A Friday I Want to Forget, But Can't.

Hello Troops,
It's been one of those days when the fool wakes up, opens the curtains and exclaims, "What a beautiful day! What could go wrong?"
His neighbor wakes up, sees the same sun kissed early morning clouds, hears his neighbor jinxing himself by drawing the Fortuna's attention and smiles, knowing what is spoken is heard and what is thought is private. Being wise to her ways, he silently marvels at nature's grandeur, knowing full well what the Madam of Mischief is capable of doing to those with sparkly optimistic dispositions.

I was the foolish man today. I spoke when I should have kept silent. We paid the price this evening with two power outages at the Space Center.

Le Madame de Mischief's first strike occurred at 5:00 P.M. just as our 4:00 and 4:30 P.M. missions were getting underway. Central school and its surrounding neighborhood was plunged into darkness after a lightning bolt hurled from Olympus struck a nearby transmission tower. I risked life and limb to step outside to survey the situation. There was nothing but cold pounding rain and wind. I quickly retreated back into the relative safety of the school, not wanting to give Fortuna another tempting target.

At 5:45 P.M. we told our crews to go home and returned their money. Returning money is difficult, its our life blood, but what could I do? They came to fly and we couldn't deliver - regardless of fault. The Center took nothing in yet had to paid the staff.

And just as we all predicted, the power came on just as we sent our campers home. Fortuna has a wicked sense of humor. At least we had electricity and the 7:00 P.M. Overnight Camp wouldn't be affected.

It was 6:40 P.M. The staff were in their loading places. I was about to give the order to open the doors and let the Overnight Campers in when the gym lights flickered and went out. We were once again plunged into darkness.

"Perfect, just perfect," I mumbled to myself and the demons swirling overhead. Not once in the Space Education Center's 21 year history have we ever had a power outage during one of our Friday night Overnight Camps. Action needed to be taken. I didn't want parents dropping their kids off and driving away. What if I had to cancel the camp? I asked Dave Daymont and Jon Parker to gather the campers and their parents in the lobby and front sidewalk while I went in search of Rocky Mountain Power's telephone number.

We had over 100 people mulling around the front of the school at 7:00 P.M., all waiting for a miracle. I hate being in charge during times like these. I prayed for a blessing. Someone up there took pity on us. At 7:05 P.M. the power returned! We started the simulators to check for damaged equipment (which happens on a regular basis with power spikes). At 7:10 P.M. I gave the "All Clear". The ships were in good condition. The doors opened and the camp was underway. We dodged another bullet aimed directly at us by "you know who, she who shall not be mentioned".

Update. It is now Saturday morning. I'm sitting in the Discovery Room with the staff enjoying our chocolate covered Walmart donuts. Rachel walks in with hands held together in front of her in prayer.

"The Galileo won't start right. It comes on then switches off. What do we do?"
My nose recoiled at the stench of Fortuna's perfume, Parfum de la Carcasse en Décomposition. Mischief was again afoot. Rachel and I fiddled with a few of the power strips under the Galileo's left bunk while Stacy shouted orders over Rachel's phone. We discovered a faulty power strip. I jiggled it a bit while promising Fortuna her pick of any of our new young volunteers as a sacrifice. Suddenly the power strip lit up. We were back in business. Now, who do I select as Fortuna's next whipping boy or girl? I promised her a new young volunteer. I hate being in charge........

Enough depression for one day. How about a few things from the Imaginarium? (you may click on them to enlarge the picture).


This poster is perfect. It reminds me that no matter how difficult our lifes, there are billions that have it worse.

And now a Star Wars reference or two.

My definition of "The Perfect Desk".

I won't forget. Will you? Something must be done

And finally, Mr. Hans Solo Bean and his sidekick, Gingerbocka.

We've got a great bunch of campers tonight. They've gone to bed and fallen fast asleep. I appear to be the only one awake at 12:24 A.M. Jon and Casey are the Voyager chaperons. They may be up but I don't care. It is time to collapse.

Mr. W.

Was that her, or a Foretaste of Things to Come?

Hello Troops,
Was it opening day equipment malfunctions or something more sinister? Was that the Mistress of Mischief I glimpsed near the Voyager's water closet or an illusion generated from an over excited imagination? Was the smell smelt while starting the ship her noxious perfume condensed from the corpses of the recent dead, or the rotting carcass of some dead bird caught in the rafters over the captain's chair? Where those her bony fingerprints on my station's computer screen? Was that her whispering, "Tis the wind, and nothing more..." or the escaping breeze from the air conditioner rushing through an open door?

Tuesday was opening day for field trips. Everything seemed to be going well, if you exclude the paranormal explained in the previous paragraph. I should have taken the omens seriously and doubled checked everything. My failure to understand Fortuna's addiction to attention led to a very messy first mission.

I tend to attribute equipment malfunctions to The Mistress of Mischief. Some of that blame is rightfully deserved. Fortuna can try one's patience. But to be fair, I should acknowledge and accept partial blame. Is it Fortuna that caused my newly installed iPod mixer to fail at the start of our first field trip mission? If yes, then I share no responsibility. If no, then what?

Could my decision to purchase Ebay equipment be the reason for the odd malfunction? Purchasing Ebay gently used saves the Space Center a few bucks (an understatement - which is unusual for me). The only problem is trying to decipher what the advertiser means when using the word 'used'. The term 'used' can mean anything from "sat in grandma's curio cabinet for several years, never touched except for an occasional dusting" to "stored in the kids' playroom and used for batting practice".

Opening day, my Bridge speech was finished. I confidently walk down the stairs from the Bridge, assured in the knowledge that the master of the ship was back in the control chair.

"Let's go to work." Four simple words that tell my staff to set aside all distractions, batten down the hatches and prepare for a whirlwind of perfection radiating from my station. They know concentration is the key to surviving a Mr. Williamson mission. Taking their eye off the ball, even for a second, might mean a missed command. A missed command could lead to a breech in the Space / Time Continuum. What was perfect is now blemished. A breech in the Continuum, even so slight, might let our sharper campers look through the barrier and into the internal workings of the Center.

I sat in my chair, put the walkie talkie into my left shirt pocket, took hold of the microphone and began.

"You've got Tex......"

I knew something was wrong while addressing the Left Wing students in character. I was multitasking (speaking in character while preparing the sound and music for an upcoming scene. Our flight directors are professional multitaskers. Luckily the school district doesn't base its pay on multitasking!). The music was set. I was using an ipod two station dock with fade in and out recently purchased used on Ebay. The dock was working fine when I started the ship.

I reached for the transition lever and slid it to the right. There was nothing, no sound whatsoever. What was perfect was blemished. The problem distracted me. I went off task. Tex began to babble incoherently. I noticed shocked expressions from the other side of the control room. My credibility was on the line. I was shaken up. I couldn't get my new purchase to work correctly, which meant the music wasn't going to flow like the Nile.

I struggled through the mission, cursing the day I bought that mixer.

The P.M. mission went better. I knew what to expect and made the necessary mental adjustments.

It is now Thursday. I've flown with the mixer for three days now. I discovered it is much like my Battlestar (Lincoln Town Car). It has its own personality. I discovered that the mixer will work if you connect the iPod slowly while lifting the devise gently forward. This must be done while tapping your left foot four times and reciting the alphabet backwards - repeating the letter M three times.

Its the story of one old biological unit learning to work with a similar old piece of electronic equipment.

I'm getting the hang of it :)

Mr. W.

Our First Bus of the 2011/12 Field Trip Season

Hello Troops,
Well, ready or not, here they come. Today is the day the Space Center receives its first school bus full of over excited to the point of hyper exhausted school children. The simulators are dusted and scrubbed, the equipment seems to be working (pending my arrival this morning and the overwhelming dread that Fortuna may see this as the perfect day to strike) and the staff properly medicated.

There is one staff chair that won't be occupied this school year. Sheila Powell won't be returning. Our Saint Sheila is facing another battle with her health. She will truly be missed by our staff and visitors and we all wish her well. Remember her in your prayers.

And now, forward troops. The whistle has sounded. Leap from the trenches with swords drawn and attack the forces of inspirational darkness. You'll find me there out in front, except of course when I'm at my desk struggling with registrations, emails, phone calls and the never ending curse of accounting paperwork.....

Wish Us Luck!
Mr. W.