How I Spent My Summer Vacation

"Hello, Mudder. Hello, Fadder. Here I am at Camp..." well, not Grenada, but Camp Craig, at the Boxwell Scout Reservation near Gallatin. 

One of the biggest and most enduring traditions in Scouting is Summer Camp. Every year, thousands of kids and hundreds of adults trek to a Scout camp for a week. There they are put up in platform tents, 

assigned to a meal period,

 and sent off to activities and merit badge classes. Their day starts about 6:30am (depending on when their breakfast is), and goes every day until 5. Then there are some evening activities that vary based on the day, and usually run until 8-8:30pm. Showers, free time, and lights out (in my camp) at 10pm finish the day. What do the boys get out of camp? A little freedom, a few lessons in Scouting, some self-reliance, but mainly a sense of belonging, and I think, a sense that sometimes simple is better. I don't allow any electronics in my summer camps (except I have amended that to accept eReaders). 

When we were leaving last Sunday, there was a forecast of rain for that evening and Monday, so on the spur of the moment I brought two of the troop's chessboards. That proved to be one of the best decisions I made, because those boys played chess every spare moment (except when they were at the Trading Post, more on that later.)

The Scout's day is busy and full, but not the Scouter's. Oh, it could be if I wanted! They have adult programs all over the place, but I'm on vacation. Running around all day isn't my idea of rest. I get up in the morning, have a couple of busy hours getting them to breakfast, then boom they're off to activities, and I'm free for 2-3 hours. Then an hour or so getting them to and from lunch and off to afternoon activities and boom, I'm free for 2-3 hours. See what I mean? I read over half of Ken Follet's new novel Winter of the World last week, and I didn't start it until Wednesday.

There is a Trading Post at camp, a scout store where the boys can get things they need for camp, like flashlights, scout socks, craft supplies, T-shirts and such. Also, they can get an Icee, ice cream, candy bars, soft drinks, etc. You get the idea. I don't have anything against the guys getting a treat every now and then, but often they have way to much money and the wrong priorities. I quit trying to control this years ago, but it still bugs me. Scouts going to the Trading Post at 12:30, coming back with a tub of ice cream, and we go to lunch at 1. Plus, there is a side of me that says that the Boy Scouts shouldn't offer this junk food all day in the first place. They should at least close around meal time, but that's when they're busiest, of course, while the boys have some free time. Maybe they could put the food away or something. But what are you going to do?

As I have told a few friends, Monday, first full day of camp, my life flashed before my eyes during a severe thunderstorm. It was a little after the afternoon activities had started, and my friend Jeff and I were sitting in camp, relaxing and chit-chatting. It started to rain a little, so we moved under the canopy we call a dining fly. It continued to get a little heavier over the next few minutes, and the wind was picking up, but still not a big deal. We both figured that if it was going to get bad, they would sound the emergency signal. Suddenly, and I mean all at once, the wind was whipping through camp and we were in a downpour. The wind started to pick up the dining fly, so Jeff and I held onto it to keep it down. I swear, it felt like 40-50 mph winds, and off to the side, there were tree branches bent down almost to the ground. The rain was so heavy that you couldn't see anything behind them. It was like a scene from a 3D movie. The dining hall is probably 3-4 minutes away from our camp. I yelled "Should we make a run for it?", but just then it began to hail. So Jeff and I are holding this canopy down for dear life, not so much to save it, but because it was our only shelter. Tent flaps were flying out horizontal to the ground, with sleeping bags and clothes blowing around. Now it's golf ball sized hail, and for a brief moment, I seriously thought that it was about to be a tornado. I was a little nervous. Then, suddenly, it blew itself out, and we were left standing there, shaking and out of breath. The boys of course were in activities with camp staff, so they were taken to shelters right away. Throughout camp, there were 6 big trees down, but no one hurt. We had several soaking wet sleeping bags that we had to take to town Tuesday to dry, but no real damage. Jeff and I joke that as the years go by, the story will get bigger and bigger. "Yeah, the wind was howling and we had a deer fly through camp."

I should add that the camp staff was great with this. Within no time, our site commissioner was there, and over the next few minutes, two other staffers stopped by to make sure everything was ok.

I really hope that some day the boys will appreciate these camp experiences. Maybe they will be sitting there 15 years from now maintaining the traditions, and there will be another well-rounded generation telling stories and not just locked in front of a computer.

Graduation

Richard Edward McNeeley is named for his grandfathers. Richard for my Dad, Edward for Monica's father Eddie (yes, Eddie is his legal name on his birth certificate. We didn't want Ricky to be Richard Eddie all his life.) I didn't want him to be nicknamed "Ricky", by the way. Say it out loud  "Rickeee McNeeleeee" That's why his maternal grandparents call him Rick. "Damned if I know what went wrong," as fathers everywhere say. Ricky he is.

December, 1995

5 months old

I one time several years ago told Ricky that he was one of the smartest kids I ever knew. I told it to him because, frankly, he was acting like an idiot regarding his schoolwork. But it was true. Someone with his gifts was basically being disrespectful to himself and others by not taking advantage of and using those gifts. I don't know if that's why he buckled down a bit from then on, but not until "Senor-itis" set in a couple of months ago did we have any other serious school issues.

Back when he was in 6th grade, he went to Thurgood Marshall Middle School in Cane Ridge. Our schedules were crazy back then, and driving him to school was problematic. The school bus stopped literally 20 yards from our front door, so for that whole school year, we went to work, Monica with the other two, and he put himself on that bus every day. He only missed the bus one time that whole year. I didn't say one word when he called me at work, except not to worry about it. I was very proud of him that year, taking on that responsibility. He started at Martin Luther King Magnet the next year.

Ricky is the one who got Scouts started in our house. Back about 3rd grade, he was going to Edison Elementary, and he brought home a flyer from school about joining Cub Scouts. I honestly didn't think he knew what it was, so I poo-pooed it off. And I did it again in 4th grade. Finally, in 5th grade, he acted like he really wanted to go, so we did. He is still technically in scouts, even though he's not very active. Proof that I wasn't giving him enough credit back then. I've tried not to make that mistake again.

The voice you hear in this video is First Lady Michelle Obama as she addresses the Class of 2013 at MLK


And now he has graduated from high school.

What can I say? How many times do we hear parents say that they can't believe that enough time has gone by that their baby is graduating from high school? It is hard to believe, but isn't this what we've worked for? Sure it is, and Ricky has done wonderful. I still consider him one of the brightest people I know, and especially over the last two years, he has become the type of well-rounded person I'd hoped for. He is primarily a geek, but he was on the school wrestling team one season (he liked it well enough, but not enough to do another year), he was in the Fencing Club his Junior and Senior year (where they actually learned how to fence), and he joined the school Tennis team this year (and really enjoyed that). He's a Life Scout (one rank below Eagle), he volunteers at the church (he's cheerfully been the puppet at Vacation Bible School for several years now), and he does several chores around the house (notice I didn't say cheerfully!).

He's going to Tennessee Tech next year, looking to get a degree in Computer Science so he can be a game designer. His future looks bright. I'm eager to share it with him and see what happens.

Love you, bud. Have fun.

A Renewed Enthusiasm

I've been in a variant of the retail food business all of my life. My various job positions always had me being directly involved in the things that resulted in sales and customer service/satisfaction. Everyday was full of "opportunities" that had to be overcome or our sales would suffer and/or a customer would be unhappy. These are known as "Operations" positions, because (SURPRISE) they impact the way the business operates. Operations, in a very real sense, are where it's at. That side of the business really is the biggest part, and to me, the most important part. No matter how well things may go on behind the scenes, it's the operation that determines the success or failure of the business. That being the case, it's important for the positions that can or should contribute the most to the operation to be available any time of the week. That's why I've always had a schedule that required me to work nights and weekends. 

It takes magic to get schedules to work sometimes

It's also important to remember that operations positions are very much based on customer traffic flow, so a high sense-of-urgency is needed, a polite way of saying that it has to get done NOW! You never have time to do it all, you can only get the high points. Gets hectic at times.

Finally, I'm not getting any younger (yes, I know that no one is, but that's beside the point). My produce position involved a lot of stocking, which is another polite term for lifting 50 pound boxes and stacking them on other 50 pound boxes. A lot of lifting and stretching and bending and carrying... you get the point.

SO, when a position came open that was out of operations, I applied for it. The position is Inventory Audit Associate, or Audit Team. The Audit Team makes sure that everything that has to do with keeping a proper count of the inventory on hand in the building is done properly, and that the inventory is properly accounted for. This controls "shrink", which is a loss of product, that can seriously affect the profits. These people go through and count different departments on a rotating basis and investigate and reconcile discrepancies  and they verify the numerous reports that are done that affect the inventory. It's a lot of counting and paperwork and such, but no where near as physical as operations. 

I just finished my first week in the position.

Imagine looking for two individual boxes in all of this. My first
audit this week involved that. Two items in boxes roughly 3x5 feet
were stuck high in the steel on the back side of the club from
the display. Took me 30 minutes to find them.

The schedule for this position is Monday through Friday, 4am-12:30pm. Yes, that's early, but not that much earlier than produce. I've never had a M-F job. I can't imagine what it'll be like, but I'm looking forward to it. I like the job very much so far, and I'm working with two people that I've long considered friends at work, so it's great. So far.

But what I really wanted to say is this: It's exciting that, after all these years working, and with 14 1/2 years at Sam's Club, I'm in a position that I know virtually nothing about. It's a whole new experience, and a whole new way of life. That's why all the backstory above, to help you realize how big a change this is for me. I'm not anywhere near as tired when I get home from work as before. Every hour at work produces a new topic. My outlook on the job is turned around. I have a renewed enthusiasm, which the General Manager has already noticed. 

How long will this New Attitude last? Who can say? We're getting a visit from the Regional person Monday, so it may change after that! (Just kidding....I hope).

Coup d'état

Have you ever seen this movie or read the book?

Basically, the military establishment decides that the newly elected President is going to ruin the country's defense and open us up to attack, so they decide to launch a coup d'etat. I won't tell you the end, because it's actually a decent book.

OK, some facts for you to digest:

A coup d'état also known as a coup, a putsch, or an overthrow, is the sudden, illegal deposition of a government.
Coups d'état are common in Africa; between 1952 and 2000, thirty-three countries experienced 85 such depositions.
In 1889, Brazil became a republic via bloodless coup.
General Napoleon Bonaparte overthrew the French Directory, replacing it with the Consulate. This occurred on 9 November 1799.
The Glorious Revolution, also called the Revolution of 1688, was the overthrow of King James II of England.
Then there's this:

RT @martin_dempsey: Today marks the 57th time that a President has stood before the American people to take the oath: on.fb.me/WhVt7P
— The Joint Staff (@thejointstaff) January 22, 2013

See where I'm going? Many people fail to realize one of the most amazing things about this republic that we call The United States of America: the uncontested assumption of power by the elected individual. Since George Washington took the very first oath of office on April 30, 1789, it has gone off without a hitch. No one went to bed the night after the election worried about tanks rolling down the street, the President-elect doesn't have to go into hiding, none of the stuff that has happened so regularly throughout history, and in some cases, still today.

You may not like Barack Obama. You may disagree with his politics. (I do.) You may not like his personality or attitude. (I don't.) BUT he is the President of the United States, and deserves to be treated and thought of as such if only for respect for the office. It irks me when professional news organizations refer to him as just "Obama" (it did when they did it with Mr. Bush, too.) Our country was born a few months over 236 years ago, and only 44 people have been President.

Let's keep that in mind when we discuss politics.

Retirement Thinking

OK, I turned 57 in November, so generally speaking, I have 8 years until retirement at age 65. In the past, I've been told by many people that retirement would drive me crazy. 

Now, I've been off work since Dec. 12th for my hernia surgery. I go back next Tuesday, Jan. 15th, and to tell the truth, it doesn't feel that long! I've enjoyed not having to worry about what time I go to bed, how much or how little I get done on a certain day, what day the NFL playoffs come on and what time. Of course, a couple of those weeks I didn't really feel good, but that's beside the point.

I think I could handle retirement!

I mentioned this to someone last night who replied that they figured I'd find a way to stay busy. And he's probably right. I could see me getting more involved at the church, for example, maybe by being a committee chair instead of just serving on one. Right now, I'm concerned about being in charge of something else for fear of not being able to give it enough attention. I could see me getting more involved in Scouting on a multi-unit type committee. Again, I have enough to do with the two units I'm involved in now. The beauty of this deal is that you would only have to get as involved or as busy as you wanted. 

Of course, this presupposes that I can retire.

I've tried to avoid being in this shape.

I have some retirement set up, but I don't think I'd ever believe it's enough.

Life has a way of yelling at you to take care of today. And I have a hard time arguing with that.

Random Thoughts on 2013

Happy New Year! You know, the picture above may say it all. I've noticed a lot of folks, myself included, saying that they "hope" that you have a great year, and that 2013 be better than 2012, and it's a great sentiment. I really do hope that you have a great year, really, but you gotta do it. That's my new attitude! It's up to me! I'm tired of letting others determine my level of happiness. That's the big takeaway from 2012, and something that I'm proud to say that I'm doing better with than ever in my life.

I saw a segment on the "Today" show this morning where they had a panel of economic experts plus the mayor of San Antonio, TX. Now, they said the mayor was there for government's point of view, but is it a coincidence that he is that rising young political star? Anyway, that's not the point. The point is that they were VERY optimistic about the economic outlook going forward into 2013. Warren Buffet, a true expert and a guy known for speaking his mind, said that he was excited about how quickly things would improve. So we have that to look forward to.

I personally feel that I had a pretty good 2012. I expect to see that continue this year. DJ has finished his first semester at college with straight A's, and Ricky will graduate this year and has been accepted to Tennessee Tech. Monica is doing well at her middle school, and Joshua is Joshua, which is an achievement of its own. I'm getting more settled into my Scoutmaster role after some early jitters.

So where am I going with this? No where in particular, really. After all, I just changed the title of this post to "Random Thoughts on 2013", which says it all. I feel that it's important to mark milestones, which a new year always is. I'm not one, however, who spends a lot of time looking back. Once a particular situation or time period or whatever is over, it's over. A brief reflection to see what lessons need to be learned, then "OK, move along, nothing to see here."  

Other points of view. How do you look at it?

"Never be afraid to reinvent. A new year gives you permission to be whoever you want to be."
— Anne P (@petersonanne) January 2, 2013 (retweeted by a friend of mine)

Apps to Help Keep Your New Year's Resolutions bit.ly/Vy7Jkb
— NewsChannel 5 (@NC5) January 1, 2013

Happy New Year! See the spikes in Tweets per second as people celebrated around the world: blog.twitter.com/2013/01/celebr…
— Twitter (@twitter) January 2, 2013

(Twitter is full of these kinds of sentiments)

So, after reading this, take just a minute or two and revisit 2012. What lessons did you learn? How will you apply them in 2013 and beyond? 

or is this the way you look at the new year?