Go RED Team!!!

(The Red Team and our Battle Wagon, the Moose!!! 2006)

As we approach yet another fantastic celebration of our great nation's independence, one can't help to think about all the ways we've spent the holiday over the years. While I don't have tons of concrete memories about the 4th of July celebration in Hillsboro, Ohio (other than the Festival of the Bells and watching the fireworks as they scattered over the football field), my celebrations and traditions from the five summers I spent at Camp Tapawingo in Sweden, Maine during and after college, are pretty much cemented in my brain.

Working at Camp Tapawingo, the 4th of July was always so much fun. Normally the night before we'd load all the kids into the big vans and haul them into town (Bridgeton) for the annual firework display. It wasn't so much that the fireworks lasted all evening, but the traffic coming home took forever (even in rural Maine) so it'd be about midnight by the time the kids were all settled down for the night.

(Lockwood and I sport our 4 on the Fourth shirts, 2004)

The next morning a few van loads of us counselors and kids would drive back into town for the 4 on the 4th road race. One of my favorite years doing this, I did a dualathlon by riding my bike 15 miles into town and then running the race.

(JD and I biked it into town on the 4th to go for a run, 2004)

By the time we got back to camp and cleaned up, it was a day full of games and other activities... but the highlight was always the counselor vs. senior camper water fight. We'd spend all afternoon plotting our tactics and pranks (like finding where the seniors hid all of their water balloons and then locking that room shut), and then going down to the arts and crafts room to add our war paint.

(red team war paint, 2006)

The seniors in the meantime, would all get their swimsuits on.

(Seniors of 2001, probably some of the best kids ever. PP4L!)

We'd reach raid the landsports shack and grab lacrosse sticks as we discovered (I actually discovered this) that they make great water ballon launchers. As well, if you are good enough, when water balloons are thrown at you, you can catch em, cradle them, and launch them right back at the thrower.

(yes, I will take credit for adding lacrosse sticks to Tapawingo water fight accessories ever since 1998. photo 2006)

When it came time for the water fight to begin, all the other campers would grab their crazy creeks and sit out by the softball fields, waiting for the procession of counselors to storm up the hill towards the Sr. Cabin. (In later years though, this was changed due to some items in the bunk getting soaked and unfortunate foot to crotch combat with male staff members.) Once the water fight started, things just got crazy. I loved it! It was totally a "no holds barred" kinda thing.

(Ellery takes a seat. 2006)

Of course when the counselors got wet, our red paint bled... so once the Camp Director Jane called the water fight off, I'd always make a mad dash (with a lifeguard counselor friend) to the water front where we'd run down the dock and then cannonball straight into the lake. It was the best way to rinse off.

(Marielle cools off. 2006)

After I finally got cleaned up, the afternoon would be pretty relaxing. A 4th of July cookout was normally on the schedule, but and hopefully -pending on my jobs at camp- that evening I'd be able to make it out of camp to go eat some lobster, drink some beer and swap stories about the great water fight and how we totally dominated once again this year.

Even though I've had several amazing 4th of July's since my days at Camp Tapawingo, I'll probably never have as much fun in one small dose as I did in those water fights. It's not everyday that you can round up 20 kids and 30 adults, give them water, give them balloons and say "go for it". Overall, I have Camp to thank for a lot of great memories. Thanks Camp Tapawingo, and yeah, Go Red Team!

(they just called me levo)

confession #3

Anyone who knows me really well... knows that I have a small crush on Scandinavia. Not only do I love Norway, Denmark and Sweden (Finland too!), but I love their cities, their people, their design sensibility, their food, their drinks, their shoes, their toys, their textiles, how their flags all look alike, their bikes, their health care and education plans - I mean, I really could go on and on and on. Maybe I'm just gushing about the Oregon Manifest Lecture tomorrow night when some Danish dudes are coming into to discuss how Portland can market cycling to the average citizen, maybe I'm looking forward to attending a wedding in Sweden next summer, maybe it's just with this colder weather we've been having I've moved from flip flops to my favorite danish shoes, maybe its year in and year out they top all the lists for being some of the happiest people with the best quality of living... regardless, this blog.... Scandinavia, is for you.

My favorite shoes, a pair of Danish Duck Boots I picked up in Copenhagen back in 2001. They've since been resoled once, but they are my go to shoes for the colder months. It's funny because a friend of mine from college told me upon my first visit to Denmark, "when you go there... I tell you two things... everything looks perfect like legos and they make they best shoes. Buy shoes there." And so, I did.

Havarti cheese is great by itself or in a sandwich. Rainy day? Have this with some good bread and a few slices of tomatoes and I swear it's the best grilled cheese sandwich you've ever eaten. Where's my cheese plainer?

I love pickled herring in mustard sauce. In fact, whenever I go to IKEA, I mainly go to pick up some of this and some more meatballs. True story.

Can you think of a cuter royal couple, I can't. These Norwegian Royals take the cake:

Nothing is more sleek and sexy than modern style Scandinavian furniture. From bottom barrel Ikea to top of the line I would gladly sell my first born child to own that, I love the clean lines, the attention to form and function and how it's probably one of the most uncomfortable chairs you've ever sat in. Doesn't matter.... it screams sexy!

Carlsberg and Tuborg beer? YUM!

And, I need a whole other blog to describe my brother and I's fascination with Legos growing up and even to this day. If I could count the amount of time we spent playing with these well designed building blocks... I would be counting years, not months or days. In fact, a little dream of mine came to fruition when I visited Billund, Denmark... the home of Legos. In all honesty, I think one reason my brother and I picked the careers we did, adds up to the creativity legos garnished us with. Also, my Spanish friend was right... every little community in Denmark seemed as if it was made of Legos. It was magical. really, it was.

Swedish soccer and swedish soccer fans:

When it comes to textiles, I love Marimekko designs:

They were fucking vikings!!! RWAAAAR!

Their love for cycling as transportation. Good luck finding your bike here:

When it comes to flag design, you might as well keep it simple.

Did I mention their food yet?

Bodum makes some of the best designed french presses and table ware you're ever going to come across, affordable too!

Danish money has holes in it:

I love my vintage Norwegian ski guide parka I just replaced a few weeks ago:

Oprah loves them!!!! In fact, I don't really watch Oprah... but I did notice that she went to Copenhagen Denmark this month to film some segments for her show. In this little video, she tours a cute little stylish apartment that simply and cleanly holds a family of five. Wow! And here, is just a little run down on her visit which explains a few key facts on why Denmark differs so from the US when it comes to happiness.

As well, even though those Northern European climates get ample amounts of daylight in the summer, they also get ample amounts of darkness in the winter - which I think is why they are more creative in nature. Which is also why brightly painted homes and barns help!

They gave us the Little Mermaid, Pippi Longstocking, trolls, and Isben.

The Lillehammer Olympics in 1994 were the best winter olympics ever. Need I remind you?

Lastly... they gave us Abba. (click on link for an amazing video)