Expedition Recap Day One: Smells Like Cheez-Its

What happened in my little corner of the Expedition. Remember, the initial trip down is often more tedious than later Expedition Episodes):

Monday night I arrived home after seven. After dinner I discovered our sudden lack of backpacks, but I made it to my favorite store before it closed at nine, to get one. Got back home just in time to run Ceil back to Kroger, for some last minute items. Then I couldn't go to bed until I thoroughly scouting that day's intense thunderstorm, that hit at 11 pm. Still, I made it to bed over 2-1/2 hours before my first co-pilot. At 2 am I realized I hadn't set my alarm, but it really didn't matter. Anna's would beat mine by five minutes.

We easily made it to the property by 5 am. On the way I had Anna start my fake Expedition update posts, which would continue through most of the second Expedition. Nathan Braswell did a wonderful job shepherding in all the young lads into the Spanish Room, allowing me to attend to last minute details (much to Mrs. Hanson's chagrin). To the sound of roosters cock-a-doodle-doing, Group C departed shortly after six.

The young 6th graders in my car could hardly wait to dig into their EPs, and they wanted to turn on the dome lights to do so. When co-pilot Michael Taylor dug into his favorite snack, from the back of the Suburban came the cry "Hmm. Smells like Cheez-Its!" Video game talk found more common ground between the youngsters and Michael. I didn't realize that Luke Skywalker could jump higher than the other characters in the Star Wars game.

Just when Group C caught up to Group B, our leader had to make an unscheduled pit stop for gas. He thought his wife had filled the tank, and she though he did. Someone we still beat the B Group to the Rumble Weather Stop, making for a LONG stop for Group C. Later we made a second unplanned stop at an I-16 rest area. The bumpy I-16 left lane must've unsettled a young stomach (or kidney).

Heavy tractor trailer traffic made it difficult to track entry into new counties. We missed three or four, and had to fudge times. Just as we exited Monroe County Michael and I were amazed to see the clock change minutes, meaning we entered neighboring Bibb County the following minute. Such nerds we were. My passengers were later enthralled by my story of how Twiggs County got it's name: that's where the twiggs came from that the three little pigs used to make their house, that was later blown down by the big bad wolf.

In Metter we had a Living Science first: Whether Stop Live Entertainment! Mr. Ellis humored the crowd, lobbying for toiletry donations for Margaret Hurt. Mr. Arps said it was part of the LS continuous improvement plan. It would not be David's last opportunity to entertain on the trip. Though I've been on many LS trips, this was my first with Mr. Ellis. It was wonderful getting to know him.

At the 95 stop we commemorated the very bench where Noah Maier officially dubbed me Krypto, years ago. Departing one stop, Mrs. Smith tried to pull a Mrs. Wiggins, putting her van in Drive instead of Park. Josh Shetler shot of bottle caps, inside our moving vehicle. Later he made animal noises. The boys played "I'm Going Camping" and "Three Facts, One Lie". I had a great one, but wasn't asked to play. Somewhere along the line the term "Mimic Octopus" was mentioned. On the last leg of the trip I spied a bald eagle nest near a Glynn County bridge, but the other cars were more interested in taking the right exit.

Upon arrival the SL's performed a very average song. We broke into teams, and headed to the beach to make sand sculptures. Over our BBQ dinner the chap men had a good chat about juggling family life during an age when activities try to rob valuable family time. The chap meeting was fun, as every question resulted with morning start times creeping earlier and earlier. And be sure to dress for seining! "What does 'off the island' mean?" asked Mrs. Niebur. "A five mile hike!" I replied.

The Expedition Skit started slowly, but soon took off with exceptional early performances from Matt Ellis and the teaching team of Kara & Alyssa. Kara had a big teaching role, and Alyssa performed with confidence, a great comedic talent. Kevin and Holt, last year's dynamic duo, were back, better than ever. Holt performed without inhibition all week, drawing his usually reserved partner to higher theatrical heights. Pierce and Gerald stepped into larger than ever roles (both in the skit and leading groups) and both did so boldly and confidently. Caleb and Will took a couple of quick ideas I had jotted down, and turned them into comedic gold.

I was told the skit came from Answers in Genesis, previously performed by Matt Ellis and Mallory at their church. Mrs. D seamlessly added nightly "Knights at the Museum" teaching scenes, creating a meaty drama you didn't want to end. Sarah is an actress, with a fine accent that rivaled Matt's. I thought her spike heels scandalous, though. One of my 6th graders liked many performers, but thought Mallory was tops. Elizabeth Hanson also had a big speaking part.

Butler Scott Donehoo stole the show. Surely he's had years on dramatic training. When Caleb went AWOL, Scott was enlisted to read his lines. He did so well he was given the part, becoming Lou Gehrig to Caleb's Wally Pipp. The teachers were trying to garner the most votes at the end of the week, to become "Tour Guides". More on the skit in future episodes.

After a very long day, my boys had no problem going to sleep.