Lauren Dayton

ELEVATION

2007-07-05T18:31:00.000-07:00

Awesome. Fabulous. Crazysicknasty. However you say it, Elevation was that. Which, was exactly what we expected, but it's always nice to have your expectations exceeded. Whether it was the crazy follies (think Cool-Whip, gallons of chocolate syrup, Sit-and-Spins, and boxes of Ju-Ju Fruits - but not together, of course), ghost stories, or rocking out to amazing worship, we spent 7 days on fire for God. We bonded while tubing on Lake Lanier, serving handicapped children, and competing against other families in basketball, cornhole, and tug-o-war. We got back on Monday night, and I am still experiencing Elevation withdrawal!

Pre-Graduation Craziness

2007-05-03T08:41:00.000-07:00

I am freaking out right now. Not in real life, but trying to write this entry. This week has been Senior Week at CCD. We've had celebrations and activities every day so far (tomorrow is Senior Skip Day, so we won't have school). For me, it doesn't seem real. I am going to Wake Forest next year, and my decision last Monday brought me a peace and relief I hadn't experienced since I sent my first application out last November. I am so excited for Wake - and college in general. Warm weather, interesting classes, and meeting new people. But at the same time, I don't feel like I am ready. I know I am, but I don't feel like it. Today was the senior Clap-Out, which is where the whole school forms an aisle through the high school (and this year, down through the elementary school) and the seniors walk through the line while everyone claps. It's pretty funny how the clapping dies down as you progress, since the freshman don't really know you/care about you. I was worried I was going to get all teary and emotional (since that happens to me pretty easily), but it didn't happen. I came close, though. And oddly enough, it was when we walked down the steps to the elementary and lower school kids, who had the "clappers" you sometimes use to make noise at football games. They were thunderous - and, of course, the little kids were going crazy. Even though I didn't know a single one of them and they don't know us, they were cheering for us. It made me feel very small. If you've washed someone's feet before(we've done this a couple of times at worship services at VI), you probably know what I'm talking about. Sometimes the things that make are supposed to make you honored can humble you the most. What have I done for these little kids to deserve their applause? Granted, little kids will applaude anything, they just need a direction for their insane energy. So I guess it's the beginning of the end....or the end of the beginning....who knows. I refuse to end on a sappy, cliche-laden note. So instead I am going to leave you with my general anxiety/fear about the Senior Roast at V.I. I don't even want to think about all the embarrassing stories Lee, Aimee, and everyone else is going to come up with. I can't think of anything specific, but I am sure it's because I have blocked them out.

Is Spring Ever Coming?

2007-04-12T11:46:00.000-07:00

I'm almost positive that no one reads this blog anymore. However, I am free last period of the day, and as a 4th quarter senior my motivation is low. But at least I'm not playing cards, as are my friends next to me. My computer battery is also low, which means this may be interupted by my frantic scramble back to my spot on the bench next to the outlet.
So the title of my blog is derived from the blustery, grey day today. It's cold and overcast, exactly nothing like spring. It's practically 2 weeks into April (and after Easter) and it still seems like February. Which is another reason I am excited about college at Wake Forest next year - North Carolina weather is awesome. It's warmer longer, and it gets really hot in the summer, when I won't be there. College has been a very stressful experience for me so far. First applying, then the endless waiting (I recommend Early Decision, if it's an option for you). Then getting in (or not getting in), and the decision-making, wait-lising, and more waiting. Add on top of that everyone on Earth who wants to know where you're going to college next year, and having to tell them "I don't know yet." Then they ask, "well where did you apply?" and you have to go into the whole schpeel. Although I'm 90% sure I'm going to Wake, I'm still waiting to hear from Washington University in St. Louis (wait-list). Of course, then I'm not even sure if I want to go to WashU instead of Wake. See...I was trying to avoid college in my blog and it developed into exactly what I didn't want. A college tirade. No more power, I'll write more later.

-LFD

SNOW DAY

2007-02-07T18:43:00.000-08:00

Hooray for snow!!! Especially for the five inches of powder that got school cancelled today. CCD was a little behind the ball, our Head of School didn't cancel until this morning. When I went to bed last night we still only had a 2-hour delay. Which means I was pretty bitter when both Hannah and Laura called me on Tuesday night, to tell me how excited they were about the snow day. So instead of catching up on physics and French, I spent all day sledding.

First at grandma's and then at Camargo. Grandma's was just the family and Slon, but there were at least a dozen of us at Camargo. We sledded down one smaller hill, then we made the long trek (seemed like forever) to the 18th hole, where we found a fire engine, an ambulance, and 2 Ranger's SUVs. But we also found 30-45 kids sledding down the sledding hill, so we ignored the flashing lights and enjoyed the sledding.

Unfortunatley the Rangers kicked everyone out about 15 minutes later, but it was fun while it lasted. We then made the seemingly endless trek back to the club, but the hot chocolate and marshmallows made it all worth it. With V.I. tonight, it was pretty much the best day ever. I love snow days!

-LFD

Pre-Snow Day

2007-02-07T07:16:00.000-08:00

Friday, February 2nd, 2007

So today is pretty much the best school day ever for me. I am in a free period right now (I had English first bell), and next I have physics and French. Then I am free from 12:10-2:25, and I am using my senior privileges to leave school and have a riding lesson. Then I’m coming back to school for history class at 2:25, but I don’t really have class, because the other half of the class is doing their graded discussion (my group went yesterday). So I have no math class, I’m free half the day, and I get to have a riding lesson: like I said, sweet. Okay, enough of that.
I’m really glad that it finally got cold. Don’t get me wrong: I hate having chapped hands and dry skin and that weird tingling feeling you get in your nose when you first walk out in the cold. But at the same time the 50 degree weather in the winter was freaking me out. I mean I know the world is going to be flooded in like 200 years from global warming, but I was starting to feel like Armageddon was coming any day now. It’s also nice to have the snow, even if it hasn’t yielded a snow day...

I wrote that blog last week, and I forgot to post it, so there you go. Of course, today (Wednesday the 7th) is a SNOW DAY. Sloneker, my brother, my sister and I are headed to my grandmother's house right now, before we go to Camargo. Enough blogging, time to get out there are enjoy all this beautiful snow!

Blog #5

2007-01-16T22:16:00.000-08:00

Ski retreat ’07 was awesome! Here are some of the highlights:

My cousin Josh as King Ooga Booga (hey, at least it’s better than cross-dressing)
The “snowboard chicks” and our “mother hen” Paley who taught us how to board without killing ourselves (although Slon and I have some impressive bruises)
NO HOSPITAL RUNS – woohoo!
Lee’s obsession with the no-bake cookies
Sarah’s obsession with bananas (pictures to follow)
Rachel Martin, jean skier
The ridiculous chair-lift games
“House” marathon on the bus ride home – I am hooked!
The snow dance
Team Spoon: Even though I was benched with an off-field injury, Aimee stepped up like a champ (MVS…most valuable spoon), Paley (smedium), and Sarah (forward)
Riding our motorcycles
Acoustic worship with Dustin and Phil
Extreme ping pong
Seriously, it was an awesome week-end; a chance to relax, have fun, get to know some great people, and reconnect with God. The fact that no one got hurt and I didn’t hit a tree with my snowboard was just an added bonus. Based on ski retreat, we’ve got a great set of confirmands coming up, and a great year of V.I. ahead. Keep checking for the pictures (I took over 100, so Andrew, you have a great excuse to procrastinate). Also, there were only 5 of us at Breakfast Club this morning (Trey, Hannah, and Angie from my car and Josh, who drove himself). I know that we had a long week-end, but I had to wake up early too. Which means today is the 6th day in a row I’d had to drink coffee to stay awake. I am turning into Nancy (Hannah Mauk), which means, boys, keep your curtains closed. Anyway, come to Breakfast Club next week! 6:15 at IHOP in Kenwood.
-Lauren

Blog #4

2007-01-15T22:17:00.000-08:00

For those of you out there who have not gone through the college application process, I envy you. It's truly one of the more painful experiences of high school. It's probably only topped by the SAT, which has recently become more of an endurance test than a test of your reasoning ability. So why am I blogging at 2 in the morning? Well let's just say it wasn't priorities 1-10, and since I didn't finish those priorities until 2 am...here I am. So ski retreat is in two days, we leave on Friday. I am so excited!
It has been such a long time since Elevation, I can't wait to get out of the road with that bus full of friends, headed for the fresh powder. According to www.weather.com it has been snowing for the last two weeks, and should continue showing while we're in Harbor Springs, MI. In case any of you who are going on the trip read this before we leave, I am warning you: because of my lack of sleep tonight and Thursday night, I am going to be assisting Stefan as "The Enforcer" when it comes to turning off the lights and getting some sleep on the bus. I know it's hard to sleep on the bus, but you're going to have to deal with it, or at least keep quiet. So my ski retreat predictions:

1. We will get lost on the way to the Birchwood Inn (probably for more than an hour)
2. Someone will step on Lee while he's asleep on the bus floor
3. Someone will have an injury, but nothing serious.
4. Pranks and puzzles
5. Paley coordinates a "group fall," and Ski Patrol chases after her
6. Dustin will give up after an hour of skiing.
7. Lanie will be really out of control on the slopes.
8. Coleman will jump off a chair-lift. With Dangus. Who will show absolutely no emotion when he lands perfectly and Coleman wipes out.
9. We will have KFC for dinner the first night and hot ham-and-cheese sandwiches the second night
10. More than 5 people will fall asleep during my lesson on Sunday night
11. More than 5 people will wish they were watching 24 during my lesson on Sunday night. More than 5 people, plus me.

Well that's all I have time for. Check back after this week-end for pictures and a review of the trip!

-Lauren

P.S. Shout-out to Andrew, who is probably reading this because he doesn't want to do homework. Andrew, of all of the sites you could be using to procrastinate, you made a good choice.

Blog #3

2006-10-25T22:18:00.000-07:00

Here's the picture from USS Nightmare!

Blog #2

2006-10-23T22:19:00.000-07:00

So what do you get when you take 17 V.I. students to a haunted boat? Well, if Hannah, Katie, and Angie are involved….a lot of screaming. This week-end 17 of us went to the USS Nightmare, after attending Armstrong Live!, the church’s talent show. Although I didn’t plan it this way, it ended up becoming a whole-night-long affair. First off, we met at the church at 8:30 to leave, but then discovered we didn’t have enough cars to transport all the people. We considered the physics involved with strapping Sam to the top of Acheson’s car…but then realized we would have to do the same thing to Georgellis, and that we didn’t have enough rope for two people. My cousin Josh came to our rescue, and we headed off in a caravan towards Covington. Of course, that was WAY more involved than it should have been, because I was leading the caravan and my ability to follow a map is limited at best. And Angie was navigating for me. Enough said. We ended up getting lost in Covington, and I turned the wrong way down a one-way street and then into a very sketchy White Castle parking lot. We also were almost accosted by two very sketchy looking neighborhoods while we were looking at the map at a stop sign. Not good.

Anyway, we all got down the Riverboats in one piece and proceeded to wait in line for the haunted house/boat. Our group went all together, and I held Bryan’s hand the arm of Josh’s jacket the whole time. Frankly, I didn’t find the USS Nightmare that scary. The part that freaked out most people was when the characters approached you and got really close, but Bryan’s comments like “I wonder how much profit they net each year?” and Sam’s friendly greetings to the gruesome characters made it all seem very fake. I had a great time though, especially in one part where we crossed a bridge while the room spun around us (walking straight was very difficult). Anyway, we got back around midnight after a long and fun evening.

As usual, I had a great time hanging out with V.I. people. Props to Laura and Hannah for suggesting the U.S.S. Nightmare. Hope to see you all at V.I. this Wednesday! Check back soon, I’m going to try and post the picture we took of the group.

Blog #1

2006-10-13T22:20:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! It’s Friday the 13th of October, which does not bode well for our Homecoming game tonight…anyway. So I’m going to be keeping a V.I. blog for a little while. I’ve had blogs before, but not for a few years, so you’ll have to bear with me. My name is Lauren and I’m a senior at CCDS. I’ve been coming to V.I. since 7th grade, so I’ve been to a few Wednesdays and retreats and whatnot.

So what’s new at V.I? This Wednesday we had a full house, it was packed. We had a V.I. boy band up there playing: Drew on lead guitar, Phil and Flacheson on bass, Trey on the ivories, Elliot on the drums, and Dustin on lead vocals. I’m thinking we’re going to have to re-name Vertically Impacted to something like 77 Degrees or N*Faith. Wow, that’s pretty special.

We’ve had a whole bunch of new activities going on lately, one of which is BREAKFAST CLUB. Yes, this is a shameless plug for the Breakfast Club, 6:15 on Tuesdays at the IHOP in Kenwood. It is my ministry, yes, for those of you who haven’t realized it yet…we do have good times early on Tuesday mornings though. I usually drive 3-4 people, and yes, Angie does have ridiculous energy at 5:45 in the morning. While most of us are still struggling to keep our eyes open, she’s singing her own lyrics to the show “Wicked”… Although I would argue Angie’s singing habits are a danger to my health, I’ve felt that I’ve risked my life for Breakfast Club in other ways too. Two weeks ago, while driving a car and toting Hannah, Sam, and others, we had to cross the railroad tracks. The lights were flashing, so, being the responsible driver, I stopped at the appropriate distance. And waited. So, since we were running late, we got impatient quickly. I rolled forward a little and peered down the tracks. The headlights of the train glowed brightly, so, unwilling to risk the lives of the kids in the car, I waited. A minute or so passes, and Hannah intelligently points out that the train does not appear to be moving. “I’m not so sure,” I say (not so intelligently). Well, after a few more tense moments of waiting…I finally decide Hannah has a point….and…I creep up to the tracks. At this point it is blatantly obvious the train has not been moving for some time. So I make my way quickly across the tracks, glad that I didn’t risk anyone’s life and sorry it took me that long to realize no one was in danger.

Keep checking the website for updates to the blog, I should be updating at least once a week. If you have any ideas for topics for me to discuss, leave them on the message board.

Also: hope to see you at Laser Tag (October 28th) and of course, at BREAKFAST CLUB.