Dayton Disasters...and Near Disasters

Through the years, I have blogged about the Dayton Hamvention--the largest convention for amateur radio in the US and possibly the world. It is a Friday/Saturday/Sunday event. I have attended annually since 1997, and in the last ten years or so, I have been going on Thursday night in order to set up a booth for The Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network (SATERN), and have planned and moderated SATERN's forum at that event for years. Just lucky, I guess! It is a time for buying radio treasures and supplies, having fellowship with new folks, and renewing friendships with people we haven't seen since the last Hamvention. It's always fun, and usually exhausting. This year had a few potential challenges.

Thursday afternoon, I was to meet up with Majors Pat and Carmella McPherson on the east side of Indy for the rest of the trek to Dayton. (Pat is the founder of SATERN, which is probably the largest faith-based organization of its kind in the world. I happened to be in the right place on the radio at the right time years ago, and ended up being Indiana's SATERN Coordinator--and close personal friends with Pat and his wife, Carmella.) We had established a meeting place and time--Wendy's on Post Road on the east side, at 2:00 PM. I even emailed them a Google Earth map of the location that my daughter had sent to me. We were good to go. I beat them there by mere minutes, but after driving up and down that section of Post Road twice, I could NOT find the Wendy's! Fortunately, we were in radio communications. While I was trying desperately to change our meeting location on the air, Pat informed me that they were on the shoulder of the re-entry ramp to I-70, awaiting my arrival. I showed up mere seconds later and we were on our way...but that should have been my first inkling that the weekend was not going to go smoothly!

The Hamvention always takes place at Hara Arena in the Dayton area, and for years, we have met up with the SATERN factions coming from various points in the country (and Canada) at the arena in order to set up the booth, then go out for dinner before heading to our respective accommodations for the night. The process has been the same for years: get our passes and credentials from the Hamvention office, set up the booth, go out to eat. It happens like clockwork without a hitch every year. Except this year. Pat and Carm and I had no sooner gone in the door nearest our booth to set up when we were stopped by a security dude asking where our booth passes were. I said, "We have to go get them from the office." So we exited the same door to do so when it dawned on me that THIS year, the passes were mailed to me at home...which is where they still were! I had gotten them in the mail weeks ago, put the package on my dresser, and seriously never thought of it again!!!!

I hustled to the office and talked to the poor fellow with whom I had earlier worked, in order to get our booth credentials and passes re-issued. He was remarkably patient, asking ME to please be patient while he tried to get things together AGAIN. (Really, Scott?? I am the one that screwed up, not you!) Okay...so while he was doing that, I hustled to the Forum office to get the credentials for our forum speakers, some of whom overlapped with booth personnel. The fellow from Chicago who had delivered the booth materials before we arrived had had to beg and borrow to get admittance before us. I was trying to get coverage for everyone in our group for the next three days. It got tricky, but we finally managed, got the booth put up, and retired to dinner at a Chinese buffet in the area--Pat, Carmella, me, three of SATERN's folks from Canada, and two from the Chicago area. Whew!

Five of us were staying at the dormitories at the University of Dayton. The U of D isn't easy to find, and even though I have been going there for years, I'm not the best tour guide. The two guys from Canada that had a GPS in their vehicle got there before those that were following me did because I had missed an exit in the construction. Ugh! We checked into the dorm. Plastered all over the place was a warning that it would cost $100 for lost keys. We were each issued a card key and a regular door key. No problem! Unfortunately, there were no passes left to park in the dorm lot, so we had to park on the street. I made several trips down to get things. On my last trip, I started looking for my key envelope, but couldn't find it. Went back to the car to look, to no avail. Convinced that it was in some of the stuff I was carrying, I went back to the dorm and called Carmella on my cell phone to ask for someone to come down to let me in. Got back up to the room. No keys anywhere! Back to the car (borrowing Carm's dorm keys)...and FOUND mine in the crack between the seat and the door. Thank you, Jesus!

The only bad thing that happened the rest of that night was that the dorm beds were horribly uncomfortable. I had brought a small TV which we hooked up in the living area of our dorm suite for entertainment. In my bedroom, there was only the fan that I brought to provide "white noise" and some moving air. No computer. No TV. Nothing to read. Hmmmm... I started my prayers thinking how nice it was that I could talk to God without interruptions, and I started to get sleepy...but then BANG! I couldn't get comfortable and the only sleep I got was just dozing. What a way to start a busy weekend!

Friday morning, I rode with Pat and Carm to the arena in good time. We had stopped at McD's for breakfast, then drove on in. No problems. One of our forum speakers was a lady from India who had an escort from Dayton named Bill who was providing her transportation. That morning, he was sitting at our booth, resting (although I had no clue who he was at the time). I looked over at him at one point and noticed that he was sweating profusely, and the wife of one of our Canadian guys was tending to him. She alerted me that he was having trouble and needed medical attention, so Carmella went to ask for paramedics. I gave him some clean napkins to wipe his forehead. I said, "Do you want water?"...wondering if a cold, wet napkin for his forehead would be better...and he said YES. It was clear that he didn't care about a wet napkin. He wanted my bottle of water to drink. I had already been drinking from it. When I told him that, he said he didn't care and would buy me another! A rep from the Hamvention showed up at our booth to determine the problem, at which time Bill informed them that he has a severe case of Miniere's Disease and just needed to get out in the air and rest some, and would be fine in a couple of hours. When the paramedics showed up with a gurney, Bill told them he could NOT lie down. They took him out on the gurney sitting up. His wife was called to come and get him. He went home, slept for a few hours after his spell, and was back the next day, thanking us for our help, and looking a WHOLE lot better!!

You know what I love about this story? Five of the people who were manning our booth are ordained ministers, plus me (a retired teacher). No one panicked. The whole issue was treated with dignity, as if it happens all the time. Pastors are trained to be supportive without intervening, and I was so proud that Bill got the attention that he needed without embarrassment. I've seen it at my own church, when a choir member fainted and was removed to the narthex with dignity by a couple of choir men. Our female pastor quietly went out to stay with her and the "show went on" without a single hitch. I loved the peace of it all!

Along about 2:00 in the afternoon, Pat and Carmella and I went to catch some lunch. I had a piece of pizza and and ice cream bar. So did Pat and Carm. The difference between them and me was that my belly blew up like a balloon shortly thereafter. I was having some abdominal cramping, and my ability to stand and walk was compromised. I also had some nausea. When our group finally left for supper at Outback Steak House, I told the others to go in without me. There was no way I could eat. All I wanted to do was lie down and sleep in the car. That didn't happen, but at least I didn't have to feel bad in front of everyone. I threw up once into a plastic bag, with no results, but then wondered what I was going to do if diarrhea hit. (I know...too much information. Still, we've all been there!) I am sorry that I missed a great meal, but at least I wasn't responsible for shutting everything down. We got back to the dorm (after missing the exit again). By that time, I was beginning to feel better. Figures! Didn't sleep well, again.

Saturday, I felt okay. All of my concerns about maybe having to leave the SATERN forum up to those who weren't sick dissipated. My belly still hurt, but mostly from being displaced from the day before...not from cramping. I did the best I could to take it easy. The forum went well, I thought. We had four speakers: one from Canada, one from Chicago, one about a CW (Morse Code) net, and one from India. We managed to stay within our time limits and had about 50 attendees (which is average for our forums). I didn't feel good, but I wasn't SICK sick.

At one point, one of my radio buddies from home (Harold) showed up at our booth and informed us that a "water line" had broken in the flea market and that restrooms in the arena were being shut down due to flooding. I found out a bit later that it wasn't a water line, but a sewer line...and before we knew it, ALL of the inside restrooms (except one set) were closed. (There were still porta-potties out in the flea market, ripening in the sun.) There were probably 20,000 at the Hamvention at the time, and suddenly there were lines in front of the one men's room...and the women's restroom had been converted to unisex. Considering my problem if the day before, I just worried about what would happen if my belly let loose. Thank God, it didn't!!!! The sewer problem was resolved mere minutes before everything shut down for the day. Whew!

Just before we left for the day, another member of my home club showed up at our booth and motioned for Harold to step out. I could tell by the look on his face that something serious was happening. As it turned out, Harold's wife had been in a car accident at home. A phone call or two later, it was determined that she was probably okay, although shaken. I assured the guys that if Harold decided to go home, there was transportation back to Indiana and space in our dorm rooms to take care of everyone. Harold and wife Joann are good friends of mine. He stayed at Dayton at the advice of his children. I'm just glad that the ONLY loss they had was the vehicle!!

At least three times over the weekend, I thought I had forgotten my purse somewhere, only to find out that Carmella had my back. I guess years of taking care of Patrick has taught her to take up the slack. Thank God for that! Everyone needs a Carmella in his/her life! (Of course, that doesn't do a thing for Carm, but I told her on the radio on the way home today that I need to hire her to follow me around.) Carmie is a diamond in the rough! I love her!

Sunday morning, we got to the arena after checking out of the dorms. I hadn't slept well, but felt better, still. When I left for Dayton, I had NOTHING on my shopping list...but two events happened that required shopping: my watch battery gave up the ghost, and I managed to drop my HT radio which broke the alkaline battery pack. What better place for both of those to happen! My "elmer" told me he had the required watch batteries at home, so I shouldn't worry about that, and I ordered a new battery pack through a company who has a shop within eyesight of my daughter's apartment in California. Aside from miscellaneous food/drink purchases, I spent a whopping $35-something at Dayton!! We took down the booth around 1:00 PM and all of us headed homeward in delightful weather (until we got near Indy). To make a long story short, it was a busy and exhausting and rewarding weekend. SATERN paid for my lodging and most of my meals. I don't know if that will ever happen again, but I am most grateful!

My son-in-law is on the ground in Chicago as I type...for a job interview. My daughter is still suffering from some viral infection. I am still recovering from my belly problem...but I have some afterglow--fueled by exhaustion--from the Dayton weekend. I am blessed to have so many friends in amateur radio!

Oh...the final "absent-minded-professor" deal for me is that somewhere in the eastern part of Indiana, I realized that I had left my fan in the dorm room at the U of D. Oops! I had gone through every stinkin' room in the suite to make sure no one had left anything behind, but since the fan was in a cubicle and not in plain sight, I missed it! What to do? Nothing! Fans are cheap enough. I'll get another. It just upsets me that I'm so doggone forgetful!!

I'm pooped and will post more later as the spirit moves me. G'night all!