Lost In West Texas

After my promotion at BCFS, I found that there are certain tasks specific to management. Above and beyond managing the case managers and grants specific to the different programs at our center, I am also on an emergency response team that answers to natural disasters, and also part of the team that assists with the openings of new buildings and centers for our organization.

On January 16th, 2012, we opened a new Transition Center in Lubbock Texas. I was one of the management staff that went up to help coordinate the opening and assist wit the details for the opening and the all the details associated with it. I have to say, It is a beautiful center that will serve youth in that area in monumental ways...An absolutely beautiful office and the Director, Kami did a fantastic job pulling it all together.

Remember, as you browse through these pictures, this was a bare bones building....Just an empty space that was basically abandoned... Kami, her staff and her youth came together as a team and created something MAGICAL.... It is definitely going to be a task to "one up" her on our new Transition Center we plan on opening here in 2 years. I cant give her and her team enough kuddos  for this effort and cant be more proud to be part of such a driven team!

So after the opening was completed, it was time to take the 5 hour drive back to Kerrville. I originally drove up with a couple of other Directors, but they are from San Antonio. To avoid an unnecessary stop, it was decided that I would drive back with my Executive Director (Terri) and her Administrative Assistant (Tish).

So you understand this a little better, let me give you a run down of how MUCH of my "boss this lady is.... I am a Program Director and I answer to Kimber....Kimber is a Senior Program Director and she answers to Jeremy....Jeremy is a Senior Executive Program Director....He answers to Terri....Terri is the Executive Director over Teen and Youth Services....Terri answers to Kevin....Kevin is the CEO! Get it??

Also keep in mind, that up to this point, I have probably had 10 minutes of conversation with Terri in my whole time with BCFS.... So you understand Terri.... She is a driven, dedicated and accomplished woman. She has a very powerful presence and can be somewhat intimidating. She is very matter of fact, and to the point. Its her way, and that's the way it is....PERIOD!! However, she also has a good sense of humor and a huge heart but I really only know about this portion of her personality through what others have told me.

So when it came time to head back to Lubbock, I had it made up I would just listen and ride along....I need to feel this out before I let "Brad" out of the box. I have sat and talked with Tish quite a few times, so I was familiar with her and her personality. As a matter of fact, Tish had picked me up the night before from the center in Lubbock and taken me back to my hotel. When she did, we got lost...Its all of a ten minute drive to my hotel from the center and Tish explained that this was the third time that day that she had gotten lost.

I could not resist!!!

I started in on Tish and how she is "like my wife" and "how can you get lost in Lubbock" and just jacked with her the WHOLE trip to my hotel...I even jacked with her the next morning before the opening....I was brutal!! She was a GREAT sport though.

So, after the specifics of the opening were done, speeches given, accolades and praise to youth, tours, food, community interactions, etc.... It was determined that not only would I be going back to Kerrville with my bosses, bosses boss..... I would be driving! YAY!!!!!!!!!

So as we started on the trip home, Tish stated that we should take Hwy 84 from Lubbock to Kerrville. I explained to her that there was a shorter route and it was the one we took up to Lubbock. It was about 4.5-5 hours of driving. When Tish and Terri heard that, they said "OK, lets go that way!" and we took off.

Now if you aren't familiar with West Texas, no need to go get yourself familiar with it....Its flat, its full of red dirt and tumbleweeds, oil pumps, cattle yards, and stinky air.... And the other thing, is when the wind blows, you are in a "red out" which is like a "white out" in the snow, except its the red dirt of West Texas.... Its amazing the dust in those storms.

Another thing about West Texas is the tumble weeds....They are the size of cars, literally!! And on this trip, the wind was blowing hard, the dust was thick, and the tumbleweeds were rolling across the highway about every 300 yards....It was like driving in an "Asteroids" game....70 miles an hour and dodging tumbleweeds bigger than the car we wee in....It was going to be QUITE the trip home....

Little did I know!

So as I settled in for the drive South, Tish and Terri broke out their I-Pads and we all started to chat. I was realizing that Terri was not as hardcore as I had her made out to be, Tish is light spirited and easy to talk to, so it was going to be a decent trip. We had fun dodging the tumbleweeds and as one would roll out in front of us, they would scream like "girls" as I swerved past them, missing them by inches....It was a fun start!!

The dust was terrible and there were times I couldn't see anymore than a couple of hundred yards in front of me... We were making our way through the small West Texas towns and Tish and Terri slipped off for a nap. I continued to drive and took in the "windshield time" to reflect on the weekend and what I had experienced with the team, seeing an old friend from High School that I hadn't seen in 10 years or spent time with for 20 years....Just gazing out the windshield, taking it all in.

I was driving for about an hour, while they slept, and then Tish woke up and looked at her phone, she said....

"Why are we almost in Odessa?"

"What?"

"Why are we almost in Odessa?"

"Whatever.... Don't start on me because you get lost easy!!"

"No, I am serious, we are almost in Odessa!"

I looked up at about that same time and saw a sign that said...

"Odessa   54 miles"

My heart SUNK!!! Odessa is about Three hours OFF the track fro where we were going.... My heart was racing, I was stunned and I said...

"OH SHIT!"

That woke up Terri in the back and she said....

"What? What happened?"

I said....

"Nothing boss.... Just go back to seepy seepy.... Go back to sleep and when you wake up it will all be juuuuussst fine!"

And I hoped she would and then I would just start heading east.... But no way!!

"No, whats going on?? Did you scratch up my car with one of those tumbleweeds??"

"Oh I wish boss, I wish!!"

"What then? What is it!!??"

"Uhhhhhmmmmm, welllllllll.......How would you like to have a nice view of Odessa Texas?"

"Whhhhhaaaaattttttttt? What did you do? What happened? Where are we??"

"I dont know Terri....I guess I got the highways mixed up...We are on Hwy 82, and should be on Hwy 87.... We are about 50 miles from Odessa.!!"

Now be assured, Tish is snickering in the passenger seat, stirring the pot and LOVING every minute of this!! She is also looking for the shortest route to re-direct us back to where we need to be. And then she starts...

"Oh, I know a quicker wayyyyy......I can get us there fasterrrrr.....You don't ever get losssstttt!!"

And all I can do is hush my mouth and take it!

So we realize, we have about 15-20 miles to drive before we can hit a hwy that will take us East to where we need to be. We pull into a small West Texas town and stop at a DQ so we could all pee and get a snack....Terri is starting in on me...

"I cant believe this!! Your a program director?? I hired you to do THAT job and you cant even get us home?? Not only did you get us lost, we are almost in New Mexico!"

Tish is laughing and adding to it.... and there is NOTHING I can say!

So we get back in the car, and Terrie gets on her computer to do what we call a "Sit Rep" Which is a situational awareness report that goes out to all of the management staff of BCFS. Let me explain these a little...

What these reports are designed to o is to keep all of the Management staff in tune with what is happening throughout the organization. With over 800 employees and 60+ management staff, there has to be a way fro us to stay tuned in to whats going on in the agency. So, what we do is sent out "situational awareness reports" on incidents that take place, good, bad, whatever....Anything that could make the press or get accolades for, we send it out to all of the management staff.

So Terri decided that this was going to require a Sit Rep for us being lost (jokingly of course) so she sent one out...

"Please make sure you are tracking my I-Phone and I-Pad for location purposes as the new Program Director, Brad Golden has gotten me lost in West Texas and I am somewhere near Odessa. If for some reason I don't make the morning management meeting, please send out search and rescue"

And sent it out to all of the management staff....Then it started!

Through our organization, all of our I-Phones are connected to
our e-mail and we are all required to have our I-Phones with us at all times...From the CEO down!

So here come the e-mails.....

They are brutal....

"Just to think that could have been us...Thanks for taking Brad Terri"

"Bet the back of my van is looking like the better option now huh Brad?"

"That's exactly why Gayle and I made him sit in the back seat on the way to Lubbock. You should have trailed us. We are already half way home! Grab us a jar of oil from a pump jack there in Odessa!"

"Terri, can I have your San Antonio office furniture?"

"You didn't have that problem when I was navigating or driving.  Brad's license should be suspended!"

And it went on and on for 2 hours!!

I was driving so I couldn't join in the game and respond....

Finally, we get to some place like "Tarzan" Texas and stop for gas.... It was Tish's time to drive...So I joined in the game....

"Heeeeeelllllllppppp me PLEEEEZZZEEEE!!!!"

"The trunk of this car is really small, dark and cold, and I am scared. I hope we are close to home."

All the phones are dinging back and forth..... Terri gets my response and responds with...

"Tish, I thought you took his phone.  We need to stop and get it."

and I responded....

"I would call 911, but I don't know where I am"

And this kept on going as well.... And keeping mind, I am getting consistently reminded of my navigation skills and the extra time we have on the trip, how incapable I am.... It was 4 hours of brutal assault on me from the management staff as well as Terri AND Tish....What was supposed to be a 5 hour trip turned into a 7.5 hour trip.

I told my boss while we were driving...

"You know, I always like to make an impression Boss...Have I?"

"Oh yes Brad, this will be a trip I wont forget, that's for sure!"

It was funny as I thought back on the weekend and hearing the other management staff make statements like....

"I remember when we opened the center in San Antonio and......"

"I remember when we opened the center in Kerrville and.........."

"I remember when we opened the center in Abilene and.........."

So I looked back at Terri and reminder her of all these stories and I said....

"Just look at it this way...When you talk about opening the center in Lubbock, you have a GREAT story to tell about it!"

She laughed and then went on about how at the next management meeting, there will be a shirt specific to me and the story will be told.... We laughed and joked about it all the way home! I have to say, it was the highlight of the trip and was a great way for me and my boss to get acquainted.... As odd as it was, there really are no accidents right?

So we got home later than expected, we were all worn out, and then we decided to come up with one last email to sent out to the management staff, butt his time we added a picture....

"Situational Awareness update:

We finally made it back to Kerrville! Thought you may need some reassurance that Brad survived his ride in the trunk."