Lord Hindley’s 10th Annual Pool Party

Gather 'round, dudes and dudettes, for a tale of splashes, laughs, and some totally rad vibes. This year, my brother Kaedyn pulled the ultimate prank gift on me for my birthday—a deed for one square foot of land in Scotland. Now, I can legally call myself "Lord Hindley", as that’s my real last name. I’ve been flexing that title every chance I get, especially when hiring new care staff. But why am I telling you this? Well, stick around and it’ll all make sense!

Every summer, I rally my pals for the gnarliest pool party ever, right in my own backyard. It all kicked off with my close friends Sarah and Meaghan. You've heard about Meaghan in my other posts, but let me fill you in on Sarah. She was my camp counselor when I attended a camp for kids with disabilities, a camp run by Canuck Place during spring break. I later worked at this camp for a bit, and Sarah and I have stayed tight ever since. Meaghan, who I also met at camp (though she was never my counselor), has been a key player in our annual pool bash.

Each year, this party gets bigger and better. This summer marked the 10th Annual Pool Party, so you know I had to go all out. My awesome care worker Tora and her partner helped me whip up some custom coasters. The Babe-A-Licious Judy, another care worker, and I spent weeks crafting the ultimate playlist, ensuring there was a jam for everyone. Judging by the compliments, we nailed it.

And guess what? We even had live entertainment! The Rockin’ Shae, a care worker who moonlights as a musician, agreed to serenade us. I had no idea how powerful his voice was until he started rocking his acoustic set. It was totally tubular brah!

I dubbed this shindig "Lord Hindley's 10th Annual Pool Party," and it was a smash hit. Over 40 people showed up, making it the best bash yet. The OG crew—Meaghan from Vancouver and Sarah from Kamloops—were, of course, there, along with a slew of friends, including former care workers like Bre and Whitney. Even the infamous Jeff made an appearance, as did Hannah, who’s now a nurse in Penticton.

With temperatures soaring to a toasty 40°C, the pool was packed. I was floating around in my pink donut, chatting away, when Jeff hollered at me to look up. There, in the sky, was my dad capturing the scene with his drone. How rad is that?

The potluck spread was out of this world. Everyone pitched in, bringing salads and other goodies. We had BBQ’d smokies, hot dogs, and the world's best pulled pork—don't just take my word for it, my friend Kitty can vouch for that! It was the ultimate feast.

My good friend Chelsea was there too, and we reminisced about our school days and our adventures with CRIS Adaptive Adventures. As the party wound down, Shae and I gave Chelsea a ride home. Like everyone else, she said she had a blast and couldn't wait for next year.

When I got back home, the place was cleared out. It was a total bummer, but all good things must come to an end, right? But now, the countdown begins for next year's bash. I've got 51 weeks to brainstorm how to make it even more epic.

So, until next time, dudes and dudettes, keep those vibes high and those waves gnarly. Catch you on the flip side!