Tuesday, August 08, 2006 - PanAm.........part 1

Tuesday, August 08, 2006
PanAm.........part 1
Alright, it's about time I got this burden off my chest and on to the keyboard, or screen, or however it is that it's coming off.
PanAm........Deaf PanAm to be specific....... I'm not sure that I can say I was particularly looking forward to working this event, but I thought, at least it would be a cultural experience and I tend to value those. What I would come to find is that is was an experience unlike any other.
Let's start from the begining. I'd been told, a couple of different times the dates that the games would be held on. Last of July through the 5th of August as it turns out. So, I don't know any other details........such as what time I should show up.........to whom I should report.........what was expected of me........ So I called my boss and asked him if he knew any details. He forwards me a relatively detailed schedule and leaves it at that. I show up Monday morning, meet up with the other ATC that had come to work with me, and proceed to sit at my desk. Still unsure of what I should be doing at any given point in time, the other ATC graciously takes me over to the "headquarters" and gets me squared away with a picture ID and a little bit of PanAm gear. After that we have a little chit chat about what we think we should be doing (he's got as little clue as I have) and then head out for lunch. Monday, went pretty smooth over all. Not much going on, but practices so what's to be screwed up. The following day we have more practices and then basketball games begin. Again, relatively smooth.
The third day is when stuff started to hit the fan. We were faced with an extreme heat/humidity emergency that was forcing us to change, if not cancel, the outdoor events. Got my boss on the phone and he came down to help us talk to the committee about the weather, what it meant, and how to deal with the situation. This inevitably forced us to cancel two days of outdoor events. My boss attempted to secure an indoor facility where we could hold the events. I should have listened to Ed on the first day when he said, "why is it your responsibility to do this?" Those words rang through my head repeatedly for days to follow.
My boss spoke with GMU, who was unable to help us because the facility there had already been booked. We were then referred to a facility in PG (scary I know), which is where my nightmare began. The next morning my boss calls me up, gives me the number to the person in charge at PG and tells me to give them a call to see if we would be able to use their facility. This is where I should've promptly passed the name and number on to someone on the committee and freed myself from the horrors that were to follow.
Another blog will have to be written about what happend next cause this one is already too long :)