JCI Reunion

Saturday on October 18, 2008, I was able to attend the latest JCI reunion at a local BARBQ restaurant. It was really great to see some of the faces (even if they are getting older) of the friends from Johnson Controls. Its been 14 years since I worked for JCI and we have lost a few of the folks. I try to attend each year because I did make some great people the 15 years that I worked for JCI.

In the front row, going from left to right is Joel Bryan, Barbara Oros, Dave Pierce, and Rhonda Morgan. The second row is Eddie Joe Power, Linda Mandulay, Frank Stone, Mike O’Brien, Me, Jim Fairchild, Shelly Newman, and Yvonne Field. Those behind the second row include Pam Kerpet, Bill Banks, Chip Fowler, Bill Elsberry, John Taylor, Janne McNeill, Larry Reynolds, John Matter, Randy Fuller, and Bill Newman. Not in the picture because they showed up after the picture was Trevor Conner and Mike Hughey.

The reunion was suppose to go from 3 to 6pm but it was after 7 before I left. It was so good to catch up with everyone.

A Daddy/Daughter Outing

On Friday, October 17, Melissa and I packed up the tent, a couple of chairs, flashlights and a lot of anticipation about spending some time together at the annual Daddy/Daughter event held in Hidden Cove park just north of The Colony on lake Lewisville. We picked up some dinner on the way out to the park which we devoured shortly after arriving even before setting anything up. We almost beat the traffic going through The Colony but not quite. I was thinking that other Dads would already have taken a lot of the best places but no Melissa and I were the first to arrive.

After spending about 10 minutes at the gate trying to explain that we were part of a church group that had made previous arrangements and that we really did not need to pay the $10.00 entrance fee, the lady at the booth let us sign a paper with a promise that we would come back and pay if the fee wasn't taken care by the morning. I really believe they let us in because by now we had 12 - 15 vehicles behind us and we were holding up everyone. The people at the park were nice but pretty insistant that we pay but they relented. We drove around the area where we to camp "looking for the others". We then decided that the place where we stopped was "the place", we ate and unloaded our stuff.

We then call Brother Caroll and confirmed where we suppose to be before setting up the tent. He said that he was just getting there and would be at the site shortly. Well we setup up our camping site and then helped several other dads setup tents. I think that Brother Caroll won the award for the largest tent. I didn't take the tour of the castle but I swear that the tent must have had a second floor.

As it started getting dark, I helped startup the bonfire and then went back and Melissa and I started our campfire so that she could roast her marshmellows. I really think that she ate them mostly "raw" like she usually does. Melissa was dragged off for the annual capture the flag and I got an opportunity to visit with Brother Harriel for a little while.

About 20 minutes later, I went to join the game but by now the game had changed to a new game of "latch on the dad's legs". I didn't have a chance, mostly because of little sister Lewis who grabbed me and would not let go for nothing. I was very glad that Melissa and I had put the fly on the tent, there was a VERY heavy dew that night and the temperature dropped to about 50. The next morning, I could not even see into the car because of the dew on the car.

We had a great breakfast of pancakes sausage and bacon whit juice or milk. Melissa and I dried a lot of the water off the tent and then let one side dry in the sun then the other. It took more than an hour and a half to get the tent dry. Melissa was again dragged off by some of the girls wanting to go down by the water. I even saw some of the girls wading in the lake with their dads watching on. Melissa wasn't one of them thank goodness.