My new part-time career: camp director.(THE LAST LAUGH)

Mere mention of the word camp brings a visceral reaction to those of us whose childhood summers included attending a week or two of camp.

Although I spent only two blissful summers at Phantom Lake YMCA in Mukwonago WI, it holds a special place in my heart.

Unwittingly, I've taken the best of "camp" and used it to create a unique experience for some of my friends, relatives and colleagues. We call it Camp Purple Haze, a tribute to our age and our identification with Jimi Hendrix, who lived fast, died young and had a beautiful corpse.

It's too late for most of us to have a beautiful corpse, but we've had fun at our own Camp Purple Haze, each session tailored to the specific interests of each camper or group. Some are day camps, some over a weekend and some have lasted up to a week. All involve coolers, food, adventures and stories.

The camps allow me to invite playmates according to my schedule, have fun doing adventures and do it all without wearing glasses! (So far my only requirement for my retirement career is that it doesn't require reading glasses.)

Here are some examples of camps we've run.

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