Weekend

Am certain Austin proper was a veritable carnival this weekend, a hippy haven, a Razorback refuge. But on the heels of Vegas, the Mudds instead largely chose to hibernate in Suburbia.


Plus, I'm flying my mom into town this weekend, so that will be wild. Strip joints, raves, all that.(Told Jenn to buy a box of wine and we'd be good.)


Driving in this morning, noted a leftover stench of the Devil's Lettuce and patchouli....

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Ran across a pack (a troop, more accurately) of Cub Scouts yesterday at the park. Brought to mind the one burning question I wish I'd asked by pop before his passing:

"So, pop, why the Indian Guides?"

Mention the Indian Guides to a Texan, and you'll get in return the tilted-head, quizzical look of a puppy. But spend your early days up north, Ohio in this instance, and you'll understand. The Indian Guides were the ugly, pasty, wimpy stepbrother of the Cub/Boy/Eagle Scouts, and, for whatever reason, the early herding grounds of the Mudd Boys.

Here are some similarities between the Indian Guides and the Cub Scouts.

1. Young boys
2. Weekly Meetings
3. Camp Outs

Here are some differences between the same:

Cub Scouts - Snazzy uniforms (neckerchief included!)
Indian Guides - Lame headband

Cub Scouts - Achievement patches of merit
Indian Guides - Lame feathers of merit

Cub Scouts - Got to wear snazzy uniforms to school on meeting days
Indian Guides - Bad hair day from wearing lame headband

Cub Scouts - Prime table seating in lunch room
Indian Guides - Lame seating next to lunch-room ladies

Cub Scouts - Tents
Indian Guides - Lame teepees

Cub Scouts - Bonfires
Indians Guides - Smoke signals (and kerosene asphyxiation)

Cub Scouts - Advancement potential to Boy and Eagle Scouts
Indian Guides - Extinction

I do remember, however, one perk of the Indian Guides. It seemed more father-son oriented than the rival Cub Scouts, in so much as each father-son tandem got to choose a 'tribal' name. For instance, my pop was Big Bear, and I was Little Bear. My buddy Brad was Little Buffalo, his dad Big Buffalo....and so on.

So while the Indian Guides were mostly a Big Embarrassment, and the lone remnant from my two-year stint was a couple of smelly feathers and a lousy bead necklace, at least we had that, which was nice.

(Editor's Note: A search of Indian Guides found that it is a YMCA-based organization. That explains it - we were always a 'Y' family....)