the kitchen crew

my first year at camp yallani, i was a kitchen steward which was really a dishwasher and helper with kitchen prep. my parents bought me a walkman, an original cassette loaded walkman that used up about a dozen batteries a week. i played tears for fears the hurting over and over while i pushed dishes through the sterilizer. this was the grossest and funnest job i ever had. i met cleaver, gotta (who is the legend kevin lyman, creator of the warp tour...man he owes me some free tickets!) and anna (whom i found recently, living in spain... lovely!) my core favorite people...oh and scooter... who was the coolest most stylish person ever.

cleaver left me high and dry in the kitchen, she became a counselor a year before me.

gotta and louie

my favorite camp yallani shot, these are three camp counselors (scooter,digger and soda)...clowning around while a camper lays on the ground behind them. you just have to wonder why that kid is on the ground, and why the counselors are not paying attention. as a parent, of course i notice this more now.



when i went away to camp each summer, i worked about 10 weeks out of the 12. each week a different group of campers came up, at least two or three were camp fire but some were from other organizations that rented it out. two weeks a summer we had mentally handicapped campers and i can tell you i learned a lot those weeks! we had so many funny things happen and so many humbling things also. as a teenager, of course i made fun of some of these guys, but overall i learned compassion for people who are different. it was a priceless experience...something that influenced my choice of psychology as a degree i am sure.



cleaver in the kitchen



cleaver!

here is the kitchen crew...fun girls!