Teamwork

Yesterday; Marc, Andrea, Aaron and I took a break from the office and went to lunch. It was our “summer-is-over-let’s-recap-and-see-what-we-need-to-do-to-improve” meeting. And it went very well.

Aaron’s solution to improving just about anything is simple: more technology. We made great advances this year, loading up check-in lists to Google docs which made things much faster. We set records of having our money reconciled and canteen cards done by 6:45. Now if we could just get bar codes on everyone’s three-week letters, we could just scan them in. In a matter of years, we won’t need anyone to actually work check-in – just have kiosks! Of course, it won’t ever go to that, but the bar code idea’s not bad. And technology would help improve our system: we could run credit cards at check-in and – best of all – if we went to doing express via Google docs, too, then I would know every kid who has arrived which would make switching kids to different cabins on registration day easier. It’s so much easy to move a kid who has arrived yet!

Marc is the quiet one in our meetings, but that’s because he’s processing everything before he puts in his two-cents. He’s all about getting technology up and running if we know what we want, so that’s good. And he agreed that putting the summer staff to work more on registration days would lighten our loads, maybe to the point that we wouldn’t have to work so many of them! He’ll also be my go-to person to get the right things up on the on-line registration, not to mention solving the number 1 problem we add: the ability for parents to log back in to their account and pay their remaining balance!

Andrea thought the summer went wonderful! But her only experience was last summer when computer systems got changed over and that ended up being a disaster. With that in mind, I didn’t have a very tough act to follow! She also thrives with lots of people around. She had ideas about moving some things to make the flow of people easier and she really wanted to use more of the staff to fill in some gaps. What we’ll be working on most is improving the junior staff check-in and communication. Although it improved a little over the summer, I did get a bit tired of 13-year-olds thinking they knew how to run camp as soon as they put on a staff shirt. I mean, it might be my first summer, but I’ve at least got 20 years of living up on them. Right?

As for me, I am ever about making things more efficient. Anything that will save me or others some time, I want to see happen. And, apparently, I’m pretty good at it. Aaron said he hasn’t seen a better summer as far as that went – and he really appreciated that I had everything ready to go well before starting time. For me, that’s a matter of course. I don’t want to be spinning circles as 200 kids arrive on our doorstep. And if I don’t, surely no one else does.

All in all, it was a very good meeting. My project now is to write up the final report on it and e-mail it out to everyone. And then to make the improvements that fall under my responsibility. But what I got out of the meeting most was this: we are a team. It’s amazing to work with a group of people who want to see you succeed, support what you’re trying to accomplish, and are there to fill in the gaps when you just can’t do it. I have always seen my place in an office as a supporting role. I’m not in the forefront…and I don’t want to be. That can be a frustrating position unless you have a good team you’re supporting. And I do. So, even though things are going to get more difficult around here as we transition from kids (who don’t need a lot to be pleased) to women (who need the world and then some to be pleased), having my co-workers behind me will get me up those hills. And I hope I can do the same for them.

Christmas in the Summer

The theme this summer at camp was “Christmas: A New Season for the Reason”. And, yes, camp was decked out in Christmas lights, decorated trees and Christmas music blared on opening days. Some of the kids thought it silly. Most thought it was fun.

Earlier on during the summer, Megan, the head of the female junior staff, asked me this question: “Melissa, if you could have anything you wanted for Christmas, what would it be?”

I didn’t hesitate. “A rolltop desk.”

Megan is very expressive, perhaps because she is a theatre major. You could see the confused look of wonder on her face before she even said, “What is that?”

Somehow, having to explain a rolltop desk never does it justice. More or less, Megan thought I was nuts.

Summer went on. The day before the final day, Pete asked me to come to the last part of staff meeting on the last day. I would never be a good poker player because apparently my facial expressions say everything.

“I promise,” he said. “It’s not bad.”

I had to wonder. After all, I had missed the pie in the face that one closing day…and I knew there were several summer staff members who were aiming at me. But, when my name was called over the walkie later the next day, I made my way to the lounge full of summer staff who were meeting for the last time.

Pete explained to the staff how much work it takes to get a summer to run – work they never see done. And, yes, I probably did put in extra hours this summer getting it all done. (I can remember a few frustrating, late hours on Saturdays…) But I enjoyed it, so I was a little surprised when Pete told me the summer staff had taken up a love offering and bought me a gift. He passed a small, Christmas wrapped package my way.

“Do you remember, Melissa, when I asked you if you could have anything for Christmas, what would it be?” Megan piped up.

“Oh!” I now realized what Megan had been up to. Then I laughed as I accepted the gift that couldn’t have weighed a pound and was no more than a foot long and two inches in height. “This doesn’t at all look like a rolltop desk, Megan.”

She just laughed.

So, I opened my gift. And found something I never thought I’d receive, although I did want one and Megan and I had had a couple of conversations about it as she bought one for her mother for her birthday: a Kindle.

So, I am now the owner of a paperwhite Kindle…something I am thoroughly enjoying. I am learning how it works, and how to get books from the library on it, and have spent quite a bit of time finding out what books I can purchase for it. So far, I love it. Except for one small thing…

I confess I am a perfectionist in some ways. Perhaps even a little OCD. One thing I really hate is when people fold down a corner of a page to mark their place in a book.

Don’t they know what they’re doing?!?!?!

Book pages should not be creased!!!!!

Well, when you mark your place in a Kindle book, it looks like you’re folding down the corner of the page. I know, I know. It’s digital. It’s not harming anything. But it really bothers me. I need to figure out if there isn’t a way to change that…for the other night I simply couldn’t bring myself to do it. I memorized what page I was on.

Maybe what I need to do is write a letter to Amazon…and then get some therapy.

Summer Favorites

I haven’t really written a lot about my wonderful summer at camp. I haven’t had time! It’s been very busy and it’s hard to believe it’s already over. But I thought a snapshot of my favorite moments would be good. And I am so awfully good at making lists:

• Coming into work one day to find four young boys crawling around the golf cart on their hands and knees “What are you doing?” I asked. “Catching a squirrel!” 
• A little boy running into my office where Andrea and I were hard a work, looking over the counter and demanding, “Which one of you is Melissa?” “Um, I am?” “The ping pong ball machine ate my quarter. I was told to come here, and see Melissa, and she could get me a ball.” I am now adding “ping-pong-ball-provider” to my resume. 
• Little eyes gazing at me in fear as I asked the little siblings of our campers if they wanted to come to camp, too. Most of them just shook their heads. 
• Hudson. Aaron’s little three-year-old is my new crush. He’s way more cute than he should be…and more trouble. How many times can you lock yourself in the bathroom? 
• Not getting a pie in the face. I was on the phone when my name came over the walkie. Andrea took it for me. I baked her a loaf of bread in thanks.
• Cool weather! We have had a grand total of 5 days that hit 90. While you thought these Minnesotans might melt, I loved every minute of it! And can you believe that some leaves are already changing! 
• Learning to play octoball. I am very bad at it.
• Registration days. There were moments I wanted to pull my hair out, throw the computer across the room and tell a few teenagers that being with twelve-year-olds (which they were only two years ago) for four days wouldn’t kill them. But I loved seeing all the kids come in, chat with them and have them tell me all about the fun they have at camp.
• Serving the summer staff – they were a good team. I’d say by the end of the summer less than half of them weren’t terrified of me…
• The surprise of receiving a gift from the summer staff – a Kindle! (More on that later…)

Happy Birthday, Charlie!

Truly, being 20 isn’t so bad!

Rules of Murder

What’s a good mystery without a murder? Simply not a mystery. And if you want a really good mystery, you’ve got to have more than one murder – right? Well, this book had six.

Rules of Murder by Julianna Deering follows the best rules of murder mysteries: more than one murder, English backdrop and a few red herrings. The characters are intriguing, the time period (early 1930s) flashy and the conclusion is “twisty”. You won’t be unsatisfied if you’re a mystery lover…just a little sleepy. For while good, it’s not a mystery you’ll read until two in the morning by flashlight. The plot is slow, I found the relationship between the hero and heroine a bit odd, and the mysterious past the hero discovers he has is hardly mentioned once he discovers it. That was disappointing.

Still, if you love mysteries (and I do), you’re always looking for another one to read. So, pick up Rules of Murder…and see if you can’t solve who-dun-it before the final chapter ends.

This book was provided by Bethany House Publishers for review purposes only.

http://bakerpublishinggroup.com/books/rules-of-murder/343331

Visitors!

Last week I had visitors (hence the lack of blogging last week). My parents. They stayed in one of the very nice cottages at camp and we had a great time. They brought up my dresser from home. (Yea! No more piling my clothes on shelves!) And Mom brought me produce from the garden. (Squash or cucumbers anyone?) Since the cottage has a grill, we made the most of it and grilled hamburgers, corn on the cob, squash, sausages and steak. (No, not all in one night). We played games. Dad went fishing on the lake while Mom canoed. (In other words: Dad navigated, Mom paddled and we’re just glad none of the neighbors called them on charges of disturbing the peace.) Also…

Dad fished on the Mississippi. When I texted this picture to my siblings, Sally wanted to know if we didn’t grow bigger fish up here and Jenny said to tell Dad that was the bait – not the fish.

Mom and Dad went ziplining at camp! Mom beat him both times – Dad says she didn’t count off right.

 At the insistence of the summer staff, I joined them on the zipline. It was my first time on it (if you don’t count hanging from it in the snow).

Catch Up

Where does the time go? For the past many years, I’ve waiting endlessly for summer to come to an end. In Texas, it never does. In Minnesota, it’s over before it started. The lake thawed in May…it dips down into the 40s at night now. I even heard it may dip down into the 30s on Saturday. Snow anyone?

I like this part of summer. Never reached hundred. Hardly reached the 90s. Always cool at night. What I don’t like is camp is almost over. We have this week of 215 junior highers. On Sunday, we will welcome close to 200 9 to 12 year olds. And then it’s over. It seems like we only just begun. Camp will be like a tomb. And I’m not looking forward to that.

This week it’s time to transfer my mind to one last week-long family camp and the Labor Day weekend family camp. Then it’s on to Dads ‘n Daughters, Senior Week, Men’s Retreat and Women’s Retreat…not to mention Quilt Retreats start this last weekend of October and the first three are already full. I’m going through the motions of prep, but my mind isn’t quite in them yet.

In other news, my parents are visiting this week, staying at one of the cottages at camp until Friday. We don’t have any great plans, but it will be nice to have them around and see what my life here is like.

I am now completely moved to Minnesota…put the license plates on my car on Friday.  It’s nice to have all that over with. Tomorrow I get a really nice chair for my apartment – a huge, comfy, round swivel chair. Can’t wait. It will be great not to sit on the floor, and I could have fallen asleep on it at the furniture store. My parents are bringing my dresser. And I think all that will quite suffice. After all, it will all have to be moved again, right?