Chatroom

[haylee]

<sub>I probably should. Haha. I have most of the intro done, but I am just to lazy to do anything else.

Hm...

I want to start a dog training business.</sub>

[Story]

_{In real life or on here?}

[haylee]

_{Real life. I need money and I like doggies.}

[Story]

_{Ahh, I see. You any good at training dogs though?
On a sidenote, I dislike the Dog Whisperer. He just goes," SHH!' to scare the dogs and yanks at their collars.}

[haylee]

<sub>I suppose, my family says I am, because I trained my dog I have currently all by myself and help train several other dogs.

I dislike him to. He doesn't know how to communicate with them, he just seems mean and a big 'thoughie' when all he is using is fear and whatnot. I like the 'It's Me or the Dog' person; Victoria Stillwell.</sub>

[Story]

<sub>Okay, I'm just going to give a quick run-by of what happened on each day.

Monday
Ten packed buses departed from the high school parking lot at about 9 in the morning, horns blaring to match the excited screaming of the students inside. Despite the band having grown by a little more than ten members, ballooning from 223 the previous year to 228 this year, two buses were cut. Last year, twelve buses transported students, still quite packed. It normally ends up that a few seats will be luggage seats, overflowing with sleeping bags, instruments, and suitcases. Students then are free to sit with a friend. I chose to ride with my trombone, suitcase, and garbage bag containing a sleeping bag -big surprise there-, pillow, body pillow, sheets, a mini desk fan, and box of granola bars. Plus my little carrier bag.

We arrived at a religious youth camp sometime just before 10:30am. Everyone rushed to unload their bags and get to their assigned dorm to claim top or bottom bunk with their best pal. I've been fortunate these past four years now to get top bunk, the spot I prefer. Though it's hard to get down the ladder, especially when your feet are killing you, it's fun to hop over bunks or just have a good view of what's going on. Anyway, we had half an hour to wipe the plastic-covered mattresses down to disinfect, make our beds, and get settled in. At 11am, we'd go onto the field.

The seniors had decided that we were going to pull a little prank during one of the drills. When one of the drum majors said," You guys are looking pretty weak out there," we, the seniors, would pass out. It didn't happen. In the first hour or so, a handful of people -ten or so- passed out or nearly did. They'd locked their knees on accident, were dehydrated, had skipped breakfast, or whatever. It was decided that we'd wait until the next day so that the people would have recovered enough from their embarrassment to laugh at this.

Lunch was at noon to one and we received our coordinate sheets. We had to review marching basics and then teach them how to read a coordinate sheet because it's confusing as heck. Like, if our coordinate sheets say to go to the right 45 yard line, it is actually our left when we're on the field, the audience's right side. Not to mention that you have to count say...12.75 steps off home hash. Ect. Blah blah, be on either inside the right 45 yard line or outside, whatever. XD Buuut, because I'm a section leader, I get to have a folder with the big pictures on it to help find the correct spots and shapes.

Everything was pretty uneventful up until we finished marching for the first day. After hours of repetitive drills, finding our sets, and going back to repeat it all, we were done for the evening. We marched from six to nine (break was 4-5, dinner 5-6) and then when nine o'clock rolled around, section leaders were sent off to stations around camp and the rest of the band was divided off into large groups to do the Scavenger Hunt.

My group of three people (including myself) decided to sit on the picnic table by the scaffolding that the drum majors conduct from. When groups came, made them sing the Batman theme. Our friend (one of the group members) would run from behind a tree, dressed as Batman. While two people did a Warhead challenge (hold Warhead on the tip of your tongue without making a face) we made the rest of the group do Batman trivia. It was pretty fun. I wore my awesome squid hat and eventually, it ended. I wound up laying on the picnic table with two juniors, just gazing at the stars. We wound up using each other as pillows. It was just a fun, peaceful night. Yeah. So, after that, everyone pretty much just went back to their cabins to shower and get ready for bed.

The showers. DEAR GOD, the SHOWERS. They are absolutely disgusting! In past years, the shower curtains have had mildew and mold on them. Keep in mind, these are showers at camp, where many other people have showered and five other girls used it just before you. You gotta wear flipflops or risk getting athletes foot or something else that's nasty. They use well water (I'm a city kid accustomed to...er...processed/treated water) and ugh, it's horrible. Not only is the water pressure extremely low (think low enough that you have difficulty cleaning soap and shampoo off), but it smelled bad, it burns if it gets anywhere near your eyes, it tastes metallic (which is also nasty when brushing teeth/mint toothpaste+metallic well water=nasty), and there's semi-warm water for those that shower first and then cold water for anyone else. It's just disgusting. I'll admit that I was pretty much wailing in the shower. That's pretty much the first night. We all were exhausted and ready to crash.

Tuesday
I pretty much didn't sleep at all Monday night/Tuesday morning. We had probably 10 fans running during the night and it was freaking loud. I just could not fall asleep. I tried sleeping with my ear buds in, putting a pillow over my head, and listening to music. Nada. I might've dozed a little, but I doubt it. I just recall having a random 4AM party with two of my friends that woke up and couldn't fall back asleep. They wound up falling back asleep before long and I managed to doze. Eventually, everyone began to awaken. Cool beans. Time to get up and prepare for the second day of band camp. Breakfast came and went with little importance.

We went outside for the worst part of marching band. Warming up by playing scales and marching 8 to 5 or eight steps between yardlines, which is five yards. It's just tedious and the sun is starting to rise so it's in our eyes and it's already beginning to become hot. The grass is all dewy and wet and the repetition gets us more than anything. Finally though, we got to start reviewing our first song again. The seniors were all waiting anxiously for our drum major to give that cue ("You guys are looking pretty weak out there!") but that was delayed once more, for there was someone who had to be taken off the field for dizziness or something. We had to wait again.

We were bummed out by this. What if we didn't get to have our fun? We managed to chart through the whole second song that day, which is truly a feat to accomplish. Imagine learning to march through 12 different spots, going from one spot to the next, and knowing when to step off on the correct foot, or when to stay still and hold, staying on that correct foot, and then later on, adding an instrument. Then having to go through and play that first song we learned yesterday, as well as the second. It's hard work. Nothing else really happened for the rest of the day other than marching.

There was no special events planned for Tuesday night. It was free time upon finishing our evening hours of marching. Yay, free time. We had the opportunity to hang out in our bunks -perhaps steal the shower and use what precious little warm water there was before anyone else clamored for it- or go hang in the pavillion and play Mafia, a game that's become a tradition, hang out in the lodge and play ping pong, or hang around the camp fire. I opted for that. It's so peaceful sitting near the fire and star-gazing. The stars are amazing on a clear night.

I wound up talking to one of the cabin dads. I'm not sure exactly how we started talking but I eventually mentioned wanting to head out west, perhaps move to Colorado. He talked a bit about how beautiful it was there. He'd been stationed there years ago, as he'd been in the service. Recommended a few places that I should see should I ever go out that way. It was nice, in a way, talking to Mr. A and having an intellectual conversation. We talked for quite awhile before I decided to head in to my cabin, shower, and head to bed. Blech. Shower time.

Wednesday
Again, I didn't really sleep. It was a little bit quieter during the night, though, again, it was still too loud, even with my headphones in. I don't know how I could stay awake after several exhausting days of band camp. I might've dozed for a little bit, but eventually woke again. I think there was a little storm. I could see flashes of light and heard distant rumbles. I might've started to doze again. Until...freaking 5:15am rolls around. You know what the girls woke up to? The DRUMLINE POUNDING THEIR DRUMS OUTSIDE OUR DORM. -___-" Yep. But, I guess one of the girls that's on the drumline (it was only the boys that did this) came outside to yell at them and was in nothing but a bra and underwear. O.o I had my music in, so I barely heard the drums. We were all pretty irritated. So, we girls plotted against the boys. That came later.</sub>

[haylee]

_{That is very true. It has just gotten really stupid and people keep copying each other.}

[Story]

_{Or it doesn't portray real life at all. Not everyone goes out and whores around like Jersey Shore. I won't ever watch that stuff. Yuck. I value my brain cells and surely would lose some just by watching.}

[haylee]

_{I accidentally watched it one time, the TV was left on, and the two minutes I did see before turning the channel scarred me D: It was bad. It's just blech.}

[Story]

_{I wonder if it's as bad as...as the drumline? O.O The drumline is a terrible section to go near.}