In an alternate reality known as Camp Firwood, I have another name. Fittingly enough, my alternate reality camp name is also the real name of a famous R&B/pop recording artist who used to be a member of Destiny's Child and is married to Rap Legend Jay-Z. In case those hints don't give it away, my namesake is that of the great Beyonce. For three full summers, two guest counseling weeks and kind of last summer when I drove a boat on a lake under the sun, kids would yell out "Beyonce!" and they would be referring to me. It's not just at camp that this type of name recognition happens. For example, once when I lived in Seattle I was walking on top of Queen Anne hill. I saw a squadron of little people hanging out next to a coffee shop. Since middle schoolers often hung out at this location, I didn't think anything of it and continued on my way on the other side of the street. Seconds later I heard about three pre pubescent voices pipe out in unison "Hey Beyonce!". Now while 99.9% of the people also roaming Queen Anne hill either thought to themselves "Damn kids need to shut up" or "Beyonce on Queen Anne Hill? It'll be a cold day in Hell...", I on the other hand immediately knew those screams for attention were directed at me. I turned and waved at the little ones, former campers no doubt, and then proceeded to explain to my ex-girlfriend (whom I was walking with) why I acknowledged a gaggle of middle schoolers who yelled out "Beyonce!" in an upper middle class neighborhood in Seattle. This type of altercation has also occurred at other locations, such as malls, schools and parks. Though most people are generally confused by such situations, I'm used to it by now. I bring all this camp name talk up because my name now has a permanent marker that will display and hold firm the legacy I have built while attending and working at Camp Firwood. In order to raise funds for the new Center House (dining hall) here at camp, the powers that be decided to sell little tiles with former staff members camp names etched into them. The tiles have been printed and placed onto a wall in the new dining facility. Now hundreds of former camp names will live forever adorned to the walls of the Center House so future campers and staff can look on in admiration at those who came before and paved the way. My little tile is pictured here to the left. Looks real nice. I just hope that the real Beyonce continues to pump out successful records and star in Oscar worthy movies so that the name actually has meaning and substance. I can already see myself standing in the Center House 20 years from now hearing little spazzy kids ask their parents what a Beyonce is.
Since nice days apparently are a rarity in the Great Northwest right now, I had to take advantage of a nice one a few weeks back. After work I found myself downtown with about 2 hours until I had to be at some friends house for a party. Seeing as that I live a half hour or so from downtown, I wasn't about to drive all the way out to the boat house just to sit at home for an hour and then turn around and drive a half hour back into town for the party. That would require multiple trips to and from Sudden Valley, something of which I do not do. For those counting at home, I have officially only driven into town, back to the boathouse andthen back into town in the same day 3 times this year. 3 times. Only 3 multiple trip days all year. When I leave the house for the day, I stay away until I am fully committed to being at home for the rest of the night. Frustrating? a little. Annoying? yeah. I basically live out of my car. I throw everything I could possiblythink to need each day in my car and head out. It's not an ideal way to live, but it saves a lot of gas and a lot of time. And instead of wasting that gas and time driving to and from myhouse in a single day, I can instead cruise places in Bellingham like the old GP waterfront site. Which is exactly what I did to get these pictures. See what I did just now. I came full circle. I started this post by talking about why I had taken these photos. Then I veered off topic to explain why I've spent a majority of my life this year living as a transient in Bellingham. Finally, while wrapping up my explanation on my driving/living habits, I seamlessly and effortlessly concluded by telling about how these pictures to the left came about. Sometimes you sit down for 10 minutes to post some random pictures and scribble out an explanation about those pictures. And sometimes, those scribbles turn out to be a pulitzer prize worthy piece of literature.
