ah yes
Ah yes, I forgot to update after the Fourth of July. For all of those, who are interested and were not there, it was probably the most exciting day at the pool. The best part was that I did not have to guard a single minute of it. I arrived at 8:30 AM, vacuumed the pool and then began setting up for the games to begin at 11.
BTW, the power just went out, so this whole entry may never make it to the internet, just FYI. It really sucks, when the power goes out, cause my battery does not last very long, and the pump in my fishtank does not run. This means that the longer the power stays out, the better chance there is that you will never read this and my fish end up swimming amongst their own feces.
The games on the 4th this year went extremely well. The Incredible Soda Toss was the best Soda Toss in history, with over 130 cans of drink in the pool, there were still come kids who walked, er, swam, away with nothing to drink. If my math is correct, that means that well over 130 kids/adults/teenagers simultaneously jumped into the pool following the playing of the National Anthem. Its pure chaos for 30 seconds as each kid desperately searches for a can of his favorite drink. Following this, its a lesson on economics as each kid places value on her drink in order to trade for a more preferred taste. Cheerwine and Mt. Dew were big hits, as usual.
I bet some douchebag hit a pole. Probably some drunk-ass redneck drivin' his Trans-Am listening to Freebird on repeat and drinking a Bud. "Get a BRAIN Morans!" is written on a sticker crookedly adhesived to his differently colored bumper.
Enough of that. Regardless, power or no power, I will truck on, for you, my reader.
Jenn and I received many compliments about the "Party at the Pool" that day, and all the patrons (all 300 + of them) seemed to have a wonderful time.
Well, eveeryone excet Debbie, our manager. She seems to have a problem with not being in control of things, and there was this awkward feeling that she just kept expecting Jenn and I to come asking for her help or suggestions. We never did. She offered advice, even when it was not requested, and seemed perturbed that we kept running the day as we had originally planned. Its one of those, "my workers are fine without me" type of moments for her, I guess, and she's having a hard time adjusting to it. Maybe, I really am not sure.
BTW, its been over 24 hours since the power went out, I ended up just walking away and doing something and only now (9:15 PM) am I finishing this up. Since then I've lifeguarded, taught swim lessons, and had a dinner and a movie night with Jenn.
Last night was a magical experience. Jenn and I had another one of our "Dinner and a Movie" nights. On these dates, the two of us prepare a dinner and then watch a movie. The first time we did this we had some Italian Salad and Shrimp Pasta with Garlic Red Sauce and followed dinner with a viewing of Hoosiers (my choice). Last night we got really serious with our dinner preparations. On the menu: Roast Cod with Bacon and Onions, Green Beans, French Bread, and Mashed Potatoes. All cooked by us, none of that prepackaged frozen stuff.
Now, 2 months ago I would never have tried to cook, let alone eat something like that. I've never liked Green Beans and have always preferred Box Mashed Potatoes, but something about Jenn (maybe her persistence) lures me into trying new things. Nothing on my plate was left uneaten, except of course, for those nasty onions (which I cooked btw, along with the Cod), I will never enjoy the taste of onions.
Runaway Bride was the movie of choice for the evening, which was obviously her choice, considering its probably her favorite movie, except for Notting Hill. I enjoyed it, and there is nothing like watching a Romantic Comedy with someone special, it just CREATES an awesome atmosphere and lightens the mood of everyone involved.
The lightning bugs and frogs that inhabit the creek beyond her yard provided the entertainment for the rest of a lovely evening.
Yah, I know, you're sick of hearing about my life.
I've been thinking a great deal lately about what I truly want to be when I grow up.
I say that though I'm 20 years old. "when I grow up" When do we consider ourselves grown-ups anyway? Is there an age, or a moment? Or do you receive a letter in the mail signifying the passage into adulthood?
When I dropped out of Engineering I was sure I wanted to be a journalist, but now, now I want a more steady job, maybe Human Relations, or Marketing. The older I get, the more I enjoy interaction with people. I tend to stay calm under most circumstances involving disputes, and part of me wants to test out my abilities to deal with different people on a day to day basis. I'm considering looking around at what Charlotte has to offer along these lines, but maybe I will decide to stick to Journalism.
Maybe, just maybe, I'll find something to stick to and follow through.
Regardless of all this, my summer has by far, been the best summer I have had in ages. There is something magical about this summer. Maybe its Jenn. Maybe its the awesome staff at the pool. Maybe its my refound love for playing guitar. Maybe its the feeling I get when one of my swim lesson kids does something right for the first time. Its just been incredible.
On that note, I've been giving lessons to this kid named Kyle T. for about 2-3 weeks now, and his progression is simply amazing. He has gone from being frightened at the prospect of swimming alone in the 5 feet to a competent swimmer capable of jumping off the diving board and swimming to the edge by himself. Those pool geeks amongst us would understand how awesome this is.
OK Jason, calm down, you're rambling.
Anyway, I appreciate comments, and someday, I would like you to call me.
love you guys,
~Jason
OK, I'm going to publish this now.