The Race

"Daddy, can we work on it today...Can we? You said 'soon'...Is it 'soon' now? Daddy? C'mon Daddy!"... It's early April and anyone who's ever been involved in scouting knows that the big race is fast approaching. Cub Scout packs everywhere are preparing for their annual pinewood derby. The count-down to our race is at T-minus-seven days and Benjamin & I have been busy. Bed-time rules have relaxed a bit for my second son as we've spent time together out in my work-shop this past week, working on our entry in this year's event. Ben's car joins a long lineage of wooden racers; crafted by father & son - working together, attempting a winning design. We've come up with a number of fun and whimsical cars in derbies past: Sleek dragsters, rocket-cars, a couple of American flags, even a choo-choo train. I once entered my own car in the open class a few years ago - it was a bed! You know - a mattress & headboard; it was a cute little scaled model, complete with a comforter, matching pillow case, and a little fella snoozin' under the covers. I named it, "fast asleep" - It lost.

Our oldest son, Bradley decided to enter a choo-choo
a few years ago. It took first place for craftsmanship!

Over the years, we've taken some first-place trophies for craftsmanship and won a few races but it's been quite a long spell since anyone in our family took the overall first prize in a pinewood derby event - some thirty seven years, actually! I can still recall the thrill: It was the early 1970's, my dad & I rolled out a dark metallic blue little number (the same color as dad's Oldsmobile) and it easily won every single race. I remember the ride home that night in the back seat of dad's '69 Cutlass Supreme, holding my car in one hand and a big blue ribbon in the other. I also vividly recall the realization that none of it would've happened without my dad. Would you believe I still have that car? I do - what's left of it, anyhow.

Here's ol' blue from '72.
My kids have since pulled the wheels off.
Hey, that's no way to treat a champion!

Fast asleep!

THE RULES:
Width - 2 3/4"
Length - 7"
Width between wheels - 1 3/4"
Bottom clearance above track - 3/8"
Weight - Not more than 5 ounces

Each boy is given a kit with all the essential raw materials - A block of wood, four wheels, and four axles. The finished product must comply with the above specifications or it will be disqualified. The project begins with a sheet of paper - after the boy decides on a theme or type of car, he begins to draw his ideas. With a little direction from his dad, a feasible design is worked out and the outline is transferred to the block of wood. Sawing, shaping, sanding - the boy learns some basic woodworking skills while his dad leans over him; steadying his hand. Each year, the boy's own hand grows more capable as he learns to manipulate the various tools; transforming a formless block of wood into something resembling what he had hoped it would become.

Ben begins to work his design.

It's more than a fun distraction - a mere amusement, it is an opportunity for a dad to impart some important qualities onto his son. The easy thing to do would be to hand Ben his derby kit, show him the design parameters, and let him loose in the work-shop. The resulting car, if completed at all, would fail to qualify for the race - the dimensions and weight wouldn't meet specs, the wheels wouldn't be properly aligned, and the youngster wouldn't know how to make the adjustments necessary to be eligible.
It's not unlike the relationship I have with my Heavenly Father. There is a rule book - scripture; there are all the necessary raw materials with which to build my life - body, mind, & spirit; there are tools; parents, church, school, friends, etc. God didn't simply drop me into this world to fend for myself - He knows my frame, that I am weak and that I'll never qualify by my own attributes or skills. Therefore, He became flesh and dwelt among us. In Christ Jesus, I am qualified and as I press on with my race, the Holy Spirit guides me; steadying my hand as I wield the tools He's provided me!
Tomorrow is Easter - Resurrection Sunday and I can't help but remember the great price which was paid to qualify me for the race; for the kingdom of God! Thank You Jesus!

Ben brought home a couple of awards last year!

Today, we applied the first of several coats of paint. When finished with that, the wheels will be carefully attached and aligned for optimal performance. I'll let you know how we fare.

UPDATE:

Ben's car didn't win any races
but was given an award for
most unique.

Ben looks on as his car races toward the finish line!

Ben's car & trophy.

Night at the Museum

Ben is fascinated with the "Jacob's Ladder" exhibit;
an electrical arc ascending between two electrodes.

Benjamin and I returned home a short while ago; a bit tired from our night at the museum. Sleep eluded us until well after 1:30am. Every time I glanced over at my son, he was wide-eyed; apparently fixated with the long shadows cast about the room as the ambient light fell across the various exhibits. Having all settled into our sleeping bags; voices trailing off and simmering down to a few sporadic whispers, one incessant noise remained. Some ten yards from my pillow was an exhibit demonstrating the various components of music. It was an interactive computer program where one can point and click on a piece of music; playing it in various keys and tempos. Apparently, after a few idle minutes it defaults to its starting page; some instructions on a colorful screen complete with a looping rhythm track - some sort of Latin or Mambo beat, I think. After several minutes of this, it became apparent to me that there wouldn't be a museum staffer appearing any time soon to relieve us of this torture.
Was I the only one in the room who noticed? The other group nestled in and around the display seemed oblivious to the contraption and it's obnoxious vibrations. "OK", I thought. "I'm not gonna get a minute of sleep while that machine is alive. I must kill it!" ...And I had just gotten comfortable! I crawled out of my warm bag and found my way over to the offending party; a wonderful, educational tool by day, an evil robber of slumber by night! "How do I turn this blasted gizmo off?" I mumbled under my breath. It was dark and I was fumbling around; looking for a switch; a thing-a-ma-jig; something. I moved the computer-mouse and suddenly a new screen appeared; a nice quiet screen! Relief, at last!
I tip-toed between the guys in the other group and made my way back to my section of commercial carpeting. Having settled back into a reasonably comfortable position, I laid my head back down. Thump dee dee thump, thump dee dee thump, thump dee dee thump... It was back! "That's it, where's that exhibit showing various building materials; I need to borrow a brick!" I tip-toed back over to my nemesis. "Aha, there it is; the power switch! Where were you hiding before?" The bright, colorful screen collapsed into white dot in the center of the monitor and disappeared. Vanquished! Once again, I maneuvered myself back into my bedding. I was just at that point; you know the one, where the line between awake and asleep is blurred; that's when the snoring began! Somewhere miles away, a woman was getting the best night's sleep she'd had in recent memory - her husband was with us! Either that, or the Toledo zoo was missing a walrus!
All that aside, we really did have a great time. Ben enjoyed the evening very much and I enjoyed watching him. There's nothing quite like seeing the wonder in your child's eyes as they experience something new.
Now, I think I'll go and take a nap!

Here, Ben is learning about civil engineering;
designing a sturdy bridge.

Ben and his buddy are testing the alarm circuit
they've just built.

Bed-time.

Chillin'

For the past several years, I and my boys have been involved in Scouting. My oldest son, Brad has achieved the rank of Star; two advancements shy of becoming an Eagle Scout. Benjamin, his younger brother will advance from Cub Scouts into Boy Scouts a little more than a year from now. I get in there with them as much as I can; camping and hiking being my favorite activity. The youngsters learn a variety of skills, gain knowledge and experience in safety, first aid and survival techniques during these excursions into the wild.

As I was considering what to write about today, I found that my thoughts kept returning to my boys. This is slated to be an eventful weekend for both of them. Ben and I will be spending the night at the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum. He'll be earning his engineering pin this evening and later, we'll each claim a piece of museum floor as we bed down there for the night; tucked away in our sleeping bags among the exhibits.
Brad will be taking part in our district's annual Winter Event. He'll be camping tonight through Sunday morning; yes, we're talkin' tent camping! The overnight temperature is forecast to be minus ten degrees Fahrenheit tonight and nearly as cold Saturday night. If that weren't enough, we're told to expect 2-4 inches of fresh snow to fall during the day tomorrow. Well, this is the winter event, after all. At least he won't need his mosquito netting! Besides all the fun & games they have scheduled as the participating troops compete against each other, there are some valuable skills to be learned by the boys. Knowing how to survive in those conditions; to prepare for them, adapt to them, and even thrive in them is a valuable skill-set for anyone inclined toward the outdoors. For some of the boys, this will be their first time experiencing such extreme conditions. By the time they strike camp and head home early Sunday morning, they'll have earned their Polar Bear Patch; a distinction which both Brad and I have achieved.
About a year ago, I was gearing-up for this very same event. The weather then was nearly identical to this years'. OK, so instead of minus ten, the mercury only dropped to zero! When you venture out into such conditions; setting-up camp for an extended stay, your thinking changes. First of all, during the days leading up to your frigid adventure; checking your equipment, packing your gear, and the like, you begin to look around your home. You're surrounded by so much which keeps you warm, dry and contented. You realize that in a few hours, you'll be longing for the things you walk past each day without so much as a casual glance. You continue stuffing essentials into your trail pack all the while wondering why you or anyone for that matter would want to bed down in an ice-box!

I remember that day a year ago as Brad and I were about to embark on our icy expedition. I paused at my bedroom door, looking in at the most prominent piece of furniture inside. My wife's side of the bed would be warm and occupied while mine would be vacant. I thought, "While she adjusts her pillow and reads a few chapters before drifting off to sleep, I'll be stuffing a bunch of those chemical hand warmers down into the nether regions of my sleeping bag and settling in for a night of intermittent sleep!"

We arrived at our camp-site after dark. The vehicle doors opened and in an instant, the forest was alive with the sounds of a Boy Scout troop; the Scoutmaster barking out orders, the clatter of camp equipment being unloaded, the ringing of a hammer driving tent stakes into the frozen earth. An hour before, the woods were quiet; just a steady breeze whispering through the white pines. We set up only what was essential; the rest would wait 'til the morning.
Sleep was elusive but I was was reasonably well rested by sunup. As daylight began to illuminate my tent, I noticed that ice crystals had grown on the walls. Throughout the night, the moisture of each exhaled breath never left the confines of my polyester abode; it simply deposited itself on the interior surfaces. Apparently, the ice-box I was sleeping in didn't have a defrost feature!
In such an environment, your mind is cleared of any extraneous thought. All superfluous concerns are suspended as you focus in on your most basic needs; shelter, warmth, and nourishment. You know, in a way it was like a fast; a cleansing; a time to purge myself of the things which occupy my thought life each day. I returned home, exhausted yet refreshed. My body had worked extra hard to maintain its core temperature and it was craving sleep; sleep in that warm bed of ours. My mind was refreshed as I had quieted my soul for some thirty six hours; taking stock of how blessed I am.

Our camp site last winter.

Brad (wearing the fur hat) warming up by the fire.