Checklists

Saturday at work the river was running about 10 feet above normal and I was scheduled for a 7:30 trip and my friend Mike Swope was scheduled for an 8:00 o'clock trip. Mike rode in with me and he tried to get moved up to my trip and no one wanted to switch, well I headed for the river to pump up the boats and get ready and he stayed back with his trip and the river manager "Bo" got me switched to the 8:00 o'clock trip, but on a "gung ho" boat. That means that the customers paid extra to hit the bigger waves and tougher holes on the river and probably flip the boat and swim 3 or 4 times. Anyway I thought, Mike what have you got me into this time? At the water level we were at they actually give the customers a rebate and put them in a bigger boat and you don't have to take as many risks, but it is clearly understood that these guys wanted to go for the gusto. So anyway we hit all the big stuff and they got what they asked for and we all stayed in the boat the entire day. There was a great shot on the video of us smashing into a wall of water in a rapid called Greyhound Bus stopper that was neat. We ran the meat of the hole and the wave broke on us right as we hit, it buried the boat and we hung on for dear life hoping to stay upright and we did. Very satisfying!
Sunday on the river Mike and I were on the 8:30 trip and we were down tying on the lunch coolers and stuff on the boats and the 8:00 o'clock trip was all ready to go. There was a female guide on the earlier trip that has the name Ode, like Ode to joy. Well, the trip leader told a group to go down and find the guide Ode. The group thought he said "old" and they came down next to my boat and asked me if I was old. I said yes, I'm old, so? They said then you are our guide. I was meeting and greeting them when the trip leader came down and corrected the situation.
You just have to smile about those things. One older fella on the trip that I was on said that it made him feel real good to see someone as old as me guiding on the trip. I don't feel old! Especially on the river.

I like checklists, Sully Sullenberger, the pilot that landed on the Hudson used a checklist to prepare for that descent. It helped keep the situation in focus. A checklist just gives you the things to do and possibly in the right order. When JB and I used to scuba dive a checklist was essential to make sure that you had all of your gear. It could ruin your outing if you forgot an essential piece of gear for the dive. I have a checklist for packing for rafting, paddle, PFD, helmet, throw bag, sun screen, etc. I have a checklist attached to my travel bag. On the front side is our name and address and on the backside is Bible, fan, charger, slippers, dirty clothes bag, water, night light - there is more but you get the idea.
If you read Ecclesiastes 8:15 the checklist would be 1. Eat 2. Drink 3. Be Merry. I wish that checklist for all of you.