Day #43

Usually I don’t reveal the inspiration of my blog titles until the end of each post, but today I must break with tradition and dive right into the title topic of today’s commentary. Now, I don’t want anyone to think that I am fixating on my yearly birth anniversary, but there is a developing story that could drastically alter the events of this August 8th. I should start off by saying that I should have known that something like this would happen after the incredible amount of good luck I apparently received on my birthday last year. According to a number of cultures, 08/08/2008 was  rather lucky time last year. I had the privilege of enjoying this brilliantly lucky day on my birthday as I turned 18 on 08/08/08. This year the equilibrium is disrupted by the appearance of a 9 in the date. I will turn 19 on 08/08/09…I figure that this likely means that my luck will either only be 2/3 good, or it will just be completely non-existent.

At this point I am feeling like perhaps non-existent is going to be closer to the truth…

This morning I walked into our classroom alongside Nanajean. We were having our beginning of the day discussion about camp activities and somehow drifted to talking about her boat. Nanajean has been telling me, since the day we arrived in Fort Hope, that once she gets her boat turned over and down to the lake she will take us for a ride down the Albany River. After she told me this again today, I offered to go over and help her this weekend. At this point Nanajean looked at me and said, “aren’t we going camping this weekend?” I looked at her with a supremely bewildered expression because I had absolutely no idea about what she was talking about! She proceeded to tell me that it was her understanding that we were all going to go camping on Saturday in order to help Courtney fulfill a requirement for one of your final university credits. This was the first that I had heard of this plan, and quite frankly, I wasn’t particularly enthused by the idea of camping, even just for one night! I know that this makes me sound like a city boy, but really, what is the point of camping? I suppose that I haven’t really ever done it, so I probably shouldn’t judge, but seriously, why would I want to voluntarily give up my relatively comfortable bed for a day to go and sleep in the cold, and most likely rain? Anyway, I told Nanajean that I would talk to Courtney and Jenette about the camping trip and see what they had to say.

During our lunch break I went down to the post office to attempt to get a package of envelopes (I was not able to get any yet) before I returned to the house. This gave me a little time to consider the merits of camping…On my trip to the post office I came across a rather shocking discovery; the reserve had been descended upon by ‘white people’! As I walked into Corny’s I found myself staring, along with everyone else, at the gaggle of white females sitting on the benches outside the store. It wasn’t until my way out that I actually said anything to them! When I finally struck up a conversation I had a little trouble dragging myself away. The main reason for this was that the majority of these girls were rather attractive and all about my age, kidding, well kinda, I’m not quite that shallow! But anyway, I had a nice conversation with the girls and learned that they were part of a canoe trip based out of the Kenora YMCA. They were in the third week of their trip and had stopped in Fort Hope to pick up food and care packages. They had paddled into town yesterday and were forced to stay in town due to high winds. They were taken in by Charlie, one of the members of the band council. The girls had quite a refreshing attitude about their trek through the wilderness. I often find that people want to seem like they are tough as nails when they are in an intense nature setting, but these girls had no problem admitting that they were certainly questioning their collective decision to participate in a 5 week canoe trip. They were of course somewhat kidding, but I was struck by their ability to admit that there journey was taking a toll and that it was rough going on occasion. It was nice talk and I nice chance to talk to some people my own age.

I soon headed back home to have lunch and to quiz the girls about their camping plans for the weekend. I approached the topic as delicately as I could, because I didn’t want to acuse anyone of forgetting to include me in the plans. It was also entirely possible that I just missed the conversation. When I asked about the camping, Jenette just looked at me and said, “Oh my God, did we forget to tell you!?” To be quite honest, my heart sunk. This reaction meant that they were in fact going and they in fact wanted me to join them. I replied, “Yes, I think perhaps I may have missed this whole plan.” I was soon filled in on the plan. It was suggested that it would be a perfect way for me to spend my birthday! I’m not so sure that they have that quite right, but I appreciate the sentiment. The way things have shaken out, it appears that, weather permitting, there will be a camping expedition happening on my birthday, Saturday August 8th.

Now, part of me really hates this idea. Part of me wants to just say, thanks, but no thanks. I’m just not a camping person, I don’t think, and I would rather just stay home, run, read a book, play some music and work on some Huron Communications stuff. The other part of my consciousness is telling me quite loudly that I have to go, that I will be missing out on some wonderful, necessary experience if I back out of camping. Also, as I examine things right now, it appears that my options are down to the following:

1/ Go camping with Jenette, Courtney and Nanajean; perhaps be a little cold, a little uncomfortable, a little tired and a little disallusioned with camping.

2/ Spend my birthday home alone, all by myself, with no one to talk to!

I know that there is something rather nice about spending a day to oneself, but it is a little pathetic to spend your birthday away from your most constant companions.

Anyway, that is my dilemma for now. I have a sneaking suspicion that I will be going on this trip. It is only one night, and I’m sure that I will be able to tough it out. It’s not exactly my idea of fun, but hey, if I can get through canoeing for 5 hours and firing a gun, I think I can handle a night of camping. By the way, side note to the canoeing thing…I thought that our canoe trip the other day was long, I guess when put into the context of the Kenora group’s trip it really wasn’t. But anyway, back to the camping…I think that I can make it for a night, I won’t feel guilty or like I’m missing out on some important experience if I go. If I skip it, I might feel a little guilty, so I suppose I’ll probably be going. My other option is to pray for rain and a postponement of the trip haha!

As for the rest of the day…

Our morning was peaceful and well conceived with our young kids. Our daily routine is starting to sink in, and the kids are really getting it! I guess we’ve brainwashed them! I made pirate hats with the kids today, and once again let them decorate them with feathers and the like. I am really popular thanks to my willingness to distribute craft supplies right now! In the afternoon we again worked on our Scary Movie and successfully finished filming it! It was a rather exhausting process, but I now am in possession of all the necessary footage. I am going to spend the next two days attempting to edit it together! After camp, I came home and made dinner for the second time, and again did not fail! Hooray! Then I headed off to the school to run the ‘Fearnall Music School’. I taught Nygel, Parker, Nathanial and Alexis this evening and actually had to work under the added pressure of having Parker’s mom sit in on his piano lesson! I think that I faked my way through it pretty well, but it was a little difficult…I’m really not qualified to teach piano or voice or songwriting, but hopefully I’m at least holding my own!

Alright, hopefully I made up for being short of commentary last night!