I didn’t sleep very much last night. It was probably a combination of things that was responsible. First, I got a little bit of a nap, so I didn’t drop immediately to sleep when I lay down, like I am used to. Not falling right asleep, I started worrying about what would happen if I overslept. Since I was slated for the last shuttle out, probably nothing good. It would have cost around $150 for a taxi to Richmond. Then, of course there was the chainsaw snorer in the bunk above mine. Whatever the reason, I didn’t get more than twenty consecutive minutes of sleep all night.
At quarter to five, I’d had enough and just got up and got dressed. I walked down to the dining hall, where all they had today was donuts and coffee. Neither one appealed to me, so I went back and finished packing up and headed for the bus that would take me to the shuttle bus.
The bus to the bus rolled out right on time at 6:00 am. The 8:00 shuttle to the Richmond airport filled up and left at 6:42 am, and the one behind it in line started filling up.
We disembarked at the airport just before 8 am, and I went past the check in area without ever seeing it. I was not the only one either. A whole group of us got to the security line still holding the bags we wanted to check and had to get directions back.
After I checked in my big heavy bag (it weighed in at 38 pounds; I had worried a little about if it was over the 50# limit, and had considered leaving some things behind; glad I didn’t), I found myself with almost 10 hours before my flight left.
So I left the airport and walked to the Virginia Aviation Museum that I had seen just before we arrived. It had an SR-71 parked in front, which was a big attraction for me. After I took pictures, I discovered that the museum didn’t open until 9:30.
I wondered for a while what to do next. I could see a couple of restaurants and 3 motels across the road, and my first instinct was to find a place to sit down and use someone’s free wi-fi to post my blog entries. When I said ‘across the road’ though, what I meant was across a road and two divided highways and three drainage ditches. I tried walking parallel for a while, in search of a crosswalk, but after four blocks, I gave that up as unproductive. The traffic wasn’t that heavy, and it was actually more difficult crossing the ditches without getting wet than crossing the highways.
Aunt Sarah’s Pancake House seemed the most promising of those I walked by, so I doubled back to it. They served a delicious mushroom and Monterrey jack omelette, but didn’t have wi-fi. I wasn’t really hungry, but I didn’t have any problem finishing either.
By the time the bill came and I settled up, the museum was open, so I headed back across the obstacle course. I’d say I did it without getting wet, but the grass was still damp from the overnight thunderstorms.
The museum was not very large, but it had a lot of history packed inside. I very much enjoyed the almost two hours I spent there.
I hiked back into the terminal and through security. Fortunately, the airport didn’t seem to be that busy. I remembered to disconnect my insulin pump and tuck it into my coat before I went through the line. This saved me from the dreaded, “Please step to one side, sir,” comments, along with the accompanying wanding and frisking. I usually forget until too late.
I sat at my gate a little after noon, along with six others from the Jamboree staff, who had a wait of at least a couple more hours. My flight doesn’t start boarding until 5:35 pm. But, I did determine that RIC has free wi-fi, so it is now time to update the blog again.
Clearly, the fates are conspiring against me. We started hearing announcements before three that Dulles was rerouting planes to Richmond because of thunderstorms. They arrived here just before 6. If our plane from Houston had arrived on time, I’m sure we could have made it out ahead of the storm, but it didn’t and we didn’t. Once there was lightning in the area, we couldn’t board the plane, nor would they fuel it up, so we didn’t get off the ground until well after 8:00. The flight was two hours late getting to Houston, and so I missed my connection.
I stood in line at the service desk trying to figure out how I’m going to get home. They booked me on the same flight tomorrow, departing at 8:50 pm. They gave me a discount coupon for a local hotel, and recommended I come back tomorrow. When I asked about getting my checked bag so I would have clean clothes, they said it would take a couple of hours for it to come by on the carousel, because they only had one guy still working in baggage.
!?!
So another passenger and I sat and waited and waited in the baggage claim area. Finally I saw there was a baggage office and I went in to ask how long it would take for our bags to show up. They said there wasn’t anyone still working in terminal B. I could go over to terminal C and see if maybe they could find it for me.
So I did. It was a long time coming. Then I called the hotel they recommended and had them send me a shuttle to pick me up. By the time I checked in, got ready for bed, and updated the old blog, it was 3 am.
At least this time I can sleep in without a 5:30 round of alarms.
05 August, 2010
Day Twenty-six: Wednesday, 4 August, 2010
Last night I had enough extra time to head over to the patch trading area and did a little trading. I would have felt bad if I had returned home with all of my own patches, so at least there was a silver lining to my having to wait.
It did rain last night also. No word on whether Brian stuck to his plan to sleep tentless or not. I heard that many of the scoutmasters were given about forty minutes notice in the middle of the night, but I don’t know how pervasive that warning was. I suppose I’ll find out when I get home.
Since I had no work to accomplish today and all of the Jamboree attractions were already shut down, I had planned to sleep in. No dice. The first round of alarms went off at 5:30, and the next at 6, and that was the end of that idea. I got in line for breakfast, asked for a little of everything, and walked away with a heaping plate. They must be trying to get rid of all the food they can. I couldn’t finish more than a third of what they gave me.
After that, I decided to do laundry. I had one more set of clean clothes to wear, but I had nothing better to do with my time. Besides, with all the sweating I’d been doing in this muggy heat, my duffel bag didn’t smell very nice. I finished that up in time for lunch, and then helped others carry stuff out to their cars and load up. The roads were reserved for departing scout troops until 2:00, but then there was a mass exodus from the staff area.
They came to lock up the building I had been sleeping in shortly after that. I had to move to the last building open. Men on the second floor, women on the first. At least I have a lower bunk now.
I tried taking a nap, since tomorrow will be an early start. I got a little bit of sleep, but it was frequently interrupted.
They served salmon for dinner. It was yummy.
After dinner, I showered, packed everything back except what I’ll wear tomorrow, called Pam, updated the blog, and went to bed. Well, I can’t post it yet, but at least it’s written.
It did rain last night also. No word on whether Brian stuck to his plan to sleep tentless or not. I heard that many of the scoutmasters were given about forty minutes notice in the middle of the night, but I don’t know how pervasive that warning was. I suppose I’ll find out when I get home.
Since I had no work to accomplish today and all of the Jamboree attractions were already shut down, I had planned to sleep in. No dice. The first round of alarms went off at 5:30, and the next at 6, and that was the end of that idea. I got in line for breakfast, asked for a little of everything, and walked away with a heaping plate. They must be trying to get rid of all the food they can. I couldn’t finish more than a third of what they gave me.
After that, I decided to do laundry. I had one more set of clean clothes to wear, but I had nothing better to do with my time. Besides, with all the sweating I’d been doing in this muggy heat, my duffel bag didn’t smell very nice. I finished that up in time for lunch, and then helped others carry stuff out to their cars and load up. The roads were reserved for departing scout troops until 2:00, but then there was a mass exodus from the staff area.
They came to lock up the building I had been sleeping in shortly after that. I had to move to the last building open. Men on the second floor, women on the first. At least I have a lower bunk now.
I tried taking a nap, since tomorrow will be an early start. I got a little bit of sleep, but it was frequently interrupted.
They served salmon for dinner. It was yummy.
After dinner, I showered, packed everything back except what I’ll wear tomorrow, called Pam, updated the blog, and went to bed. Well, I can’t post it yet, but at least it’s written.
Day Twenty-five: Tuesday, 3 August, 2010
Happy birthday, Mark! You too, Gienah and Taunia!
Today, the Jamboree is winding down. This morning was our last ticketed session. Brian came in for a few minutes. He was in the area because Shawn White, Olympic snowboarder, was visiting the mountain boarding area today. I asked him if he was going to make it out to the midway and finish his engineering badge, but he didn’t think he would. He was planning to head back to camp and pack everything up, including his tent, and sleep out under the stars tonight.
After lunch, we started taking apart and packing up all the things we had spent three or four days putting together. The schedule called for us to spend a day and a half at the task. We were done by 4:00, with all the semis and trucks of vendor equipment rolling away or already gone.
By the time I got back to Wilcox, I realized that I had nothing at all to do tomorrow, and that it might be possible to go home a day early. I was scheduled to leave the fort on the 8:00 am shuttle Thursday, and fly out of Richmond Thursday evening.
First, I checked the shuttle schedule. There were departures for the three nearest airports at 12 and 2 tomorrow, and at 6 and 8 Thursday. Then I called the airline. Several times I got a recording that due to heavy call volume they were unable to answer my call, click. Eventually, I got through, gave Brooklyn my flight numbers and asked if I could move my itinerary up one day. She said that she could get me a seat on a flight leaving at 12:55 pm tomorrow, but everything else was already full. I told her thanks, but that I wouldn’t be able to make it there that early.
I asked a few of the people I knew in the barracks if any of them were headed south and had an extra seat, but I wasn’t able to find one.
I called Pam to let her know that I had thought I could make it home early, but I wasn’t able to make it work. She said it sounded like I had exhausted all my possibilities. I told her all but one, then I set the phone down and shouted down the length of the barracks asking if anyone was headed south and had an extra space in their car. Miraculously, I got a taker!
So I told Pam goodbye and that I’d see her tomorrow, hung up, and started throwing my stuff into my bag. I was trying to get the airline back on the phone the whole time I packed. Still on hold while I loaded my things into Jim’s truck. On hold the whole time I checked out with the housing office/tent. I got through just about the time we pulled out of the Wilcox camp area.
The girl I spoke to got everything sorted out for me and filled me in on details that Brooklyn hadn’t given me. The flight at 12:55 went to PDX, but routed through Newark instead of Houston. It would land in Portland at 10 pm instead of the 11 pm arrival of my original flight. I said that would be fine. Then she told me that there would be a $150 charge for reticketing, and the difference in fare would be $943.
Jim was very nice about turning around and dropping me off at Wilcox again.
Today, the Jamboree is winding down. This morning was our last ticketed session. Brian came in for a few minutes. He was in the area because Shawn White, Olympic snowboarder, was visiting the mountain boarding area today. I asked him if he was going to make it out to the midway and finish his engineering badge, but he didn’t think he would. He was planning to head back to camp and pack everything up, including his tent, and sleep out under the stars tonight.
After lunch, we started taking apart and packing up all the things we had spent three or four days putting together. The schedule called for us to spend a day and a half at the task. We were done by 4:00, with all the semis and trucks of vendor equipment rolling away or already gone.
By the time I got back to Wilcox, I realized that I had nothing at all to do tomorrow, and that it might be possible to go home a day early. I was scheduled to leave the fort on the 8:00 am shuttle Thursday, and fly out of Richmond Thursday evening.
First, I checked the shuttle schedule. There were departures for the three nearest airports at 12 and 2 tomorrow, and at 6 and 8 Thursday. Then I called the airline. Several times I got a recording that due to heavy call volume they were unable to answer my call, click. Eventually, I got through, gave Brooklyn my flight numbers and asked if I could move my itinerary up one day. She said that she could get me a seat on a flight leaving at 12:55 pm tomorrow, but everything else was already full. I told her thanks, but that I wouldn’t be able to make it there that early.
I asked a few of the people I knew in the barracks if any of them were headed south and had an extra seat, but I wasn’t able to find one.
I called Pam to let her know that I had thought I could make it home early, but I wasn’t able to make it work. She said it sounded like I had exhausted all my possibilities. I told her all but one, then I set the phone down and shouted down the length of the barracks asking if anyone was headed south and had an extra space in their car. Miraculously, I got a taker!
So I told Pam goodbye and that I’d see her tomorrow, hung up, and started throwing my stuff into my bag. I was trying to get the airline back on the phone the whole time I packed. Still on hold while I loaded my things into Jim’s truck. On hold the whole time I checked out with the housing office/tent. I got through just about the time we pulled out of the Wilcox camp area.
The girl I spoke to got everything sorted out for me and filled me in on details that Brooklyn hadn’t given me. The flight at 12:55 went to PDX, but routed through Newark instead of Houston. It would land in Portland at 10 pm instead of the 11 pm arrival of my original flight. I said that would be fine. Then she told me that there would be a $150 charge for reticketing, and the difference in fare would be $943.
Jim was very nice about turning around and dropping me off at Wilcox again.
Day Twenty-four: Monday, 2 August, 2010
Today was the last full day of jamboree activities for us. The way they worked admission to the Tech Quest area was to provide tickets by subcamp for either the morning or afternoon of a particular day, and that was when you were supposed to go. The plan was to have 2,900 scouts in each session. Of course, plans have to change. They then said that anyone could enter the last hour of each session, from 11 to 12 and from 3 to 4. Not satisfied with that, they then extended the afternoon shifts until 5.
We stayed busy.
Anyway, this morning was the session that Brian’s troop came through. I got to work with him in the DNA area, and then I lost track of him as he wandered through the other areas. He did tell me that the 60-second liquid nitrogen ice cream was yummy. The guys from Michigan Tech making it have gotten a little impatient a couple of times and made a mess. If they pour too much LN2 in at a time, which expands as it warms up, they get exploding ice cream all over. This happened at least twice.
Michigan Tech also has some displays on harmonics, a trench of ooblech (of Dr. Seuss fame), a vacuum ping pong ball gun, a miniature hovercraft built from two leaf blowers, and a couple of other hands-on physics displays.
I did a little bit of patch trading after work. I brought a couple dozen patches from our council to the Jamboree, in order to trade with people from all over, but up to now it has been kind of hit and miss. Mostly, I’ve traded with anyone who has asked me, but I haven’t gone out of my way to ask people if they want to trade. So far, I have 20 new patches to add to my collection.
That’s about all the news from Fort A. P. Hill for today.
We stayed busy.
Anyway, this morning was the session that Brian’s troop came through. I got to work with him in the DNA area, and then I lost track of him as he wandered through the other areas. He did tell me that the 60-second liquid nitrogen ice cream was yummy. The guys from Michigan Tech making it have gotten a little impatient a couple of times and made a mess. If they pour too much LN2 in at a time, which expands as it warms up, they get exploding ice cream all over. This happened at least twice.
Michigan Tech also has some displays on harmonics, a trench of ooblech (of Dr. Seuss fame), a vacuum ping pong ball gun, a miniature hovercraft built from two leaf blowers, and a couple of other hands-on physics displays.
I did a little bit of patch trading after work. I brought a couple dozen patches from our council to the Jamboree, in order to trade with people from all over, but up to now it has been kind of hit and miss. Mostly, I’ve traded with anyone who has asked me, but I haven’t gone out of my way to ask people if they want to trade. So far, I have 20 new patches to add to my collection.
That’s about all the news from Fort A. P. Hill for today.
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