630 alarm clock
631 bleary response: snooze
636 snooze again
642 snooze again
644 shorts, shirt, accumulated sweat from a week's running.
645 bandaids over blisters, socks, running shoes.
650 the morning air is cold
655 centerville road. i am at the head of the pack. barely. heart bubbles with glee.
700 still centerville road. still uphill. still at the head of the pack. adjust to longer strides. pulling away from the pack. i love this.
710 downhill; finally, joyfully, playfully.
720 walk. stretch. shower. stretch again. apologize to calves.
800 wait for breakfast.
830 feeling lean, mean, hungry and very impatient for breakfast
900 Breakfast! appease the empty stomach!

and so the day begins. it will end at seven, or eight. we will teach each other new group games. we will sing camp songs. we will talk: group dynamics, alpha males, scapegoats, runaways, medical emergencies, blister care, bear bags and favorite trail recipies and 101 ways to make tuna helper and pasta taste different the 42nd time around. then the ropes course: setup, tear down, gear rescues, cutaway rescues, emotional rescues, debriefing techniques, framing by isomorphs, alternative scenarios, spotting, belaying, and playing.

lunch. dinner. cocoa puff bars and mezo-tech bars and why salsa is God's gift to the backpacking chef. Leave No Trace camping, the toilet talk, keeping order on the trail, building shelters, lightening safety, bear safety, solos, maps, compasses, fitting backpacks and chosing menus. exhaustion.

night falls. staff bonding. risk, settlers of catan, rook, xbox, master and commander. olympic diving. laughter.

1000 open the climbing wall. music. ropes and knots and ATCs and crash mats. give kids the harness talk and the helmet talk and set them loose on the wall. watch and laugh and remember what it was like to be in high school. make obstacle courses with chairs and ropes and tennis balls and crash mats when the kids leave.

midnight. close up. drive home. sink deeply into sleep, with a smile for wonderful days that leave you tired enough to sleep wonderful nights.