June 24, 2008

• A Week's Worth

  I am obsessed with weather; I watch it constantly, worrying about Stan out there camping at Cedars.  A lot of the Little Sioux boys went ahead with their camping plans.  Best thing for them.  But these storms are not. 

   

  God bless humans sometimes.  One of the troop leaders called me Monday night with some bogus merit badge question.  Then said, Oh, you know, Stan is right here, would you like to talk to him?  Cell phones are a no-no at Scout camp (assuming you can get a signal, which usually you can’t) and I was bowled over with that leader’s consideration.  Stan was fine.  I think he called for me.  I am feeling bowled over a lot lately.

   

  I’d promised Stan that if a tornado watch or severe thunderstorm warning were announced for his area that I would drive up and either stay with him or bring him home.  One was announced yesterday, but looked like it was going to head south.  Then it didn’t.  I was working from home (Norway has tonsillitis and a fever since Monday evening) and was stalling, trying to get the stupid Thursday report done.  My laptop lost the SSL VPN connection to the server at work (happens sometimes) and I chose that as a sign to put the report off til Friday.  We got to the campsite about an hour before the skies turned black, the trees bent over, and sheets of wind soaked anyone who was not inside four walls.  Neither Stan nor I enjoyed it one bit.  We were inside the dining hall by the time the serious rain and wind started, but it was still frightening.  Little Sioux stole my enjoyment of storms.  I think it will come back.  I hope it will.

   

  I thought nothing about telling my boss I’d be working from home Tu-We-Th.  I’ve been working from home since this flood situation started, almost 24/7.  So many of our group were on vacation, and so many customers are hurting badly and at great expense because of flooded out transportation routes.  I tried to care.  I didn’t really.  I only want to be home with my children.  I got an award for performing “above and beyond the call of duty” last weekend.  (Not kidding about the 24/7 coverage… I was on conference calls all day, during the night at 10 pm and 2 am and on the phone in between.  I haven’t opened the award yet.  It’s some money and probably a nice write-up.  I haven’t had time.  And I am not at all the only one working like this during this crisis.  My boss, on the other hand, was on vacation and just returned Tuesday.  He didn’t like it that I told him on my way out the door that I’d be working from home.  I told him I’d been working from home at night for the past 4 days, I could sure work from home during daylight hours.  Of course, the difference is a sick, whiny child who must be comforted… but still. 

   

  Stan got some of his gear back!  Many items were recovered from the South shelter.  They were beyond stinky with mildew, but a few washings have restored some of his clothes to normal.  I think his boots are ruined, and the tent and sleeping bag were not worth bringing back (they said).  The tent and bag were cheap and expendable (which is why they were Stan’s in the first place, him not being the most careful guy in the world….)  and he’ll be able to pick out a new one of each at some point, thanks to a donation that is being heavily advertised around here.  Because this pisses me off, I’m not going to say who this donation is from, although if the Scout Office gets their wish, you’ll see it on fucking CNN. 

   

  I told you that Canfield’s was the first merchant to offer donations of camping gear to the boys.  Then there was “some delay” in getting those items to the boys.  I didn’t know this at the time, but apparently Canfield’s and the Scout Office hate each other.  To me, that makes the offer all the more poignant.  The Scout Office immediately went to another outfitter, got them to match the offer, then published the alliance with the OTHER outfitter and not Canfield’s.  Canfield’s is the only other place in town, besides the – surprise – Scout Office – that sells Scout uniforms and other stuff.  I was shocked to hear (then again… not that shocked) that the Scout Office would be so petty as to reject Canfield’s in this way… to go out of their way to undermine an offer made in sincerity.  Like I said, fucking politics and bureaucracy is the ruin of this otherwise productive organization. 

   

  Canfield’s or otherwise, Stan has still received none of it.  It seems so gauche to ask, “may I please have my donation” but geez.  They’ve all taken credit for the generosity in the newspaper.  Share it on out with the boys already.  And again I sincerely hope that the reason for the delay is that they are helping first with funeral and other expenses for the boys who were seriously hurt or killed.  I sure as hell hope they have distributed some of the thousands of dollars being collected in the various victims’ funds.  Unfortunately, I doubt it.

   

  • 1:09 pm
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