Dating : Slept in, played hard, tired out

I finished writing last night and walked back to my cabin — for a moment I wondered if they were actually asleep.

But then, I saw light emitting from the motel unit that I share with two other guys.

I could hear the stones crumbling beneath my feet as I stepped closer — I grasped the door handle between my fingers and pushed the door open.

The light was on, the two guys were laying in their respective bottom bunks — but there was a third guy laying on the big bed underneath my bunk.

Apparently it was meme night and I didn’t get the memo.

A meme looks a bit like a comic strip but is ostensibly funnier and typically taps into popular culture or your niche view on life.

I greeted the young men in their bunks and walked past the pullout table that tries to deck me when I’m not looking.

It is home to snacks, coins, wrappers, dirty socks, and anything else that can be left out at a moment’s notice.

I leaned over as I slid off my shoes and a whiff of stench from my feet infiltrated my nostrils.

I straightened up again and the stench ceased to bless my senses.

As I walked around barefoot I felt sand beneath my feet — tiny little particles all over the floor that beach dwellers can hardly rid themselves of.

Wet feet beckon sand to cling all the more — lest we choose to traumatize our towels with the collection of sand from our legs and feet, it stays with us.

So it is — all over the floor, in our bunks, and in our dirty clothes.

I stepped into the bathroom to brush my teeth — meanwhile I heard the laughs of the young men and their memes.

I couldn’t help but smile even though I had no idea what I was on the verge of having a laugh over — but whatever it was, I knew it was funny.

Once I felt like I had brushed my teeth enough — I rinsed out my toothbrush and departed from the small bathroom in our motel unit.

I saw the book that I was reading earlier laying on one of my duffel bags close to the ground.

I picked it up and carefully climbed up the ladder attached to the end of my top bunk.

I intended to read some more of it in bed, although the ceiling light proved more challenging than I expected.

With a few careful adjustments I found a position that allowed me to lay down comfortably and have the book pages lit up enough to read without eyestrain.

I read two pages and then a phone was thrown at me.

It had a meme on it, but the meme was gone after it landed in my bunk.

The one who threw it at me picked it up again and navigated to the meme that he intended to show me.

I looked at it carefully and took a moment to let it sink in — then I did a typical tired laugh because it was funny but I also thought sleeping would be fun too.

The other guy in the bunk on the other side of the room started to think like me — he started making jokes about going to sleep.

I felt the same vibe.

After all, in the morning we’d have to get up — and I’d be game to not doze off all day long.

Not much time passed and the two guys below me agreed.

I said goodbye to the third guy and goodnight to the first two guys.

I double checked from their perspective about if it would not be morally wrong to sleep in because when campers go on camp out they usually can’t do morning activities.

Which meant that I wouldn’t have to get up early and lead polar bears.

So I did exactly that.

I didn’t set my alarm, I slept in until the bell rang for breakfast and then I slept twelve minutes longer before waking up and preparing for my day.

Now I am going to summarize the rest of my day in one sentence each — because the female APD wants me to mention coconuts and it’s time for bed.

I led polar bears.

I sent snap streaks.

I ate breakfast — it was baked oatmeal.

I tweeted about my day.

I sat on the beach.

I listened to the staff testimessage of the counselor whose last name rhymes with boss — then I encouraged him at the end.

I ate lunch.

I texted my mom.

I led boating for beavers and made them go out in the only four canoes we still had — but without paddles, so they had to paddle with their hands.

That was partly a bad decision, but everyone except one camper loved it.

I guarded the aqua jump.

I guarded the crib.

I did a lake swim with the waterfront director.

We got snack shop just in time.

I drove the lifeguard who wears headphones when he sleeps to Walmart to get his prescription medicine.

I texted my dad.

I ate dinner.

I texted my sister.

I guarded the raft for all camp swim.

I built a fire for fireside.

I contemplated going to the rock in the evening, but then I felt quite tired and realized that the beavers needed all their support staff to make the night go.

I provided ratio supervision at snack shop while counselors had their meeting.

I played a role at the bottom of the hill in a game called ‘Chaos and Silence’ — the role was to sing and dance at the coconut fair.

This particular part of the night also fulfilled a bullet point in the tweet about my day where I said that I would do something that I’ve never done before.

Originally that thing was going to be when I went to the rock in the evening — but this would suffice.

The female APD played a tune on her ukulele and we sang “Co, co, co, nuts — co, co, co, nuts — co, co, co, nuts — we, love, coconuts.”

Part way through that game I went to stay in a cabin as proper supervision because TLTs aren’t old enough and one camper was feeling sick.

I was there when all the campers came back from the night game and they were wild — we had a huge pillow fight.

We even raided the cabin next door — armed with pillows and too much energy.

It will be a night that they remember. The night Cedar beat down Scotch Pine.

Then I started typing on my laptop, now we’ve come thus far.