Saturday, July 12, 2008

Over the fourth of July weekend I had the great pleasure of heading down to our nation's capitol to get together with some friends that I spent my time in Israel with. All of the students I went to school with in Israel are now either scattered throughout the states or still over there studying away. My friend Anna and I (who was in Israel and is also a fellow student at GCTS) drove down to Virginia, just outside DC, to join a dear friend Karin!! Walt joined us from Southern Virginia and we had such a wonderful time!!


Walter brought moonshine....It was weird and probably won't be tasted again


We went to a beautiful meadow to watch fireworks and enjoy a fourth of July festival...they had some interesting hats there in the south!

Native Americans at the festival

We journeyed into DC to go to a folklife festival put on by the Smithsonian...it was really fun!

Then we crashed a wedding at the national cathedral.....it was still open to the public even though there was a wedding going on....so bizarre!

The National Cathedral

We finished off the vacation with a little bit of lounging around at Karin's and a little round of pool!

Thursday, July 3, 2008

Busy day at work yesterday...

Ground-current Incident Causes No Injuries to La Vida Adventure Camp Staff

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 2, 2008

MEDIA CONTACT
Kristin Schwabauer
Office of College Communications

978-867-4037

This afternoon, July 2, 14 La Vida Adventure campers in the 14-15-year-old program, along with four adult staff members, were at Red Rock, an outdoor rock-climbing area in West Gloucester, as part of their normal schedule of activities. When the staff learned of the storm coming, they followed the Board of Health Safety Protocols for lightning--to come down from any high area before a storm hits and seek shelter in a building or vehicle. All campers and one staff member got to safety 15-20 minutes before the storm struck.

The campers were waiting in the College mini-bus at the parking lot while three staff members remained at Red Rock to pack up the rock-climbing equipment from the site. While walking along the trail back to the parking lot, at approximately 1:30 p.m., the three staff members felt a ground current from a lightning strike under their feet. Ground current occurs when lightning, hitting the ground, spreads out in all directions along the ground, dissipating as it goes. Though shaken, the staff members did not appear to have been injured, and drove themselves back to the Gordon College campus. In order to be certain that they were allright, they went to nearby Beverly Hospital to be checked out. As of 4:15 p.m., two of the three had been released from the hospital; the third was in stable condition and will be released pending some tests. All La Vida staff are college age or older. The staff members have asked that their names not be released.

For 38 years Gordon's La Vida program has provided adventure-based outdoor education. The goal of La Vida Adventure Camp, in existence for 12 years, is to build character, positive self-identity and a commitment to serve and care for others using small-group experiential learning.

In 2005 and 2006, the La Vida Adventure Camp was named "Best Summer Camp" by Community Newspaper Company's Reader's Choice Awards.

I wasn't one of the injured but I spent the afternoon and evening in the hospital making sure all was well. Nothing like a little lightning to get you all trained just in case I am going to be a chaplain someday!


Tuesday, July 1, 2008

My sister tagged me to do this...so now I must indulge my desire to procrastinate!

A - Attached or single:
single and taking advantage of it by traveling about!
B - Best Friend: sister and it's too hard to choose the rest!
C - Cake or Pie: Mom's Kentucky Derby Pie (Pecan pie with chocolate chips)..definitely have to echo Sarah on that...plus add her Apple Pie...it's a favorite!
D - Day of the Week: Saturday...I get to sleep in!
E - Essential Item: iPod
F - Favorite Color: Red or Blue...or both
G - Gummi Bears or Worms: worms for sure
H - Home town: Everett - I grew up there, Boston - I live here now
I - Indulgences: Reading magazines like "People", "Outdoors", "Real Simple"
J - January or July?: This Year, January because I'll be in Italy....but usually the answer is July because it's freezing in January.
K - Kids: someday
L - Life is incomplete without: Jesus....yep, I grew up in Sunday School
M - Marriage Date: TBA
N - Number of Siblings: 1 amazing sister
O - Oranges or Apples: Washington Apples!! Except the red delicious
P - Phobias or Fears: I don't know....being stuck somewhere by myself and in a very troubling circumstance?
Q - Quote: "“People who believe they must handle all their problems on their own often refuse to face problems they can’t handle.” – Larry Crabb; “If we have the time to even think about the issue of poverty, we are rich” – Dean Borgman
R - Reason To Smile: God, Family, Friends - spending the summer working with college students while rock climbing, kayaking, mountain biking, and climbing on ropes courses
S - Season: Fall
T - Tag Three: "I don't feel like playing tag today" said a very unruly camper today
U - Unknown fact about me: I have wanted to travel to Australia since I was about 9
V - Vegetarian or Oppressor of Animal: oppressor...but I've been considering becoming a vegetarian lately because I have to buy 9 pounds of deli meat every week for camp and it grosses me out....and, BBQ in Texas is very good
W - Worst Habit: lately, it's been moving too much....although, procrastinating is a great second best
X - Rays or Ultrasounds: x-rays....none of that goopy gel stuff all over you
Y - Your favorite food: anything.....and then chocolate chip cookies to polish it off!
Z - Zodiac Sign: Leo, but I don't believe in it