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Thursday, February 25, 2010

Day Two Retreat Notes

Holt remembers my Adam & Eve arm & a leg joke from the senior retreat. He and Haley misunderstand a question, answering that Wal-Mart only has one “L”. I joke “unless you’re talking about the store where you buy walls.”

Nicknames:

...Lynn Taylor = Muffin

...Mickey Taylor = Smoothie…that’s what they eat.

...Denise “Little Mrs D” Hanson

...Mrs. Braswell = Speedy…she beats me at potato washing.

...guess this makes me “The Mole” with all the note-taking I’m doing.

Mrs. Switzer discovers a scary-looking clown, that had terrified the girls the last time the retreat was in Gulf Shores. The clown is hidden downstairs, but it mysteriously makes it’s way back upstairs to the postcard table. We decide the clown will wander around the house the rest of the week.

...On the beach Sarah “saved Christy’s life” by deflecting an errant Frisbee “with this hand!” During skit practice I bore Alyssa, Kara, & Russ with why the stripe on a football only goes halfway around. Denise says “Alyssa tells me someone is messing with her shoestrings” in front of her daughter, knowing full well that it’s me.

...At skit practice I soon realize that a hilarious script is only a small part of the production. Mrs. Switzer has been taking notes, and Mrs. Landrum storyboarding. Young Laura seems to have the entire 37 pages memorized, and she sits the co-directors’ side, taking notes and making suggestions. Cindy asks the students for input, which they gladly give. It’s amazing the ideas that pour in, from surprising sources. A Georgia Tech line is cut, and several look for my reaction. Fine by me…I hadn’t written the line, and I wasn’t my favorite, anyway. Instead of the laugh-a-minute, it’s turning out to be a laugh-a-second. Or not.

...I wash the lunch lettuce. Denise slices 5-1/2 tomatoes, then is called away. As I finish the last one, Lynn arrives and thanks me for my service. I dutifully respond “you’re most welcome” before confessing the truth. After cold-cut sandwiches for lunch, we wash potatoes for dinner.

...A thought: We never have Kool-Aide to drink, so everyone thinks they’re safe. But everyone is encouraged to refill empty watebottles from the coolers filled with Gator-Aide and lemonaide…which come from mixes. No one ever worries about them!

...More skit practice. Just when I doubt Alyssa can match Holt’s hilarious role, she personalizes the part, and cracks me up even more. Later I’ll advise Holt to make an Isaac the Love Boat bartender point. Kara and Sarah are also great, with surprisingly superb performances from several more, like young Zack.

...At dinner I man the beverages: sweet tea or lemonade. Haley requests an “Arnold Palmer.” Later in the week more and more kids (& adults) will do the same. The desserts are quite the upgrade…in addition to the homemade brownees, cookies, and rice krispy treats, we have huge cakes: coconut, chocolate, and banana crème. Later it’s key lime pie and chocolate crème pie.

...The girl’s daily sign-up sheet expects MANY girls to trek to the beach: the notebook paper is numbered front and back…66 girls can check in or out. I mess with the boy’s list, of course…signing in and out every time I forget my jacket.

...Go downstairs to check the locks, and it’s a whole other world. Holt and several other boys are styling their hair. Kevin has his shoes arranged on top of the armoire - something I would do. When I compliment him on it, he announces that he’s wearing his green Sambas tomorrow.

...Mrs. Bellerjeau noticed that on the large glass-top dining table, there’s a small spider smashed on the top of the stone podium beneath the glass. She and Mrs. Braswell are marvelously creating the beautiful banners that will be displayed during the Spring Expedition.

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