Contingency Planning by Nixon

While touring the Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Museum this weekend with the Scouts, I was reminded of seeing this story.

William Safire wrote a speech for Richard Nixon to be used in the event that Armstrong and Aldrin were unable to lift off from the moon.

Here is a link to that speech and the backstory.
Merle

The Moon Landing: An Undelivered Nixon Speech

Customer Service on the way to Mission Texas

Many who know me have heard my stories I like to tell about customer service, both good and bad. When I get "out of this world" service either way, I share those examples. It may be the way a customer is treated by a worker, it may be the way an employee is treated by an employer. I do enjoy shining a light on the simple examples of human kindness that are seen in our businesses and institutions.

Our family was traveling to Mission Texas for Christmas, a trip we have taken semi-annually since 2000. It is a two-day drive, normally involving a one night stop over in Dallas or thereabouts. This year, we were unable to leave until 2ish on Friday 12/21/12. Fortunately the Mayan Calendar was in accurate and were still around to make this trip.

Four hours into the journey while entering the town of Pryor OK, I heard a sound from the left rear that you normally don't hear from the left rear of a car. Thinking it was a tire, I pulled into what appeared to be a tire store/garage. (those who know me are also aware that I am not a "car guy." I know where to put the gas and I know where to check the oil and replace that vital fluid, beyond that, I must consult the owner's manual.)

After safely parking at the garage, I got out, expecting to see a flat tire. I was relieved to see it wasn't flat because that would have meant unloading the back end to get the jack and spare. To play it safe, I looked underneath. Even with my limited car knowledge, I knew the shock absorber was supposed to be attached to that little "peg thingy" and not hanging free. This upset me with only 4 hours of our journey complete.

I told my wife and she kept a smile on and entertained the boys while I went in Hooks Convenience Store. I asked the lady behind the counter if there was a garage open in town, knowing there may be one that would be open for another 20 minutes. She started giving me numbers to call. Meanwhile a customer called a friend who was able to help a little. He said he was only a tow truck driver, but his garage could fix it in the morning. I really didn't want to stay overnight, but this was looking like our only recourse.

When I got back out to the parking lot, a customer of Hooks, asked if there was a problem. I told him the shock had come off of the peg thingy, he got under the car and in less than a minute, said in essence, it was back on the "peg thingy." He directed me to an auto parts store down the road that was open until 10. They were not able to help, but said that Wayne at Tractor Supply would be able to help.

Seeing Wayne, I explained my dilemma. Wayne took about an hour of his time, trying different bolts until he found one that would fit and keep the shock on the "peg thingy." He also recommended I wrap duct tape around the bolt and "peg thingy" just to be sure it didn't slip out. For his hour+ of help, Wayne charged me 22 cents for parts and 9 bucks for a roll of duct tape. On the way back, we dropped off a bag of Texas oranges to him for his trouble. Thank you very much Wayne.

My knowledge of cars is perhaps only overshadowed by my knowledge of video games. With all of the shopping that my wife did for Christmas, my job was to get a specific game for each of the boys to play on the Wii. I didn't know that WiiU was a different system. On Christmas morning I discovered this fact and had two disappointed boys. When I took receipt and games back to Best Buy in McAllen, TX the day after Christmas, I was greeted with a line that extended to out of Mission TX. By this point, I was in no mood to wait in that line. I just knew I would get to the end and be told that software that was open could not be exchanged. I talked to a young man at the front of the store and explained my predicament. He said, "we have been charged to take care of any issue since it is Christmas." He exchanged one game for the correct format and let me have a refund for the other, since it was not available in the correct format. He thanked me for shopping Best Buy and was happy to help.

If you find yourself traveling south of Dallas and you pass the town of West,  Texas, you must stop at the Czech Stop. In addition to some great deli sandwiches and other items you normally find at a highway gas station, their specialty is baked goods, particularly kolaches. Customers wait in a line that weaves around the store. The topic of conversation in the line is whether this is normal or not. Many have been here before and they assure me that this is normal. When ordering, imagine if you would that you could order from Baskin Robbins and be able to keep what you purchase frozen for several days. You would buy a scoop of this, a scoop of that. At the Czech Bakery, you need to first get a box, not a bag. Get a pumpkin cheese, berry cheese, apricot cheese, pecan roll, cinnamon roll just to start. They keep a couple of days. They may keep for more, but I've never gotten them to last. They put your name on the box, hand it down to the cashier and in a matter of minutes you are back in your car and on the way.

Just a warning, though, about the exit to West Texas. If you are arriving from Dallas and traveling south, expect to exit early, they are doing construction. We missed our stop on the way down because we missed the exit. We didn't make that mistake on the way back. We took an outer road from Austin, just to be sure.

I look  forward to hearing your stories of customer service. I like to keep them positive. I try to operate from the premise that if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all.

Have a Happy New Year, and I look forward to sharing more with you folks.

Merle

The weekly baking supplies for Czech Stop

What do you get?

What do you get when you cross an “underground bituminous coal mine maintenance manager,” a retired school teacher, a “hazardous waste consultant,” and a couple of former cruise ship performers? Wait, do you give up? You get a rock jam session at the Bentsen Grove Retirement Resort of Mission Texas.

Last Wednesday night while visiting my wife’s folks at their retirement resort in Mission Texas, my family and I were treated to a jam session of several talented musicians from around the US. Grandma had told the kids that they would be playing rock music, but I’m sure the boys had the impression they were in for an evening of Lawrence Welk, although they had never heard Welk, you get the point. They were reluctant to say the least. I reminded them that Mick Jagger and Paul McCartney would be old enough to live in this resort and that helped a little.

Shortly after arriving at the jam session, the performers entertained with “Saw Her Standing There,” by the Beatles. This was followed by “Wipe Out,” “Kansas City,” “China Grove,” “Don’t Be Cruel” and many other favorites. Being from the Kansas City area, we especially enjoyed "Kansas City." 

The two hours went quickly and my family enjoyed the music.

Afterward, I was able to learn that the leader of this group is Larry Christiansen, the hazardous waste consultant from Eagan Minnesota. Larry has played guitar since he was 15 and has performed in other groups. He got together with Brad Piovesen, the “underground bituminous coal mine maintenance manager” and Lee Kusserow, the bass player yet to arrive. This gathering leads them to answer an ad from another musician, also seeking a group to perform.

Along the way the group picks up Jim Demers, a piano player; Rich and Jill Rohrback; and Larry and Melissa Beahm, the cruise performers.

It appeared with each song, Jill would play a different instrument and afterward, it was learned she could play 35. She had been a math teacher and volleyball coach in a previous life and seemed to enjoy music and performing. Her husband Rich played the guitar and provided the vocals on several of the favorites.

The cruise performers, Melissa and Larry Beahm had stopped in to join the session for the evening, but already keep a busy schedule of performances as “One More Time.” I was hoping to hear Larry sing a little Johnny Cash, but perhaps that will get me back to hear them next year.

A group may form out this jam session, as of Wednesday night, they didn’t have a name yet. I hope they do and look forward to hearing more. Even if they don’t, for 2 hours last Wednesday night, these musicians shared their talent and entertained a crowd of folks from ages 11 to, let’s say over 50.

Bravo!

Smuggling Big Gulps!

A political cartoon drawn by my nephew Spencer Bowers, @doodleboy93. 

Warrior Coach

Warrior Coach, Dwight Richins, Head Coach of Shelley (ID) Russets

From my other blog, West Mo Sports

Snow Day

My neighbor boy Brandon Gregory clears my drive.

I woke up on a Thursday morning and it was sunnier than it had been before on previous school days. Walking into the living room, I noticed her watching television and drinking her morning coffee. No, it was not my wife, but my mother, the late Alice Bowers, and I was a second grade student at Miller Park Elementary on January 26, 1967.

Before I could inquire of the circumstances, my mother explained, "No school because of the snow." I didn't understand this; they had never done this before in my years of attending R-7 schools.

"The buses can't get out and they called off school. Go back to bed or fix a bowl of cereal and enjoy your day off." As many in my neighborhood did, I bundled up and was sliding down our dead-end street that sloped down from our house. What a day!

Fifteen years and as my memory serves me, not that many snow days later ("If Dr. Campbell can see out of his second floor window, R-7 is going to have school!" I often heard my mother say.) I woke up in that same bedroom, noticeably colder than normal, to a phone call. This time I was not a student, but a teacher. It was my principal from Grain Valley calling to say there was no school that day. Seeing no snow on the ground, I asked him why it was called off and he explained due to the severe cold. Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, like many times in my childhood, I enjoyed the unexpected day off.

Through the years, I would always hear reasons that school was called off for snow or severe cold. I can remember times I would receive the call just as I was leaving the house. I remember going to bed anticipating a snow day only to wake up to nothing on the ground and having to go to school. It wasn't until I was retired and forced to spend my snow day with several restless kids that I wanted to get the facts. I am fortunate that I don't have to find child care at the last minute, but I am sympathetic with friends who do.

Linda Thompson, Director of Transportation Services for the R-7 School District, explained to me, "The district is responsible for transporting 12,500 students to and from school each day, another 5000 either walk or have their parents bring them."

"These students are transported 12,000 miles daily over the streets of not only Lee's Summit, but Greenwood, Lake Winnebago, Lake Lotawana and Kansas City, including many rural one-lane county roads."

Thompson explained that she gets up at 3 a.m. in her Pleasant Hill home and drives to Lee's Summit to check many of the bus routes before making her report to Dr. Tom Kurucz, Deputy Superintendent for Operations. This dispels the rumor that previously Dr. Campbell and now Dr. David McGehee, looks out their window from the warmth of their bed to make the call.

I asked Thompson about the times that school is called off for severe cold or when a storm is anticipated. "In a perfect world, we like to wait until there is snow coming down before making the decision. However there are many factors that are considered when calling off in anticipation of a storm. We like to let parents know ahead of time so they can make plans, but sometimes we end up calling off and nothing happens." In the case of severe cold, "There is no temperature benchmark. Student safety is first and foremost. When you are running diesel buses, you don't want kids waiting on a cold bus or at a bus stop for a replacement bus."

Dr. McGehee stresses that, "We like to make a decision by 5:30 a.m., but Mother Nature does not always cooperate. We do consult with area schools to be sure we are not missing information they are getting, or that they are not missing information we have."

Unlike my childhood, I now have a driveway that slopes toward my house and before my kids or I get anywhere to enjoy this snow day, I need to go sweet talk the neighbor boy into clearing my driveway. I hope you are hanging in there during this lovely winter weather that we are experiencing.

Tom Landry

Tom Landry's bio on the Mission Texas website.