(no subject)
Update for the past two weeks -
fandom at last update, we planned on hitting our bookstore for Deathly Hallows at midnight on the release date. We actually picked up two copies, one for the family, and one for my oldest daughter, Elizabeth. mari4212 started reading when we got home, and finished the book by dawn. I started reading Elizabeth's copy, and when my son, Thomas got home from camp at noon, he started reading the family copy. He read it until he finished the book at 4:00 AM on Sunday morning, coming out of the room only to eat, and to complain to my wife "THEY KILLED NAME DELETED! NO!!!" about one of the more tragic deaths in the middle of the book. I kept reading all of Saturday until Elizabeth came by after work and took her copy, then I got our copy and started reading early on Sunday morning, and finished before I had to leave for camp.
No detailed review here - but it's a satisfying read.
Boy Scouts We took 20 boys to Summer camp from July 22nd to 28th. The kids had a great time - we were one of nine troops in camp that week, staying at seven campsites (three small troops were joined as one for the week). There were three camp-wide competitions held, and our boys won all three, with little to no guidance or help from us adults. Many merit badges were earned, and there were few behavior problems (with the exception of one kid). The adults were NOT as happy. There were problems with how some of the camp staff ran program areas, we found out that the camp staff was under a lot of stress and pressure, and we're not happy with the way that the senior camp leadership responded (or didn't) to our complaints.
When I got home, I had to help finalize an interfaith church service to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the World brotherhood of Scouting. The committee that helped plan and run the service all did a great job, and my troop stepped up to host a simple reception in our meeting hall afterwards. The council did a lousy job of publicizing the event - we sent e-mails and articles to them, and the Council newsletter got delayed, and nothing showed up on the council web page. We managed to get enough publicity out to attract over a hundred Scouts and Scouters, but we could have had a lot more people there.
workI mentioned in the last update that I don't talk about work here, but I'll make an exception. Our company downsized my immediate boss around New Years day this year, since they haven't done such a good job marketing the investigation and remediation side of the business. We still don't have a lot of work in that area, but I'm essential to what we do (having the broadest skill set of any of the people in my company). Late Friday, I got a call from my former boss, in part to let me know he landed on his feet, and in part acting as a headhunter. He has a lot more work than staff, and needs several entry-level people in the environmental business, but he also needs at least one senior-level person. He'd offer a lot more money, BUT:
1) The office is two hours away - too far to commute easily.
2) Will any possible salary increase make up for at least temporary losses in my wife's salary as a day care provider? And will it cover any increase in the cost of living elsewhere?
3) No problem with mari4212 or our son, Thomas, since both will be in college. We DO have to worry about social services for our middle daughter, Sara, who's profoundly retarded.
4) The housing market in Dayton is VERY soft, with one or two years needed to sell houses in our area, and the sales price we could get right now would just cover what's left on our mortgage and HELOC. We could rent to our oldest daughter and her fiance, for enough to cover our mortgage and an escrow account to take care of repairs, but we'd still need a downpayment.
5) What's the housing market like in Indianapolis?
6) Moving churches, Boy Scout affiliations and our whole social network.
It will make for interesting times in the next few months.
fandom at last update, we planned on hitting our bookstore for Deathly Hallows at midnight on the release date. We actually picked up two copies, one for the family, and one for my oldest daughter, Elizabeth. mari4212 started reading when we got home, and finished the book by dawn. I started reading Elizabeth's copy, and when my son, Thomas got home from camp at noon, he started reading the family copy. He read it until he finished the book at 4:00 AM on Sunday morning, coming out of the room only to eat, and to complain to my wife "THEY KILLED NAME DELETED! NO!!!" about one of the more tragic deaths in the middle of the book. I kept reading all of Saturday until Elizabeth came by after work and took her copy, then I got our copy and started reading early on Sunday morning, and finished before I had to leave for camp.
No detailed review here - but it's a satisfying read.
Boy Scouts We took 20 boys to Summer camp from July 22nd to 28th. The kids had a great time - we were one of nine troops in camp that week, staying at seven campsites (three small troops were joined as one for the week). There were three camp-wide competitions held, and our boys won all three, with little to no guidance or help from us adults. Many merit badges were earned, and there were few behavior problems (with the exception of one kid). The adults were NOT as happy. There were problems with how some of the camp staff ran program areas, we found out that the camp staff was under a lot of stress and pressure, and we're not happy with the way that the senior camp leadership responded (or didn't) to our complaints.
When I got home, I had to help finalize an interfaith church service to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the World brotherhood of Scouting. The committee that helped plan and run the service all did a great job, and my troop stepped up to host a simple reception in our meeting hall afterwards. The council did a lousy job of publicizing the event - we sent e-mails and articles to them, and the Council newsletter got delayed, and nothing showed up on the council web page. We managed to get enough publicity out to attract over a hundred Scouts and Scouters, but we could have had a lot more people there.
workI mentioned in the last update that I don't talk about work here, but I'll make an exception. Our company downsized my immediate boss around New Years day this year, since they haven't done such a good job marketing the investigation and remediation side of the business. We still don't have a lot of work in that area, but I'm essential to what we do (having the broadest skill set of any of the people in my company). Late Friday, I got a call from my former boss, in part to let me know he landed on his feet, and in part acting as a headhunter. He has a lot more work than staff, and needs several entry-level people in the environmental business, but he also needs at least one senior-level person. He'd offer a lot more money, BUT:
1) The office is two hours away - too far to commute easily.
2) Will any possible salary increase make up for at least temporary losses in my wife's salary as a day care provider? And will it cover any increase in the cost of living elsewhere?
3) No problem with mari4212 or our son, Thomas, since both will be in college. We DO have to worry about social services for our middle daughter, Sara, who's profoundly retarded.
4) The housing market in Dayton is VERY soft, with one or two years needed to sell houses in our area, and the sales price we could get right now would just cover what's left on our mortgage and HELOC. We could rent to our oldest daughter and her fiance, for enough to cover our mortgage and an escrow account to take care of repairs, but we'd still need a downpayment.
5) What's the housing market like in Indianapolis?
6) Moving churches, Boy Scout affiliations and our whole social network.
It will make for interesting times in the next few months.