And this one time at band camp...

Long Lake Camp For The Arts -Summer 2009

To this day, I will never forget the first thing the Camp Director (Geoff!) said to us in our first meeting, "This camp will change your life!" 
And guess what it did....
Without Long Lake, I would not have friends from all over the world ,I wouldn't spend HOURS putting the world to RIGHTS with Lily Carruthers!, I would not have met the girl that is to be my Maid of Honour (Rachael Romano - I am looking at you!), I would not have seen kids that swear blind that they HATE sport willingly taking part in Sports Sundays, I would not have experienced 4th of July in America, I would not have believed kids could be SO talented, I would not have lost 'the game!'  I would not have seen 'my kids' do and become things that they didn't even dream of, I wouldn't have experienced Parent's Weekend Food and.
.I wouldn't thought I had the guts to stand up on stage on Counsellor Talent Night and perform this poem I had written!

Ode to Long Lake

In my first week here at Long Lake, I have never felt so alone,
I missed my Liverpool Life and I wanted to go home.

I used to lay awake at night and worry in my bed,
I didn't think I could make it through the ten weeks that lay ahead.

But now, I stand up here tonight and look at all the friends I've made,

I look back on my summer time and I'm super glad I stayed!

So, listen to my poem now about a camp that's in New York,

I really hope you like it lots and don't just think that I'm a dork!

The success stories we have had here, have all been really sound

Such as a Winnie the Pooh Bear bottle, that was lost and then was found!

There've been campers up there on the stage acting out their hearts

Giving it their all, as they become their parts!

The dirty knives and forks here, we put them in the Moo

The handle goes in first, you know just what to do!

The cups here, they are silver, I'm afraid they are not gold

But they do contain drinks that are hot as well as cold!

In the dining room, it's clockwise that we go

You do not run around, instead you go dead slow!

Now, the dinner trays that we eat from, have 6 entire parts,

It's just one TRADITION here at this place that's for the arts

So is raising hands, when we want you to be quiet

And we all know that here it is impossible to diet!

Please ensure your beds are always top to tail

Because if you leave them otherwise, it's inspection you will fail!

Day trips to the water park and theme park there have been

And Harry Potter and Star Dust are the films that we have seen!

The talent of the kids here, it really is insane

And by the way those playing, I just lost the game!

The campers here have learnt many a play and song

There is always singing here around the lake that is so long!

It is over in the fab that you may create your wonder piece

And it is in the magic forest that the wonders never cease!

Another thing to do is play at D and D

With Alex 'Moustache Man'  who makes us say tee hee!

The Dance Department rocks and we all know who you are,

Up there on the stage and shining like a star!

Not forgetting music and that makes us all say YAY!

I hope that you have practised your scales well today!

Waterfront was awesome with Rambo the camp's boat

Remember when you are swimming please try to stay afloat!

The costume girls and techies - we all must not forget
Remembering the props team, and those that built the set!

Down at Circus Lot, you can dangle upside down

Unless you're really funny, in which case be a clown!

The directors of our camp are Geoff and Carolynn

And they have taught us front hugs are nothing but a sin

It is the famous 'sex talk' that the Upper Camp have had!

They second step on the Herm is really really BAD!

We are the Sports Department, you all know that we rule

The fact that we teach sports, it makes us really cool!

Kicking grass is what we do, we did it all the summer

Even though it rained alot which was a total bummer!

We always got our guns out, each and every Sunday
And that was what made it, always such a funday!

America V England many sports games there have been,
Land of Hope and Glory, and then God Save our Queen!

The English Dodgeball team, we were nearly undefeated
The US may have beat us once but that's only cos they cheated!

When it comes to sports, we English are the best
And we can beat the USA- just put us to the test!

American Football is a sport,  not worthy of its name
Because you use your hands the whole way through the game

America is a a place of many a funny word
Calling football , soccer is really quite absurd

And calling crisps chips, just really isn't right
And who would know that a torch would be a flash light!

Calling petrol gas, is something you all do
And so is saying the bathroom, when you really mean the loo

Over in the UK, it's a biscuit that we eat
But over in the States, a cookie's the same treat!

The British we queue up and the Americans wait in line,
If they're sneakers then they're yours but if they're trainers then they're mine!

We will take out rubbish and you will take out trash 
And I'm sure it's just the English, that have ever eaten Smash!

I guess now it's time a certain Ringo Starr got a mention
Even though that cheeky swine is not worthy of our attention

He was in The Beatles and they were really super,
It's just a shame the drummer was such  party pooper!

Well I hope you like my poem, cos it was written for you all
Thank you for the memories, I've really had a ball

The camp is nearly over and I will miss you very much
But through the joy of Facebook, I know we'll be in touch!

The 24th August, we will go our seperate way
But I hope you know in Liverpool you can always come and stay

Good Byes are never easy, in fact they're very tough
But I am going to have to say it now because I think I've talked enough!

So now as camp and poem are both almost at their ends,
I would like to finish off by saying - good bye to you my friends!

The art of complaining!!

I can count the times I have complained on 1 hand without even having to use all my fingers
1) I was out to dinner with some of the girls
ME: Oh excuse me please, but there is a hair in my dinner
2) Out to dinner again (at uni)

ME: Oh excuse me please, but I didn't order this.

And this, the third time, the ONLY time I have ever actually WRITTEN a letter of complain!

Dear Sir,

We have just returned from a week at XXXXXX. We were in fact due to return tomorrow but as the signs at your 5 star resort stipulate, we were having ‘too much fun’ and had to return as the excitement had become unbearable.

We arrived on Monday and parked in the main car park. I especially liked how you had hidden the car park sign to make finding the car park all that more of a challenge.

Next we went to reception to check in and collect our key. Lucky for you, I love standing in queues for hours for no reason, because after half an hour we got told we were in fact in the wrong place and we then were herded into a room to join an even longer queue. I think making people queue according to surname is ingenious. I think you should call it the ‘Surname Lottery’. If your surname begins with a letter towards the beginning of the alphabet then BOOM you are a winner ,because you get to stand in a queue for hours, whilst the poor people whose surname starts with a later letter, have the misfortune to have to walk straight to the front as their queue does not even exist. It is an excellent use of staff resources to have a member of staff unable to check people in because their surname does not begin the correct letter.

After the joy of collecting our key, we arrived at our apartment. I am overjoyed to tell you that despite check in time was 4PM, our room was not ready till 7.30PM. This meant that we were able to wander aimlessly around your centre for hours, as all activities appeared to close at 6. Thank you for that opportunity.

Having made the decision to hire bedding from the centre after being quoted £8 for a double and £5 for a single, a total of £13, I was DELIGHTED to have then been charged £10 for a single and £20 for  a double, I loved paying more than double the amount I was quoted. We were then told the price that we were quoted was the pre-booked price. Obviously had we been told this previously, we still would not have pre-booked as who doesn’t love paying twice the amount they originally expected?

As I am sure you are aware, what with you being the manager and all, that the XXXX Apartments are self-catered and perhaps as the manager you may also be aware of where our grill pan is. Having asked for it three times, I can only assume, the person bringing it to us got lost, which is an easy mistake to make.

Something else to congratulate you on is the bed. I have slept on one that is more uncomfortable than the one in that apartment. Now, XXX, you joker you, I know you did this for our benefit, so we would spend as much time as possible awake and enjoying the facilities. You really nailed it by making the curtains hang off so as well as the bed being uncomfortable, the room constantly felt like it was day time. I loved it.

Now, as I have said before I love queuing pointlessly for hours, so what a privilege it was to be able to queue for a full half an hour (from 3.30-4) to then be told that the crazy golf closed at 4. Lucky for me , there was no sign up to tell us that it closed at 4 or I wouldn’t have been able to stand there for half an hour.

And finally the pool. I thought it was HILARIOUS  how you missed off the minus sign before the advertised 25 degrees for the pool temperature. What a hoot!

Thank you XXXXX for this ‘once in a life time’ experience and I do mean ONCE in a life time

Yours

Bex.

PS where is our grill pan?