operation BRR

it was a completely amazing weekend. it was a rare occasion that i was not named as the arts and crafts gal... but this weekend i was a kitchen witch. a truly perfect role for a polish girl. i was cooking to keep 60 people warm and teaming with energy in the cold weather. it was awesome. i think the main hit was the dinner i made on saturday night.. my mom's spaghetti meat sauce.. they also had salad and garlic bread... but the sauce was the real hit.

i was a little apprehensive after i had received the program information telling me that we were going to be sleeping outside. i was near panicked when i read the weather report telling me that it was going to be -20 with a chance of snow.. but i decided to take the challenge and bring lots of warm blankets (a twin down comforter, two queen down comforters, a fleece tie blanket, and two little microfiber blankets to be exact).. i also found a fleece sleeping bag liner at target. along with lots of warm bedding.. i brought enough layers to keep everyone that came warm.

i had planned on building a shelter like the girls, but being in the kitchen for most of the day meant that i was destined for a tent. s'ok. i love those little pink pop tents. they're so cute!


my tent in main camp... nestled under the flagpole..
my nest of down comforters and sleeping bag. (taken the next morning as i was getting up.... i didn't actually sleep with snow in my tent.) it was SO warm.. i almost didn't want to get up in the morning. my only complaint was that i accidentally set myself up to sleep with my head in a slight downhill position.. and i woke up with a slight headache and a little bit of odd puffiness in my face. all in all... sleeping was fantastic.

the most interesting part of the night was when it started snowing... i remember stirring a little when i heard the snowflakes hitting my tent... and i remember waking up in the morning wondering why it was so dark and why the hell my tent was so close to my face.. it was also about that time that i heard hans walking around to the other shelters checking on the girls.. she was asking them "are you guys warm?".... "do you know that you're covered in like, 2 inches of snow?!" their answers were all giggly yes's. it was then that i reached up and shook the snow off my tent.. completely explained the light and space issues.

camp was so beautiful in all of the snow. i can't wait to go back in 2 weeks for the clean-up with the skillsUSA alumni... and then february will be packed with 2 or 3 program weekends.. i'm SO looking forward to "chef boyar brae".

i think my only downer this weekend was that i might have caught something from one of the girls. this seems to be the winter of sickness for me. since before christmas.. i've only NOT been sick for 2 or 3 days at a time. this time i just have a stuffy nose and a sore throat. i either caught something or breathing the cold air all night irritated my system. i dunno... whatever it is.. i'm sick of being sick.