Thursday, August 9, 2012

Summer 2012

In case anyone hasn't yet noticed, I have taken off the Summer so far. Fact is, I either didn't think there was anything worth posting, or I was tearing out my hair from sheer panic and stress. So now that I have a momentary breather before really big stuff starts happening to me (Really. Big. Stuff. [like a total lifestyle change, and nicer scenery {hopefully}]), I thought I would basically compile what my Summer has come down to so far.

#1: All Staff Advance
Location: Lubbock, TX
Date: June 1-2
Pics or it didn't happen?
That's me, the guy with his hair partially cut off.
Beginning the day after the most successful primary the PAC has ever had, it marked the first official convocation of all Texas Home School Coalition staff, plus some rather notable volunteers *cough*. I got to personally meet my effervescent, intense co-director of THSCPAC, Beka Ingram. She was even more effervescent and intense in-person. I brainstormed a project that was dubbed, at the time, important but not urgent. Laughing about that now. I'll give you the important details later in the post. A good time was had by all, and we got the necessary inspiration to make it through the hectic Republican primary runoffs.

#2: NCFCA National Tournament, 2012
Location: St. Paul, MN
Date: June 17-25 (Including four days of travel time)
Pics or it didn't happen?
End of long day + always being caught in dorky poses in these kinds of pics = above image.
For all of two days of competition, I was a national level extemporaneous speaker. The other seven, I was having the time of my life retiring my four-year NCFCA career. That puppy has been laid to rest. Got to meet some awesome people, give some mediocre speeches, and have really, really good barbecue in Kansas City on both the 17th and the 24th (I have pics of that, too). Bittersweet memory, as it was my last NCFCA tournament (as a competitor, watch out for me as a judge). I have to highly recommend the league as a good life-experience that is already bearing fruit.

#3: Camping with the Guys
Location: Inks Lake State Park, TX
Date: July 6-7
Pics or it didn't happen?
Super manly t-shirts? Check. Mental preparation for intense mockery by my offspring? Checkaroo.
The camping trip to end all camping trips. I had the distinct pleasure of visiting the location of many a church camp-out (most recent of which occurring around 2002). In addition, I had the distinct pleasure of both viewing some previously hidden foot muscle, and cowboying off the previous covering thereof. Also, I made a foray into bacon-frying, which turned out rather well. The cliff jumping was awesome, and I totally look forward to my next trip, where I might be able to pull off more than one jump before having my foot savagely assaulted by said cliff. Oh, and did I mention that the other dudes in the picture are basically the guys I grew up with? Yup. Big heaping helping of awesomesauce.

#4: Republican Primary Runoff Election
Location: Austin, TX
Date: July 31
Pics or it didn't happen?
I'm the guy with his back to the camera. Because I was working, unlike my boss, who took the picture.
I participated in my first war-room session. The local members of the PAC bundled ourselves (after voting, of course) to a borrowed conference room in central Austin, where we labored to get out the vote for our candidates. This included yours truly developing the most popular post in the history of the THSCPAC FB page. I guess I'm awesome that way. Anyway, the highlight of the day was getting to witness Ted Cruzalicious help David Dewhurst steal defeat from the jaws of victory. Pretty cool stuff. Other highlight of the day? Being able to use a 24'' monitor. I'm not really into tech anymore, but I got pretty psyched about that.

#5: THSC Convention 2012
Location: The Woodlands, TX
Date: August 2-4
Pics or it didn't happen?
Power photo taken courtesy of the talented Christina Hastings, yes that Christina Hastings.
Three straight 14-hour days. Really good food every night for dinner. And my 'brainstorm' was publicly announced as an official program of THSCPAC without my foreknowledge. Things move fast with Paul Hastings and Tim Lambert. Other than that one shot of instant adrenaline, it was a pretty chill conference. I got to finally see what a conference run by people other than my parents looked like, and was duly impressed. Plus I got to visit with some friends, and go to the Cheesecake Factory for the first time, though admittedly I was served at midnight. Oh, and how could I forget having a front-row seat for the Bob Smiley show. If you don't know who he is, look him up. Last but not least, seeing John Erickson perform Hank the Cowdog. It was goodness.

And basically, that's what my Summer has boiled down to this year. In between the above events, I was working my job at The Gap, slaving for THSCPAC in less glamorous locales, and doing a bit of swimming and movie watching.