Camp Kudzu 2011 - Part 2: The staff

(Me and AJ)

There's always so much more to camp than the kids, which I know is admitting that in part it's not their journey, but coming back year after year to see the staff does make all the difference. They've become some of my best friends, my favorite people and more. Aly, my co-counselor was in my wedding two years ago even. Sometimes I only see them at camp, but it's worth it for the single week.


(Aly and Megan)


(AJ)

They are inspiring people who either do great things or have come from so little to be so much. I'm so proud of all of them, not just because of what they are but who they are. There are few people in the world as awesome as these people. I feel honored to be in their presence let alone work with them and call them my friends.

This year was a big year for new friends. AJ, who I remember as a camper and CIT, and someone I'd decided long before now was way cooler than I was, and I actually got to be friends. It started with asking about his shirt during staff icebreaker games and finding out it was the logo for Pete Wentz' (of Fall Out Boy fame) clothing line. More chatter had me going on about my tattoo (I'd gotten the day before) with Bryan's handwriting and we realized we like a lot of the same music. The more we talked the more we realized we are a lot alike and halfway through the week we were camp bffs and had my campers asking awkward questions about us. Not that it matters I was stoked to call the guy my friend, even now we keep in touch via twitter and texts. (He's got a band he's playing with now and once I have something to share I will.)


(AJ and Bethany)

We all look forward to our end of camp "post-camp meeting" where the staff gets together for drinks and camp songs and general fun. This year we had a ton of former campers who were staffers, which makes it even better. These are kids who grew up together, working together now as adults. Just a really awesome thing to be immersed in. (That and I know the top pediatric endocrinologists in Atlanta by name.)

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Camp Kudzu 2011 - Part 1: My Cabin

Every summer for the past six summers, I've taken a week and spent it at my favorite place in the world, Camp Kudzu. Our camp is a camp for kids with Type 1 Diabetes (aka juvenile diabetes) where they get to spend a week doing fun camp things and learning about how best to live (and thrive) with diabetes. It's a fun environment because next to everyone has diabetes. Those of us who don't are definitely in the minority. It takes away that stigma and really let's the kids hang loose.

So every year, I break all my rules about doing outdoorsy things (as in not doing them) and I counselor for the teen girls for the week. This year I had the best co-counselors a girl could ever ask for, one of my bridesmaids, Aly, and my favorite counselor at camp, Jenn. We had the oldest girls who were a lot of repeats from my cabin last year. It was a good group and a great year. (We had one mishap and a camper went home due to an unfortunate mountain biking accident, but even she left on good albeit a little bloody, terms.)


(my two co counselors on the right)

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We Always Remember the Nights We Don't Sleep

I don't go "home" often and when I do I rarely go out. I've done it a few times and they've always been weird experiences. The first time I spent the entire time getting hit on by my next door neighbor (who's older and used to drive me to school in the mornings in high school) and an old friend (who's now a rockstar) tried to make out with me. Another time I saw about sixteen people I knew from high school all of whom pretended they didn't know me. The last time I was bombarded by people who claimed to remember me, but I'm not sure that was right.

It's a weird place where my parents live. I only did high school there, not much else, but it's like any other small town. People stay there forever and do weird things. I just can't relate I guess.

I was coaxed into going out to meet up with a twitter friend in real life, and to meet another friend who I haven't seen in years. The first hour or so at the bar near the college was normal. We laughed at drunk idiots, and I got to chat with Kevin and his new girl (who I went to high school with and only vaguely remember). That was nice. I know they'll be at the reunion which makes going far more appealing again.

I got a text/tweet from other friends that a band called Sleeper Agent was playing a house party at a place called "The Manor" and at least one friend would be there (another twitter friend who I have seen in passing in real life, but we didn't meet until online after the fact). I was very much in a 'why not' mood so we did some research and found this place, hidden behind some other buildings with no descernible parking area. Actually the only way I really found it was because my twitter friend drives a bright yellow Scion and I spotted that. I drug Champ with me because he's a trooper but as soon as we walked up to the door to flash our IDs and pay our $4 cover he was not amused.

The show was in the basement, which is a dingy unfinished cellar that looks familiar if only because I've watched this video a million times and it was filmed in the same house. Sleeper Agent put on a good show and I have to say, I was a little blown away by just what it was I was watching. It was a crowd of half drunk, half stoned, smoking kids shoved into a super warm small space freaking out about a local band. It was surreal and awesome at the same time.





I went upstairs for a moment to catch a breath of air in the middle of the set (and because I thought I saw a familiar face go that way) and actually walked into the house proper. Kids were everywhere, drinking and chatting. I went out onto the front porch and was floored to see them standing around, hipster kids in their outfits, tattooed, pierced and more. I was Alice in Wonderland.

After the set I managed to catch up with Aaron, who was how I found out about the show but also the boy I got my first kiss from. It was in high school, during a movie and I've always said that one of the things that made it so perfect was that he kissed me in the movie, then a few more times after and that we really only went out maybe once after that if that. He was just poof gone from my life, which was actually fine by me. Meeting him again (after we reconnected via twitter and facebook) was interesting. He looks almost the same only skinnier and has switched his wide legged skater jeans for a pair of ripped up skinny jeans. I have to point out that he was wearing a cape. I'm not sure the reasoning behind that at all, but he was wearing it. He seemed amused to see me again, though I think his memory is hazy.

While loitering talking to Britney (my twitter friend) another familiar face came towards us and as always I got to watch Micah slow, stare and then smile when he spotted me. I think he never expects me to be where I end up and when I do it's some sort of surprise. Guess that's what happens when you date someone ten years prior and never really stay with the same group of friends. He had to run in one direction but soon he was back, hugging me and grinning explaining that the party was his doing and apparently he lives in the house. I wasn't exactly surprised because face it, the run down, filled with random art on the walls, hipster hang out was Micah to a T.

There was an odd moment of realizing that with Micah, Aaron and Champ in the same place I had three guys I'd made out with all ten ft from one another.

I had a quick chance to meet another Shultz brother, Jeremy, who's related to the other two Shultz brothers (who make up the core of Cage the Elephant). Jeremy is in the video I linked up there. He was a really sweet guy for the two seconds we chatted, but then he was running off just like everyone else.

When we finally left we reeked of smoke and worse and it was closer towards 1 am. Not terribly late and odds are the party went on for longer, but I'd been there for the music, not the party. Kind of a crazy night.

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A Challenge

My good friend and fellow blogger Meag jumped on messenger the other night to issue the ultimate challenge.

A post a day for the entire month of September.

The woman is crazy to think that you all care what it is that I'm posting about but I'm going to take her up on it. So expect some interesting stuff headed your way. At least it motivates me to do something in September, and Music Midtown is at the end of the month! Plus there's Dragon*Con the first weekend! I'll find something.

I think.

I hope.

But I'm not the type to back down from a good challenge. Let BlogPact 2011 begin!

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Birthday Just Kept Getting Better

I'm a pretty big fan of continuing to celebrate my birthday long after the actual day and this year it proved to be an entire week of celebrating.

My birthday was on Monday the 22nd, like in my post and of course it was a really great day. Tuesday was a standard day, nothing too eventful going on other than enjoying some down time with Champ and avoiding the gym like the plague.

Wednesday right before lunch my friend at work Amy messages me on our work instant messenger and asks if I had plans for that night and if I liked Guster (the band) at all. I jumped out of my seat because, yes sure who went to college in the early 2000s and didn't like Guster, but I knew what she was asking about. Guster is touring with Jack's Mannequin and they were playing in Atlanta. Amy had gotten tickets through work and had thought they were for Saturday. Finding out they were for Wednesday messed things up, plus she didn't really know either band. I of course jumped on the tickets and drug Champ and David James with me. (More on the concert in a later post.)



Thursday Champ and I hurried from work, fought traffic and the Atlanta Marta transit system to get downtown for Cirque du Soleil. (I am, again, infinitely jealous of people who live in cities with public transit system that work properly and don't have 18 minutes between trains during rush hour) We were late which was upsetting and didn't get to our seats until after the first act, but it turns out our seats were front row center. I almost died a little. I've never been close enough to really see costumes or make up or anything. Dralion is an amazing to show to go with that and probably now one of my favorites. Champ gets mad props for that one, mad props. I'm going to have to start planning his birthday celebration months in advance to live up to it.

Friday we headed back to Kentucky to visit my parents for the weekend. We had a few others things going on (like a baby shower for family friends), but squeezed some birthday celebrating in there. Home isn't the best place in the world, but it's always interesting to go back. I'm still on the fence about my parents selling the house they live in now (where I had my wedding reception), but it's a good move for them. I love the house, but it's too big for two people.

Last but not least, my birthday gift from Heather finally showed up over the weekend for me to get on Sunday when we got home from Kentucky. She got me an official Venture Guitars t-shirt. They make custom guitars (and is co-owned by Bryan Donahue, personal hero). I've wanted this shirt for forever but hadn't gotten it for myself. So I was very stoked.

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Recapping 27 Before 28

Okay, so I didn't do a good job. I did a good job in trying to live, in experiencing new things, but I didn't do a good job getting through my 27 Things Before 28 list.

Let's go through what I did at least somewhat accomplish:

2. Re-design blog and become a real blogger
I didn't end up redesigning my blog, but I think I have been blogging far more regularly, especially after Meaghan found time to blog as well. (She's good, as always, at keeping me on task). I've also been running a Cage the Elephant tumblr. It's something.

5. Read 12 books
I actually got through well more than 12, and accomplished this earlier in the year. I was pretty darn proud to be honest.

6. Get a new camera
The idea had been to save and get a DSLR, which didn't happen. I'm still thinking it could if I could get better about saving money for longer and not having to spend it on getting my or Champ's car fixed. I did get a new old camera though, which counts in a way.

It's my mom's Pentax that uses REAL film. It's in dire need of a tune up though. Hoping to get it into Wolf Camera soon.

9. Go see a concert in another city
This one I did back in March when I went up to Providence to see Early Morning Blues play the first time. I've been to another city two other times now (Boston) to see them play again. I think I can cross it off three times?

10. Visit 3 cities for fun!
Sadly I only got to one city for fun. But for work I did get to see Seattle, the surrounding Los Angles area, Frankfort (Germany), Gainsville, Texas and a few more. It's been interesting to say the least

11. See Boys Like Girls twice
Alright, this didn't work out as planned. My band's hiatus through the winter lasted through the summer as well (and is still on going), but I'm counting the three times of seeing Early Morning Blues as following them enough.

14. Wrist tattoo
I had it in my head to get my tattoo, which I finally did. I got to show it off at camp while I was there and got a lot of compliments on it. Everyone loved it.

15. Design back tatto
Okay so i didn't really design my tattoo outside of some research, but at this point it should be noted that I did get another tattoo, which might not have been the intent, but it's still really cool and something accomplished.

16. Make someone something special
My Christmas gifts for my friends definitely counted as this. I also made Bryan more than one bracelet as thank yous and I adore you gifts.

18. Visit Meag, Dave, Bob and Ally in NYC
I didn't accomplish this and it's possibly my biggest fail. I let Dave leave NYC (though he's headed back to that area soon) but Meag and Ally are moving too. Not sure if Ally will go back, but Meag definitely won't. Sheesh.

22. Wrestlemania
This was easy because we already had tickets to go, but I have to admit it was a ton of fun.

Only 9 completed. That's just sad. Oh well. There's always next year right? I'll start on another list soon enough.

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Music on Repeat

There's been loads of new music headed my way and I think I'm due and update for what's on repeat on the iPod these days.

The Cab

The Cab has been around for quite a while, long enough that the release date between their old album and the one that came out 8/23 was too long for anyone to wait. I, luckily, jumped on the band wagon way after the fact and only had a few months between getting more than one track off Whisper Wars and the release of Symphony Soldier.

That said, SS was totally worth any wait. I picked up a pre order last week so I got the download the night the CD came out (my birthday night!) and I haven't stopped listening to it since. Every single track is good and I haven't said that about an album since the Boys Like Girls Love Drunk album and before that it was probably the last Matchbox Twenty Album. It's high praise.

Songs to check out
Vegas Skies - This song is amazing. Breathtaking even and the reason I liked the band in the first place.
Bad - this is the new single off the new album. Tons of fun

Ghost Thrower

I've talked about Ghost Thrower before because I've seen them twice now with Early Morning Blues, but I haven't chatted about them too much. I picked up their CD/t-shirt bundle last week (early birthday present to myself was all this music) and I must say, it's awesome. Loud and kinda angry, but it's still really well put together. Proof that an entire genre of music isn't dead or over commercialized.

Songs to check out
The EP only has five songs on it all of which are great, but I love the lyrics for I Never Damned You .

Taylor Locke and The Roughs

I came across Taylor Locke and The Roughs mostly by chance (and a year after the fact). Champ and I were watching old episodes of "The O.C." and there's an entire episode about going to a Rooney concert. I loved that when I saw it because I got into Rooney about a year before their first album because they were randomly on MTV2 at some point and the lead singer was in Princess Diaries. Complicated I know. I looked up their website while we were watching the show, just curious what they were up to, if they were touring and saw a news update for Taylor (the guitarist) and his new band's tour. I was a little surprised to see that but started researching and fell in love.

I can't explain properly what kind of sound they have. It's a lot like Rooney minus the synth, but there's something else tossed in there that's not Rooney and more...Death Cab for Cutie? Whatever it's all good.

I picked up one of the albums on iTunes and ordered a physical copy of the second. It was fun getting it (on my birthday!) because it came in this hand addressed envelope. That always makes me smile for some reason.

Songs to check out
Jennifer - first song I heard and I was in love.
Reach for the Sky

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Ringing in 28

For all my complaining it actually turned out to be a pretty decent birthday.

Champ, being the doll that he is, planned a gathering for friends for Saturday night prior to my birthday (since Monday night outings never really work). I was stoked to get to see my friends, and the big surprise being Jesse and Chris who made the trek up from Savannah. Jesse pointed out that she hadn't missed a birthday in five years so she wasn't about to start now.

We gathered at one place, but didn't want to wait two hours for a big table so wound up walking a few blocks (which is unheard of in Atlanta) to my favorite restaurant anyway, Taqueria Del Sol. I hadn't been to that location yet (but all the others at this rate) and as always it was excellent (even if the Howell Mill location is the best). We had a big crew there for food, lots of laughs and more. It's always great to be at a big table full of fun people and eat good food. Or maybe that's the Italian in me.

After dinner it was back to the original plan, Brick Store for drinks. We stayed there the rest of the night, chatting, telling stories and me watching all my friend groups converse. It was nice, really nice.

Monday was the big day and I drug work friends out to lunch with me which was also nice. It was fun to see them all in the same place since we're starting to scatter (either new buildings / different jobs / etc).

Since it was the big day, Champ and I made a plan to grab dinner on the way home from work, trying out another new sushi place (they closed our favorite!). This one might have moved to the top because, when I say A+ I mean A+. Excellent food, great service and by 7 we were walking into the house again. Of course that's where it got interesting.

As I'm letting myself into the house holding the mail in one hand and fighting with the door in the other, Champ comes up to me holding out his phone saying it's for me. "Who is it?" I ask, but he just says it's for me and goes to take the mail away. I don't want that because the new CD I ordered is in the stack to I'm half distracted with him taking the mail when I pick up the phone.

"Hello?"
"Happy birthday!"
"Well thanks, who's this?"
"It's Bryan."
"Who?"
"Bryan."

About then, the accent comes through and I realized I've got Bryan Donahue (lead singer of my favorite band and personal hero) on the line. I asked how he got the number and he explained that Champ emailed him and asked him to call on my birthday and for some reason Bryan actually agreed to that. I was a little flabbergasted but we managed to chat about his tattoo sketch, the last EMB show (which he swears wasn't that good but he's too hard on himself) and the big BLG anniversary. It was so weird and so chill and I need to talk on the phone more because I think I'm really awkward.

Champ followed that up with tickets to see Dralion, the Cirque Du Soliel show in town for a just a few days and a fun card. Not that he had to get me anything after the call, but yeah he did anyway.

I am a very, very lucky girl, with great friends, so many who wished me a happy day either in person or online via twitter and facebook. Sometimes I forget, but it was a good way to remember.

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A Fast Approaching Birthday

I got to say, I'm not looking forward to this birthday.

I've been making jokes for a the past few months that this one and the next one are the last two I'm celebrating because, well who wants to be 30 anyway? Not me. That sounds like I need to start being an adult, to have a kid or something and none of that I want right now.

Doesn't help that I don't look or feel like I'm 28. Not to mention I feel like there's still so much left for me to do that turning 30 puts a damper on it. Hell turning 28 feels like it's putting a damper on it. I look at my friends and I see how much they've done, how far they've come and I feel like I'm nowhere. Years sliding by without me doing anything about it.

It's a little depressing. I only really feel like I started living in the past few months and even then I'm not doing nearly enough.

I've always been horrid at living in the moment, but this is getting a little ridiculous.

Add to that that I really don't want to turn 28. It's just depressing me. And I have too many things on my 27 things before 28 list (though I'm counting seeing Early Morning Blues as #12 since Boys Like Girls didn't go on tour this summer. Next year...). I'm going to roll a few things over, like some of the small projects and the tattoo design, but it's hard that I didn't accomplish everything I wanted to.

Still, as far as years go, it was a decent one. There was a lot of living going on, a lot of love and meeting people that mean so much to me now. I just wish that this was year 23 or 25 not 27.

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Early Morning Blues Threepeat

Does this make me a groupie yet? I think per one definition you're supposed to sleep with the band which is so not the case so maybe not. Still, 3 trips to Boston to see these guys play has got to count for something.

Since I never seem to have real time on these trips, I took the red eye out of Seattle trying to get to Atlanta in time to fly to Boston that AM. First flight out and I touched down gunning on about 4 hours of sleep totally for two days. I was in rare form. There was a fun moment explaining the T to a non-Boston native on the airport shuttle. I think I'm here too much now hmm?

Rana grabbed me and there was a trek to get our tattoos done and then off to the show. We met up with Victoria there (who I think needed my coaxing to show up) and ran into the two girls who run the EMB fan twitter, Courtney and Commie. So we had our own little group of girls to hang with even if I am more than a decade older than most of them.

It was a full line up of bands that I'd either somewhat heard of (Ghost Thrower & Lions Lions) or that I'd researched a little beforehand. A couple of the early bands were young, but with a lot of energy. They were going for getting the crowd jumping, which was really impressive. It reminded me of Matt from Cage the Elephant actually. He's sort of changed the way I look at that sort of stage work. (Meaning I get a lot more out of it.)

My biggest take aways from the night were obviously Ghost Thrower and Early Morning Blues though.

Ghost Thrower never fails to disappoint. I think there's something about Travis Alexander, the lead singer, dressed in a white undershirt and cuffed skinny jeans that doesn't make you think he'd have that sort of powerful noise that GT has, but he does and it's always good. I really enjoyed their set, and reminded myself, again, that I still need to pick up that EP package. Definitely recommend them.

Early Morning Blues was working with a slightly new line up. Nick Conway from A View From An Airplane has joined, taking Danny's place. He played with them at the Levi's acoustic show, but in Travis' stead, not Danny's. There's some shifting obviously and it's a little bit of a bummer to not see Danny on stage, but Nick won us over pretty quick. First he's a really nice guy and second (possibly more importantly?), his voice lends to Bryan's really well. Adding him on vocals a is a definite perk. There were some tweaks to the songs, a longer bridge on Chapter One and Never Leave, but all it did was make both songs just a little bit better. Never Leave in particular just sounded extra great.











After we caught some time with Bryan (and throughout the night as well, but longer at the end). I was surprised to see that he'd managed to get the bracelet I'd given him last time back on after taking it off for work. He explained it but I still handed over the back up one I'd made (this one came with a clasp). He seemed to really like the metal version and though it took us a moment to get it on he didn't get nearly as frustrated as I did.

Travis jumped into the conversation and won himself a hug for the effort. He asked if it was my second show, and I corrected him to say third. He's forgiven on forgetting the first since I didn't meet him after. He said "oh right third," then held up four fingers instead. I'm guessing that means show up again kT. We did talk about my birthday, to which Travis decided to change my sign from Leo to Virgo so it would mesh better with his and then I pointed out how old I'm going to be and Travis stared at me like I was insane. "I wouldn't have guessed a day over 22." Bryan just smiled. I think he'd sorted out that I was older already or he's just so stealth with his reactions that he kept it in check.

I said hi to Nick when he came to talk to Bryan, half introducing myself. I told him we'd tweeted back and forth some the other day, and when I told him my user name he nodded. "Oh yeah, Bryan was telling me about you." That got Bryan a look from me and he just sort of smiled and looked away with a shrug. "You talk about us all the time, spread the word. I figure I can do the same for you. It's like a mutual talking about thing." I'm not sure what I did to deserve promotion, but apparently I've got EMB out there promoting some kT action.

Bryan made sure he gave me some tips on bands playing in Atlanta (though I might have suggested he show up at Music Midtown since it is a good set) and we talked tattoos a little more. He made a tattoo parlor suggestion as well (I'm up to like three different places in ATL that I'm supposed to check out) and I mentioned that I liked his Star Wars tattoo. Of course he was impressed that I knew the logo and I asked if he was a closet nerd. He said yes, then shook his head, out of the closet. Mad props for the nerds.

Another perfect night that was 100% worth the lack of sleep leading into a drive to camp Saturday afternoon. It's nice to feel loved and welcome. Though nothing tops being spotted by Bryan and as soon as he sees me he comes over for hugs and to make sure my trip was good. Really can't get better than these guys, not in a million years.

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