Iscus’ blog

What I'm listening to - The Hard Road by The Hilltop Hoods

I'm back!

So what's new? Well I am in University at WLU studying music. It's really a dream come true. Getting to study something that I'm so passionate about gives me hope for my future that I will get to be doing something I love for the rest of my life. Sick.

Anyways, I have something interesting (at least I think it is) to present to you, whoever you ends up being.

This past weekend I went to camp to work as a resource staff member for a collection of youth groups having their retreats. That's just background, but I feel as though I should plug camp whenever possible...

www.ilovecamp.org .... just sayin.

Anyways!

So my friend and I were driving home on the Sunday afternoon. The traffic was terrible. It usually takes me about 3 hours to get from Waterloo to camp (which is just past Bracebridge) it took us that long to get just past half way. Brutal. It was around 7:00 and we were both pretty hungry. Now usually McDonalds isn't on my menu choices, but combined with the lengthy drive and my acheing bladder, the golden arches were calling my name.

After the line-up, we get to the counter and I order the southwest chicken, my favorite. (crap, did I just plug McDonalds? Oh well) and my friend orders a double big mac meal. AND he SUPERSIZED it.

*Interlude* Dear lord please pray for my friends arteries. May them flow through cholesteralic adversity.

So we get to the table and I take a look at my friend's bill. His total came to $8.90. I did about a triple take.

$8.90!? For that monstrosity of food!?

My mind drifted back to a few days earlier when I was in the Caf. at Laurier. I thought I would have a healthy lunch so I got a small plate of macaroni salad and a piece of roast beef, and a chocolate milk. Hey, I thought, 3 of the 4 food groups isn't so bad. I get up to the counter with my moderate sized meal and the cashier proceeds to ring in 5.99 for the roast beef, 3.99 for the salad and 1.99 for the chocolate milk. $12.00. Ouch.

So lets get this straight.

Supersized double big-mac meal (Large Fries, Large Drink, 4 Patty burger) = $8.90

Moderate University meal (Small Piece of roast beef, Macaroni Salad, Chocolate Milk) = $13.51

buh?

I call shinanigans. How about you?

I do understand that eating healthier costs more but I don't think this is sending the right message to us, the students.

What I'm listening to ~ Empty Pages - Traffic

My last post was too much of a bummer. Well for me at least.

So I thought I'd share with you the new shoes I bought yesterday. They are quite spiffy if I do say so myself.

Photo 1

What i'm listening to ~ Take Me Out - Franz Ferdinand

Ok, ok, so I admit that I don't pay taxes quite yet. But as I was driving home, I saw something that made the middle aged man in me throw a fit.

Let me paint the picture for you.

I live in Waterloo, a nice part of the Tri-City area that is known for being the smartest community in the world...and it's obscene amount of construction. I live in an older subdivision which is close to one thats in the process of being created. The noise isn't bad, it's far enough away that I don't really hear it so thats all good. What really grinds my gears is the fact that the streets are all created and they have some of the houses mapped out with stakes and such, yet there are street lights lining the streets (that turn on at dusk every night).

So essentially, there are probably 100 or so lights lighting a road that will be completley uninhabited for atleast another 2 months (with Waterloo construction, more like 3). Congrats Waterloo, your Carbon footprint has gotten oh so deeper.

I don't get it.

Anyone have any answers?

What i'm listening to ~ Brand New Day - Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog

So as my first ever blog post. I thought i'd start out by asking myself a question that I don't really know the answer to.

Bear with me here.

I mean if you talk to anyone who has ever worked at a summer camp-esque place, it's fairly common for them to tell you that it's the greatest place on earth. Why is that?

Well, let me tell you why I like camp and maybe that will disperse the fog a bit.

For the past 10 years I have been spending some or all of my summers at a place called Cairn. A Presbyterian camp in the Muskoka area of Ontario. I love this place. It is a place where I have had some of the most life-changing, faith- inspiring and many other times that can only be described with an adjective seperated with a dash.

Camp to me is a place where I feel like I am accepted not only because of what I do and have but for the imperfections that make me who I am. I mean think of it. In the real, mundane world that we live in, I get the feeling that places where we work just want us there for what we can bring to the plate for the company. Now, not to put down the bowling alley that I work at, but I don't get the feeling my boss's interest is in my development as a person as much as it is if I punch in at the right time. Now, it may seem like that's an unreasonable thing to ask from a boss, to care about you and if you are actually learning and flourishing in your work-place. Not at camp. At camp, both my bosses and fellow staff members take the time to make sure we are developing not only in our skills but in our faith and personalities as well. These people genuinley care. My first ever meeting as a resource staff with one of the camp's co-diretiors. In our meeting, I wasn't talked to about what I was doing wrong or that I should contribute more to the community, I was simply asked two questions. "How are you enjoying maintenance?" and "What are your goals for the summer". After the latter of those questions, she took the time to go through the goals I had set and gave me some ideas on shaping the goals to fit my personality and my love of teaching people. At camp, we walk out of meetings feeling loved. Unreal.

In general camp is a place where we put community building, stewardship of God's creation, self esteem building and safety at the forefront of our camping ministry. It's a great thing. When you put this with counselling children and doing it all for God. I don't think it's too hard to see why camp has changed mine and many other's lives. My story about feeling loved and accepted is just one of the many reasons why I think camp is so great.

I want to hear what you have to think about camp is so great. Let me know!

Ps. If you want to check out the camp I work at check us out at www.ilovecamp.org