Almost summer!

It's always a strange feeling when race season is over.  On the bright side, there are no distances to track, no anxiety to feel when I can't complete a workout, and I can just run for the sake of running.  However, I tend to feel lost and a little down when I don't have a goal race to keep me pumped up.   

Fortunately, prepping for summer has kept me busy enough to keep my mind off of this.  I've been helping with challenge course maintenance at OU and getting a head start on my summer job.

I'll be working at a camp nestled in the hills of Logan, Ohio (called Camp Otterbein) for the 4th summer.  I've been helping out with some of the cleaning up and preparation for camp over the past couple weeks.  I'll be in charge of a program called Wilderness Adventures again (I had the honor of being the first to run this program last year).  Basically I'll be cooking lots of meals over fire and in the Dutch oven, going on lots of kayaking and rock climbing trips, planning activities for a program with a more laid back schedule, and lifeguarding. 

One necessary part of preparing for summer and lots of firebuilding is making firestarters. I made 2 different types and here's how I made them: they are both easy to make...

   For the egg carton ones (which I've used a lot and they work great), you just need an egg carton, dryer lint and candle wax. Fill the holes with dryer lint and then melt a generous amount of candle wax over them.

   For the ones on the left (which are new to me), you need toilet paper rolls, brown paper, dryer lint, and string.  You wrap the toilet paper roll in the brown paper, tie up one end, and fill with lint (and newspaper too if you want).  I also added candle wax.  Then you tie up the other end.


Also, I got this wonderful water bottle at CVS a couple weeks ago: I will never be thirsty this summer...   :-)