Me and Andy... not sure what day this was

Anne, Me and Savannah showing off our hair bows

Savannah and Anne, armed with sharpies and ready to fight! (Wednesday)

 More are on the way, so stay tuned!

*Froggy*

Somebody said something humerous, so Savannah and Anne are rolling on the floor laughing

Me, Anne and Savannah flaunt our balloon creations from Joe's Crab Shack in the elevator Monday night.

Andy and Gwen explore the blog

 There will be more pictures later! Remember, if you want to read the captions, highlight the whitespace beneath the pictures.

There will be more pictures shortly!

*Froggy*

Andy wants his food!

Good times at Joe's

This picture was taken on Monday morning in our bathroom mirror... Andy came over to visit, and we finally got him to smile for the camera.

 Highlight the white spaces to read captions as before. More pictures will come soon, so stay in tune!

*Froggy*

After spending all day together on an airplane, Andy and Savannah need some space!

Bright and early Monday morning, we're ready to learn! Good times at Joe's Crab Shack! (Monday night) Andy wants his crab!Joe's Crab Shack is awesome!

Gwen and Savannah at Joe's Crab Shack, Monday nightAndy wants his food!

For some reason the captions are in white… if you click and highlight in the white space below the pictures, you can see the words. I don’t quite know why that is…

More pictures will be coming soon! Over and out!

*Froggy*

On the airplane I pulled out my tray table and slept face-first on it. On the second plane back I read part of the best book in the universe - it’s called Holes by Louis Sachar and this must be the fifth time I’ve read it in my life – and managed to stay awake. We got off the airplane and went to lunch at a mall, where I did my good deed for the day by amusing a teenager who startled me with the automatic door button. I was minding my own business, tugging at the heavy glass door, when he walked up behind me and punched the automatic button. The door leapt out of my hand and I jumped, which pleased the button-pusher to no end. I felt that by brightening someone’s day I am doing a service, so I was not angry.

We had a nice drive back. I am so glad to be home. This was a great trip with great people, and I am so glad I got to go. I learned so much, about prevention and action plans and about my friends. This was a great experience, and I am looking forward to sleeping in my own bed.

We managed to be on time today when we went to Disney Land with the John Day kids (Wade, McKayla and Dylan), their advisors and Michael from New Jersey. We split up inside and went our two seperate ways: Savannah, Andy, Anne, me, Wade and Dylan going to the Haunted Mansion and Woody, McKayla and Michael going to some spaceland ride. Luckily for me the Masion was not nearly as scary as the Hollywood Hotel, because I don’t think I could have handled two super scary rides in one day. The next ride we went on was Splash Mountain, and that was extremely frightening for me! You would not believe how steep the slope was. We got soaked and the camera at the top took a picture of us screaming with all our might. I feel bad for Wade, who had to sit in the front.

We went and saw the fireworks, where Tinkerbell flew around magically and Dumbo took flight. On our way out, we lost a crew member. Once we regained him, we had to implement our tracking system (which involves raising your hand high in the air and shouting “I’m here, guys!”) on him. I can’t say I was glad we lost him, but I can say that I am glad it was not me who got lost. Luckily I am a better follower than he is, and I know how to play follow-the-leader through a crowd.

We went on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride and had a blast. But the best was yet to come. We got to go on the Indiana Jones ride. Not just once, but TWICE!!!!

In case anyone was curious, I am an extremem Indiana Jones fan. I am fairly certain it was obvious to anyone who walked by, but nonetheless I felt the need to point it out. I was thrilled to no end by the fact that I got to sit behind the wheel of the car when we went through the first time. When the robotic Indiana Jones shouted “Go left!” at me from his station at the rock pillar, I felt like he was talking directly to me. At each turn the three strangers next to me screamed loudly, and myself with them in perfect time, as if we had rehearsed it. I was honestly thrilled nearly to death. The chances of me meeting Harrison Ford are slim, but this was almost as good. I was super thrilled when Indiana Jones slid down the rope and hung directly above our car and told us to watch out for the boulder coming our way, because I felt like I was in the movie. Who needs Marion Ravenwood when Mary T. Dorroh is here?

We ended the evening at the Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse statue. Wade bought himself a third churro, and the rest of us sat about and discussed our various events that had taken part that evening. It was so magical that Anne collapsed on her bed face-down to sleep as soon as we got back to the hotel. Savannah and I packed a little before hitting the sack. It was an amazing experience, and I feel I can enjoy my favorite movie series even more now that I have lived it.

At the mall we found these big, rubber inflatable balls in a pool of water. For a mere eight dollars, Anne, Savannah, Andy and I got to walk on water! To be more correct, we flopped around on water. It was very hard to keep your balance in the rubber balls. Anne managed to stand up twice, but the rest of us were reduced to flopping about uselessly in the water. I am pleased that we provided so much entertainment for passing people, and I feel we did a real service.

The rest of the night was good. We shopped a little and ate a little, and then we walked back home to the hotel.

During the day Gwen needed to go to Target to return her swimsuit – being as the pool is only four feet deep so she didn’t use it – and so Smitty and I went with her. We stopped at a Chinese restaurant for lunch, and it was very interesting. The waitress forgot to bring Gwen her water, and the people who came in after us left before we got our food. Luckily we are all very good-natured people, so it wasn’t too bad. Until I found a fly in my water, that is. Let’s just say I ate very carefully. On top of it all, my fortune cookie said that if I “can’t succeed with talent, succeed with effort” which implied I am talentless. Luckily for me, the worse an experience is the better story it makes, so that at least was a good thing.

Now we are blogging with Phineas and Ferb playing the background. The John Day kids invited us to go to the beach with them, but we’re going to the mall. Woody wanted to go to the beach with them, so I asked him if he needed us to hold his bear, but he politely ruined my day by saying no thank you, he left it in his room. Gwen, Smitty, Andy, Anne, Savannah and I are going to the mall to play in these giant plastic bubbles in a pool, just like out of a cartoon. It is fun, and I can’t believe our trip is over halfway over.

Today July 27, 2011 the day began with a 4 mile bike ride, 2 mile jog and COFFEE!!!, oh wait, that was yesterday, silly me I have been hanging out with all of these young people and they are keeping Scott and I hopping, one day just runs right into the other…I should be ready for the Steen Rim Run and Walk! UGHHHHH!!!

So here is a brief of July 26, There is no way to talk about all that happened yesterday, but if you read all of the blogs you will get the most of it. 

The morning session began with “Strategic Prevention Framework”

Skills required to implement the SPF are; Assessment, Capacity, Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation (ACPIE), which is what Savannah named it in AZ….

The youth chose one problem “Underage Drinking in Harney County”, , OH MY THEY  ARE SO IN TUNE WITH OUR COMMUNITY, and guess what?, we are not the only ones in the world with this issue.  I know most of you know this.  I videoed all of the coalitions “Problem Statements” what an experience!  Any who, they learned how to breakdown the problem; Agent~Host~Environment, They are learning exactly what we are doing at the academy in Tacoma and they so get it.  (KID LINGO) I don’t need to go into detail because I am sure you are reading the youth’s blogs…It is so hard to sit back and let them do the work, but that is exactly what they are doing, they have received so many complements from the trainers, they are amazing and SCOTT and I are very proud. :_)

After a long day of Logic Model Work, on to California Adventure, Lamborn boys as our tour guides…

Oh so let me back up.  So we ,me, wanted to get all the time we , me, could get at the Theme Park so I went to get in line and save their spots, I was in the very front of the line.  Well of course, you guessed it, they were late and we missed the bus,(they decided they needed coffee, Mary bought a candy bar, which Andy explained to her that the Park would not allow her to take it in and the police would make her throw it out, without hast and she devoured it!!!) but… another one was close behind and after my tail feathers were ruffled(DUCK), I settled down and our bus actually got there before the first bus.  Don’t think that they didn’t let me know of this.  Savannah said she had it all planned out with the drivers prior.

Finally California Adventure and the The Hotel Hollywood, we entered the Twilight Zone…The wait in line was great, and we met some very nice people and our concierge was awesome…  The ride itself was amazing and scary.  I truly felt sorry for all of the people in the elevator with us as I screamed so loud the friends we did make while waiting for the ride defriended me by the time it was over!!! 

Mary was so darn cute, can’t wait to show the video, I videoed alot… 

Ride #2 Airplane that lifted us 20 feet off the ground and we flew over many sites in the US, such a great time.. Then off to get wet, it was hilarious, Scott, Andy, Savannah and Anne were laughing at Mary myself and two other young ladies as we were getting wet the whole ride, but as the end of the ride approached, the gusher hit and it soaked them all.  HAHAHA…Instant gratification.  Although we only had a few hours a California Adventure it was indeed an adventure and I was glad I got to share a lot of first experiences with such great people.  Oh and you can’t forget the Light Show, videoed the whole thing…AHHH MAZING!!!

Woody and I walked back to the hotel, 3 miles in record time… Long day, hard work, hard play.  Till tomorrow.

DUCK~