Week In Review

 
Last week was the last week of camp. Surprisingly, it went by very quickly. I think it helped that it was a busy week full of activities.

On Monday, we took the kids roller skating. I was surprised at how many kids were good at roller skating. I sat out on this trip because I'm lucky if I can walk in a straight line. I always wanted to roller skate when I was a kid, but no matter how many times I tried, I was never successful.

On Tuesday, a gentleman from the local science center came and did some demonstrations/experiments with our older kids. It was pretty interesting and I think the kids liked it. We spent the afternoon at the pool for the last time.

We had our talent show on Thursday. One of the perks of working with a cop? You get to use the squad car for your act. We had a skit involving cops and criminals and it was very entertaining. Nothing like getting to rough up your campers for fun.

Friday was our last day. We had a pizza party for the kids at our camp before all the camps met at the local beach. At the beach, we had ice cream with a ton of toppings. We definitely loaded the kids up with food and sugar that day!

Having a summer job really made the summer go by fast. I can't believe school will start in a couple weeks already. I am planning on doing the job again next year. Which camp site I decide to go to will depend on some factors, but I'm looking forward to doing it again next year.

I spent the weekend at home, relaxing. I spent most of Sunday working on my family tree. I hadn't done that in awhile and I ended up getting sucked in by some new information. I'm such a nerd.

How was your week?

 

Sunday Social - Food

 Another set of questions that we've answered less than a year ago. And again, my answers haven't really changed, but I'll answer them for those that didn't read it the first time.

If you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be? 

Can I say chicken so that I can enjoy it all the different ways I like? Most of my favorite meals involve chicken in some form. Fried chicken, chicken fajitas, chicken tenders, buffalo wings, chicken sandwiches and chicken and noodles. 

What's your guilty pleasure/comfort food? 

 It changes depending on my mood, the season, etc. But currently, it's ice cream. I like a lot of different flavors too.

What's the weirdest/craziest thing you've ever eaten? 

I'm kind of picky about foods, so I'm not very adventurous. The weirdest things I've tried were probably some things I tried while in France. Most of our dinners were already picked for us by our tour guide, so my choice was often to eat what was put in front of me or go hungry. Most of it I did like, but there were a couple things I have no desire to try again. One was veal. I did try it, but did not care for it at all.  The other thing was flan. The texture was just odd to me.

What foods do you avoid at all costs?

Lettuce - It makes me gag. I've tried it several times and every time it makes my gag reflex kick in. And you can't sneak lettuce into something on me, I always taste it no matter how small the lettuce. A lot of people tell me that lettuce doesn't have a taste, but to me it has a very distinctive taste. So yeah, I don't eat salads.

Also, anything raw, anything with mayo, most beans, and peas.

What meal reminds you of your childhood? 

It's actually a meal I don't eat, but Veranika always reminds me of growing up. Veranika is a German/Russian recipe that my grandma and aunt always made whenever our whole family got together for the holidays. It's a bit like ravioli but with cottage cheese in the middle and a white gravy (like sausage gravy) on top. My dad loves it. I like cottage cheese, but not in pasta and certainly not with gravy on top. My aunt always made some of the dough without the filling for those of us that didn't like it.

Share one of your favorite recipes and the story behind it.


I found this recipe for copycat Chick-fil-a nuggets awhile ago and gave it try. My husband and I love Chick-fil-a but the closest one is the next county over so we only get it when we're in the area. Plus, sometime I get hungry for them on Sundays. The recipe doesn't taste exactly like Chick-fil-a, but it's pretty close. I usually stock up on boneless, skinless chicken breasts when they are on sale and this is one of my favorite meals to make with them. We enjoy them with waffle fries for the true Chick-fil-a experience. And I discovered that Martzetti's Honey French Dressing is what Chick-fil-a calls Polynesian sauce.

 

Four for Friday

1. Camp is over! I feel like we just started and yet I also feel like I've been waiting for this day for months. I'll miss some of the kids and I'm happy that I'll see a few during the school year. I do plan to do this job again next year if I can.

2. I haven't commented on it here, but I am so excited that the Duchess of Cambridge had her baby. I rushed home from work on Monday to see if he'd been born yet and was able to watch the live feeds and see the announcement come out. I was sure she was having a girl! Also, I hope I look half as good as she did 24 hours after I have a baby.

3. Was anybody else obsessed with the United State Botanic Garden's titan arum (corpse flower) blooming? I was also stalking their live feed hoping to see it bloom and then watching the crowds visit.

4. I enter a lot of giveaways and contests around the Internet and I was determined this year to actually win some things. Imagine my surprise when I discovered I actually won something after nearly 7 months of no wins. I won a trip for two to Cincinnati, Ohio! It's only a one-night hotel stay, but it includes dinner and zip-lining. We've been wanting to do zip-lining for awhile, so we're excited to try it. Since we have a year to use the prize, we're saving it for our anniversary next year.

 What's new with you?
 

Week in Review

Last week was our penultimate week of camp. Only one week left! Some days it feels like it has flown by and some days it feels as if time has been dragging.

Last week was a very hot week. Temperatures were in the 90s all week and with the heat index, it felt like it was over 100 degrees. We normally try to do a lot outside, but last week, we tired to keep the kids cool and inside a lot. We spent a lot of time working on our act for the talent show.

The highlights of the week were a trivia competition, a track meet during a heat advisory, and a much needed trip to the pool.

I also had a couple highlights of the week outside of work. Trish was down from Minnesota and I was able to see her and her adorable baby. I cannot believe how big he's getting!

The county fair started last week. I absolutely love the county fair! We went on Sunday and I was able to eat some of my favorite fair foods and check out all the animals and exhibits.

How was your week?

 

Sunday Social - TV

What was your favorite TV show as a kid?

I'm told that I highly enjoyed Punky Brewster as a kid. I actually have no memory of this, but I trust my mom knows what she's talking about.

I do remember watching The Cosby Show with my family. And various Saturday morning cartoons including the New Kids on the Block cartoon and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (I had younger brothers.)

As tween/teen, I loved Saved by the Bell, California Dreams, and Hang Time. Saturday nights, we stayed over at my grandparents' house and they had cable, so I could watch Clarissa Explains It All and Roundhouse.

What is your current favorite TV show? 

 Doctor Who & Sherlock!

Which reality show would you NEVER do? 

Survivor - Anything that involves a lack of indoor plumbing is just not happening.

Which reality show would you LOVE to do? 

The Amazing Race! My friend Trish and I actually really wanted to audition and make it on the show together. We even planned some things out like how she would learn to drive stick shift and I would be the navigator.

Sadly, we're both at a point where going on the show wouldn't be feasible. The closest I've come to being on the Amazing Race is running through the Cincinnati airport on our honeymoon.

What is the TV personality/character that you feel is most like you? 

Hmm, I can think of characters I'd like to be, but I can't think of any that are like me.

Which TV character would you want to date?

Sherlock, despite the fact that I know he doesn't understand love as a human emotion and he's a highly functioning sociopath (even though he's not really.)

Brainy is the new sexy, after all.

 

Sherlock - Favorite Actress

Today's Sherlock topic is favorite actress.

There aren't many actresses on Sherlock, but while the choices are slim, I still have a hard time picking a favorite. So, I'm going to say it's a tie between Louise Brealey and Una Stubbs.

Louise plays Molly Hooper and she does it brilliantly. I can't help but feel for poor Molly who loves Sherlock, but is often overlooked by him. Feels a little familiar, you know?

Una Stubbs plays Mrs. Hudson, the landlord of 221b. I adore Mrs. Hundson. She's just the right combination of motherly and bossy. She always manages to infuse some humor into her scenes as well. And I love the relationship she clearly has with Sherlock. I'd love to know more about that back story!




Who is your favorite Sherlock actress?
 

Week in Review

(Ugh, I wrote this yesterday and scheduled it to post this morning, so of course it didn't! Stupid Blogger!)

Another week over, another week of camp done. We only have two more weeks of camp left. Then I have 2 weeks off and school starts again. Hopefully, I'll start getting calls for jobs right away!

Work was frustrating last week. Some of my coworkers seem more interested in playing with their phones than doing their jobs, which is maddening. Especially when it results in me being the only adult actually supervising the kids. I bit my tongue a lot last week and came home and ranted to my husband. Also frustrating is that nobody wants to actually plan things to do, so we spend a lot of time standing around and then the kids get antsy and start doing things they shouldn't do. They need structure, but some of my coworkers don't seem to get that. It's awkward because I'm basically just an extra body who doesn't seem to have any say in anything. I like my job and would like to do it again next year, just not with some of these coworkers.

Anyway, on to some highlights of the week!

On Thursday, we took the kids to a museum. (Sadly, because it's the only one in the world, I can't tell you about it because it's highly Google-able and I'd like to keep my exact location somewhat private.) We also went to the library. The smaller kids had fun. My older kids were brats and my partner and I were frustrated with them and our camp director had enough of them as well. I think the field trips were a little young for them that day.

On Friday, I got to be in charge of all the younger kids and take them to the splash park that happens to be located in our camp park. My two useless coworkers had to leave early that day and my camp director has acknowledged several times that I can take charge and direct the kids as well as discipline when necessary. She had to go with my partner to the pool with the older kids. It was nice to have my hard work and skills recognized.

The kids had a lot of fun at the spray park and they did a great job of behaving and following the rules. I stupidly managed to burn my back and shoulders. I had put sunscreen on my shoulders, but it's old and I don't think as strong as it should be. As a result, I spent the weekend trying not to move too much and find the most comfortable clothes I could stand to wear. And applying lots of aloe!

How was your week?

Sunday Social - Music

What is your all-time favorite song? 

I like a lot of songs, but for the sake of this post, I'll narrow it down to just one song. I'd have to go with The Way I Am by Ingrid Michaelson because it's our song and it was our first dance at our wedding. There are lots of good memories with that song.

Who is your favorite singer/band? 

Kelly Clarkson!

What song reminds you of your childhood? 

Anything by New Kids on the Block! I was a huge fan back in elementary school. I had everything from school supplies to t-shirts to bedding to a Joey doll. 



What songs put you in a good mood?

Anything fun and upbeat - especially stuff that makes me want to dance.

What is your music to rock out to in your car?

I like to sing when I'm alone in the car, so I tend to put on CDs I can belt along to like the Wicked soundtrack.

What is the most embarrassing album or song you own?

I might be embarrassed by the amount of Clay Aiken music I have.

 

Week in Review

Last week was another exciting week of working at the day camp. The bonus was that due to the holiday, it was only a 4-day week.

On Monday, I started at my new camp. I had previously been told that I would be given my own group of young children, but like all things related to working for city, that plan apparently changed. Instead, I was asked to help lead the 10-12 year olds group. I don't mind because I'm used to being flexible at work and I could always use some more experience with older kids. Just a bit of a surprise to start my Monday.

On Monday, we took the kids to a local state park where a ranger talked to us about animals. We got to pet a snake and see a turtle up close.

On Wednesday, we went bowling, which the kids enjoyed.

M and I didn't have to work on the 4th, but we just stayed home. I got some cleaning done around the house.

Friday, we took the campers to a local beach/water park where we had a sand animal building contest against the other camps. We didn't win, but we had fun building a giant sand sea turtle.

Over the weekend, we took a trip to Sam's Club and stocked up on some things. We celebrated the 4th on Sunday with M's family. It turned into an excuse to shoot my brother-in-law's guns. I stayed inside and enjoyed the food instead.

How was your week?
 

Sunday Social - Vacation

 We've actually already answered these questions and since I haven't taken a vacation since the last time, I fear my answers haven't really changed. But I'll try to think of new ideas, I guess.

What is the best trip you've ever been on? 
Hands down, our honeymoon - 10 days in Florida. We stayed in my favorite hotel, The Animal Kingdom Lodge, had tons of fun at Walt Disney World, started some new traditions, and even got to touch a penguin. If you want to know more about our honeymoon, there are links to those posts under the Our Wedding tab.



What is your best idea for a girls weekend trip? 

A weekend isn't much time for a trip, so I'd probably do a weekend in Chicago since we can take the train over and it's between my best friend and me. Chicago has lots to do and I'm sure we'd all find something we enjoy doing.



What is your best idea for a couples trip?

We most frequently go to Chicago since it's so easy for us to get there and we love going to the museums. But honestly, just being able to go anywhere with my husband is good thing.

What is the best vacation on the cheap? 

 Washington D.C. All of the attractions we visited were free. We got a great deal on a hotel through Priceline and saved (some) money by eating in the suburbs. I'd love to go back because there's so much we didn't do yet.



What is the place you most want to visit?

I really want to do a cruise to Alaska for our 5 year anniversary in a few years.

I'm also really desperate to get to London.


 

Sherlock - Favorite Actor

Today's Sherlock topic is favorite actor.

I don't think it will come as a surprise to anyone when I say this man right here is my favorite actor.

Benedict Cumberbatch is not only my favorite Sherlock actor, he's also my favorite actor, period. He absolutely makes the character of Sherlock. I simply cannot imagine anybody else doing nearly as good as a job as Sherlock.

Who is your favorite Sherlock actor?
 

Week in Review

First of all, I have to say: Happy Canada Day!

Last week was our second week of camp. Sadly, we only gained one more camper at our site, so last week was our last week. But we were all able to keep our jobs and move to other sites. I'm not thrilled with the situation, but it's a job.

We took field trips with our campers last week. On Monday, we went bowling which they enjoyed. A few seemed to enjoy the vending machine more than the actual bowling. I swear we feed these kids, but anywhere we take them, they are drawn to the food.

Thursday we went to the city pool, which I've never been to before. I didn't get in the regular pool, but did wade a few times into the zero-entry "baby" pool.

On Friday, all the camp sites went to the zoo. Since we only had six kids, I was asked to help out one of the other sites and ended up with a group of 10-12 year old girls. We had questions to answer as we viewed the animals.

I had a nice, relaxing weekend at home. I did venture out for a haircut Saturday morning and then we hit up an estate sale. I managed to snag an old color-by-number book from the 60's for only $1.50. I blame hanging out with the kids this summer for my sudden urge to color and perhaps try some watercolors.

How was your week?