More on a “Wasted Day” (29 Jul 10)

I should have not left the Jamboree site this morning, but I had to because I forgot some things (camera, charging cube) I would need to have on this day!!!

Everything was fine this morning: I arrived at the Jamboree site in time to have coffee with Dennis Daly and the members of his Troop from Arizona. Dennis and I met in the Trading Post line yesterday and he invited me over to have coffee this morning with him and his assistants while the Scouts were eating breakfast.

That was great and I do appreciate the coffee!!!

Then, it was over to the Armed Forces Adventure Area to take some photos. Well, there were already three other crews of photographers there this morning, so another guy truncing around taking photos really was overkill for a DAILY activity. If this was the Opening or Closing shows, that’s another story and one cannot have enough photographers or videographers for such a large one-time event.

So I passed and instead spent my time talking with Scouts and Scouters in front of the QBSA booth. QBSA is one of two radio stations operating temporary (the other is the Army’s broadcast station) during the Jamboree. The idea, like the post office and the banks, are to give Scouts a real “community atmosphere” while attending the Jamboree. QBSA is run by groups of Scouts assisted by adult engineers and talent. Both stations play from a playlist which was approved in advance by the BSA — so no loud rap, no obscenity-laced lyrics and a good combination of rock, rap, R&B, contemporary Country and Christian.

In other words, the stuff you would normally hear on a daily basis on say, American Forces Network (AFN) radio or on a community “all top hits” station.

It’s also pretty essential as there are not a whole lot on the radio dial to listen to otherwise: C-SPAN radio, three religious stations, one NPR station which comes in and out a lot. Two country rock stations and one station which I can only explain as “something which really doesn’t need to be on the air.” This was the station which was pooh-poohing the President’s lack of judgement between visiting the Jamboree on Tuesday and recording an appearance on “The View” (an ABC television daily talk show featuring four women) for yesterday (Wednesday) instead.

So the Scouts and Scouters don’t get a whole lot of international or national news during the ten-day period, except for those snippets that they get when they go online or when the lone NPR station drifts back in to provide them that information.

Lots of music, however…

Leaving my hotel room for the second time today, I noticed a larger than normal puddle of wetness in the front passenger area of my van. I know that my AC has been working overtime the last few days and the condenser has been placing a larger than normal amount of water on the ground. Okay. I get that…but this was NOT water…it was too sticky to be water. When I started the engine, the temp gauge went over to past the mid-point….it was not that way earlier. My assumption is that something was cut, not enough to let ALL of the fluids out but enough.

The drive around Fredricksburg, assisted by LibbieStar(tm) (Thank you Ellie *hehehehehehee*), found two Firestone ™ locations in town. One was located wayyyyyyy down town which I KNEW that my van would NOT make it to; the other, after I stopped and asked someplace where it was, was a lot closer to where I happened to be on the Jeff Davis Highway.

I pulled in and went in to report what was going on with my car. The gal looked at my Scout uniform and asked me “Where’s the Popcorn? I need to order a couple of tins!” I explained to the young lady that I didn’t have any but that I can find a Scout — there’s like 40 thousand or so of them down the road at the Fort — who would be willing to sell her some popcorn…*smiling*

The manager came and after we exchanged information about my car, took my key and had one of their guys to put it up on the lifts and see just where the leak was coming from.

“It’s your shocks. The shocks were good only for 50 thousand miles and your van has clearly more than 100 or so…”

“How can the shocks produce THAT MUCH water? It was like it was raining under there….” I asked.

“Well, a combination of the leaking from the shocks along with the condensation from your AC caused the puddle. We can show you.”

He did. He showed me that the undercarriage of my van was dry with no leaks — from the transmission, the engine, or anywhere else. “You do a good job maintaining this, sir…”

“It’s my traveling vehicle. I have to keep it in a decent shape. Don’t look inside though….” I told him.
I then added “How long would it take to get the shocks replaced? I have to be a presentation back out there at 4pm.”

It was 2 when I showed up.

“About an hour.”

Well, two Judge shows, and the start of Dr. Phil later, my van was ready with new front shocks. $375.
It rides better but in the process I missed the Eagle Scout presentation of Dr. Sellars. I was REALLY looking forward to it…but I guess it was not meant to be!

I drove back out to the Jamboree site and discovered that for some reason the Jamboree site was shut down. I assumed a medical emergency of some sort, so I turned around and went back to town to FedEx Office (formerly Kinkos) to download photos and upload them to here and other places…

Wasted Day, this day was. I sure hope that there would be no more days like today!!!