That night was barbecue night with the roommates. They do this every Thursday night and always grill burgers, vegetables, corn, sausage, and all that good stuff and try out new kinds of beer. I, having never gotten into cooking, am learning a lot between the vegetarians and barbecues. It was also one of the girls last nights before she went home for about a month. She had a few friends in town who go to Harding University in Arkansas which was cool because they knew some people from my hometown. The guy actually currently lives in Murfreesboro. Small world.
Friday, June 20-- This was SUCH a fun day with the kids because I really felt like I got to bond which each one of them. We went ice skating and I take a lot of pictures during the camp to put on the slideshow at the end of the week so I got to skate with each one of them and just had lots of fun skating and goofing off. I think we had 14 kids that day because some stayed home because they did not know how to ice skate. Its sad when they just pick and choose which days to come to because I think they would always find something fun to do and it would be a change from just staying home at their apartments and being bored.
I thought I was looking pretty impressive to the kids that day because everyone had taken a few tumbles skating and all the kids kept asking me if I had fallen and I had not yet--they all seemed to think this was awesome until... one of the younger boys asked me if I had fallen and after I had replied that I hadn't and was waiting for him to get so excited like the others he responded with, "Well, then you haven't learned anything!". I know it may be cliche or whatever, but kids really do have the best outlooks on things. This boy started telling me about when he skis with his grandfather and falls down his grandfather tells him he learns something new every time he falls. It was really refreshing to hear that and great to hear it from him.
Friday afternoon was so memorable. Anna, Kelsey and I rented kayaks from this restaurant called Agua Verde and kayaked out on Lake Union. I can't even express how awesome it was. I keep having those moments when I think to myself "I can't believe I am actually doing THIS right now" and that was one of them. We went at about 6 p.m. and had them for about 2 hours. I have pictures from the trip but I don't think they do it justice. The sun stays out til about 9:30 so it was basically like we were kayaking at 2 or 3 in the afternoon but not hot-- perfect weather. Lake Union has the best view of the city skyline and Gas Works Park overlooks it and there are tons of cute little (and big) houseboats on the water. Again, its great to experience nature but be surrounded by city. Afterwards, we were starving and ate at a mexican restaurant called Rositta's in Ballard (I think). Anna and I went to this video rental place called Scarecrow Video that night and rented Amelie (though I fell asleep like 20 minutes into it because I was so exhausted). Scarecrow is this outrageous video rental place--they have 70,000 movies there-- absolutely everything imaginable. Its hard to figure out though because its arranged alphabetically by director. Its two stories and upstairs its arranged by somewhat more normal. Its still just an insane amount of movies and I'm sure can be overwhelming if you don't know what you want to rent. Its located near the University district and Wallingford (I think) and Anna told me that there is some famous actor who walked all the way from downtown one night just to go to it.
Saturday, June 21--I woke up early to go to the Fremont Summer Solstice Parade and Festival with Anna, Kelsey, and the family Anna is nannying for. The parents went down to Fremont and got us really good seats for the festivities... ha. The Fremont area is the more so hippie and artsy district of Seattle so the parade was a lot different than ones I have been to before. Over the years, people have started riding bicycles... naked... all painted up as different things or characters so now its a tradition. So, yeah, saw lots of nakedness that day. I even have some pictures. Men and women rode bicycles, skateboarded, roller-bladed, and some just walked before the parade started. I saw a chicken, fairies, butterflies, Homer Simpson, refs, even someone painted like a biker. Some people didn't paint themselves which was pretty not cool and some wore some clothes or bathing suits along with paint. The parade was pretty cool. There was some more nudity and some political statements, but overall it was just good fun. The entire weekend of festivities is to celebrate the summer solstice, the longest day of the year, and everyone goes around saying "Happy Solstice". Anna and I walked around afterwards to all the vendors and got some free samples of Kashi and Cliff Bars and got free reusable shopping bags (I am becoming so GREEN! and I love it). After that we went to Gas Works Park. A lot of people go there after the parade for a fashion show (which we missed) and to hang out, drink beer, dance, and just chill for the day. Anna and I just sat on one of the hills overlooking the water and city and just talked about life. Both of us, being from the South, have realized how different life is up here. Anna has already been here for a month and I had only been there for a week at that point, but we have noticed so many things. Obviously, political stuff came up but also religion, vegetarians, and just how everyone seems to have a cause they really fight for. People in Seattle really try to do so much to recycle and give back to the earth and we have learned so much more information about those topics than we ever hear about at home. I know there are people who recycle, are really into animal rights and who are vegetarians, and who are extremely concerned for a "greener" earth everywhere, but here it seems like there is just a common knowledge about these things and it comes up all the time. Which is really great and cool. At the same time, I'm sure it can rub people the wrong way when its forced on them. I am really glad to learn new things though and have a lot of respect for people who actually take the time to do something about it.
Anna and I met Chris (the woman she nannies for) for coffee and then went back to their house where Jeff (the husband) showed us all 650 pictures he took at the parade that day on a slideshow. He is really into photography so he had great shots. It was really strange looking at naked painted people in someone's home but it was fun to play the game of "If I were to be a naked bicyclist next year, I would paint myself as...". I also learned that one of the groups in the parade dressed up as Pastafarians and had the Flying Spaghetti Monster as one of their props (look up flying spaghetti monster on Wikipedia). Its a funny story, yet it definitely takes a hit at Christianity. But it was good to learn some new things. So Saturday was a day of first's and a day of learning but at the same time I've realized that I am secure in what I believe in. I really enjoy learning new things and am glad to see that I still have things to learn and areas to grow in and can still be me.
Sunday, June 22-- I went to church with Anna at a church called Sanctuary. It is a newer church in a small theater (for plays). I don't think it was a certain denomination but the worship and music was absolutely beautiful (they sang some of my favorite songs like "Come Thy Fount" and some new ones I'd never heard and this teen-age boy played the violin and was so talented at it) and the message was good too. Two of the boys that attend the Hutch School were there. They sat in front of us and their mom sat beside me. It was great to see that they attend church and I really enjoyed being able to speak with their mom and see how their dad was doing and hear how she felt about things. She told me that she wishes the kids had more things to do other than camp because they are bored a lot and just play on the computer after camp. I wish camp could be longer or there would be more programs put on for the families. I know there is so much help that people do for the families but I am interested in looking into doing more. Speaking to her just kind of made me feel like checking it out and see if there could be more to be done.
That night, Anna, Kelsey and I went to this thing called Compline at St. Mark's Episcopal Church. Its at 9:30 every Sunday and people from all over the city come and lay on the cathedral floors and sit in the pews and listen to the monks chant. It was in English ( I guess I thought it'd be in Latin or something...) and was a really cool experience to have. It was extremely relaxing. At one point, everyone stands, even if they are not Christian or Episcopalian, just out of respect which I thought was neat. Afterwards we went to B&O for dessert in Capitol Hill.
Monday, June 23-- The Hutch School went to West Seattle to Lincoln Park (my boss told me its what the band Linkin Park is named after...). The kids skipped rocks in the water and caught little crabs. The girls showed me these water plants/animals called aminenemies (spelling??...) that closed up when you touched your finger to them. They said its the plant that Nemo lives in on Finding Nemo. We ate our lunches by the water, played at the playground, and then split into two teams and created obstacle courses for the other teams and timed how fast each team could do them both. Driving back to school that day I was sitting by one of the boys and he was talking about his ringer on his cell phone. This boy is about 8 years old so I of course was shocked he already had a phone and when I asked him about it I felt horrible because he told me it was the phone that they would call him on if anything happened at the hospital with his dad. I can't even tell you how bad I felt that I had been so weird about the idea he had a cell phone. He didn't seem to notice though which was good.
That afternoon I finally did some exploring downtown. I took the bus down to 3rd avenue and walked to where my old apartment was on 4th avenue. I wasn't going to go in, but for some reason something came over me and I went in and introduced myself to the ladies who worked in the office there. They had heard about me because when I was looking for a place to live for the summer my mom had called them and told them my situation. They really enjoyed hearing my story and were glad to meet me. I asked if there was any way I could go see my old apartment and had someone not been living in it they said I could but someone was there. Another apartment on the opposite side was open but I said it was ok. I just really wanted to see the view from our old apartment. We used to call the Space Needle my brother's night light because it was directly outside his window. I took some pictures though of the outside of the building and it was cool to see it. After that, I walked over to the Space Needle and explored the amusement park rides I used to ride all the time with my friend Allison when she came to visit. There's also this fountain that looks like a huge silver ball that shoots water out that tons of kids play in that I always wanted to go in but never got to... maybe I'll do that this summer... ha. Then I walked down to the piers and back up to Pike Place Market. There's a concert venue down there called Showbox at the Market. Pat Green is playing there in July and I really want to go but I need to find a country music lover to go with me because Anna will be gone that week.
Tuesday, June 24-- We had three new kids today. I get really excited when there's new faces but at the same time its sad that they have to be here. Two of them are brother and sister and are from Alaska also but I think they said they were born in Nigeria. The third is a girl from Washington. We went bowling in West Seattle and I should have gotten bumpers put on my lane like most of the kids because I was embarrassed at how bad I did. Probably scored in the 30's and 40's each time-ha. I got to spend some time with the new girls today and they are both adorable.
Tomorrow we are having a birthday party for all the kids who have May and June birthdays at the Marriott hotel. The Marriott is sponsoring it for the kids and letting us come and swim. They sent everyone invitations who had a May and June birthday and they included me in it! haha. So I get to celebrate my 22nd birthday once again with a bunch of kids. I'm pretty pumped though. But I'll probably feel really old. Or maybe I'll feel young.
Hopefully I won't wait so long to write again. There's just always so much to do around here and when I'm not doing anything I'm exhausted.
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