A quick summary update, because just as I’ve been unfortunately too busy to keep this photoblog up to date in a steady manner, I’m too busy now to put type up a full update.
Since the last entry, W played a giraffe (and some other things) in his school’s production of the Lion King musical.
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W finally outgrew his bike, so I readjusted it for J and got W a new bike that’s the same model as mine — the Trek 1.1. They gave him “room to grow” at the Pasadena Cyclery, and the result is his frame is actually 2 cm larger than mine. I’m a little worried, because I think mine fits me perfectly, and it looks like he leans forward a little too much. On the other hand, he’ll be taller than I am soon.
The result is much better rides. We joined the merit badge class in the 32 mile ride to Seal Beach, which was quite a pleasurable ride, especially since W wasn’t trying to muscle his old mountain bike down the trail. As a road bike, the Trek 1.1 is much lighter and capable of good speed.
Speaking of the rides, I had a bad attack of gout two Saturdays ago, the the Seal Beach ride was the following Sunday morning. I really didn’t want to miss the ride, so I took my chances. It turns out that riding (with greatly loosened shoelaces on my right foot) wasn’t so bad. It was walking afterward that hurt.
Oh, and while I’m at it, I came down with some sort of illness this past Sunday as well, as did W. It was very much like a flu, but I had my flu shots weeks ago. I don’t know what it was. I developed a tremendously sore throat Monday night. A trip to an urgent care center on Tuesday resulted in a negative on the rapid strep test, so they just gave me an antibiotic shot, and I left. I’m starting to feel better.
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W’s boy scout troop had scheduled an ATV “adventure” with zip lining at a Pismo Beach campout. Camping would be at Pismo Beach, but the ATV and zip lines would be inland. Just days before we were to depart, our new Boy Scout council declined to approve the tour for the ATVs — too high risk. So, we rearranged the activity to be zip lining, with some nature tours (hike, etc.) added on.
A lot of people canceled, including a couple of W’s friends from his patrol. Everyone was looking forward to the ATVs above all.
A pity. It turns out that the ziplines over the Margarita Vineyards near Santa Margarita were awesome. The dads got to ride, too. I was afraid that my fear of heights would get to me, but that turned out not to be a problem — just step off the edge and go. No, it turns out that what really got me scared is that a >200 lb middle-aged man builds up a hell of a lot more momentum on those ziplines than does a 100 lb 13 year old. There was always an upward curve at the end of each zipline, slowing the rider (flyer?) down by gravity at the end. Some of the lighter scouts didn’t actually make it to the end and had to be towed in.
Not me. I came tearing into the end at near full speed on all five lines.
Still, it was an exhilarating way to spend the afternoon.
On the fifth and final ride, I decided I’d try and take a video, holding my camera in my right hand (strapped to my wrist — some dads held smartphones, which was just begging for something to be dropped) while holding the handles above with my left. The handles weren’t necessary for support, but it sort of helped keep the rider facing in a preferred direction. I should have used my left hand to hold the camera, since I’m right handed, and I ended up rotating a bit more than expected at first.
But I put up the video on Flickr.
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One of the service projects W and his other scout classmates have to do in the Ad Altare Dei class is to “Do a Good Turn in the Spirit of Sacrifice.” (“Do a Good Turn Daily” is the Boy Scout slogan.)
Vince, our religious emblems coordinator (I’m the AAD counselor), directs a "feeding the homeless” breakfast twice a month at the St. Francis Center in downtown LA. I approved participating in one of those sessions for the scouts in fulfillment of the service project, and W and two other scouts in the class (as well as one other scout along for the experience) participated on Saturday, November 28. We arrived at 6:45 AM, and I was assigned to slicing loaves of ham, while the scouts went off to crack a lot of eggs. Later, we all rolled up eating utensils in paper napkins.
When breakfast service started, three of the scouts handed out a limited supply of hygeine kits to the homeless guests who came through the doors. W circulated the room, serving coffee. And I stood at the door with Vince, acting as greeter and helping direct the guests to available seats. (The breakfast was ham and scrambled eggs, toast, a yogurt parfait, juice, coffee, and I think a mini chocolate bar.)
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W was promoted to Life Scout. The next rank is Eagle.
J attended a Webelos recruiting night this past Monday at the troop. I was in full Assistant Scoutmaster uniform for them. The activity at the end of the meeting was Lord of Fires — in teams (by Webelos den, first, then by Scout patrol), build a fire structure, light it, and see which team’s fire is first to burn a card suspended over the fire. Neither J’s den nor W’s patrol (W was feeling under the weather and did not attend) won, but both of their fires were well done.
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We’ve also been visiting high schools for W.