Change Up, Just A Little Outside

Wow...too many serious posts in a row. Needed something silly to lighten the load.

From a childhood in a low income large family, I have always found it appropriate to look at all alternatives to solve a problem. That is probably not so unusual. Sometimes, the alternatives my brain comes up somehow come out even more outside of the box then is necessary  And if I go with the thought before really thinking it out...I can put myself in some strange situations.

Case in Point:

Spring in the Valley of the Sun can be totally awesome. Nice weather early. And Spring Training. Yes, 15 major league teams make their preseason home in the Valley, meaning there is a whole lot of baseball going on. And let's face it...I love baseball.

So one spring, when the older girls were not yet teens, the three of us made a trip out to Scottsdale to see the Giants play. We had thought we would sit up on the rolling grass fields in the outfield. Maybe shag a fly ball  eat lunch, enjoy the weather and the game. So we packed a lunch and headed out to old Scottsdale.

When we were entering the stadium, the gatekeeper told us we were not allowed to bring lunches in. WHAT??? We had brought lunches and blankets for just one reason....

Alternative Brain Cells in Gear, click click click. Split second decision, speedier then a fastball...I had an idea.

I sent the girls in on their own, around to a side of the gate where no one could see us, and I tossed the lunches over the fence. Problem solved...NCA style.

A couple years later, at a Church Young Women's meeting where members of the Stake Presidency had invited us to the Stake President's house for a Fireside....some of the girls had prepared special presentations for honoring their parents, particularly the values taught by their parents. When my oldest daughter had her turn...she first talked about my wife...how what a good Mother she was, how she had taught her good Motherhood skills, cooking skills etc. Then she brought me up. She said I had taught her how to think outside of the box. And she told the story I just related about getting our lunches past security at the Spring Training Game.

This was in front of the Stake President and the Young Women's Presidency, and my wife.

Yep.

Cheers, NCA.