Every year, I write a letter to every former President, asking him to visit my class.  So far,  am 0 for 6.  Carter, Bush 41, Clinton, and Bush 43 are on my request list.  I feel like Obama would be a little busy right now to ask.

Today, my mailbox was full with a rejection from Bush 43 and Carter. 

Come on Clinton and Bush 41!

This has been the most excited I have been to start school since 2006.  In service this week has been awesome.  I can't wait! 

See Everyone Monday!

The smell of crayons in the air.  A new school year has arrived.

1st day of inservice was good.

I can't wait for this year.

Game 6.  2011 World Series.  Still hurts.











While standing in line at Home Depot, this guy with a Cardinals hat turned to me and said. You know what’s worse than being one strike away from winning the WS?  Being one strike away twice!

I looked right at him and fired back. I hope the police find your dismembered body floating in the Trinity next month.  I then turned around and walked out leaving his little son in tears.

I got home, and ESPN just happened to work in a clip of the non catch in their broadcast.  A single tear streamed down my face.  Sigh.

Ben just turned 4, and I figured, he is old enough to enjoy the greatness of “The Sandlot”.  We watched it Sunday night and I started thinking of why I loved it so.  
 
If you have lived under a rock since 1993, The Sandlot is an extremely fun movie. A movie that displays what I think my childhood was, but wasn’t quiet.  A childhood where I wandered on home whenever the streetlights started to glow. A childhood where I lived near Darth Vader/Mustfa/
Terrence Mann. It’s all fantastic – laid out before our eyes like a far better version of dad’s old stories.  
 
This movie came out when I in 3rd or 4th grade.   I had tons of great
friends either by this point or soon after that I played baseball with as soon
as the snow started to melt in Minnesota, and until the first blizzard rolled
in.  (Englemann, Armstrong, Graving, Smith, looking in your direction)  It’s was also a strange age where certain classmates are starting to see girls the way you’re supposed to see girls.  Some of them are breaking
away from the pack. But most of us weren’t, and we’d be at a loss for the next ten (to one hundred) years as to explain just why and how those people became so special back then.

 Scotty Smalls is a perfect character to represent the agony of being young and unliked. He’s new, awkward, and he’s coping with a new father figure who seems too busy to connect with his new son. Now, I don’t remember many of my friends having step parents at that time, but they may have, but fitting in is rough.  Even his friends don’t like him in the beginning. He’s nervous, difficult to have around, and he becomes a burden during the afternoons that should be pure fun. What’s beautiful about the movie is that we see that kid come into his own.

More so than Smalls (you’re killing me), we get to see a romanticized version of history where the neighborhoods are safe and full of adventure. The local swimming pool – where the cute, slightly older lifeguard gives us something to look at. The block party – where families got together and
we shot off fireworks. The carnival – where we all acted like idiots.  I don’t recall actually having any of these, but I feel like we had similar things with friends and their families.

 The main part of the movie was that darn Babe Ruth-signed baseball
that Smalls foolishly brought out onto the field and subsequently knocked into the belly of the Beast.  (While none of us had a Babe Ruth autograph, we did have elaborate baseball card collections and would almost always bring over out book of our “Best Cards” to each other’s house.  I rarely
remember trading cards, but we often talked about it.)  A part of me thought it would be back there FOR-EV-ER, but for the tensest drama of the movie, it’s given a remarkably small amount of screen time. They fight
and claw, use an Erector Set, and finally the PF Flyers are strapped on. It’s
true. They are scientifically proven to make you run faster and jump higher. Try it at home.  I bought a pair in 2006, results were conclusive… I don’t jump very high.

As I ramble on about this movie and how great it is, I know why I love it.  Reminds me of my childhood, I feel patriotic as i watch it, I love baseball, and it is entertaining as can be.  You get warm and fuzzies while watching it.  What is your favorite part of quote of it?

I guess it is time to get to blogging again, before school gets
here too soon.






     Let me start off with a confession.  I’m Brian Ketcham,
and I am an Eagle Scout.  Phew, that feels better.  I never liked
to brag or even mention that I was one in school, but I am very proud of that award, and more importantly, proud of all the things the BSA and the path to my Eagle provided for me.

     I received an e-mail from my father the other day inviting me to a Troop 32 Eagle dinner and ceremony for all Eagles in the long History of Troop 32. I at first blew it off, as something I don’t have time for.  As I was painting the house however, I started thinking of my days in the
boy scouts.
                
     Sure scouting gave me a chance to go camping, hiking, and backpacking.  Those are all great things and were fun.  I also got to explore parts of the state and county that I wouldn’t have otherwise. These are all fantastic things. However, it is funny looking back 15 years later at what were the most important things scouting gave me: Skills in organization, leading people, asking for input, cooking, and  friendships.
                
     Scouting is an interesting organization that is different than a school
setting (however, I think we are going more towards what the Scouts have been doing for years).  It is led by the boys.  Sure we had adults that
helped, and were ultimately in charge if the poop hit the fan, but we planned where we wanted to go, when, what was to eat, and every other detail. Even behavior problems were often handled in house by the boys. 
 
I remember 3 years in a row of being SPL (Senior Patrol Leader) just in time for the Annual Planning meeting at Mr. Walker house.  There theboys would sit, and discuss what camp out or outing we wanted to go on EVERY
month, when to have meetings, and what our bigger goals were.  No idea was dismissed without looking at how we would achieve it.  We learned how to compromise, and work with difficult people (myself included). 
The teambuilding is amazing that you acquire almost through osmosis.  I think it has to do a lot with your elected peers being in charge. It always SHOCKS me when I am trying to count kids in D.C. and they move, are late, or just generally 8thgraders.  Funny thing, this crap doesn’t fly in the scouts.  

You understand the buddy system and counting to make sure you don’t lose anyone.  They police themselves, adults don’t have too.  Maybe I need to about a DCL for next year?

 As for friendships and cooking… Let’s just say after several mishaps over the years of camp cooking, I started out much ahead of non-scouts when I moved into my own place.  With friendships, I am still friends with most of my “Shark Patrol” and it is so funny if you post a picture of a campout on facebook, you’ll quickly see the comments roll in.  Everyone has a memory or their take on a memory from that trip.


In summary… I hope Ben likes scouts, I think the organization would suit him well in life.

Alright, it late and I’m too tired to even proof read this.

 Ketcham Out.