of reckless abandon.  Suddenly I'm feeling more like a glorified babysitter than one who fosters lasting relationships of trust with those in need of emotional support.  Something about hearing how much everyone hates me all day long.
-Dancing always helps those desperate situations a little.  Not much.

30 August 2004
[from Glen Ellen, California]
-This is actually worse than I expected.  Given how low my expectations were, that's amazing.
-The idiocy of bringing level-14 kids to a camp where the rules & consequences are suspended defies everything I've ever known about level-14 kids.  The whole day has felt like doing my job with my hands tied behind my back, underwater.  & we all know I can't swim.

29 August 2004
-Everyone should switch their browser to Mozilla right now.  IE & Netscape are infected relics, whereas Mozilla will restore your computer to its former glory!  Granted, I've only been using Mozilla for an hour now, but the restored speed & joy of the computer after IE had been decimated by adware & pop-ups is quite something.  Thanks to Paul for this suggestion.  Life on the internet is good again!
-It's a Sunday off!  I barely know what to do with myself.

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