Back in the saddle again

Well I'm back in warm Jasper after a long Christmas break.

Being back home was great, I got to see lots of friends and family.  It was a well needed break.  Now we are getting ready for Winter Training and one of our biggest weeks of the year here at SharpTop.  I'll be running sound and video for a theology class.

And soon we will be headed to Nicaragua for our trip.  As for tonight, I'm headed to Knoxville, TN for a concert and New Years Eve celebration.

Take care all, and let me be the first to wish you and yours a Happy New Year!

-Mike O.

Holiday Spirit

Hey all!

Well here is a through update on what's been going on lately.

I went home for Thanksgiving a few weeks ago, to the surprise of everyone. I told a white lie and said I was not going to make it home. Much to the delight of my mother, I showed up! It was great being home and I got to see a lot of friends and most family. It was a true joy. And maybe the best part... I get to go home again next week!

I head home next friday and I'll be home until the 28th of December! Let me know if you'd like to get together, I'd love to catch up with as many of you as possible!

Lately things have been going great here at SharpTop. We are all getting into the Christmas spirit, full of lights and Christmas tunes.

Along with that our flag football team is doing really well! We are 4-1. Yes, we suffered our first defeat this week. It was drama filled, a hail mary caught at the one yard line with 1 second to go and a last play failure, led to our first loss. But we are still in good shape and good spirits!

My job is going well too. The kitchen has grown on me and I really enjoy my time there, especially because it is freezing here at camp and I am inside all day. As I sit here, it is currently 23 degrees. Not exactly what most think of when they consider I'm living in Georgia, but yes it's down right cold.

Another big piece of news is that we, as an intern class, are headed to Nicaragua in February for a missions trip. YoungLife owns a camp there and we, as a group, are going to help out for a week. We are all really excited about it. It will break up the cold winter quite well and be a great chance to view what this ministry looks like outside this wonderful country we live in now.

Thanks again for all the prayers and support. Hope all is well and you all have a great holiday!

Mike O.

SEC Championship!

I scored a ticket to the SEC title game. Sweet! South Carolina vs. Auburn.

"Welcome back", says the South.

Brrrr...

Here is the first snow ball of the year, and I wouldn't be upset if it were the last. 5 days ago I was in 70 degree Jasper, and now... Well... Snow.

Still have a few days home and so far it's been great!

324 Mount Ridge Circle

So I'm home! Amd it's been great. I flew into Rochester yesterday and no one knew but my Dad. We surprised Mom, and she was thankful.

It's been awesome to drive around town and just see the city. I'm excited to spend the next week here and see friends and family.

Big day full of "F's" Family, Food, Football, Friends... What a day!

Hope all is well and you all have a great Thanksgiving.

The Swamp

Our seats at the Florida - South Carolina game.

Go Gators!

Last minute decision... Gator basketball game as a warm up for tomorrow.

Welcome to Atlanta

To the airport I go.

The Swamp... Where only Gators get out alive!

I'm off to Gainesville, Florida tomorrow morning!

My dad is flying into Atlanta and I'll pick him up and well make the trek down to the University of Florida to see the Gators take on South Carolina and the "Ol' Ball Coach."

Big game and even more fun.

I'll surely be posting pictures and updates throughout the weekend.

All together now... Go Gators!

Middle School Trick Play

I came across this today and thought I'd share it with you. Maybe the Buffalo Bills should use it, seems to be about the only way they might win...

All I Do is Win

Tonight, our SharpTop staff had our first two games of our flag football season. And we won... both.

We won 8-0 and 12-7. I'm not going to lie we are pretty good. I'm the quarterback and it's so fun to get out there in such a competitive atmosphere with my friends and co-workers. The league plays Monday nights in Woodstock, Georgia.

Our defense is pretty awesome, if you couldn't tell by the scores. We allowed just one touchdown in two games. I'm pretty stinkin' lucky to play with these guys.

Another week in the kitchen, and then off to Gainesville, Florida with my Dad to see the Gators play on Saturday!!

Last weekend in the kitchen went well. It was really exciting to get to work with the work crew. Work crew consists of roughly 30 high school volunteers to help cook meals. It's great to see young people come and serve their peers. What an example of service and Christ's love for others. We cooked for 541 guests.

It is definitely a different perspective than Guest Services. I loved GS, but the kitchen gives such a different view of service. It's very tangible. GS was a lot of things that most people never recognized, but in the kitchen it's hard not to notice when 1,000 pieces of French Toast go out the door. Or 650 chicken sandwiches. Pretty awesome!

I hope all is well with everyone and I'm super excited to see my friends and family soon during the Holidays. Take care all and thanks for the support!

- Mike O.

Gotta Love Saturdays!

Best day of the week, by far. Here is my set up here in the lounge. Laptop, projector and a 4 foot screen. Not bad at all right now.

Good Ole Rocky Top... Part II

So I went to the Alabama vs. Tennessee game last night. It was a fun time, but not a good game. Either way, a fun time again.

Sweeney Field

Here is a shot of our awesome wiffle ball field on camp. This might be the coolest thing I've ever seen at a YoungLife camp.

Cherokee 311

That's our lounge. The building we live in is called Cherokee and our lounge is room 311. Just a little facto.

Things have been pretty peachy since the last update. I'm really settling in and enjoying my job. Unfortunately, I'll be leaving the Guest Services department in 2 weeks, but I'm excited to work in Food Service and with a new group of people.

I did get pumped the other day when I thought I was about to kill a "real" snake. Enough of these oversized worms I say! I was down by a creek and heard a rustle. I looked over and there, about 10 feet from me, was a bigin'. By the time I got over to where I saw the snake and grabbed a good size rock, the creeper was gone. I was a little upset to say the least, but maybe it was a good thing. Knowing me, I'd of missed and got bit by some ridiculously poisonous snake.

It's funny to look back at about 2 months ago. Then I was wearing slacks and button ups everyday and working with numbers in a nice office. These days, I'm rocking Carhartt's to work, a knife in my pocket, and a beard that would make Grizzly Adams smile. Well maybe that last part is a bit of a stretch, but a good beard nonetheless.

Goodnight from good ol' Jasper,

Mike O.

Hello October

Well the calendar has changed and we're feeling it. Since October has hit it's been down right cold here in Jasper. I feel like I'm back in Rochester right about now, but it's a nice change.

Not too much new here except that I found out my new job come November. I'll be leaving guest services and moving into Food Service. Should be fun working with the guys in the kitchen and definitely a learning experience.

And lastly, just a few more weeks 'til I head to Gainesville for the Florida game!

See ya,
Mike O.

East Tennessee

I'm here outside Knoxville at a horse barn. It's such an awesome atmosphere. East Tennessee, a barn, country music. Not a bad day off at all.

A Little Update

Hey all -

Things have been going well lately. There hasn't been too much that is all that new or ground breaking, but all has been well. I've really settled into my job now and I'm really enjoying it.

We just had a crazy weekend here at SharpTop. We can comfortably fit about 650 to 750 guests. We just said goodbye to Northpointe Church out of Atlanta and 950 guests. It was pretty impressive to see, but lots of work by everybody here on staff.

I don't have much big on the horizon, no football games that I know of, but I'm working on that one.

Thanks again to everyone for all the support. I hope all is well.

Mike O.

A Month Late

Here's one of my new favorite pictures.

On the way down a month ago I snapped a picture of everyone Welcome sign I saw. Except Georgia of course. I got Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Virginia, Tennessee, and missed ol' Georgia's. So on the way to Knoxville the other day I scoped out an area to pull off on the way back. So on Sunday, I pulled off and took a few pictures with my camera. Needless to say, I'm pleased with how it turned out.

Good Ol' Rocky Top

So I was a Vol fan for a day.

I went up to Knoxville to see the Tennessee and Oregon game Saturday. It was a great time, minus the crazy thunderstorm that suspended the game for an hour and a half. I did my best to impersonate a true Vols fan. I had my Power T t-shirt and sang "Rocky Top" all night long.

It was truly a blast. Here's a few pictures from the stadium too.

So I've Been a Bum

Hey all,

Well I haven't posted recently and that's just because I'm a bum. I've been real busy with work and haven't had a day off in about a week and a half. But wait no longer... I have the next 4 off. And tomorrow I'm heading to Knoxville, Tennessee to see a football game. I'm going to be 5 rows up for the Oregon Ducks & the Tennessee Volunteers. I'm pretty pumped. Neyland Stadium, which I snuck into earlier this trip and posted pictures of that, is the 3rd largest stadium in the county. So here's another one I can add to my collection.

I'll post pictures tomorrow from the stadium!

Hope you're all doing well,

Mike O.

Mike 2 - Snakes 0

So I got another one today. It was a little bigger. I'm working my way up slowly but surely.

Mike 1 - Snakes 0

So I killed my first snake of the year yesterday. Although it was more the size of a worm.

I was down at the pool getting it ready for the new group coming in. I was cleaning out the skimmer baskets and had my hand in the basket when... splash, this frickin' snaked fell in from no where. It was like it was dropped out of the sky.

I'm not going to lie, I freaked out for a minute. But then it got funny. The little guy tried to swim away, but the suction from the filter was too strong. It was like those pools where you swim in place. So I took a second, pointed and laughed.

Even though it was tiny, I decided there was no way I was picking it up with my hands. So I found the closest thing, a set of channel locks, and picked him up. Brought him over to the grass and well... "got rid of him." The craziest thing was that it was still moving around, both parts of him, for at least 15 minutes. Weird.

Let this be a warning. As Mark here at SharpTop says, "I want snakes to know that if I see them, they will die." Maybe my next one will be a 5 foot rattler. Here's to hoping.

Til later,

Mike O.

Camp

Here's a picture of camp.

The Lake House

Here is the house we spent the weekend at. You can sort of see the lake behind it. Thanks to the Reagan's we were able to have an intern retreat in North Georgia.

Hope you're all well,
Mike O.

Herschel the Hawk

So I drove a hawk in my back seat today.

I was walking through camp and saw a pack of kids huddled around something. They pointed down and there was a hawk, just chillen. After some deliberation with Jacob, we decided it was a hawk and not an eagle. So Jacob decided to move it, as you can see in the video, to a place a little more private to let nature run it's course. But I just couldn't let it go.

A little while later I went back and picked up ol' Herschel and brought him to Ellijay and a vet's office. I put him in a large tupperware container and drove 30 miles to the vet and dropped him off. No idea how he'll be, but at least I did my part.

Ta-Ta for now,

Mike.

This Is Where I Live

Hey all -
Well here are two photos from a scenic overlook not far from where camp is. Pretty sweet huh?

I went there today on my day off. So far, things have been pretty great. I'm working in Guest Services and I'm real excited about that. The transition has been pretty easy, for the fact that I've been here at SharpTop before. I assistant hosted the other day, basically meaning, for the group that was in using the camp for the week, I was there #2 go to guy. If they needed anything it was my responsibility to get it for them. I helped set up for their volleyball tournament and got all the sound equipment hooked up and what not.

The group that's in right now is from Miami, Florida. It's a high-school called Westminster.

I have the next two days off (Wednesday & Thursday) and then back at it Friday. I hope everyone's doing well and I hope to talk to you all soon.

Keep it loose, keep it tight,

Mike O.

Bojangles

Now that's livin'

Day 1

Hey all -

Well, I'm here and all moved in. I've met most of the people I'll be hanging with the next year and everyone seems to be great. There is Patrick from Colorado, Luke from Illinois, Joe from Virginia, Lee Ann from South Carolina, Dani from Connecticut, & Octavia from Florida. There are two more we're waiting on too.

I start work on Monday and so I have a weekend to get acclimated. I'll be working in the guest services department right out of the shoot and I'm pumped. The next three months or so are really busy here at SharpTop, so Guest Services will be a crazy department to be around.

I almost forgot how beautiful this area is, and when I pulled into camp it was like I never left. The feeling was pretty nuts. But I'm here and so far so good. I really like Georgia and all that it offers around here, but as the great Ryan Adams says, "I'll always love you though New York."

See you later, see you soon,

Mike O.

I've Arrived

Well I'm here, more to come later.

The Mountain with the Sharp Top

The Neyland Heist

So I snuck (sneaked?) into UT's Neyland stadium by myself. Whoa! But it's no swamp! Go Gators!

You know you're in the south when...

God bless Chick-fil-A.

The Volunteer State

Again, not the clearest, but the last of 5 states on the day.

Virginia is for...

Little early on this one but it's there. Think of it as Where's Waldo.

See ya!

Yee Haw

Goodbye Pennsylvania.

Fireworks anyone?

Well I've made it through one state. Stopping quick in Erie, PA - next stop Pittsburgh.

See ya,
Mike O.

Here we go.

Well all, I'm off and running.

And then there were 3...

Just three days left. I've seen most everybody and am pretty excited about leaving Thursday morning. Obviously, there are some reasons that are making it harder to leave, but overall I have a good peace about it.

My plan is to update with pictures as I travel to Knoxville, Tennessee on Thursday night. I'm going to stay with a friend of mine, Allan, who I haven't seen in almost 2 years now. Friday morning I'll hop back into my car and off to Jasper I go.

I start my job a week from today (next monday) and I'm pumped to learn what I'll be doing first.

But before that... there is plenty of laundry to be done... and I'm not a fan of laundry. At all.

See you later, see you soon,

Mike O.

T-Minus 2 Weeks

The time is winding down. In just over 2 weeks I'll be on the road and heading down to Georgia.

It's crazy to think of how long I've been anticipating this, and now it's almost here. There are still some loose ends to tie up and saying goodbye to everyone will be tough, so these next two weeks should fly by. One of the calming thoughts I've had is the fact that I'll be gone only a year. In the grand scheme of things, a year is not long, and too, I am so excited for what this next year has in store. Of course I'll miss everyone, but it will be great!

So I'll be leaving August 11th or 12th, maybe a stop in Knoxville, TN to see a buddy. I'll keep updated as this process continues.

Thanks again for all your support,

Mike O.

Check, Check 1,2,3

Well here goes it. I've started a new blog. For those of you who remember the old blog, "The Orlando Effect", well this is the sequel.

My whole goal here is to keep everyone updated on what's going on in Georgia while I'm down there. My goal is to post at least once a week, hopefully more. I tried to post once a day with the last one, but then I realized my life is way too boring for that. So, I hope to include pictures frequently and hopefully lots of funny stories!

But this is the test blog I guess. I'll keep updated through the whole process leading up to my departure on August 11th or so.

Adios Amigos,

Mike O.