Lights

1 Red LED
1 White Lantern
2 Solar powered
1 Hand-cranked
3 Button
1 iPhone 4S
2 EL Wire
1 Headlamp

I don't know why, but I like my flashlights. I have twelve of my own... 5 in my room, one in the hall, and the rest down stairs. I know that seems a little excessive, but it is nice during times like now when the power is on the fritz and you want to see what is around you. It is odd, the power is not completely out, but just enough that most things don't work, but battery chargers and adapters do. And the LED nightlight. Right now I am typing on my cellphone this post using a bluetooth keyboard under the glow of 3 meters of EL wire. A recent acquisition, This very thin plastic wire with a small copper wire in it gives a bright glow for about 12 hours using just two AA batteries. I can see my future dream house lined like the aisles of a movie theater in this stuff, so a power outage does not stop me from wandering around and not step on a catmine.
Another almost necessity is glow-in-the-dark-tape. I first saw this stuff in high school, as we used it to mark out the end of the stage so people don't walk off like they do on America's Got Talent. Every flashlight and water bottle has between 3 and 7 pieces of tape to guarentee visibility from any view angle. Best way to charge the tape? Oddly enough its a UV bulb I got for when I DJ. Too bad that requires house power. Hey Mom...I have another item to add to my Christmas list.

Oh want to see what EL wire looks like:

Home

It has been a week since I got home.  I miss camping and the lake but it has been nice to have some new food, play with the cats and dog (and I am not a dog person) and laugh at our funny and strange chickens.  Now that I am home I can work more on my classes, even though my remaining class is a research paper and I hate papers.

Once this class is done, I plan a few posts about what I need to remember for next year if I am able to camp again.  It might be a while though.  Also when this class is done, I will be done with my first term of WGU, and only 8 will remain.

From the guy with his eye on the sky, Travis...the camping lifeguard

Wait Wait Please Do Tell Me!

Yay!  I won!  You can listen at http://www.npr.org/2011/09/03/140157253/bluff-the-listener.  After listening, I actually didn’t do as well as it sounded.  I first thought it was A, but the audience booed, so I said B, even though it would fall apart when it rains, I just really hoped it wasn’t C.  Well it was, a lifeguard being fired for not wearing a speedo.  This apperently was really in the news, but due to camping, I never heard about it!  Thanks to the audience, I still won!

From the guy with his eye on the sky, Travis...the camping lifeguard


Ok, my mom read this and told me that what I thought my have been misunderstood.  Let me go back to the story, Roy Lester was a guard in New York.  He wears a tightish swimsuit that goes almost down to the knees.  This is what he normally wears when guarding, as compared to regular swimsuits, because regular swimsuits can slow him down.  He had a choice between wearing a speedo, which will keep him moving fast, or failing by not doing the swim.  He chose not to wear a speedo or a loose swimsuit, so he was fired.

A lifeguard should tested in whatever clothing they wish.  If they wish to swim in a sweatsuit they can...and if they pass, then does it matter what they wear?  They have proven that they can perform a rescue yet watch the water comfortably.  His choice, and others, in swimwear should not prevent testing...just test on swimming ability.  If he had dressed like this in prior summers, then he should be simply grandfathered in.

One of the city's swim requirement that they have listed is swimming 100 yards in 75 seconds.  The lifeguard training I was given was that you must always be within a 25 second swim from any swimmers (45 seconds for swimmers with a lifejacket *shiver in horror*).  I know that for myself I can swim 25 yards in 22 seconds with a lifeguard tube, 15 seconds without a tube while sprinting.  There are two differences between a rescue swim and a regular timed swim.  When doing a time swim you are keeping your head in the water, so you can move thru the water faster.  During a rescue you must keep your head above water so that you can keep watch over your victim.  You also normally have a tube under your arms or chest to keep ready until you get close to your victim.  I should also mention I am only tested on 25 yards due to always being in a pool of that size, and I never taught myself how to do flip turns when becoming a lifeguard, so I can't do a further distance when being timed in a pool.

According to the Red Cross requirements (what I am certified under), there is no unassisted hearing or vision requirements, as so long as the candidate can perform the rescue.  As long as the candidate is over 15, age has no impact behind initial certification.

I wish Roy luck and he gets his job back!

A photo my cousin made on my iPad

Wait Wait Do Tell Me!

Today is my last day camping up here.  I still have a few more posts to put up, but I have a test for one of my classes on Friday morning and the nearest testing center is in the Twin Cities.  Between that and missing my family and cats, I am going to be leaving tomorrow morning for home.   I will do a more proper goodbye when I can, but right now I am a little excited!

I just got a call back from Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me from NPR.  I am going to be a contestant for the Bluff the Listener Challenge!  Bluff the Listener Challenge is where the three panelists each give me an odd story.  One is true, the others are faked (though sometimes really cool or correct and they didn’t realize it).  I have to guess which is real.  The recording is tomorrow night, and airs on Saturday.  As to when and what station depends on where you live.  Look online for more information.  WWDTM is also available afterwords to download.  You can either subscribe as a podcast in iTunes or some other method, or direct from the site at ____.  Listen if you can!  I will post the direct link when it is available.

From the guy with his eye on the sky, Travis...the camping lifeguard

♬This is the end, my friends♬

♬This is the end, my friends♬

Yesterday was beach takedown day.  I am officially done guarding for the summer :(  At least the water was warm when I went in to bring in the buoy.  I am going to miss that beach and the loons that come out to visit.  Some days the water was nice and clear, sometimes it was mirky.  Occasionally the minks would come out and tease me with the fact I didn’t have my camera with me.  I’m going to miss swimming under water about 15 feet to pick up two cement blocks and start walking them thru thick, deep mud to put the buoy back to where it should be.  I got to work with some of the best lifeguards Northern Wisconsin.

Yea, there were some troublesome kids that would drive me nuts, but there were others who were well behaved and funny sometimes.  It was fun to watch young families come to the beach for their first times.  Canadians would come down and make fun of the people and guards who think the water is too cold while Floridians would think we are all nuts.

Until next year, from the guy with his eye on the sky, Travis...the formally lifeguarding camping lifeguard.

LEAVE ME ALONE!

I was nice and asleep (I think I sleep better here than in my own bed) and all of a sudden I was jolted awake!  Frogs keep jumping around and two ran into my tent last night.  Normally I get a frog or two over the night for the last few nights, but two at once is a first.  They seem to not realize you need to go around the tent and instead they try to climb up and over it.

From the guy with his eye on the sky, Travis...the camping lifeguard