Decityfying Country Girl

BOY SCOUT CAMP
The next week, Peyton and I headed to Possum Kingdom Lake for Boy Scout Camp at Camp Constantin. Tent camping in 100 F-ish weather wasn't the easiest thing I've ever done, but the week was great. My official job was to dispense the medication, keep a log of what everyone took, and to oversee first aid efforts. I had the boys who have earned their first aid merit badge help out the others who needed minor repairs. Only a few of the boys had injuries or ailments that required a visit to the clinic.

Speaking of the camp nurse, she was a cutie pie named, Rena, and she is a senior this coming year at Baylor finishing up her RN degree. Word got out among the teenage boys that there was a gorgeous nurse on the campgrounds, so as the week went on, more and more people went to see her. :)

Some of the highlights of the week at Scout Camp: the salad bar and baked potatoes offered so the adults wouldn't fully rebel at the food, the A/C charging station in the "Upper Deck" which is really an air conditioned room for the adults to check email and the like, the uber-clean WalMart restroom I used when I drove into town; the hot showers I took two times a day, the hike up Johnson's Peak with Peyton and learning about the underground town of Pickwick, Texas that was flooded in the making of Possum Kingdom Lake, the "Order of the Arrow" call out ceremony and helping hold the paperwork for the Troop 1199 Scouts called out, my new love for Kool-Aid at lunch and dinner, not having a Dr. Pepper all week and surviving, reassuring the very homesick Scouts that they could make it through the week and as much as they begged, we weren't going to let them call home to talk to mom or dad.

I also learned some stuff about me: I can basically sleep in the same thing all week long and change in an uber-small tent fully zipped up for privacy. I can go a week without talking to a female if needed and not feel weird about being a gender-minority for the week. I also was reminded that I absolutely LOVE camping and I'm thankful that I'm moving to a neighborhood where I can walk less than a mile to a campsite and have nature at my doorstep. :)

BLUE RIDGE RODEO
This week, July 9-11, the Blue Ridge Riding Club sponsored its annual Rodeo, and it was a BLAST to attend. We went on July 10 just because and had so much fun, that we invited our friends the Adkins and my sister, Allison, and her fiancé, Anthony, to go with us. From the rodeo clown, to the bull riding, the event was a big one for the town.

I kept looking at the many people in the crowd whose faces seem a blur and hoping that by next summer I know a lot more of them. Teaching in BR should help me get to know people, but I'm just glad that we have moved to BR. I can't really explain it, but it was the right move, and I know God was in the move and wants us here.

MARY POPPINS AND THE DENTIST
I love Kelsey for a number of reasons, but last Thursday she melted my heart even more. I have a "temperamental" tooth that keeps bothering me, and in the spring, really the week we moved to BR, I discovered that I needed "eventually" to get a crown as I had worn down the teeth due to old age. :( I sound like a cow who has chewed too much grass. Anyhow, I went to the dentist and put off getting the work done until last Thursday.

The last time I got a partial crown, my touch of OCD had me pry off the temporary crown as it didn't feel right in my mouth. Then, the dentist was amazed that I suffered through having bone exposed to air rather than keep the crown on, so this time, I wanted to get the work done while I was still in summer mode so I could chillax more and not worry about having to talk so much.

I sat in the dental chair, received some pina colada flavored "Oral Gel" and waited for the shots. After asking the dentist to not shake my mouth, he injected three shots and waited for me to get flubber mouth. I THOUGHT I was numb to the world as I sounded like Fat Albert, but drill, drill, drill, SHOCK! My butt practically came out of the chair and I said, "STOP!" I guess I wasn't numbed up enough, so ANOTHER shot was given but this one didn't hurt and I waited some more. This time the shot REALLY worked and the entire back of my throat was numb. Great for no more drilling pain, not so great for needing to swallow and not feeling it. I then had two options: drool on the paper thingie around my neck, or have the lady suck out the yuck with that straw vacuum. Option two worked for the procedure, and once my tooth was fashioned into a pointy post ready to receive a nice white composite tooth in two weeks, a temporary crown was placed (think big piece of bubble gum that sort of lines up with your teeth) and I was on my way home, spitting into the napkin and convinced that I would die from not being able to swallow properly!

I rolled into the house, all flubber-jawed, and (cue Hallelujah Chorus here) Kelsey aka "Mary Poppins" has cleaned with the little Raymers' assistance, the entire house top to bottom. Clothes were put away, the kitchen was clean, and it was just lovely all away around.

You can imagine how thankful I was for this as I didn't feel peachy at all, but she did it all on her own. She even sent the youngest Raymer to her room for not following the rules! Anyone need a nanny? Just call Kelsey!

ADJUSTING TO COUNTRY DRIVING
Kelsey has had a bit of adjustment to country driving and is currently in the "everything is so far" stage, but that will pass in a few weeks. She's also experienced the generosity of a neighbor (think "stranger" for you city folks) as she ran out of gasoline in front of a guy's home and he gave her enough fuel to get to town. :) She is driving a borrowed truck right now and though the oil gauge was the gas gauge. Ooops! So, to the nice man at 9998 FM 545, thank you for helping Kelsey. Chocolate Chip Cookies are coming your way this week. :)