Team building

Teachers often begin their year with workshops and the workshops often begin with team building activities. The teachers may be divided up into groups and then asked to complete an unexpected, competitive activity such as making something out of marshmallows and pipe cleaners or toothpicks. They must complete these tasks without benefit of a beer or other drink that might loosen folks up a bit and encourage the timid or reserved to get into the marshmallow task. Somehow these tasks are to prepare you for the challenges ahead. You really never know when a tooth pick construction project will be required.

We had out own team building task today. We are in Gulf Shores, Alabama, staying at the state park and we have guests (Cindy's brother Scott and wife Denise). We have grown to really like the rPod, but it is a little small for four people. It turns out it comes with this screen porch kind of thing that pretty much doubles your space. No offense to the Chinese, but they cannot write an instruction manual. It also seems that they have tried to save a little work and they combined the instructions for three or four porches in the same manual. Some go on the end of the rPod, some go on the side, some work with a different rPod. It struck me as similar to folks who have several different puzzles and for some strange reason throw everything in the same box. That and discarding a few random pieces is the reason I refuse to work on puzzles with the rest of the family. Pardon my use of these strange analogies that only occur to me. 

Anyway, we did get the porch assembled. Some creativity and problem solving were required. I heard only a few offensive words expressed and I maintained my normal, calm demeanor. Once we figured out which was the inside and which the outside, things went much better.

I am going to sleep on the porch tonight just because it sounds like fun and because I go to bed earlier than my traveling companions. I am a little concerned about wind. This nylon structure is pretty large and sitting on a blacktop slab so it cannot be staked down. I watched one of those wind surfers today and was impressed by the speed they could reach with their little kites. I am hoping I am not launched in the same way.  

I also wonder about raccoons. They are common camp ground visitors and I would not want a couple to begin nosing about in my new sleeping quarters.

[Gulf Shores, Alabama]