The Wednesday of our Content.

Ever feel that's you in the boat?

Did you say every Monday morning?

Hello Troops,

I met with the Set and many of the Flight Directors yesterday at the Space Center. We discussed our upcoming Summer Camp Season for 2011. Each simulator is preparing a new mission for the camps. The stories, on first listen, sound really good. It will be a summer camp you'll not want to miss so plan on registering at the end of January when the Camp Registration From appears on the Space Center's web site.

Are you all enjoying your holiday vacation? It is good to have down time, because we all know the saying, "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy." At least I hope you've heard that saying before. I'm not too sure when in comes to Utah. It was something I heard all the time in South Dakota (where I was raised). Mind you, we said several other things in South Dakota that could never be said in Utah. And don't think it was because that's all us hicks from the great plains could do was cuss up a tempest. We drove cattle, farmed, rode horseback and whittled to pass the time of day.

Our teacher didn't stand fer cussin.
He died of consumption during my second time 'round the 8th grade.

I learned my letters, numbers, ciphering and divining in that school house.
See how we cleaned up for the photo?
Told ya we could.

We knew how to talk refined if we had to. Our teacher at the school house didn't stand fer cussin. Got yer hand swatted if ya did. I'll also have you know that we cleaned up real pretty when we went into town. And I'll have you know my Ma taught me to memory many a verse from the Good Book that I could recite without a stammer when called upon. Won a ribbon for it I did at the Pennington County Fair. They heard me preaching the Word all the way to the cattle judgin. They were mightily impressed. Them Lutherans that sponsored the Bible Readin presented me with the blue ribbon and a silk bow tie worn proudly even today on the days when I clean up to go to WalMart.

How about a few things to occupy a few minutes of your time today since there isn't much else to say from the Space Center?

Item one for your amusement. This is a short video showing you the luckiest people on the planet for 2010. Watch and see if you don't agree. Yes, some of them are darn lucky to be alive at all.




Item 2 on our agenda today - The Dalek. The greatest threat to humanity in the Universe. Yes I threw that out there and dare all of you sci fi fans that think differently to prove me wrong.


Item 3 on our agenda. This comes from the Imaginarium. The first Etch a Sketch, steam driven no less!


Item 4. Racing up the stairs the way it should be done. I believe all outdoor staircases should be painted like this to encourage exercise. Right now I'm thinking the one staircase I raced up the most - the one from the P.E. buildings (Richards Building) at BYU up to the main campus. Anyone else ever race up those when you were a student there?


Item 5. I know the characters that live in South Park are disrespectful and very crude and I'm really not a fan of the show but I thought this was worthy of a posting. I enjoy this because these lawn decorations are very different from the usual we get around here in Pleasant Grove (the inflatable figures and the wire reindeer complete with lights). If it shows real imagination and creativity then Its worthy of mention in my book.


Item 6: Flight Director Bracken Funk, playing for the Fresno Bulldogs is moving up in the rankings. Bracken will be rejoining our line up of flight directors for the summer season. He currently goes to school and plays basketball for Fresno State in California. Congratulations Bracken! (You see, you can be a jock and a nerd. The two are not incompatible).

And finally, a friendly reminder....

I never do :)

Mr. W.

P.S. Just out of curiosity, anyone get the title of this post? A hearty handshake from me if you do.

The Best Way to Start your Week. (If you said reading The Troubadour, then You're Right!)

Hello Troops,
It's Monday and we have another week off from school. I'll be at the Center off and on this week getting things ready for January and meeting with the staff as we plan our summer camp schedule. Yep, its time to start thinking about summer.

Here's hoping you all enjoyed your Christmas. If you got everything you asked for then the only thing I have to say is "You're Spoiled!". If you didn't then welcome to my world - the real world where people are used to disappointment, where people have to work for a living, toiling day and night so people like you CAN BE SPOILED.

Mind you, I'm not a complainer. I think I better described as a martyr.

OK, who am I kidding? I really had a good Christmas with family and friends.

Let's start this Monday with a few chuckles.


From the Imaginarium we have these two entries for your viewing pleasure. This is the best use of excessive snow I've ever seen. On the top you've got R2D2 and on the bottom you've got Jabba, the Hut. Wouldn't it be cool if these to homes were across the street from each other?

Now, from the "Cooking for the Holiday's" class I wouldn't have taken even if there was such a thing offered in Pleasant Grove, comes these cookies perfect for the Christmas Humbug like me. Clever is the only word for these and if you decide to bake them yourself I'd better get one, even if it means making an out of the way stop at the Space Center to deliver it.

Finally, this is the kind of soccer we played in South Dakota while I was growing up. None of this wimpy flat field soccer you folks play here in Utah. Oh, did I ever mention that we use to walk 15 miles, uphill in both directions, to school and back. Oh, and did I mention the log cabin I was raised in, complete with spaces between the logs for our shot guns to ward off Indian attacks?

If not, remind me the next time you have 2 or 3 hours and I'll be happy to share my recollections of growing up in the Dakotas.


If you have a minute, stop by and visit me at Cloverdale. I'm there this whole week, except for the brief visits to the Space Center. Today you'll get to meet a young man who suffers from a disfiguring apparel handicap. Such a pity for one so young.

http://www.ourcloverdale.blogspot.com/

Have a great day troops!

Mr. W.

Charlie Brown's Christmas Sorrow.

Hello Troops,
I'm off to the dentist. I'll expose these pearly whites (I wish) to xrays and my dentist's assistant, whom I believe learned how to clean teeth at an East German Labor Camp (yikes).

Thought I'd repost something I wrote a couple years ago.

Wish me luck, and enjoy your time with Charlie and Linus.

Mr. W.

Charlie Brown's Christmas Sorrow

Charlie Brown : “Will it ever stop snowing?”
Linus: “You seem a little depressed today Charlie Brown. Although it isn’t unusual to find you depressed on any given morning, you would think a no school day paired with Christmas would be enough kindling to ignite some kind of holiday spirit.”
Charlie Brown: “What are you talking about. Why don't you speak English? I swear I don’t understand half of what you say. Why can’t I have a friend that speaks my language?!”
Linus: “Bad Day. Not Good. You Sad. You make me sad. You be happy soon?”
Charlie Brown: “Good Grief”

(a pause in the conversation allows both boys to draw figures in the snow. Linus picks up the conversation trying to brighten Charlie's mood)

Linus: “Peppermint Patty is having her annual Peppermint Christmas party tonight. Will you be going? If so, will you be accompanied by your pleasant mood?”
Charlie Brown: “I didn’t get an invitation. Did everybody get an invitation?”
Linus: “I’m guessing they did. It looks like Snoopy has his."

(Snoopy is seen in the distance removing his leather jacket, aviator's cap and goggles. He enters his dog house and exits with an invitation in one hand and his Christmas dog collar in the other. He does a little dance and then, in a flash, is off down the street)

Charlie Brown: “Sigh”
Linus: “Cheer up Charlie Brown. You can come with me. The invitation says you can come in Christmas costume. I wasn't going to dress up but I have an idea. I can wrap my blanket around my head and go as a shepherd. You can put your mom’s wool coat on and come as a sheep.”
Charlie Brown: “Good Grief”

(There is another pause. Linus tries to catch snowflakes on his tongue. Charlie stares blankly ahead watching Lucy drag her 'Psychiatric Booth' out from the garage and out to the driveway).

Linus: “You know what you need. You need to see my sister Lucy. For a nickel she can get you felling right as rain. See, she is setting up her booth in the driveway. She’s expanding her practice. She offers online holiday help if you have the internet and a dime. I see she has mom’s cell phone. I gave her the idea to start a holiday crisis help line. Its Perfect for you Charlie Brown. Let’s go inside and give her a call.”
Charlie: “She’s right there on the driveway. Why don’t I just go over and talk to her?”
Linus: “You’ve never been one to keep abreast of modern technology have you?”
Charlie Brown: “Sigh”

(Again, another pause. Linus pulls out Peppermint Patty's invitation to double check the party's starting time. He smells something - a smell everyone recognizes. He looks up to confirm his nose's conclusion).

Linus: “It’s working. She has her first holiday customer. You can tell its PigPen - she’s shrouded in dust. This is fantastic. She promised to share her holiday profits if I keep giving her ideas for business expansion. I want an iPhone for Christmas but I don't think Santa will spring for one this year. I’ve been a good boy but to get an iPhone requires the ability to walk on water. I don't think I've been that good. So.... my share of the psychiatric business's profit will be my standby plan to get one. ”

(Charlie Brown looks at Linus with a look of unbelief. He decides to redirect the conversation)

Charlie Brown: “I’m not going as a sheep. I'll just go. I'm sure she sent an invitation. It must have gotten lost in the mail.”
Linus: “Yes, that must be it. Just like your invitation to the Halloween party. Your invitations are in good company with the millions of socks lost in dryers every year.”
Charlie Brown: “Do you get paid a bonus by your sister to annoy me to the point where I need her help!?”

(Now Linus decides it is time to redirect the conversation to something else)

Linus: “Oh look, I think the snow is increasing in volume.”
Charlie Brown: “I don’t think I’m going to make it through this vacation, even with your quack sister's help.”

(Linus grows perplexed. He has seen Charlie Brown depressed before but this depression seems to be different)

Linus: “What is it Charlie Brown! I’ve never seen you this bad. What’s this anchor on your holiday spirit?”
Charlie Brown: “Do you really want to know. I mean honestly want to know?”
Linus: “I’m your friend, and considering the way things are progressing, soon I’ll be your only friend. Listen Charlie Brown, I guarantee there is nothing so dreadful, awful, depressing or dark that the spirit of Christmas can’t brighten! Come on, throw it at me. I’ll use my Christmas Cheer and bat it out of the park!”
Charlie Brown: “THE SPACE CENTER IS CLOSED UNTIL JANUARY 4TH!
AAAAAAARRRRRUUUUUGGGG. OH THE HUMANITY.............”
Linus: “Gulp”
Charlie Brown: “Let’s see you bat that one ‘out of the park’. Oh yea.......now whose talking Mr. Christmas Cheer. Go on, take that to your sister and see it turn her to the bottle for holiday cheer.”
Linus: “Sigh”
Charlie Brown: “Double Sigh”
Linus: “I take your Double Sigh and raise you two more sighs”
Charlie Brown: “Good Grief.”
Linus: “You got that right.”