Avalanche

More to come later, but a fun weekend of camp with good friends, goofing around at Buffalo Wild Wings, and then talking about theology, and then talking about it a little more with D-Wag is worth blogging. Plus church at Temple Hill was a hoot! I love my church home in Cadillac.

Catching up with Isaiah after too long was a blessing too. I don't know why I have some of the best friends I could ask for between my crew from Hope and everyone at camp, but I really do.

And speaking of Hope, I could be coming there sooner than I expected. More hopefully to follow on that.

RE-post: WHAT is your name?!

Back during Christmas 2008, the Center Lake staffers went crazy with a boomerang survey. I was a part of it, and it was one of the best early Christmas presents I had. One of those warm fuzzies type of things, for sure, but in my mind, it spoke to how working together all summer in the service of Christ deepens your friendships.

So a repost from Facebook that I felt like re-sharing because it's worth doing.

Originally on... Tuesday, December 9, 2008 at 12:25pm

Post your name and I will do each of the following:

1. I'll respond with something random about you.
2. I'll tell you which song or movie you remind me of.
3. I'll say something that only makes sense to you and me.
4. I'll tell you my first memory of you.
5. I'll tell you what animal you remind me of.
6. I'll ask you something I've always wondered about you.
7. I'll tell you my favorite thing about you.
8. If you play, you MUST want to post this on yours

Jessica Clouse: Oh, oh! Pick me, pick me!

~Jess

Tyler Racey: Jess

1. Those pictures of you from Homecoming 2007 with the crazy-go-nuts curly-whatsits are mesmerizing. The fact that your hair can do that is amazing.
2. "Big Trouble" becaaaaaause... you KNOW you liked it.
3. "What up, BISCUIT?!"
4. InterVarsity at Hope & encounters at the Kletz. I love those super flurries.
5. A duck. They're lovable and feisty. Love the ducks. And be afraid. Be VERY afraid.
6. Did you ever get the urge to go all King Koopa with the stuff in the Kletz on your last day, even if you knew it would get you in all kinds of trouble? Even for fun?
7. You love your students and love teaching them math. Don't stop that and give it some more time... you'll be a fantastic teacher. Just wait and see what God has in store for you.

Heidi Baker: Heidi B

Tyler Racey: Heidi

1. If you're a Trinity Troll, do you get your very own BRIDGE?! AHAHAHAHAHA. Sometimes I slay myself.
2. "If We Are the Body" - Casting Crowns
3. "No one came to camp from my institution, either."
4. AO training and I threw the giant white Fruit Loop to you. You didn't drown! Good times.
5. A real mother goose. She takes care of her babies (the SMTs) while also fully-prepared to put on her boots of buttkicking with them needed.
6. Have you ever had the overwhelming urge to tell the Heidi Baker with IRIS Ministries that she stole your name?
7. You are willing to reach out and love the unloved when others won't.

Isaiah Nichols: Lulz.
Isaiah Nichs

Joy Morin: JOY MORIN. :D

Heidi Baker: awe Tyler that was awsome, thanks! And sometimes I do want to tell the other Heidi Baker that she stole my name...but she had it first...she is a Heidi Baker Heidi Baker's around the world should strive to be like :)

Tyler Racey: Isaiah

1. I'm concerned about your spelling ability when it comes to names of members of the Spheniscidae family. What is a "pengin" anyway?
2. "Oh, Spaghetti" - Heywood Banks
3. "ISAIAH NICHOLS, I'm surprised at you! How could you do something that to our camper, taking his coffee away from him?!"
4. "Your name is Isaiah?" *Inner monologue: That's AWESOME!!!!*
5. A hummingbird. Before you threaten to go all Jet Li on me for a comparison to such a tiny bird... read the response to no. 7.
6. How far do you think we'll send the flip flop before you get it back?
7. A hummingbird spends most of its waking hours in search of food. If they don't, they will die. That's how I see you in your relationship with Christ. You're constantly searching, looking to grow in Him and seeking that which will nourish your spirit.

Isaiah Nichols: Just the other day I was pondering Kenny's coffee addiction... that kid was funny.

Tyler Racey: Joy

1. I'm still waiting to see you play both your horn AND the piano at the same time. Come on, go all Sarah Brown on us!
2. "Sunny and Seventy-Five" - Chelsea Stephenson
3. "Some... peo-ple like sunny and seventy-five!"
4. Well, the first was an encounter in Nykerk. I thought to myself, "So she's Joy Oosterbaan. Yay, I could be good friends with my accompanist!"
5. A cat-not easily taken by surprised and always ready.
6. What are you & Paul doing after graduation?
7. Of all my accompanists, you and I were easily the closest. Part of it was the willingness to work together right away and I think the common bond of being brother and sister in Christ.

Daniel Wagner Jr. d

w
a
g

junior

Isaiah Nichols: WHAT is your favorite color?

Tyler Racey: WHAT is your quest?

Jon Mundinger: WHAT is the air-speed velocity of a coconut laden swallow?

Nate Martin: SchNATE SchMARTIN

Tara Hartley: Tara...

Tyler Racey: Dan

1. What? You helped incite ANOTHER comment war on someone's picture?!
2. Above All - Michael W. Smith (version I own)
3. "I think Tyler's in there..." "REALLY?!" *Bone-crushing hug in mid-sentence*
4. We were talking either with Em and I think maybe Isaiah outside maybe Bear Cabin during Pre-Camp/Orchard Grove Rentals week. I finally asked you, "Yeah, and you are...?" Not at all awkward at all!
5. An OWL. Because I know you stay up LATE.
6. Why did you help let the POKeMON Facebook groups get so out of control? Seriously.
7. Your sense of caring for your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. Despite the endless teasing that I saw between you and the other SMTs at camp and the guff everyone took... there's love.

Tyler Racey: Nate

1. The finger mustache.
2. Everlasting God - Lincoln Brewster
3. "Slow it down." "I thought I did." "More!" (We're in agreement :-) )
4. This digs DEEP; remember membership class in Pastor Carlson's office back at WABC? WAY back when Scott and I were in middle school? Yup.
5. A horse - think you can guess why?
6. Who taught you to play the drumset? I've always been a bit curious.
7. I've come to admire your insight since getting to know you at Center Lake this past summer. Your hunger for the Word and desire for others to know Christ is apparent. You'll be great as a counselor next summer, not just as the "fun" counselor but someone who will be great for the kids' spiritual growth as well. I can sense it.

Nate Martin: i think... Bait's number three... i remember that. was that at the church that one day?

and a horse? hmmm, it doesn't take too much thinkin' if i am thinking right...

i actually kinda sorta learned the start up of the whole kit and kaboodle on how the drum set works from my middle school band teacher... maybe seventh grade? my skillz have evolve since then. like from magikarp to gyrados.

Andrew Fleszar: andrew flesheater

Tyler Racey: Tara

1. So there was this one time at Foster School you were laughing your head off/slightly complaining because Mr. Kipp put WAAAY too much ketchup on your burger and you were kind of mad. But laughing too. I thought it was hilarious for some reason. :-)
2. The Locomotion - Grand Funk Railroad (came up on the music player's shuffle!!!!)
3. "The wassail tastes fine, Your Majesty..." *GAAAAAK!!!!*
4. It probably has to do with 2's and 3's at WABC. WAAAY back.
5. A luvvable teddy bear!
6. How did YOU get on the Badger when I failed so many times?!
7. You could make me laugh at the randomest things.

Tyler Racey: Andrew

1. Isaiah almost got his flip-flop home. But our combined efforts, mostly yours, have sent it on a truly amazing journey. A mighty joke thanks you.
2. Something by Eric Whitacre. Pick your favorite. "Lux Aurumque," perhaps?
3. "HI ANDREWWWWWW!"
4. You randomly appeared in Bear Cabin late one night on one of the last nights of staff training and started to talk to Casey Butler and I was like, "Who IS that?"
5. A raccoon. Remember Isaiah's honey jar, you bandit?
6. Do you know who was the first person to cook up the nickname "Flesheater?" Annnnd, if you do, please tell me.
7. You're such a serious thinker, Andrew! It's so refreshing that, despite all the accusations against younger generations, to know people like you that take the Bible seriously. There is still hope for TRUE Christianity with people like you who seek to learn and also listen and understand.

Samantha 曉詩 Tan: sam tan!

Andrew Fleszar: thanks tyler :D
and yeah ben folly first thought of it with wookie :)

Tyler Racey: Sam

1. I'll respond with something random about you.
2. Police Story 3 - Jackie Chan & Michelle Yeoh.
3. *Broadway songs in Habitat for Humanity Houses*
4. I think I got it right this time! Working on the Habitat for Humanity house in Cadillac AND the overnight camping trip. My thought: This counselor from Malaysia is HILARIOUS!
5. A jaguar. They can make some fierce noises and are fierce themselves. Like you.
6. Are you so free with being so feisty/yelling "SHUT UP!" at your friends? And by that, I mean do they just take it all to mean, "Oh that's just Sam being herself!" and nothing more?
7. Beneath that tough, feisty exterior that gladly matches the likes of Mike Johnson and Nate "Wookie" Woods wit-for-wit, even if you get pushed into Center Lake, you have a heart even bigger for serving others and so much love to give. The campers noticed that. Don't ever let that diminish, Sam. It'll carry you far.

Samantha 曉詩 Tan: 6. i really hope so, tyler. i don't really mean it!
7. thanks tyler (: that made my day.

Bethany Gerstung: Bethany! =]

Tyler Racey: Oops! Sorry Sam, forgot number 1! Ahem.

Mulan. I saw that on the freetime board and was lost till I realized that was a nickname. Silly me.

Tyler Racey: Bethany

1. I still call lifeguard tubes "macaroni noodles" because of you. :-)
2. "You Never Let Go" (OH NO!) - Matt & Beth Redman
3. "Why aren't you all crispy crunchy?!"
4. Hearing the TGS voices during staff training and realizing that you have the uncanny ability to sound just like them. I was in awe. And then, yeah... the fireside skit was side-splitting.
5. A cat. Your facial expressions remind me of a cat's.
6. Are you coming back next summer?! Please yes?!
7. You have the gift of laughter. It worked so marvelously well with the campers this past summer. A lesson we all can learn.

Bethany Gerstung: 6. - I'm really not sure.. =[
7. - Thank you very much... seriously made my day.

Jonathan Britton: ʇuǝɔıɟıuƃɐɯ ǝɥʇ ǝƃɐuʍd uıɐʇdɐɔ

Jonathan Britton: AKA JONATHANZ

Tyler Racey: Jonathan

1. You sometimes type upside down.
2. "Bob" - Weird Al Yankovic
3. "I've missed you Jon!" "I've missed you too, Tyler!" "Uh, Jon?" "I've missed you too, Tyler!" "Uh... Jon?" "I've missed you too, Tyler!"
4. You finally arrived, and I thought, "Wait, another SMT? Who is he?" Kinda inoccuous. If only I knew.
5. A seagull!
6. Why don't YOU peel the onions YOURSELF?!
7. Because... despite the fact that you have that strange gift of being a creeper and can scare the daylights out of me with a hug after not seeing you since August... I see a guy who has the gift of humor and a lot of love for both his friends and the campers. And I see you sharing them both readily and willingly.
8. Come on. You know you want to.

Goodnight stories!

I love telling stories. A LOT.

I discovered REALLY FAST in my first year of counseling at Center Lake there's a bit of a learning curve if I wanted to tell from the same collected works that a lot of the core staff dudes and veteran guy counselors used that I had a bit to learn. So I listened intently with my campers, laughed my head off with them, and then began the stories myself in a sort of Dr. Seuss-meets-Monty Python style that I guess is all my own. Or something like that.

ANYWAY. I was talking to my good bro Austin on Facebook about this and that and we both needed to sign off, and well... read on. I already saved it in a note, but felt this is worth saving here too.

Austin: bedtime story?

Tyler: oh, sure...

"so there i was..."

Austin: nope i found yo numba the camp directory

Tyler: "with naught but a bowie knife, and one batmobile in the australian outback"

Austin: eating lamb chops?

Tyler: of course! grilled to perfection with a side of taipan egg omelet (better to eat the snake eggs before they hatch and bite you, of course)

when all of the sudden, i heard the roar of a kraken!

Austin: THE kraken?

:o:o

Tyler: oh yes! THAT kraken!

Austin: timothy~

!

Tyler: krakens being my mortal enemy, and loving a good challenge, i pulled out my ocarina from the batmobile and began to play music... first zelda's lullaby to lull it into a false sense of security (to make it think i don't know what i'm doing and am just pushing random buttons)

then the song of storms to make it rain, and then that guy starts making the windmill spin too fast, which somehow makes the KRAKEN angry

Austin: (when in fact you are)

Tyler: true!

so there we are, ready to do battle

and then the announcer says, "round one... FIGHT!"

so we're off, doing battle!

Austin: japanese or eastern european announcer?

Tyler: this guy's more japanese-ish

i stick my knife in its little sheath and decide to go for amore direct attack

a few jabs and punches

Austin: and a flick behind the ear!

Tyler: the kraken, he wraps a tentacle laced with suction cups around me, squeezes a few times, and somehow that sends me flying until i hit the invisible wall, -KERSMACK!-

so i decide to throw a nice fireball at him, yelling -HADOKEN!- (cue fireball sound effect)

Austin: (for good measure)

Tyler: krakens obviously don't like chi-based fire

Austin: or chi-based currey

Tyler: (that too)

then the kraken goes for the direct move, smacking me a few times with his lobster claw-like thingses (this is one of those dual-type lobster/squid types)

so then i decide my knife needs some action and roll to see if i successfully can ride the kraken!

i roll a natural 001!

success!

Austin: naturally

Tyler: i land on top of the kraken and roll again for a skill test to see if i can slash at one of the biggest tentacles

success (it must be my day!) (i lost track of the number)

Austin: his nameis franky

Tyler: ah! that's right!

so i slash at his tentacle before just stabbing the knife into the tentacle

the kraken franky, he doesn't like that very much

so i jump off with a nice flip, roll the control pad and press punch and execute a nice dragon punch as he goes for another tentacle squeeze

we trade hits and each slam into the invisible walls

Austin: fighter's destiny!

Tyler: with our damage meters nearing empty, it comes down to one final move...

who will win? me, the australian adventurer? or franky the kraken?!

Austin: quick press up, down, up,up,up,up left kick spin punch

!!!

Tyler: funny... my combo meter was at level 3!!!!

Austin: gnarly...

Tyler: and i pushed that and flew across the screen and flew into the wildest hurricane kick that you ever SAW!!!!

and krakens HATE hurricanes

Austin: KATRINAD!!!

Tyler: the kraken spun around and got kicked over and over, spit flying, claws snapping, suction cups making sucking sounds, and teeth breaking

Austin: or DAVID'D!!!!

Tyler: and when the dust settled, all i could see was a little crayfish scuttling next to a puddle of saltwater

Austin: and a jelly bean!

Tyler: i set him in it, resheathed my bowie knife (which had somehow fallen in the sand), ate the jelly bean (which healed my wounds)

Austin: wounds of might!

Tyler: and drove off in my batmobile, which had been refueled, looking for another challenge

Austin: and the sun set as the crayfish died suddenly of massive hemorrhaging!

Tyler: oh yes, i always forget that part

Austin: lol....awesome thanks for the potential dream fuel bro good night!!

Tyler: no prob - have a good night bud

Not too many stories make me laugh when I re-read them, but this one does.

Looking back on the dryer

It took three (or was it four?) days, unclogging the original vent, a roll of aluminum tape, two pairs of scissors, three trips to the hardware store, two different vents, two clamps, a second set of nuts and bolts, string, a black Sharpie, tipping the dryer over, putting it back together, and this special cutting tool.

But I got the dryer back in working order. And I loathed most every moment. I hope I don't have to do it again for YEARS.