Local Homeschool 'International Night'

The food is the best part. And the kids learn a few things about other countries and see their friends.

Somebody's Eating Good

It's not every day you walk into your supply room and find a mess of collard greens.

Major Lego Acquisition

While the boys were checking out the fossil museum in Ocean Lakes this morning Ethan noticed this Lego underwater battle station thing behind the counter. He told the gentleman behind the counter how cool it looked. The man handed to the boys and said, "It's yours!" That was pretty nice of him. Huge score for the boys' collection.

Afternoon Bass

Heath Carter caught this nice bass earlier. Big time. Always fun to hook a few bass at the beach.

A Few Bass

We're at the beach, but the bass are hitting in the ponds pretty well this afternoon. On Purple Zoom Bait.

Now that the Work is Done...

...we'll play in the hole.

Mostly Cloudy Beach Day

Gabe is digging to China while everyone else plays and hunts for shark teeth. (Note: Gabe had earlier expounded on the impossibility of actually "digging to China.)

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You Can Homeschool Anywhere

This gentleman is from the Smithsonian and is giving some information and expertise on archeological finds and fossils. We're counting the work the boys did this morning, the fossil center here in Ocean Lakes, and this presentation as a homeschool day. That buys us one more day for an early summer vacation!

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A Beach Day Ruined?

We headed for the bookstore. There's still hope for the sun to peek out this afternoon, but it grows dim...

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Vote No on the Sales Tax Increase

You might think that since we are a homescholing family we would use that as our sole opinion on why we do not support the .25 cent tax increase in Lee County for the renovation of Lee County High School. It is true that our children will never enter the public education system unless there is some extreme event that causes that to happen. We have always held that the government will never be able to educate our children better than we can. But I do readily recognize that society as a whole has decided to provide a “free” education to the nation’s children and that we are all required to pitch in on that effort, despite the fact that I will probably never see any tax relief (or other) for removing that burden from the government institution. (Not that I want relief, but that is another story.)

I also won't throw in the fact that I already pay plenty in taxes. The whole "Taxed Enough Already" mantra rings true with me. And I quickly reject the arguments that say, "it's only a dollar here, fifty cents there." We could do that with any tax thrown upon us until our pockets are emtpy. The Sanford Herald is pretty fond of using the whole "it's a cup of coffee a day" routine in showing that side of the issue. Well, so are all the other dozens of taxes we pay each year. It all adds up to a huge percentage of what I earn already.

No, I have based my decision on some far more objective opinions than the subjectivity swirling in the pro-tax increase ranks coming from a large number of folks who feel our only solution is taking from us at the cash register. Two things come to mind.

First, I have yet to see any effort from the last election or this one to look earnestly at other alternatives to paying for the renovations besides raising the sales tax or property taxes. It seems our elected officials have perhaps given a cursory glance at alternatives, but no real discussion has been put out there that I have seen. No cuts in unnecessary spending? No requests to our glorious cure-all education lottery? No fund raisers? Where are the checkbooks of all the supporters of the tax? The car washes? Bake sales? Walk-a-thons? Corporate donations? Are there some sort of restrictions on fund-raising in place I am not aware of? Perhaps you readers could weigh-in on that piece of it for me.

Secondly, where are the provisions for protecting this and the other government funded properties once the renovations are in place? Who’s to say the county government will not let Lee High or another campus go to ruin again in the future? Where are the systems that will guarantee our investment is protected and will never be allowed to come to this lowly state again 20-years from now? Sure, I think hindsight is 20-20 in terms of there being no need to ask how the high school came to such neglected a condition. But I haven’t been given any assurance that anyone is looking ahead and that any system has been put in to place to keep this from happening again. This is our money, after all. I’d like to know how it will be spent wisely should a tax increase come about. Anyone have any thoughts on this part of it to give me?

Being a registered Independent voter I don't completely buy either side offered by the split-Republican Party in Lee County nor the one from our friends on the left. I’m guessing this might be a tight race this year. My gut tells me the measure will pass. But until I see the answers I am looking for my plans are to vote “No” and to encourage you to do the same.

Heated Indoor Pool

The beach got breezy and a little cold.

My View: Day Two

Better than the day before...

Entertain Me!

Passing time while Stacie shops. The boredom... The horror...

My Current View

Nice and quiet at the beach. 80-82 degrees, sunny, with a slight breeze. The water is chilly, but what kid lets that stop them from jumping in? I'm hoping for a nice, relaxing weekend.

We found this little guy

We found this little guy in our supply room today. I wonder where he hitched a ride from?

Cub Scout Talent Show

We're doing some skits and songs inside due to a little sprinkle outside. Fun stuff.

'Tent or Treat'

The pumpkins have been carved and the treats are just around the corner. The boys will be going tent-to-tent to gather their sweets.

There's Always A Craft Activity

Halloween theme. Where are the "Reformation Day" themed crafts???

Flag Raising

A much smaller crowd this weekend as the Three Rivers District camps out. Pack 942 leads the pack, as usual.

A Big Time

S'More's, hot chocolate, and elementary aged kids jacked up on sugar at 9: 00 PM. Yup, it's a Cub Scout camping trip!

Here Comes the Durabond!

Ethan is a tough cookie. Dr. Hargett is the MAN! No screams, yet!

Ethan was plugging his game system into the den TV when it got front heavy, tipped over, and fell over, leaving him with two gashes on the back of his ear. Thankfully they are just going to bond the gashes and skip the stitches.

Lots of Learnin'

We've seen badgers, skunks, raccoons, owls, hawks, etc. Great stuff. About to get something TRULY exciting for the kids... Lunch!!!

Chow Call!

Breakfast is on the (camp) table nice and early.

The Replacement

Stacie and the boys headed up to the Dixie Classic Fair this morning to enjoy the beautiful sunshine, all-you-can-slam ride ticket, delicious fair food, amazing displays, and all around wonderful time that comes with going to the fair in the town we grew up in. Standing in for me in the role of “Fair Bodyguard, Escort, and Money Distributor” was our dear friend “Uncle” Mark Vander Berg. Mark was kind enough to take the family around while I was busy at work. Oddly enough it was perhaps the worst day - and really the only “bad” day - I have had at my new job overall. It didn’t help that I couldn’t be with my wife and kids, but I knew I had to be there. I was just hoping for an easier go of it.

"A failure is a man who has blundered but is not capable of cashing in on the experience." - Elbert Hubbard

So, when I signed up for this new gig I decided pretty early on that I completely understand that I am up against a pretty monumental task in getting the folks that work with me to a level that may or may not have known existed - and that I would not let early failures bother me. Well, today was the first day it bothered me. Oh, it isn’t the previous three 14-hour days this week that had my brain ticking half-a-beat off. It wasn’t the constant flow of issues that crept across my email, desk phone, and from my secretary’s hand to mine. It wasn’t the personnel issues or the reports I had to get in today or the presentation due next week I have in my head but not on paper or the financial system I haven’t peeked at since last week or the ten things I didn’t get to check off on my to-do list. It was actually one small, hardly noticeable mistake I made all on my own. Which is interesting, seeing that everyone else’s mistakes haven’t bugged me much at all. I knew those were coming, and have even planned on them while formulating and executing wonderful responses and action plans to them. But when I slip up on a thing or two I give myself a little jab in the side of my head with a pointed index finger and say, “Wake up, dummy!”

I think I’ll get over it. At some point I’ll accept my own mistakes and failures and take them in stride while building on them and getting better from having known them. I am about where I need to be with the 30-60-90 day goals I set, and am well on my way with my 6-month and one-year action plans. I will probably barely recognize my department in a month from now from all the progress. In the mean time I’d like to recognize my good buddy Mark, a truly great friend and benefactor to our little family unit, for giving my wife and kids a great, happy, and safe day at the fair. Maybe next year I’ll be able to join in the fun!

Restocking

We came back to an empty refrigerator, so a quick trip to Lowe's was in order.

We Didn't Come Out Empty Handed

We didn't get in to the spotted bass this time but we did hit on a couple of schools of blue fish. Here are a number of 2-3 pounders we caught on the jetty in Murrell's Inlet. We'll be back after the bigger fish in a few weeks. In the mean time we're gearing up for some cub scout camping trips coming in the next 2-3 weeks.

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I'm So Excited!

It's difficult to contain your enthusiasm with a sunny afternoon at the beach!

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Dented Wallet

What man has the fortitude to walk out of Bass Pro Shops with his budget intact? Not me.

Swimming

Beach all morning and pool all afternoon while mommy is out shopping.

She's Hot (From the Sun and Just Plain Hot Too)

My wife the beach babe.

While headed out on the boat this morning we saw this interesting opening in the clouds. It was a bit surreal. From the cell phone cam. /end

Let's Go Fishing!

Putting the boat in the water, ready to go!