Despite What People Say About Naked Horses

5:30am was the time my alarm was set to ring. Fortunately, my very tiredness kept me asleep until 6:42am. Bob has asked I meet him at 6:45am for a trip to the flea markets and the whirlwind that followed my sleep-in woke my bunk buddy who, from the look of it had a very rough night out "bowling".

"Bowling" is the code term we camp councilors use for all-night-binge-drinking.

The flea markets were long. 7am through till 9:30am was a little overkill for me. I did manage to spend $19US. I bought doll house chairs for Emma and Marie, a Jerry McGuire Video for Clown shop, A GIANT oversized novelty children's puzzle and a new board game for PUB.

Pub was productive. We had our first program printed and approved. YAY for Josh. Who approved it. And YAY for Ian who printed it. We managed to go with chocolate brown and RUBINE RED! Rubine Red for those of us not playing at home is the same colour that plagued my every waking moment at GAZAL. I TOTALLY know what pantone colour it is now :)

More importantly, the very attractive and awesome Kenny took his car out for a Starbucks Coffee Run at around 3pm. I had decreed that 37 degrees warranted one less staff member in the shop.

After dinner I decided to avoid any involvement in the Diversity Day music performance, favoring open shop night for Pub. Apparently, the founder of Buck's Rock was an Austrian who fled Germany during the 2nd world war after being captured by the Gestapo for airing an anti Hitler radio show. He came to America and started Buck's Rock refusing to celebrate any nation pride holidays. Amazing man Ernst was.

Tomorrow I look forward to a) shaving and b) having time to wash my hair.

Fruit of the Moment: American Flag Rainbow Icing

When I went to Cancún this winter, they had some of these things

Today was a day for running. But post the three miles of loopage, I was done for. That was it. I wanted to crawl up and get back to sleep.

I of course had made arrangements with Spencer the night before to have our 7:30am breakfast, which I thoroughly enjoyed. What I enjoy about breakfasts are the long periods of time where I can be seated, watching both staff and campers hurry about their business. It's the only time of the day where I can afford to sit and think calmly. Also its one of the only times during the day where I feel I'm allowed to converse with performing arts staff.

Pub was a little slow. All our CITs were out on their annual out-of-camp trip and Emma had taken them. With very little direction and projects, there was not much to achieve. Lucky I got to hang with all the cool Pubbies who make my Buck's Rock day worth living.

The water at Buck's Rock stopped working at around 11am. The water tank broke and we were left without toilets, showers or means of cooking for 500 people. Dinner was a little haphazard, but nice. The water has since been repaired and rerouted.

Tonight, I performed in the Staff on Stage concert with four other people in an impromptu vocal ensemble. I felt a little down about it. We all still had our sheet music and didn't really have the proper amount of time to rehearse. I figured since The Arcadians pulled the same song together in a few hours, I could in a week. Oh well. It was cute but I was tired and missed most of my harmonies. And worst of all, the campers up the back heckled me for not having Barnaby on stage.

I left the show almost immediately. We are supposed to go to the local bar tonight as a staff but I definitely need allot of sleep. I'll be sad about missing out on the fun. The game is to guess who has a fake ID and who has a real ID. Have fun Buck's Rock Staff. Im off to the lea markets tomorrow morning at 6:30am.

Fruit of the Moment: The Thing with the Stuff and the Things

I feel like I was better at this with smaller hands

Last night I fell into the gravitational pull of a Clown party vortex.

I understood the fact they were speaking English for most of the time, however it was fascinating to observe such a unique vernacular. It was a blend of old scripts, stand up routines, in jokes and returning staff general knowledge.

After another 3am night out, I couldn't stomach a 6am run. So, I made my way to Publications for the first Pub Breakfast of 2010. I have been waiting for Bob's famous waffles all year long. And it was certainly worth the wait. We also had this amazing sugar encrusted whipped cream, blueberries and irish butter toast.

I had several Theatre assistant directors come to Pub today to organise their programs. It was an onslaught and due to the lack of internet all day. One such new program was for Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead. The director wanted a coin on the edge about to fall with a hand coming to smash it. Above is the draft I'm working with. I started working with a digital manipulation of a coin from Google, when one of my many trips top the bathroom today from far too much coffee inspired me to visit the metals shop and make my own coin from scratch. Poorly I might add. I kept breaking the saw blades I used to cut the coper into the circular shape you see above. I even hammered all the individual letters too. After a few photographs of the coin wedged into the wooden floor boards of pub; voila.

Once again, much food was consumed but its just a simple fact of camp. Unavoidable. Like my expanding waist.

Fruit of the Moment: Seeded Risotto Rissoles

So, you like sugar huh?

I felt much better for running the 3 mile loop this morning. Got stuck between two oncoming cars at about the half way mark, but avoided any hit and run scenarios.

I had forgotten that I spent my breakfasts last year with Spencer from 7:30 onwards. Unfortunately, Spencer HAD remembered and was waiting for me from 7:30 at the dining hall. He forgave me... just. The campers who arrived on the breakfast gong formed a line that would rival the great wall of China. A very rare occurrence for breakfast I assure you. Its either due to first day excitement OR a camp full of early risers. Please let it be excitement.

Pub lost the internet today, and we felt a little useless when campers kept turning away when they couldn't use it. Thankfully, The true Pubbies stuck with us (and more importantly) we had our new delicious printer delivered with streak free laser printing awesomeness.

Rebecca and I kept our cookie pact until of course dinner, when the dessert was a gooey home baked cookie. Then I had three. so, err.. whatever. It was awesome.

I got some heavy program stuff done and above are two drafts for the 8 day show; The Curious Savage. I like the one of the left the best.

If you're interested in following Pub's online HAPPY HOUR BLOG, you should do so. Carson and I are running writing and web comics every day.

At dinner, I got discussing the social situation with Max, who pointed out a new potential tribe member to me. I hadn't considered the guy he suggested on my potential queerbies list, so i'm off to investigate. I'm actually a little hopeful I turn out to be the only gay in the village. That would be kinda a cool claim to make for 2010. Especially for a creative arts camp.

Fruit of the Moment: Breakfast Request

Can you make me into an animal?

Camper arrival.

The missing elements of Bucks Rock have arrived and are currently eating their welcome home ice creams before put to bed.

Today I ate too much again and I didn't get any exercise in thanks to a lack of sleep last night. Today, being the first Wednesday was also meant to be the start of Wife Beater Wednesday but I chickened out of wearing a singlet all day.

Campers were meant to check out Pub today, however not many turned up. Photo was swamped out with guests but all the peeps we received were the returning pub-bies.

And let me say how amazingly awesome it was to see all the kids I had worked with last year grown inches and feet taller with broader shoulders or stretched limbs or longer hair or shorter hair. It was such a beautiful day of meetings.

Pub therefore was rendered pointless without Emma who turned her hand to the annual trunk and traffic crew for the day. I basically accomplished nothing save for advertisement and greeting people who ventured through the shop.

This evening was the orientation video, which I featured briefly in. Which is more than not at all last year.

Bex and I made a cookie pact this afternoon. No cookies for good. They're not that nice anyway.

Fruit of the Moment: second egg breakfast

My favorite person here besides you

Today I found beauty in discourse.

The sensation of validation through sharing ideas with others is a keystone in my love of Buck's Rock.

I felt alive this morning. I felt excited. No longer restricted through fears or barriers. Like somehow my very being was projecting and inviting people to engage in conversation.

The older campers or CITs arrived on site this morning and brought with them a new felt enthusiasm for the summer.

Despite the one Achilles heel of the Publication shop balancing on the edge of a butchers cleaver at the crucial moment of deadline.

Our printer refused to heat set our printing plates. As it is every year and so will be forever more. Camp director Mickey set about to solve our problem by replacing the equipment, while I used my knowledge of plating to rectify what little time we had left to create our first publication of the summer. Later, he asked if I could personally research a solution to this. I am considering weather or not this would constitute as being a yes man.

Bob and Ian threw themselves into production as the plates refused to behave themselves, leaving ugly streaks running through every page.

Our eventual product was a fabulous result and a celebration of our skill base. Streaks were reduced with further alterations and such and the orientation guide was complete and was the first collation of the summer.

This evening I got a group together, rehearsing a contemporary Australian composition for Staff on Stage this Saturday. Aside from the obscenely difficult harmonies, the response was beautifully supportive. I feel that some in the group may feel obligated to continue, but it is their passion for passionate projects that keeps their enthusiasm alive for the piece.

Later, I found Set Designer Drew to be experiencing feelings similar to my first year at Buck's Rock. The excitement of sharing ideas in a collective of people who have the ability to not only understand you, but appreciate and love your contributions. true discourse followed. We were eventually the last to exit the dining hall after the meatiest conversation held since the beginning of camp.

Fruit of the Moment: Chicken as Eggplant

I believe that would be 12 servings of Fried Dumplings so far

The morning after staff party 2010.

No one was awake. So nice I thought once again to have the shower room to myself as I made my way down to late breakfast. There were, of course many peeps with the sunglasses. Including Royce.

Today we find out Royce's giant green goggles he never takes off are actually prescription lenses doubling as safety goggles for metal working. Cool.

Pub was all in Orientation Book attack mode. Carson and Kenny readied the text and I dusted off the template from last year and working some plating magic with Rebecca, we managed to pull off our first cover of 2010.

Emma, our supreme overlord of awesomeness decreed it to be so that lunch would be served off campus. Thus, our first trip to Windmill Diner was arranged. Where I managed to end up with a meal I didn't order and a very sick Rebecca on my hands. She was feeling a little under the weather post last night's festivities.

In the afternoon, Ian sends word of a Starbuck's run he's about to attempt. I ready myself for a Venti Coffee Frappachino. Five hours later, the messenger calls to ask if we still want the coffee. Seeing as though the dinner bell had sounded, I declined and waited to claim his blood for my lack of coffee/correct meal orders today.

In brighter news resident camp couple Mimi and Cameron got engaged last night on their one year anniversary after meeting at 2009's staff party. So, word was buzzing with their engagement at breakfast. I having sat with both of them for breakfast figured I'd know about it. However I was made to wait until 3pm when Emma told me casually to which I ran straight down to the summer theatre to celebrate.

This evening after dinner, I was approached by a mate who WAS on my yet-to-be-confirmed-straight list. He was being a little awkward and started to talk about how he had missed out on an opportunity because of being shy last night. The conversation was a little turtle until he clarified that he was after advice for the GIRL he liked. Fancy that? Straight men asking us gays about ways to snag a woman in a hilarious double entendre situation which I originally thought the opposite. Pfft! Needless to say, he is now checked off the list. Two men to go until official word.

I must admit, there have been allot of men asking me about which of the girls are single this year. Conversely, most of the new women have been asking me which men to avoid. Made my job incredibly easy really.

Fruit of the Moment: Strawberry Icing Aftermath