Deck? What deck? 

Summer is as Summer Does

Well...Summer is here. I guess it's no use beating around the bush. THe last two weeks of school were pretty memorable, I guess, though I don't remember much of them. I'll start on the Saturday of June 17th, because I want to talk about my Uber Eagle Scout project. So Charlie and I got down at Hamlin Park at about 7:40 on Saturday morning. We set everything up until Alex and Orion arrived, at about 8:30. Reid came about 8:55. About 9:10, I started getting a bunch of older guys, my buddies included. Thanks Sai , Orion, and Alex especially, since you guys aren't scouts (though I doubt that Alex reads this). I'd also like to thank David Medin, Hannah, and Claire for coming. They were the only crosscountry runners who actually showed up. Anway, I set up Reid with a team to widen that one stretch of trail that you've no doubt seen in the photographs. Alex set out to clean up Suicide Hill--I think he was attracted by the size of the logs, to be quite honest. David took out a group to clena off posts for repainting. Orion later took out a crew to begin the digging and concreting of posts. It was all working fine, but I could feel myself tiring as the day went on. We broke for an early lunch at 11 and then headed back to work. I was constantly running all over the park, radioing my troops and checking in to see where everybody was, bringing supplies, and assigning fresh volunteers. It was a heck of a day; Orion and I went duo for the last hour, scrubbing posts by ourselves, since everybody had left at that point. We finally got out of there at 4:45. I've had to go back and finish up some stuff, and I still have to go back again, but no biggie. We got so much done on the 17th. Thanks so much to all who came! You deserve a pat on the back and...uh...something else that pleases you, I guess. In any case, it was a great project. I can't wait until next year's! (just kidding there) :)

So then it was the week before school got out. My weekend must have not been very spectaculr...oh wait, I remember it now. I was desparately trying to finish my French speech in time for its Tuesday due date. Yes, I know, but I was trying to lose as little sleep as possible...and damn did I PH4!L.
Monday was a nice, short odd day. Happy birthday to me!! Jack called in the morning to wish me a happy birthday, all the way from Wisconsin. Thanks man. It means a lot. Surprise! Christina and Katy made me cupcakes for my birthday, which was funny because all I do is make fun of Katy all the time...but Christina is awesome. Someday there will be a reckoning...Ninjas...Pirates...Transformers...
In any case, Surprise #2! Math final. Not really a surprise, but it could have been worse. Turns out that I got the highest score on the final in my math class, which was the most empowering 96 percent that I have ever gotten. I slithered along with a 93.0 in the class, the lowest A you can get. Whew!
Tuesday: Unremarkable even day, I suppose. Orion, David, and I left band to go play some frisbee with Steven, Sai, Amy, and some other people. English was quite fine. Actually, it was the most boring thing that's happened to me in quite some time. We read poetry, talked about its different forms, and he even tried to get us to write our own, to no avail. And OH MY GOD I DID MY FRENCH PRESENTATION SIXTH PERIOD! I had stayed up until 1 that morning doing it. I was really nervous, but apparently it was good. Even Chase congratulated it. I'm so ready to be the only boy in AP next year *falls on face.*
Wednesday: Another good old odd day. Ms. Bonner made us do something that I can barely remember, but it wasn't very fun. Well... I'm really trying to remember it, so I'll post again when I know what it is. Science was finishing up our elephant project and junk. Math was quite fine. We got to watch the first 20 minutes of the soccer game, and then school ended. I walked home with David, I think.
Thursday: Last pure even day! Band was great fun once again; I think Orion and David and I just wandered the halls with no purpose because the dumb leadership kids wouldn't let us in. Because we definitely hadn't been there like all week. Anyway, we went back to the bandroom and walked in. Mr. Harshman's head snapped toward us, but I had this one covered: "Hi Mr. Harshman." He opened his mouth and just shook his head. Saved! English was pretty good, I guess. We had a poetry slam and we got to hear some quality poetry written by our classmates. We also shared all our food and stuff that we had brought. We were supposed to be writing poetry again, but it didn't work. I can only write when I'm very angry or very sad, which tend to be the same thing. French was a bore. More presentations. I wrote a very nice poem during them, though.
Friday: OMFG LAST DAY!!1! It really was all a blur. Sai brought in his 'Cube, and there was some definite SSBM during first period. Band went quickly. Science, gone. English, finished. Math, smoked. Madame Hagen apparently likes paintball, because her TV was turned on to a paintball tournament. And then it was over. School. I went home and jumped in my car to get paint and then headed over to Steven's house for a sweet, sweet barbecue. We ate first, then played some ultimate frisbee and some radical sardines at Echo Lake Elementary, then headed back and pwned some SSBM and Source. I started an awesome super-soaker battle with Amanuel; we pwned Sai, Bodon, and David hardcore. HARDcore! You CTs dont' know what you're dealing with. We played some cool outside games like badminton and throw-the-football-over-the-house, which is almost as fun as the throw-things-in-the-fan game. We later went back to try some more ultimate, but it really didn't work out. We headed home and watched We Were Soldiers. Such a good movie. Such a sad movie. Such a moving movie. I drove home all depressed because of the Vietnam War. I then realized that I had been at Steven's house for 11.5 hours, from 12:30 to 12. Ya sw00t!

Saturday and Sunday, were, like, just chillin.' I went to the park with Charlie on Saturday to get some stuff done, and then on Sunday with David and Charlie to get some more stuff done. I went to Braden's birthday party that Saturday afternoon/evening, and it was pretty sweet. Alex and I got pwned hardcore at HALO. But my sticking skills remain as potent as ever. :P

So the work week started on Monday, for me. We're tearing down the house and apparently building a new one. No, not really; it just seems that way sometimes. I spent the first half of Monday tearing down our play structure all by myself. ALL BY MYSELF. It was quite a feat, I must admit. 'Course, after lunch, I was too tired to do any more work, so naturally I played video games. Oh, and one of our friends from Oregon is here, Tristan Bangs. He's 26 and totally awesome. We went to the pool last night and hung out, played some Bball, and jumped off the 'board for a bit. Before that, though, at 5, I went out to see what was goin' down at our first crosscountry summer practice. Nothin much. One new guy there, a junior, though I can't remember his name. John or Tom or something. I like him already. The running was not so sweet, however. I limped back home, nursing my god damned ankle. In any case, good time.
So we spent the greater part of today ripping off our east wall. There is seriously not a wall there anymore. I assume you've checked out the photos which are no doubt on here. Totally cool. I played some Dink Smallwood today. Cool game. You guys should check it out. I went to practice again today, and of course nothing good happened. I met a new freshman, Tory. He looks pretty strong.

Yes...I felt it as well. A disturbance in the Force, as if a million tiny hairs all cried out in pain and were suddenly silent. 

For the first time in my life, 5 o'clock shdaow is a reality. 

When I first saw this picture, I thought "Marines on bikes!" 

Here are all of our supplies. 

"I woke up late and then I was like OH NO!"