A series of unfortunate events...

There are times in life when you just need to step back and let things slow down before everything spins out of control. Unfortunately, these times usually occur when there is no time to slow down. The result is a series of unfortunate events, which, when occurring separately from each other most often is just enough to ruin a day or a situation. However, when these events occur sequentially the result can lead to one hilarious experience.

Here is the condensed version of the story...
Sunday afternoon, after a weekend of hosting I am finally on my way home. I left the GPS at RVR to avoid hearing the "make a U-turn" that I heard the entire way to RVR. After a few hours of smooth sailing the printed directions fail me and I have now clue where I am. The gas station man didn't speak English very well and just threw a map at me. That would have helped if I had had a fat clue where I was. A man who had walked in the store behind me told me where to go (I wasn't that far off track) and I was on my way again. Not five minutes after getting back on track the right front tire on my truck blows. (with all the bumping, thumping, smoking, swerving, and exploding that you can imagine would go along with a situation like that) After several phone calls with dad and the AAA people, all trying to figure out exactly where I am (because I really had no idea) the mechanic showed up and changed my tire and I was back on the road. A little over 8 hours after beginning my trip, I was at home.

Monday morning takes me to the airport with my sister on our way to Florida. We get to the airport with no problems. There are short lines and things are running smoothly until security check. I apparently looked like a terrorist. I don't know if any of you have ever been frisked in an airport, but it is an experience. One that I don't care have again.

The flight was good, Florida was good. We had a lot of fun on Monday getting a tour of Jason's ship and seeing the beach. On Tuesday we headed to Orlando for Sea World. I was really excited about this and really looking forward to it. Then we found out that because we didn't have military i.d.s we couldn't get in under Jason's free pass. (bummer)

So we went to Downtown Disney and walked around and explored. After a long day and a little bit of trouble getting our rooms we were finally checked in and ready for bed. Wednesday morning we decided to go to the Hollywood Studios Park. We got in! And then it started raining. So we ran around the park seeing cool things and watching sweet shows soaking wet and cold.

I decided that I was brave enough to try a ride that I was told was not that bad. It was inside and they said that it just went fast and didn't flip or dip. Lies. All of them lies. (Except the fast part, and the inside part.) Needless to say, it didn't go over well. But I did recover.

Then we had problems with the rooms. They changed them and then we didn't know where and we had to get our stuff because we had to catch our plane and they wouldn't give us the key..... craziness. We rushed to the airport. Got there on time and made the flight. (I even had time to change out of my soaking wet clothes.) We got in a few minutes early but there were problems with parking the plane and such that took quite a bit of time. (still not sure what that was all about) Then we had to run to catch our next flight that was 3 concourses away and at a different gate than they had originally said. We made it with like 10 minutes to spare only to find out that it had been delayed 30 min. We finally got on and got home around 11:30 pm. Exhausted. (and when I say Exhausted, I mean EXHAUSTED.)

What an adventure.

I can canoe, can you canoe?

So today we all showed up to work expecting to clean the lodges that were used over the weekend like we do every Tuesday. When Matt showed up he had little Lilah with him because Michelle had to take a friend to the airport. We just chilled in the classroom for a bit... thinking that we were waiting for Michelle to get back and get Lilah before we all went to clean. Then Matt handed Lilah to Beth and tried to drag a canoe into the classroom. As you may have guessed it didn't fit through the door, so we all went out on the porch and Matt told us that we were going to clean in the morning but that in the afternoon we were going to go canoeing. So he told us the basics of canoeing.... how to get in and out, different strokes to use, etc... We were all excited. Michelle came and got Lilah and then we went to start cleaning. Not 10 minutes after we started cleaning Matt came and found us and told us that his meeting was canceled and we were going to go as soon as we could get ready. We loaded up the stake body (truck) with 4 canoes and threw our packed lunches, extra change of clothes and life vests in the trunk of Bill's car and headed to the Codorus State Park Reservoir. We put in at the dock. Taco and I took one canoe and Beth and Dessa took another, Bill and Ryan shared a canoe and Matt had all our stuff in teh fourth canoe with him. It was pretty fun! We played around for a bit, getting used to the movement and practicing strokes. Then we paddled out to an island and got out to have lunch, skip rocks, compete in a rock throwing contest and have a devotion and quiet time. Then we all got back in the canoes and went down the reservoir. We went all the way to the end. Literally. It turned into marsh and the canoe was only a few inches over the bottom. Matt and Taco and I followed it past the shallow parts to a little stream that was feeding into it. Then we ran into a dead end because a tree had fallen across the stream and we couldn't get through. It was so narrow and shallow that we had to go backwards for a ways till it was wide enough again to turn around. It was really cool to see the fish and rocks and water plants. Then we paddled back to the dock. We were out there from like 12:00 to 4:30! No one flipped! It was awesome!

Funny sayings from the day:
Michelle as she is picking up Lilah and we are all standing there around a canoe after the initial greetings and questions about the baby's general welfare: Is the car seat inside?
Matt: yeah by my desk.
Michelle as she is walking into the classroom to put Lilah in the car seat: Ohh.. I hit a deer this morning on the other side of the car there, I hope it isn't too bad.
All of the interns look at each other shocked at how off hand Michelle just mentioned that she hit a deer and then look at Matt who is shrugging his shoulders. Every one bursts out laughing.

Beth after Matt told us about some really "gnarly" white water rafting stories from when he was a river guide: Isn't that dangerous? I mean people die from that right?
Matt in a voice that both communicates "duhhh" and "so...": yeah.

Giggles in the canoes... water "fights"....quoting "Oh Brother Where Art Thou"...singing...group hug...

Taco as we are in the canoe paddling away: Hey Sarah...Remember when I told you I had done this a couple times, I meant literally a couple times. Like two or three.
Sarah: Thanks for telling me this now Taco. Now that I already put my confidence in your abilities and we are out here on the water.

Guess you had to be there for all of those funny moments. sorry...
One regret... no one was brave enough to bring their camera out onto the water so there are no pictures. bummer huh!
The day ended with free Chick-Fil-A!
Did I mention that I love my job? Because I do!

Get Away to Gettysburg

It was a long and busy month of October for us interns. To celebrate surviving our first retreat season Matt planed a trip for us. Our first official GPS trip took us to Gettysburg, PA. A friend of Matt's father was generous enough to offer his cabin to us for a few days. So on Monday afternoon Matt, Michelle, Lilah and the six interns loaded up the van and the Merson's Subaru and headed to the mountains. The weather was great for our get away, and the scenery was beautiful. We had a great time relaxing, sleeping, eating, hiking, watching movies and playing games.


On Tuesday afternoon we drove up the road to Devil's Den and climbed, jumped and played on the big rocks. We also visited the Gettysburg outlets. We took several hikes looking for the A.T. that was somewhere behind the cabin and still aren't sure if we were ever on it. Our trip also contained several games of Settlers of Catan, a board game that seems to have become a quick favorite with the interns. We taught Matt how to play and I think it is safe to say that by the end of the trip he was successfully hooked on it. We were all having such a great time that when Wednesday evening rolled around we all couldn't believe it was time to head back to the ranch. But after a few days of "vacation" we are all ready to get back to work.

Have a Cow... Get a Cow.

At 3:00 on Wednesday morning 14 RVR staff including myself headed off to Chick-fil-A to stand in a line in the cold rain in hopes of getting 52 coupons for free meals. It was so cold and we were so wet. But we were all part of the first 100 there, so we all got in. We registered and got i.d. bracelets and then we were allowed to set up our tents. Once the tents were set up we had roll call. When they come over the intercom and tell you it's roll call time you have to line up in order of your numbers and they come through and make sure everyone is still there. They did this several times throughout the day. If you aren't there for roll call you are out and don't get coupons. I was number 59! Then we all took a nap. When we woke up the rain had stopped and the sun was starting to shine. Some of us played a game of Settler's of Catan to pass the time. Then Chick-Fil-A had some relays for us to play to entertain us while we waited! Someone from RVR won all the relays we competed in. We dominated! Later that evening after some card games and more Settler's of Catan, Chick-Fil-A set up a tv so we could watch the world series game. Then we all went to bed in our tents and woke up the next morning to get our coupons. Sweetness. We made it back to the ranch in time for work that day!

Did you know:

• That Chick-Fil-a feeds you while you are camped out in their parking lot over night? They do... twice 100 people walked through the drive through to get their food and once we were served inside.
• That when a tent says it is made for four people it really is made for four people. You may think that it will only fit three... but you would be mistaken.
• That a little girl will latch on to a total stranger in a Chick-Fil-A parking lot and talk to them for hours without stopping to take a breath. It's true!
  

Funny things that happened at Chick-Fil-A:

• Brad and Taco's relationship hit a whole new level.
• Beth and Betsy got hit on by the really creepy sailor man who showed too much man thigh.
• Beth left her coleslaw on the heater.
• Spooning. (boys... you know it happened... we girls had the same amount of people in the same size tent and had to squeeze in tight, so we know you had to too!)
• The giggle fest in the girls' tent before bed.

Funny sayings:
Chris Fournier to the little girl snuggled on my lap and talking insesently while watching the ball game: Is that hot chocolate hot?
little girl stops talking and only nods at Fournier.
Fournier: on a scale of 1 to hot, where is the hot chocolate?
little girl pointing to the drink table: over there.

And now the moment you have all been waiting for....
The story of Sarah and the Chick-Fil-A cow:
As most of you know, or found out, I have a fear of mascots. It is a legitimate fear. Everything at Chick-Fil-A was going fine until right before dinner time. We were standing in line for roll call and I looked up and there it was, that big ol' cow. And it startled me because I wasn't expecting to see it. I freaked and jumped and don't exactly remember what happened but somehow my face ended up between Taco's shoulder blades with my fists full of his sweatshirt. Taco and Chaloux who were on either side of me in line are looking around to see what is going on. I catch my breath (it is hard to breath when your heart and stomach switch places) and somehow remind Taco that I am scared of mascots. We are then informed that Chick-Fil-A will be serving us inside for dinner and that we will be going in one line at a time to eat. The problem with that is that I now have to walk past the cow to get inside and get my food. As the line moves up the cow moves away and I am safe. Taco, Beth and some others from our group who are near me in line stand close to offer me both support and protection. As we get to the door the cow comes out from wherever he was hiding and heads inside. This means that both the cow and I will be in between the two sets of double doors at the same time. Not an idea I am comfortable with. I am shaking, coughing because I can't breath, holding on to the back of Taco for dear life and pressed far back into the corner of that small room as I can get with my eyes closed while Taco and Beth form a protective wall in front of me. The cow moves on and Taco pulls me out of the corner and into the restaurant. I am gasping for breath and whipping tears and my face is all red. Then I look up and see one of the managers looking at me. ( he is a nice guy who was hanging out with us earlier that day) He has a look on his face that tells me he saw the whole thing and is wanting to laugh but isn't sure if he should. I tell him with a half laugh in a scolding tone that I almost died in there! He chuckles and I relax a little as the air and blood start to flow in the normal places again. The line moves up and Taco and I get sent to different cashiers. This means that I have to let go of the back of his hoodie. Not something I am totally comfortable with. With nothing to hold on to anymore I start to freak out again and Taco tells me he is right behind me. I take a couple steps forward and then I see the cow coming back to the front of the restaurant. I reach and look for Taco and he is no where in sight. It is my turn to order and I can't get any words out.. I am gasping for breath and for someone to hold on to. The girl behind the counter is looking at me funny and the cow is getting way too close way too fast. ( it is in this moment that I am about two seconds away from pure panic. I mean screaming, flailing, and hyperventilating. I might have even attacked the cow because my option to run or hide was nonexistent.) About two seconds before I loose it I see Beth step up to the counter beside me. I yell her name. ( i feel like i yelled her name... i wasn't getting words out too well at this point so it took two or three "yells" for her to hear me) Beth looks up sees my face and grabs me. She holds me and helps me order while I hide my head in her shoulder. No joke that cow walked right behind me... like no more than 5 feet away. Thank goodness the Chick-Fil-A servers were being trained and therefore caring every one's trays or my food would have been all over the place because I was shaking so bad. Taco came back from somewhere and got me in my seat across from Beth. We are in a corner where the cow can't get me with the rest of the rvr staff who saw the whole thing and are staring at me with wide eyes and open mouths. After a few minutes of sitting there the tears stop and the blood and air start flowing right again but the shaking doesn't stop. I choke down most of my food before the cow makes his rounds to the back of the restaurant again. This time I am well barricaded and have plenty of people to hold on to. But because the shaking hadn't totally stooped the coughing and tears come back. I am trying to laugh because I know how pathetic this situation is and to get everyone to believe I am ok, but I am still trying to catch my breath. Other people in our group start to chuckle and then the manager walks over to us and says something along the lines of a slight tease to me. I chuckle between breaths and jokingly tell him (even though i am being serious) that I just want the cow to go away. He pulls a little stuffed Chick-Fil-A cow out of his pocket and hands it to me saying something along the lines of here start with a small one and we'll work your way up to the big one. We explain to him that it isn't the cow it is mascots in general that I am afraid of and he jokes with us a little before walking on. Taco, Beth and some of the others flank me and get me out of the restaurant. The cow leaves me alone the rest of the night. In the morning we line up for out coupons and there is a big ribbon cutting ceremony and everything. The cow is back. This time walking up and down the line of us. I hid behind Taco again. The lady almost yelled at me for not being in line but then Taco showed her that I was behind him and that I was scared of the cow. The cow walked away... I peaked out from behind Taco and she took my number and gave me my t-shirt. Then I had to walk through the restaurant to get my coupons... the cow was there and I had to walk right past him, but the line was moving fast and Taco was right beside me and that manager saw me coming and stood between me and the cow. So I got my coupons with only a slight freak out! The end!

life at the ranch

Life at the ranch has been going pretty good! My sister and Aunts Verda and Nancy came for a visit on Sunday during Maizefest! It was awesome to see them! I miss my family! They brought me more goodies than I though was possible to eat... but somehow they are almost gone! The cookies were a big hit with the entire staff and Doug (the most awesome camp cook ever) said that they were his favorites! The brownies were the first to disappear and there isn't much left of the cake. Way to go Aunts! Thanks for coming to see me!

Maizefest days have come to an end. Sad day! I think I am going to miss it. But I am glad things are about to slow down.

Halloween was fun. I was a Green Crayola Crayon! The costume worked great! Everyone loved it! It was so much fun to all be dressed up! The guys' costumes turned out great too! The sewing machine and I had some tough moments together. But in the end it all worked out. Taco was great about keeping me company at the sewing table and keeping me laughing when I wanted to throw the machine. I was able to finish all of Bill's costume with the machine before it gave out on me. But Taco's costume still hadn't been hemmed at that point. So Chaloux, Taco and myself stayed up till 1 am on Saturday morning sewing. Those boys are awesome. If it weren't for them I would have been up all night and it might not have gotten done! But it did! And the boys really did look great! Here is the picture I promised!