Check out the 2005 East Coast Travel Team! ;)

Here are some of shots of my staff taken back in training week when we still liked each other--just kidding! ;) These are a few of the several that we took for our staff photo (which is sold in the Fuge store). I haven't taken many pictures lately (I have been a little preoccupied) but I really miss it and the scenery around here is gorgeous. We are in Virginia this week and have a two-day weekend, so maybe I'll get to relax and take some pictures. Brad on staff is our videographer and is really into photography as well. I'm trying to convince him that he needs to buy a Canon Digital Rebel this summer so that I can play with it! ;) Anyway, enjoy the pics and I hope to have time to do more posting over the weekend!


This is our "prom date" staircase shot but you can see all of the faces, so I'll go ahead and name everyone. Girls (from bottom to top): Jen, Jodie, Pam, Jenny, Haley, Rachel, and me (Beth)/ Boys (b to t): Brian, Matt, Roger, Matthew, Jeff, Kenny, and Brad.

This is our "baby birds" shot...I didn't think it was a good idea, but the photographer insisted! ;)

This is my favorite shot on my camera. We actually ended up using one that was taken with Brad's camera.

Feeling good...I think?!

Well, crisis has been averted and all is right in the world...at least for now. June 19, 2005, will go down in my book as one of the most exhausting days in my life. I can't remember what I said in the post I wrote that morning, but I'll recap now. Due to the fact that other groups were at Skycroft during our training week, we could not set anything up until 10:30pm the night before the first day of camp. We have a rather extensive set this year and that took a while to set up, so we really didn't start messing with sound and media equipment until about 1:30am. Around 2am, we realized that the computer that all of our media is on did not have any audio or video drivers and was basically useless to us. That lead to a very long night and early morning.

Plan, like, 'G' or 'H' was to load a random box of MediaShout software that we'd found mixed in with office stuff (and had nearly thrown away)onto Haley's laptop. When we open the box, we discover that it's version 1.0!! (that's really old--like maybe 4 or 5 years old. They are on version 3.0 now.) So that's what we did...and it worked! I truly believe that God provided in that instance, because there is no other reason why that software would have been mixed into the office boxes. And we are all stronger for the experience, I suppose. And BOY, do we have some stories to tell! ;)

The drivers were overnighted to us, and we're back in business on our original equipment now. My staff has been amazing through this. They are all working SO hard to make camp the best it can be and I praise God for each of them. I cannot tell you how pleased I am with everything so far. There are always things to be 'tweaked' but camp is running so smoothly. We are about half-way through the second day and while I'm sure that more trials lay in our path, I trust now more than ever that God always provides a way through them and that he uses these 'gliches' to grow us up in the process. Please pray for us and know that I'm still lovin' camp!

It is 4:38 am...

...and I am still up. We've been setting up the worship center for the past 6 hours. We are having technical difficulties and even though I have NO clue about what's going on or how to fix anything, I feel that it is my responsibility to stay up...because I'm the director! ugh, I think I'd rather be a peon. Registration starts in almost 10 hours. Camp programming begins in about 14 hours. Yay, camp!

Shhhhhh...

I am supposed to be downstairs practicing theme interp with my staff, but I snuck away to do "official director business"--ya know, talk registration process with the location contact, call my coordinator for the hundredth time this week (just a joke--I'm a little more self-sufficient than that!)...check email, and blog! ;) Training week has been crazy busy but good. It's been neat getting to know these people that I've been communicating with via phone and email and praying for all spring! I've got a great staff and we are all working really hard to make things happen. As soon as I can get online on my computer (I'm in the conference center office at the moment), I'll post a few pics.

Kids come on SUNDAY!! We're excited...A little scared, but excited nonetheless. I know that God will do great and amazing things this summer and I'm just excited that I have a front-row view! Camp is truly a unique experience and working it is bone-tiring, but exhilarating! I am not gonna be posting on a very regular basis, but check back every now and then because I'll be trying to post when I can! And feel free to send me large care packages and bouquets of flowers to let me know you care! ;) You can send those packages to:

Skycroft Conference Center
Attn: Beth Hintze--Centrifuge Director
9621 Frostown Road
Middleton, MD 21769

I love packages and NO ONE EVER SENDS ME ANYTHING! (Sniff, Sniff...how do ya like that shameless plug for mail?!) I'll keep you posted as to when we move locations and have a new address, so keep those packages coming!!!! ;)

Seriously, I'm on my feet from 7:30am to 12:30am everyday and loving it...I'll just be happy when training week is done and we can settle into a normal routine! Then I'll only be on my feet from 7:45am to 11:30pm or 12:00am--MUCH better! ;) Please feel free to email or post comments. I won't always be able to respond as quickly as I'd like, but I enjoy hearing from my peeps!

Anyone feel like bringing me to the airport?

Alright, I'm leaving again. I leave for Nashville, TN, tomorrow morning to meet up with my team. From there we will drive to Middletown, Maryland, for 12 days of training and then camp starts. Yikes! I can't believe it's here...I can't believe I took a trip the week before I left for camp!! Oh well, ready or not, here it comes. I will do my best to keep you, my dedicated readers, current on what's going on, so stay tuned. But right now I need to finish packing--I keep doing everything BUT packing. And my flight leaves at stinkin' 6:00am! ugh! What brainiac booked that flight--and no it wasn't me, but I will give HIM a piece of my mind when I see him tomorrow! ;) Alright, It's getting late early. Happy summer everyone! See ya!

Happy Birthday Erica!

Today was Erica's birthday. She's 25, which is so strange because I'm only 23! ;) We had lunch and birthday cake at our Mom's house and then several friends and family got together at Coyote Blues (Mexican) for dinner. This first pic was actually taken a few weeks ago, but I figured that I should put a normal pic of Erica so you can see that she really is a cute girl...that will make more sense as you continue down the page...

My baby sister...sniff, sniff ;)

My sister the goofball

Here begins the pics of the birthday dinner at Coyote Blue's. I had the wonderful blessing of sitting across from Todd and Derek--brothers and two of the most kind and encouraging men anyone could ever have the chance to know! ha! (that's a joke, if you don't already know them) but they were very entertaining!

Damon looks on as Derek shows off his talent with the young uns'

Todd and Derek--the life of any party!

Some shots of the rest of the table

The birthday girl and Jackson

one last pic of the little shutterbug! He's such a ham!!

A Belated Happy Birthday Kyle

My brother Kyle's birthday was actually May 25th but life was crazy that week and I forgot to post anything! Kyle is 27 now...wow, we're getting old!

Kyle (cocking a hip like Daddy would do) and David at Lowe's

NYC Trip: The End

I'm home now. We got back around 1:00pm and I thought that was great because I'd still have a good portion of the day to get some things done in preparation for the next trip...but of course that didn't happen! Instead, I took a 7 hour nap--briefly interrupted by my sister who came by to welcome me home and take a look at the loot! I've been up for about 2 1/2 hours and I'm ready to go back to bed...I didn't realize how tired I was! I suppose that's the sign of any good trip? I had an amazing time. I may still post more pics from the week in days to come, but I will leave you with these pictures of our NYC apartment.

From the front door

living room

looking from the living room toward the front window

desk from whence all the bloging came

tiny kitchen

bedroom

NYC Trip: Day 7--The view from our apartment, Washington Square Park, 5th Avenue, and MoMA

Today was our last day in the 'big apple' and the weather was a little dreary. I wanted to feel grown-up and independent, so I spent most of the day wandering around on my own. I didn't take many pics, but I did include a few of the view from our apartment--maybe I'll get some of the inside tomorrow morning after we've cleaned! (It's not that messy, but seeing as we don't live here, our stuff is on top of the stuff that's already here.) Most of tonight's pics are from MoMA--The Museum of Modern Art. Going there today reminded me of my cousin Phillip and a big debate we had over what is art...I'm still not convinced Phillip, so please don't be mad at me if I poke a little fun at the stuff I didn't care for! ;)

We travel home tomorrow, so this is the last of the daily glut of pictures. I may still post a few as I continue to go through the ten-million I now have on my computer! I've had fun posting my pics and I hope you've enjoyed the little glimpses of our vacation! I've had a great time, and everyday life will seem a little dull now (all two days of it before I leave for camp) but it will be nice to get back to NOT being a tourist! I hate tourists, unless I am one...but I'm even tired of myself by this point! ;)

The little restaurants across the street from our apartment

The buildings behind the cute little restaurants across the street from our apartment

A view to the South at the corner of 50th and 2nd

The corner of 51st and 2nd looking north

Another beautiful church--this one is somewhere near NYU

The arch at Washington Square Park

A view from the other side

Jazz in the afternoon--Washington Square Park

A shot of the Ed Sullivan Theater. I went over to Hello Deli to buy Damon a t-shirt and was actually waited on by Rupert himself!

How nice it is of the city of New York to put my name up on a building! (ok, so it's the Elizabeth Arden building, but a girl can dream, can't she?!) ;)

The 'Big' piano at FAO Schwartz

Here begins the pictures I took at MoMA--The Museum of Modern Art. I was most interested in seeing The Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh, but I saw all sorts of things. I am definitely not a modern art kinda chick, but there were some that I liked. I realize the whole, "to each his own" is very much in play here...so enjoy it if you can, and if you can't...maybe you can chuckle at the captions?! ;)[And there are a few shots I threw in there to keep ya guessing, so see if you can pick them out! ha!!]

Monet

Bingo by Gordon Matta-Clark "created...when M-C sawed the red shingled facade of a house in Niagra Falls, NY, into nine gridded sections and removed all but the center one. He kept three of the eight sections and arranged them in the present configuration, abandoning their original order in favor of a linear collage of discontinuous parts..."

The other side of Bingo by Gordon Matta-Clark

I think this is an embroidered list of the five hundred tallest mountains

someone explain this one to me?!

"Pull in case of fire...then run!"

sure, ok...this is art? It just looks like a messy construction sight to me!

I don' t know what it's called, but I actually kinda liked this one somewhat

New Shelton Wet/Dry Doubledecker by Jeff Koons "...vacuums placed in a vacuum--a status as self-contradictory as the machines' 'wet/dry' inscription..." that's from a brochure I picked up on this floor...there's more to it than that, so let me know if you REALLY want to know more!

I saw this row of mirrored glass water bottles from behind and thought it was really pretty. After I took the shot, I realized that they had words eched on them...words like "saliva, urine, pus, blood, etc" and it's basically about being containers for these 12 bodily fluids and some metaphor for the body as a container...or something like that. I was just slightly grossed out!

Untitled--it's wax and that's real hair (eeew!)...and i have no idea what it's about!

Open Play Pen--seriously, that's the name of this one!

This makes me think of giant Legos

"Electrical Closet"

"Point of No Return No. 2" (ok, so it's just a door, but I had fun taking these shots! ;)

A blurry shot of The Perseverance of Time by Salvador Dali

Three Musicians by Picasso

Picasso--I can't remember the name of this one but it's another political piece much like Guearnica is (and i don't think I spelled that correctly)

Kandinsky

Paul Cezanne