Yepsen [dot] net [slash] blog

As I sit in my car just south of Chicago Ave on Rush St waiting for my wife to get out if work, I think “Hey! I should blog!” Maybe it’s the plethora of plans and to-do items streaming through my mind, the Wilco blaring from my iPhone and out of my car stereo, or my overwhelming fatigue from the 10 Days of Session 1 at Camp, but I feel inspired to write.

Given all that, expect a handful of grammatical errors. It’s time like this that I wonder how this type of post might differ I I was a frequent blogger with a loyal following, rather than a sporadic writer who is also likely to be his only reader. Despite the very public nature of the Internet on which this blog resides, yepsen.net remains a secluded spot where most ramblings will remain undiscovered.

But does that affect the posts I DO write?

Would I be more forthcoming about my thoughts if I had an audience to whom (“whom” is right, right?) I felt a sense of loyalty? Or would I be more protected and even less giving if I knew every word would be read?

Frankly, I am not sure if there is much more information to hold back. My initial thought was that I would withhold more, but upon writing that I believe the contrary. As of now, I am writing for no one, to no one. Why bother talking when you’re alone in an empty room in the crowded hotel of the Internet?

But there, I suppose, lies the rub. To garner readership I must promote and to promote I must write something to promote.

Let’s try this again… After I pick up my wife who is walking out the door…

1 year ago today, I married the most awesome woman I know. 

I have heard before that the first year is one of, if not the, hardest.  If that is true, we have a lot of great years to look foward to.  I am constantly shocked at how lucky I am to have her in my life.

I love you, Katie.

Wish enough, wise man’ll tell you a lie
Window broke, torn up screens
Who’d have thought that you’d dream
Of a single tragic scene

I just wanna sing a song with you
I just want to take it off of you

Cause Blue Eyes
You are all that I need
Cause Blue Eyes
You’re the sweet to my mean

Fess it up, dot on the palm of your hand
I can help you to stand
Saved it up for this dance
Tell me all the things you can

I just wanna sing a song with you
I just wanna be the one that’s true

Cause Blue Eyes
You’re the secret I keep
Cause Blue Eyes

All the lights on and you are alive
But you can’t point the way to your heart
So sublime, when the stars are aligned
But you don’t know
You don’t know the greatness you are

Cause Blue Eyes
You are destiny’s scene
Cause Blue Eyes
I just wanna be the one

I just wanna sing a song with you
I just wanna get it on with you

Cause Blue Eyes
You’re the secret I keep
Cause Blue Eyes
I just wanna sing a song with you…

Another night, another night at work. So far, the CHA nights have gone well; I’ve talked to parents representing 100 interested potential campers. Not a bad start, I’d say. I just hope they register!

After this I’ll be heading to Mike & Maggie’s to help them pack up a UHaul trailer with a oneway ticket to suburbian misery, I mean, the suburbs, excuse my slip. Should be fun though, a beverage or two perhaps and some manual labor never hurt anyone.

Come to think of it, that combination has likely hurt many people in the past.

Tomorrow is another work day, well, a work 1/4 day anyway. I have 2 interviews; 1 at 10am and 1 at 11am. I really enjoy doing staff interviews though, so I hardly consider it to be work.

All-in-all, I’d say it was a pretty good week. I feel like I got a lot of work done and had a pretty good time doing it. Now, I just have to find out if mom is in town for Mother’s Day or not…

Welp, here I am at camp again. 3rd weekend in a row, but the last for a while. All signs indicate that this should be a bit “easier” of a weekend’ a more self-sufficient group, allowing my boss and I more time to work out plans for this summer.  There is still much to do. Planning out Staff Training, workout scheduling issues, iron-out some program info. I feel like I have a pretty daunting mountain ahead of me, though I am excited to start climbing. 

I love being out here at camp, though I am definitely excited to get home.  This weekend, my wife is actually off of work – and here am I, 115 miles away.  Being a fan of The Deadliest Catch, I often like to tease her as I get ready to leave that I have to get back out to the Bering Sea, though I’d imagine the odds of me drowning or dying of hypothermia are significantly less at a youth camp in Dowagiac, MI.  Though at times it does feel as though I am gone for months at a time, apart from everyone and everything, but with out the added bonus of a $30k-$60k check waiting for me upon my return to civilization!  On the other side of that, is the aforementioned hypothermia and drowning thing.

It really is pretty cool that I get to do this for a living.  I’ve had some pretty good accomplishments lately, I think.  This past week I had an article I wrote about camp sent out to the 524 other subscribers of the Chicago Wilderness’ Leave No Child Inside eNewsletter.  I have also, over the past few weeks, developed my own eNewsletter for my Camp Staff.  Exit 30 (the exit taken off of I-90 in MI to get to camp) has been well received by the professional staff receiving it, though I haven’t heard a peep from the staff on the recieving end!  Hope they find it useful, though already in issue/week 3 of its existence, I am about to make a few design tweeks to it.

Camp is coming along well, most of our staff is hired, including to young ladies from the U.K. who will be crashing in Katie’s and my extra bedroom for a few days before camp.  Not many wives would allow a couple of 19 year old foreign girls crash in their house, I can imagine!  I will be meeting a couple of my more veteran staff this weekend as well, so I’m pretty excited for that. 

Katie is also working on starting a small business selling veils.  Her first design turned out awesome, so I am really hoping she will see it through.  If I ever was in need of a veil, I’d buy one of her’s. 

All-in-all, I guess things have been going well.  I have decided I want to try and get back into this whole blogging thing again, so hopefully when I get back into town I will post some pics from my weekend out here at camp.  Well, I guess I’ll get back to sitting in my camp-house; maybe call my wife.  Gotta get back to keep on keepin’ on.

Back in the office after 3 days of training, gotta love 1 day work weeks. I’m busy trying to catch up on what I missed and get a head start on what must be done next week.

I’m also looking forward to leaving this afternoon for my grandparent’s (dad’s side) 50th anniversary. I am definitely excited about getting out in the middle of nowhere and walking through the Timber. I’ve always loved their house, though I always manage to leave injured.

Happy Friday!

As Nick’s last meal with Katie and I in Chicago before he moves out and leaves for the Navy, we’re at Taco Bell.

Well the weekend is coming to a close and I’m a little bit older, a little bit poorer, and a whole lot sicker.

I’m pretty sure mom and Mark had a good time, and Katie and I sure enjoyed the free meals!

Popcorn pick-up for work on Saturday went pretty smoothly. Despite working early on a Saturday, I do typically enjoy working those, an opportunity to hang out and lift some boxes is nice for a day, glad it’s not my career though.

And I am definitely sick now, sore throat, coughing, headache… It’s all there, it all sucks.

Well, enjoy the random weekend pics. Off to watch the Bears and trying to persuade my body to get well.

It is a dark, wet night in Chicago. Actually, it’s been wet all day and most of yesterday with no relief in sight. It’s hard to believe that this rain was absolutely devastating a few hundred miles ago.

Well, off to pick up the wife from work!

Enjoy some pics from along the ride!