EDT highlights

Well last week was Eastern Deaf Timberfest
and I wanted to share the highlights from
my time at the camp.

On Wednesday I took my new DB friend name And-Y who happens to live less than 10 mins from my Moms with me to keep me company.
It was a lovely camp ground in New Holland, PA called Spring Gulch, buried in the heart of the Amish world. *I probably saw more Amish over a 4 day period than I had my whole life in Lancaster!* we hit the pool and swam 2xs that day cuz it was sooo hot! Mingled and I
ran into 2 old co-workers from MSD, Danny
& his lovely wife Hazel who both had
recently retired. Of course they filled me
in on the lastest gossip on mutual friends
from MSD-CC! That night And-Y & I played
Dingo and we were joined by a nice man
name Sean Markel. Sean's family (Markel
clan) were the co-founders of EDT along
with a few others. I thought Sean was
very sweet and had a BIG heart to join us.
He had experience working with DBs too!
Plus another awesome man name Larry had
braille playing cards ready! Yay!

Thursday I didn't go to EDT, Blondie arrived
and we decided to chill out at Baba's and get
ready to stay at the camp grounds for Fri &
Sat night. We hit the food store, wal-mart, etc
etc. It was sooo nice to just shop with her.

Friday we hit the camp ground and we arrived
a tad bit too late for the competitions that day.
Most had finished or were full. We were a little
disappointed but believe me soon we had to
go back out of the camp ground. You see we
had empty the car with the camping gear and
started to set up the tent, but little did we know
the tent itself was missing! Yikes, we had the
tent cover, poles/spikes to set the tent but NO
tent. So we packed up the expensive stuff,
leaving the rest behind with our trusty neighbors
Rick & Frank (I knew Rick from the Gally years).
And went to a local Walmart and picked up a
new tent. Happily we returned and we enjoyed
the car ride to and from, surveying the farm
lands, passing many Amish buggies and
Amish families working on their farms or walking
along the side of the road. That night we
watched some performances by Billy Carwile
a deaf mime(ist). And then they asked for
volunteers for a contest called "ice t-shirts."
Which of course invoked dirty thoughts be-
cause they wanted 5 women volunteers. I ofc
raised my hand figuring what the heck right?
So 5 of us were on the stage and told to turn
our backs to the audience, when they said "go!"
we could turn around and find a t-shirt and
whoever put on their t-shirt 1st would win!
Ok, that's easy enough I thought. So when we
turned we saw 5 tees rolled up on the ground.
But here's the kicker, they were FROZEN! Yep,
they had been previously soaked, folded and
rolled up. It was like taking out a frozen meat
pack from your freezer! I immediately tried
to breathe on it, hoping my warm would help
defrost my tee, the woman next to me went
crazy and literally beat/kicked her shirt, I
soon adopted her method by kicking the shirt
it started to unravel. I used my stomach or
my back too for body heat but the woman
next to me won. I would've been second! FUN.
We got to keep the shirts and as I walked back
to my seats, all the nearby deafies wanted to
touch the shirt to feel how cold it was!?! You
could still see frost on it and my hands were
like icicles ha ha. A lot of fun!

Saturday arrives and most of the competitions
required 4-5 people and we didn't have
a way to join. That was fine, instead we
watched and then that afternoon we headed
to Kettle Village about 8 miles away and did
some shopping. Cute tourist attraction. Ate
a soft dough pretzel that Blondie just loved!
We came back for a swim and mingled more.
But unfortunately some kid took a poop in
the pool! Yep, we all got out of the pool in a
hurry, word spread quickly and we couldn't
believe it, and not only was there 1 but a 2nd
poop in a different part. YUCKY! Blondie & I
went back to our site and played a card game
gin with Rick & Frank. Then we cooked up
bratwurst, delicious!!! The best frigging brats
ever! Once we ate we headed to the main tent
for the night's performances. I enjoyed John
Maurice's (aka Super Deafy!) performances.
Blondie went to bed (to take a nap, but I knew
once she went to sleep, I wouldn't see her
again till morning). But me I was still alive for
the night. Rick was nice enough to invite me
along with his friends to go tent hopping.
Visiting different tents and partying. Soon I
found out there would be a poker game, buy-in
was $20. I was the last player in (a total of 14).
We were split into 2 groups of 7 to play Texas
Hold em. Now I've been playing poker since age
12. But I've never played with Deafies before.
I was lost as to their betting system with the
chips and sequence order. At 1st I look sort
of inexperience but they soon realize that
wasn't the case. I know how to play! Well
I held my own till there was only a few players
left from the 2 groups and we then became 1
group, vying for 1 of the 4 spots to win $$$.
1st place winner would win $110. By this time
I only had a handful of chips left, and I knew
I was close to be eliminated but wouldn't you
know it, I started to win! Specifically when I
got the ace and queen of spades. I joked that
I'm silent but deadly. Yeah I didn't talk much
cuz I didn't know these people and the game
was fast pace. Guess who won 1st place?
Yep, that's right, little old me :] I won $110!
I asked the ladies should I play in the Deaf
poker tourneys that happen a few times a year
and they said YES! I was soo excited I won!
And it was nice to finally do an activity since
I didn't get to compete at all. Anyone who
knows me knows I love to compete ha ha!
I partied some more and then went back to
my tent. I was buzzed and couldn't find my
flashlight and ended up waking Blondie. She
had to use the bathroom anyways and I was
so excited I won 1st place in poker and beat
out 13 other players who all thought I would
lose 10 minute into the game. I was talking/
signing a mile a minute! We ended up
gabbing for an hour, me filling her in on my
night adventure and gossip. I was sad she
missed out but I know she's a morning person
not a night owl like me. Next year when we
go to Maine's timberfest I am buying her red
bull so she can stay awake and go tent
hopping with me. I realize that you have to
be willing to go up to people you don't know
and introduce yourself to them. That's how it
is in the Deaf world. Both Blondie and I are
a little shy at times.

Next morning on like 3 hours of sleep we broke
down our tent and said our goodbyes. I enjoyed
Rick & Frank a lot. They were like brothers to
me. Btw the Frank I met is the same one from
the movie "Children of the Lesser God." He
played one of the students who got speech
lessons. It was a 1 time acting gig. I asked him
did he want to be in this movie, did he audition
for it? Or did they spot him out of a crowd and
ask him to be in it? It was the latter. I joked to
him, that his mortality in the Deaf world is for-
ever sealed! He always been known as the
speech therapy boy from that movie :] I could
tell it has been an advantage for him over
the years. I bet he got many dates that way.

All in all, I had a blast. I absolutely can't wait
attend next August 2011 Maine's Deaf
Timberfest. I made sure to spread the word
during EDT too.

I hope to go camping 1 or 2 more times before
the summer ends. Its a great activity to do and
you get to make new friends when you do it
at a camp ground. Your develop neighbors
or you pass by someone you talked to at the
camp store and wave. You develop camaraderie
with the people there over a short amount of
time.

The following things are essential if you
decide to go camping

Bug spray
Marshmallows, chocolate and gram crackers for smores-duh!
Paper towels
Air mattress, trust me, you want this
Quarters in case the camp ground showers
operate using $$$
Cooler for drinks/meats
Grill
Tin plates/bowls/cups
Suntain lotion
Books
Playing cards
Flashlights
Tarp (for under your tent, especially if it rained recently)
Tent (be sure to check it b4 you leave home, don't make the mistake I
did)

If you've never been camping its never
too late to start. My 1st time was age 30!
No excuses, Mother Nature awaits you :]