This has been Bradyn's To Do List for the last Year or So. Boy Is that About To Change!
Hello Troops,
Several members of the staff and volunteers came over yesterday to Bradyn Lystrup's farewell lunch. Bradyn enters the MTC on Wednesday to serve an LDS mission to Boston. We feasted upon delicacies prepared in the cavernous kitchens of Walmart. Well, I say delicacies.... actually just a six foot subway sandwich, but good just the same. In fact, I had this fear the sandwich would come as an actually six foot sandwich sitting atop a six foot cardboard board. I became a bit self conscious entering the store wondering how I was going to manage maneuvering this six foot monstrosity through the the store balanced on top of a shopping cart. My vision conjured images from those old slapstick comedies of someone holding a ladder across their shoulder. I saw myself turning the cart to change directions and knocking several people over in the process.
To my relief the sandwich was cut into several slices and put in boxes. The boxes fit into the cart! I could exit the store without drawing attention to myself. It was good.
The lunch started at 1:30 P.M. I wasn't expecting many people. It was Spring Break and many of our adult staff were out of town. I'm happy to report that more people arrived than I expected and we had plenty of food. The sandwich of course was supplemented by Lorraine Houston's lip smacking potato salad, my baked beans ala tincan and a delicious chocolate cake topped with several chopped up Snicker's bars. Bottled water was the drink of choice.
Most of us sat around and talked. Bracken and Alex played pool. Alex was loosing so he did what I would have done, He rolled a billiard ball across the table and right into Bracken's fingers. Bracken was leaning against the table and was distracted in conversation. Alex apologized in a very believable humble tone. Bracken cussed. I won't record the exact word used but it was definitely something you'd never hear spoken at my home. Stacy, Emily, Metta and Lorraine nearly fainted in shock. We hurriedly rustled up bottles of ice cold water to revive them. Bracken seemed indifferent to the damaged done - he was too busy jumping up and down while rubbing his injured digits in an attempt to restore the flow of blood. Alex excused himself and began texting his victory to his co conspirators.
Casey Voeks is running for Alpine District's School Board. He updated us on the campaign and sweet talked a $49.99 contribution from me. Ohhh that hurt writing that check. Imagine me writing a check to help someone win a political race! Imagine me writing a check for anything!
I'm known for my extremely tight fiscal policies at work and at home. Some people think money is power. I believe you could make a good argument for that. I believe money is security. You can keep your power - I want security. You should work, earn and save. Spend only if you must and only on those things that are needed. Save Luxuries for Christmas and Birthdays. Too many people in this country believe you should Work, Earn, Spend, Borrow, and Save only if you must. That is a recipe for disaster. Enough Said. Casey got the contribution and Good Luck to him.
Everyone went home around 4:00 P.M. Emily and Alex had a Voyager mission at the school. I wished Bradyn all the best, shook his hand and out the door he went. You know, its sobering to think that this will be the first time in nearly ten years the Space Center hasn't had a Lystrup working or volunteering. It started with Bradyn's older brother Bryson and continued with Bradyn. It is the end of an era.
Bradyn ran the Voyager mission "A Matter of Honor" for his older brother Friday night. Bryson helped write the mission with Kyle Herring. The following pictures were taking during the mission. This is Bradyn, telling his last mission at the Space Center (I would have preferred to see him wearing his Flight Director's shirt but what the heck).
The Voyager ran like a charm for both the five hour and Saturday's 2.5 hour missions. Our Poltergeist seems to be exorcised. Fingers crossed our field trip missions go without a hitch tomorrow.
All the Best!
Mr. Williamson
