#cinicnnati

[floridaboiler]

[myycamp]

OPENING DAY!

I woke up this morning thinking, “It’s Opening Day!”

If I had thought of it a few days ago, maybe I could have coordinated an OPENING DAY PARADE. (I love parades!)

Here’s what our parade would look like:

-Natalie and the Rockin’ E Ranch staff, on horseback, of course, celebrating the new and improved ranch programs they’re leading this summer

-Megan, on a stand-alone float, because she makes everything happen—thinking of all the details and carefully planning each event

-Al, Jeff, Jeremy, and Jim driving the various mowers, tractors, gators and trucks they’ve been busy with all spring, making the property look the best it’s ever looked

-Barb, Lisa, and Jen from our office would be joined by Stacy and Dory (who start this week)…but they would have to have computers and phones with them in the parade because they HAVE NOT STOPPED registering kids and answering questions in the friendliest of manners!

-I would have to give a prime spot to my two pinch hitters, Michael and Sam, longtime camp unit leaders, who came back at the last minute to fill a couple leadership holes and have had an enormous impact already on camp and my peace of mind

-the unit leaders and crew leaders would likely be driving decorated golf carts and sporting keys and clipboards, ready to organize, rally, schedule, and support at a moment’s notice. These camp leaders are outstanding and I am looking forward to serving with them this summer!

-the camp nurses love camp as much as the rest of us. They are ready to serve at a moment’s notice, whether the need be a hug, bandaid, or emergency. They would be marching in the parade giving out sunscreen and popsicles!

-the counselors, with their backpacks and water bottles and extra bottles of spray-sunscreen…they would be marching behind, leading endless songs, waving, laughing, and making up games. They are ready to help kids shine this summer and excited to be having the positive impact on youth that their counselors had on them just a few years ago!

-The e-team (16 year olds) and crew (15 year olds), our signature teen leadership program participants, would be following behind with fresh enthusiasm and ready to help. Their eyes would be on the campers watching…and their safety and making their experience fun!

Where wouldu I be? I think I’d want to be in the bleachers, watching and smiling as I see the campers’ delight. I would be watching for the way the counselors are immediately connecting with kids and I would reflect on the positive, service-focused culture we’ve encouraged here.

Happy Summer! Bring it on!

Ernstlove,

eli

[captunnecessary]

Spring in Cincy 2015, part one. 

[convertidophoto]

So this is another expansion of the basic mission of this bloggy-thingy.  This is, clearly, Bikini Kill playing live during the fall of 1992 at a radio station in Cincinnati, OH. I was on tour with, not in,  a band from Dallas and we were a week late in arriving at Cincinnati and ended up playing a show with Bikini Kill.  It was a fortuitous foul-up.  Bikini Kill were very nice, cool people and really down to Earth.  I had not heard them before we meet them but had read a lot about them.  While simplistic, their music was passionate, moving, and effective for communicating their message.  We ended up being one day ahead of them in the bay area a few weeks later.  I went to their show at Gilman St.and they were really cool again.  After their set they chit chatted with me and gave me a copy of the new 12″ despite the people thronging them.  I will post some pictures of the Gilman show later.  

Nerd facts: These pictures are from a set I took and was subsequently used in the documentary about Kathleen Hannah that came out a few years back entitled, The Punk Singer.  Also at the Cincinnati show was a lady roadieing for Bikini Kill whose legs had an L7 tattoo made famous in the Pretend We’re Dead video.

[babbelle]

One more reason I love my friends.

"7in7" is a series of officially unofficial music videos, hand-made, band-made by WALK THE MOON without a film crew or a budget. While out on tour, with one camera, the band filmed seven videos in seven days for songs from their self-titled album available June 19th.

[babbelle]

Ha! This is too great, the best is the ski resort is in Indy not Cincy. Love it.

[spinningatfullspeed-blog]

just a friendly reminder that John Green is going to be in Cincinnati in exactly three weeks

and yet the registration isn't up yet on the library website, what the crap is that, they said you could register three weeks beforehand AND HE'S GOING TO BE HERE IN THREE WEEKS. 

[rudepetsclub]

Went to BunBury Music Festival Today

Gaslight anthem was the hands down best performance of the day for me personally. The entire set was awesome, and it ended with BABA O' RIELY! It was so awesome hearing such an important song being played and respected by one of my favorite bands.