As noted weeks ago, I have put my arborist business on hold for three months while I accepted a long-term teaching job in Verona. The first thing I tell people is that the kids make me laugh. Remember that show with Bill Cosby, Kids Say the Darndest Things? I feel like I’m on the show when I’m playing with these kids in the gym. It fascinates me as they are learning about games and activities in the gym. I am lucky enough to have a front row seat as they grow and develop their skills and accomplish things for the first time. Jumping rope is new to a kindergartener. Then they learn to jump backwards. But when I challenge them to do “criss-cross,” they quickly make it known that they can’t do that, yet.

The question I get the most is, “Will this turn into a full time thing?” Unfortunately the answer is no. I’m filling in for a teacher who’s taking three months of paternity leave. He’ll be back January 22. And I’ve been asking all around about other jobs in the district. Bad news for gym teachers. They cut one at the high school, and they reduced one from 100% at a school to 50/50 between two schools because enrolment dropped 50 kids at one of the schools.

Note to reader: I am so frustrated at the lack of funding in the public schools. Even before I became a teacher, I felt it doesn’t make sense that the people teaching our kids, the future of our country and world – it doesn’t make sense that they make such little money and there’s not enough for additional teachers. Another blog for another day.

So I’ve been trying to pray about my situation. God certainly has refreshed my desire to teach, but the question of “where” is still unanswered. I’m thinking about the traditional idea of a gym teacher, but I’m also thinking about how else to “market” myself as a self-employed teacher. Sorry if this is boring you or you’re confused. But basically I’m trying to be more effective and more independent than the public school teacher. It’s just hard for me to ignore experiences I’ve had with business and thoughts and dreams I’ve had concerning my career. Stay tuned.

As I sit with my wife’s family, it’s a gathering like so many others. We’re all on our laptops, iPods, cameras, and updating Facebook.

We’ve watched Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas and The Christmas Story. Now we’re starting National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. You need to go watch that right now.
“Going for a new, landspeed record…” Griswald is the last real family man.

You’re probably reading this after Christmas, so all the rentals are back at the video store. Go rent it now and write me a comment.

I have been doing leadership with the college ministry at Blackhawk for over five years now. As my experiences grow, I am learning so much about what it takes to influence college students, and particularly college leaders. I love to read books and go to conferences on leadership development, but so often we learn best by the experiences we have with those we’re leading.

This semester, as I was writing out my thank you cards to those on my leadership team, I was able to reflect on what these students have done in the last 16 weeks (or so) for the ministry. This wouldn’t have happened if the card read as follows:

Dear Leader – thanks for your help and service this semester. Looking forward to next semester. Here’s $10 to use at Starbucks.

I don’t mean to slam you if that’s the extent of your thank you card, but I guess I kind of am… If you are serious about leadership, you’re serious about making an impact. There is no impact in that thank you.

So I made sure to write a few sentences of specifically what I was thankful for in their service, what I saw in their efforts with the ministry, and (specifically) what I was looking forward to as we prepare for the second semester. This was such a great reflection for me – it’s really going to be a springboard as we begin thinking about the spring semester.

Are you a leader? Do you want to influence others? Imagine the impact you can have when you get specific with your thank you cards and pour out praises for team members… Celebrating victories and encouraging spirits go a long way in the heart of the leader.

For the last 3+ years, I’ve been building up a small tree care business and enjoying life as an entrapaneur. A few weeks ago I got a call from a P.E. teacher who I did my student teaching with. He’s going on 3 months paternaty leave, and wanted me to fill in for him. It was a quick decision, but I had to jump at it. So I’m hanging up the work clothes.

I’ve been at the job for 2 weeks now. It’s been a really crazy switch – from tree work in Carharts and workboots to teaching elementary kids in shorts and gym shoes.

It took a couple days to get back into the teacher mentality, but I really miss it and it came back to me very quickly. I miss so much of the interaction with the kids and the teachers.

So this has spurred me on to prayer concerning life’s direction. I’m not quitting the tree business. In fact, I just did a job yesterday. But God has provided another opportunity for me and I’m continuing to challenge the status quo as I pursue this career.

I’ve never blogged about my job as an arborist. I’m sure you know I’m in the tree care industry and own a (very) small business, Sycamore Tree Care. My idea for the name comes from the Bible. Zachius wanted to see Jesus as he was coming through town, so he climbed a sycamore tree. I figured any tree that someone climbs to see Jesus is a good tree for me. And as you’ll see, I’ve climbed some big trees.

So this is an elm tree on the east side of Madison (Academy Drive for those of you keeping score at home). On Wednesday this week I spent 5+ hours in this tree and we got probably 2/3 of it done. The pictures start with the second day.

So here’s the base and top of the tree – 24ft. ladder. It’s hard to get an idea how big it is until you see me in it. The line I’m attached to is my climb line. The red line is what I’m climbing on and the blue line is our lowering line. The winch system from the first picture helps us to lift limbs that are over the power lines.

When I got into position the second day, I looked to the west and found the Capital building between two oak trees. People, this is a view no one sees except climbing arborists, and trust me – the pictures don’t do it justice. Click on these and blow them up – the second one has an arrow of the building)

So I spent another five hours in the tree and finally, I’m done with all the branches. Just wood to deal with now.

“VICTORY IS MINE!”

I’d love to show you the 31 pictures I took of Mike making the notch and bringing this 66 year old elm to the ground, but I’ll spare you the details and give you the highlights.

The notch is cut.

The rope actually helps us pull that big thing over (est. at over 10,000 pounds).

(click on this picture to see the rope)

Eric tells Mike how much further to go on his back-cut. If the saw gets meets (and violates) the notch, the tree could go backwards (not good).

Perfect notch, perfect cut, good pull – the anatomy of an elm removal.

Well, it’s officially been three weeks since I’ve blogged. My bad. I can’t really put a finger on what’s been keeping me away. You know the deal – life gets busy. So here’s what I’ll do. I’ll give a quick recap of Oct. 1-23:Friday Oct. 6 – went to Verona’s Homecoming game as they beat McFarland. I can’t even begin to describe how much I miss high school football.

Saturday Oct. 7 – took Katie to New Glarus for Octoberfest. Small-town festival, great beer, and a butcher that sold us pineapple brats. And then we found an antique shop (think Door County – Archives June 4, for those of you keeping score at home). We bought some beer mugs and old Life magazines from the ‘70s.

Monday (Oct. 9) we got very sad news that my grandpa died in the hospital (mom’s dad). This was unexpected so it really took the family by surprise. I had a surreal feeling that afternoon when Katie picked me up. In the stress of my life, I got in the car on the way to see the family and for a few hours, nothing mattered except family and memories of my grandpa. Sad, but thought provoking at the same time.

Tuesday Oct. 10 – Brett turned 37.

Friday Oct. 13 – we had one of Katie’s co-workers and her boyfriend over. Angela and Billy are really cool people who we hope to get to know better.

Saturday Oct. 14 – I went with Joel Dreier and Matt Ehn to Willy Porter. Joel and I have been to a few of these shows, but unfortunately the best guitar player we’ve ever experienced seems to be catering to an older crowd. Nice music, but not the same as it used to be.

Tuesday Oct. 17 – dad turned 53, so we celebrated at Tony Roma’s (get the honey-glazed ribs).

Saturday Oct. 21 – we had an Impact Day with our Life Group. We raked leaves and helped Kirk and Steph get their house ready for their baby. Then we went with a few friends to the Madison Food and Wine show. Free tickets, great time.

Well, that’s all folks. I really hope to get back on schedule soon here. As always, here’s a picture to make this blog entry special.

Madison has been my home for 10 years now. I jump at every opportunity to host friends and family here. So when my mother-in-law called and said she wanted to come to Madison, hike Devil’s Lake, and stay the weekend with us, I was shuffling through ideas for entertainment. Here’s what we came up with.

The team for the weekend was three couples: the hosts, the honoree (Sue and Steve), and her brother and his wife (Steve and Dawn). They arrived Saturday at 11:00. Katie cooked up some chili, I made a few sandwiches, and we had lunch. We jumped in the car with yours truly behind the wheel. We decided to fit all six into the 5-passenger vehicle. I took the picture (l. to r.) Steve, Katie, Sue, Steve’s hand, Dawn.

The drive was beautiful, as highway 12 had trees turning a few shades of orange, yellow and a couple reds. What excited me about this trip was that Katie and I were the only ones how had been to Devil’s Lake before – Steve and Sue, Steve and Dawn were Newbies! As Ski Hi Road winds around to the south shore, the drive through the woods was building anticipation. Finally we could see water, and around the next bend was the Lake. I can’t take any credit for its beauty, but as the tour guide I was sure proud of this park.

I put on my pack – what would a hike/climb be without my pack?!? Fully stocked with water, protein bars, and maps, I lead us to the trailhead. I have to admit, there was concern (from my wife) as to the rigorous nature of what this team was about to attempt. Although nervous about the process, I knew the final destination would be achieved and appreciated by all involved.

How can I describe the climb? It was a little tough because the majority of our group didn’t know what to expect. The nice thing about this climb is that it gets better and better as you get higher and higher. Soon you clear the tree line. Now you can get a decent look at the lake. Then the trail has more switchbacks and random trees that add a hiking element to the climb. At this point there’s more plateaus where we stopped and noticed our elevation and scenic vantage points as the lake got bigger and bigger. Here’s some pictures of the climb.

We made our way down the back side of the bluff, which is more gradual and scenic. To our delight, we came upon multiple groups of rock climbers. Coming from the top, we saw all their climbs set-up – straps, carabiners, and cams. We hiked around and saw them climbing from their base camp. There must have been 80 climbers there.

When we made it to the bottom, I was happy to see that there was a sense of accomplishment in the group. No one was hurt, no one was too tired, but all of us felt victory on this beautiful last day of September.

Back at the house, we were joined by Matt and Amanda for dinner. The special meal for the night was cooked by Sue’s brother, who enjoys gourmet cooking as a hobby. We had beef rib stew with Caesar salad with homemade dressing that was like no other. Dinner was followed up with a hysterical game of Mad Gab. In the morning we went to Blackhawk, again a Newbie experience for both visiting couples. And we ended Sue’s birthday weekend with brunch at the Great Dane. I could write so much more about this meal but it’s still sitting heavy in my gut so I’ll save the details.

It was a wonderful weekend to celebrate mom’s birthday. Devil’s Lake is more beautiful now that any other time of year. So if you’ve been to this blog before, you’re hearing this again – get to Devil’s Lake and see God’s beautiful creation.

I told Katie that this is the time of year when I feel like I’m coming alive. Spring is supposed to be the time of new life, but the fall is when I get excited about being outdoors. Today at work was the first cool day of the season – 54 degrees. Of course when you’re in the tree care business, it doesn’t take much to get warmed up and find yourself peeling layers and still sweating. Nonetheless, it was one of those days when you just want a hot cup of coffee for a little warm-up. No such luck.

When I got off work, I realized Katie was already off to class. On the phone, she said she made dinner and it was ready at the house. Here’s what I saw when I got home.

The note says that dinner is in the oven (a casserole). The instructions were to turn the oven from “warm” to “350” and set the timer for 20 minutes. That way, when I got out of the shower, dinner would be hot and ready!! Am I describing this scene accurately for you?!? You know those cold days when a hot meal is the best thing you could imagine? This was one of those days!! And I had it thanks to my wife.

Was it ever delicious (her mom’s recipe – thanks mom)! But there was way too much to eat, even for a hungry man like myself. So what’s a bachelor-for-the-night like me to do? Just read Katie’s next note:

It says to put the leftovers in these containers for later. All I can say is that Katie takes such good care of me. Men – I’m learning how much I have to be thankful for in my wife. I really appreciate her efforts and her thoughts. If you’re as lucky as I am, you’re just that — lucky.

Isn’t it amazing what happens when you spend time in God’s Great Outdoors? I was up in Rhinelander for Fort Wilderness’ 50th Anniversary.
Fort Wilderness is a Christian camp started in 1956 by Truman Robertson, Katie’s grandfather. I’ve always enjoyed camping but haven’t done much in the last few years. My last trip opened my eyes to the beauty of Christian camping. The staff put together a scavenger hunt that I was a little skeptical of at first, but we all really got into it. Before we knew it, we were traversing from one end of camp to the other. Here we look for a match under the microscope in the Nature Center. Then we put the pieces of the map and clue together to find the hidden treasure.

We enjoyed great meals (Wranglers’ Breakfast is unbeatable) and I really appreciated packing my Mountainsmith pack for the day – complete with hat, shades, camera, coffee mug, Nalgene, and some reading material – before walking down from the Eagle’s Roost (Truman’s old house) to camp for whatever adventures came our way.

(Wranglers’ Breakfast)

I’m not suggesting that I’m moving to Camp, although the thought has crossed my mind. What I’m saying is that God will use His creation (as we escape to it) to speak to us. During my time at Fort, God encouraged me that my passion for Christian work, my passion for the outdoors, my passion for physical/outdoor education are all wired in me for a reason.

I doubt anyone has really missed me during my 2 week hiatus, but I really have been itching to post to the Game Plan. I haven’t posted because I’ve been so busy, but it’s been a good couple weeks. I was in Delafield for two days working for Woodhaven Homes which turned out really well. The moment that was done, Katie and I were off to Rhinelander for Fort Wilderness’ 50th Anniversary. That was such a wonderful weekend, and it will be the topic of my next post (so come back!).

I’m kicking myself because I don’t have any pictures. And my Game Plan is just not complete without pictures, so I’m going to the internet to grab something right now. No, I think I’ll look in my collection and pull something up…

Here’s one of my favorites. This is Katie and I last year at the Robertson family reunion. We went to Stockade 80 – Fort’s Riffle Range. Katie completely surprised me and jumped into a pit next to me and started shooting – she was really good. We had a blast and so we had to take this “Bonnie and Clyde” picture.

Here’s another one from last year – we got tickets from her work for a Badger Game. Of course the football season is upon us, and we’re going to the home opener Friday with Matt and Amanda.

Lastly, here’s one from this summer. Katie and I went to a Mallard’s game for Brady’s birthday. I love my Brewers hat, but Katie has a good point – it just doesn’t fit right. So here’s a series of pictures of me kissing the hat goodbye.

Sorry if this entry didn’t have much value. I really came to the blog unprepared, and I apologize. But you need to come back and here’s why: It’s the end of summer, the end of a crazy schedule. Katie is enrolled at MATC and so she’s going to have homework, which means we’ll be working together at Bariques (our coffee shop and internet access). It’s the start of the ministry season for us at the Link. I love the fall – It’s football season!! See you soon.