Man About Menifee: Skills, Work Ethic Should Be Shared

By David Baker

When I was a kid, my dad served aboard the USS Enterprise. No, not the starship, but the aircraft carrier.

You see, my dad was a Master Chief in the Navy. Part of his job was to service the F-14 Flying Tomcats aboard the aircraft carrier. My dad taught me a lot about what he did. He did not necessarily teach me about the jets themselves, but more about how tools worked and what could be done with them.

To a larger degree, I’ve had a great number of people in my life who had specialized skills they were willing to share them with me. I’ve even been able to share some tricks with them that my dad had taught me.

About eight years ago, I started working at a pipe and plumbing supply store in San Diego. Through my experiences working with plumbers and contractors, I've come to the realization that there are a large number of projects in and around the house that are surprisingly easy, if one takes the time to learn.

This is a skill and value I have tried to pass on to my children and hopefully empower them to become more self-sufficient adults. My children have helped me do everything from simple auto repair to replacing faucets, toilets and even installing, repairing and hooking up appliances. I’m proud to say that my son Nikkolas (18) has even surpassed me when it comes to technical skills.

Recently, the brakes started to squeak on Jennifer's car, so we decided to replace the brake pads. This is a procedure Nikkolas has done many times since he was about 13, so I let him take the lead. We found ourselves painted into a corner when we bought the brake pads and got the right front side changed, took off the driver side wheel and realized one of the caliper bolts had a stripped head and could not be removed.

Once again, I was wowed by the sense of community in Menifee, even over this tiny tragedy. The neighbor let me borrow some tools, an employee at a local auto repair shop whom I’ve never met heard about our dilemma and came out to help at no charge, and a friend who was an automotive technician for a large local Toyota dealer gave me some insight that helped as well.

We were able to change the brake pads, replace the caliper bolt and get Jennifer back on the road. What skills are you passing on? Leave a comment below.

David Baker, our Man About Menifee, writes about his adventures in and around town every Friday in this space. You may leave comments for him here or email him at manaboutmenifee@gmail.com.

Menifee Mom: Thanks to All Those Who Volunteer Their Time

By Karen Thomas

Lately, I've been impressed by all the people I've come into contact with who do volunteer work or some kind of service for others without pay.

Last weekend marked the beginning of soccer season for our local AYSO region. We've been a part of this region for quite some time and I've noticed there are a handful of people on the Board of Directors who continue to serve year after year. I know the amount of time and dedication this takes and I'm always impressed by people who put in so many hours and get no monetary benefits for it.

A similar example is our local PTA board members. These parents put in limitless hours planning events, organizing fundraisers, and counting box tops, just trying to make a difference in their school.

As parents of young kids are aware, area schools have tightened up their student safety rules. As a result of this change, becoming a volunteer is not easy. A person now has to fill out paperwork, get a TB test, get a Megan's Law Background Check, as well as fingerprint clearance from the Department of Justice. This must be done at the expense of the volunteer.

People can still volunteer at school on an occasional basis without jumping through as many hoops. But if you want to put in some regular hours, you must be cleared by the district.

I am not going to get into a debate about this change. However, I will say I am impressed by the many parents who are willing to not only sacrifice their time to volunteer, but are also willing to pay for the privilege to do so.

As I was out running this morning, I passed a man who was walking his dog. I noticed he was carrying several pieces of trash in one hand. Yesterday, I noticed a different man walking along a road, collecting trash in an effort to keep our town clean. (And no, he wasn't wearing an orange jumpsuit!)

So why do so many people go to such great lengths to be of service?

This is my first year coaching a soccer team and I've realized how much fun it is. I am coaching some little ones and it is amazing to see their enthusiasm and excitement. My heart was touched when after our first practice, one of my players said, "Soccer is really fun!" For me, seeing them learn, grow, and have fun makes it all worth it.

I think that ultimately the reason we all willingly give of our time (and now money) to serve is because of love: Love for our community, love for a sport, or love for our kids. That love in our hearts spurs our efforts to do good for someone else.

It is inspiring to watch people around us do good for others. I hope that when we observe those selfless acts, we take the time to say "thank you" and let people know we appreciate their service.

And so, to all the people I've mentioned above and to everyone else who finds their own ways to serve, I say, "Thank you for all you do! You truly make a difference in your world and mine."

Karen Thomas is a stay at home mom of four daughters, has been on the PTA board at her kids' school for four years, and is a volunteer at her church, in addition to her activities as a volunteer soccer referee, a piano teacher, and a runner. Her column will appear here every Thursday. Comments are welcome.

Observations, Tips and Questions About Life: Aug. 28

Featuring Bill Rhoads

Each week, Sun City resident Bill Rhoads shares with us some of his "tips about life." Bill keeps a written record of "tips" that come to mind and has a strong motivation to share them with others. His purpose in doing so is to stimulate his own thinking and to stir some ideas into the pot of life. He believes in God and the Golden Rule.


Don’t be a problem;
Someone’s liable to solve you.

We are made in God's image.
"Devilution" is the process by which
the Devil tried to bring us
down to his level.

Don’t be troubled when people speak the truth;
Be very troubled if they don’t.

If you have thoughts and/or responses to Bill's tips, leave a comment here or send emails with your feedback to menifee247info@gmail.com.

Man About Menifee: Helping Others is a Simple Task

By David Baker

My dad likes to tell the story of when the kids spent the week at their house a few summers ago. My dad had Jeremiah in the car and they were on their way to help rebuild the porch of a home for disabled men.

The men's group from church had already done most of the construction and my dad was bringing Jeremiah to help paint. My dad was talking to Jeremiah and explaining what they were going to do when they got there. He asked Jeremiah if he knew why they were helping out that day.

Jeremiah replied, "Because they need our help?" Jeremiah was only 5 or 6 years old at the time.

The first time I heard this story, it made me incredibly proud. It meant I must have been doing something right and the lessons I was trying to teach had sunken in. My son understood that if someone needs your help, you help them, and that’s all there really is to it. There doesn’t need to be a reward or payment in it. Kindness really is its own reward.

Part of this, of course, is the environment in which he was raised. You see, for most of their lives my children have lived in what you would consider small towns. While Menifee is very close to the freeway and to shopping, I still consider it a small town. Just the other day, I appeared in traffic court for a citation, and I knew two of the officers there socially.

Recently, I stopped by Stater Brothers Grocery store on Newport road to pick up just a thing or two on my way home. Nothing elaborate; I think it was milk and eggs. As I stood in line waiting to make my final purchase, I heard a familiar phrase -- one that I had uttered myself on numerous occasions.

The woman with the loaded up cart in front of me asked, "Is that all you've got?" Then she motioned for me to take her place in line. I thanked her and checked out. On the way home, I started to reflect on this. This really is a quintessential part of life in Menifee.

It really helps me to raise quality citizens if my children are surrounded by quality citizens. Every day, my children are bombarded with the example of the kind of people who take a moment and recognize how their actions affect others. To treat someone like a neighbor even if you've only just met them. To me, that's exactly what it means to live in Menifee.

David Baker, our Man About Menifee, writes about his adventures in and around town every Friday in this space. You may leave comments for him here or email him at manaboutmenifee@gmail.com.

Menifee Mom: Sometimes, Motivation is All it Takes

By Karen Thomas

I'll admit, my running schedule this summer has been a bit erratic. The heat alone is enough to destroy any motivation that might have actually gotten me out the door. And, despite good intentions, a busy summer schedule often overrides even the best laid plans for a good morning run.

But what is really frustrating for anyone who is a runner is finding out how quickly you lose the level of fitness you worked so hard to attain.

So now that my kids are back in school and back in soccer, I am working on getting back into my regular running routine. One of my scheduling strategies as a busy mom is to fit in runs during my older kids' practices. I'll run laps around their park or head out into the nearby neighborhoods to try out some new routes.

Last week I did just that and was determined to fit in my weekly "long run" during a long practice. The problem was, the weather was particularly hot and I was zapped after a long week.

I was well into my run, feeling just wiped out, and trying to get into my music when the monotone announcer from my "Runmeter" app interrupts the singing in my head. I hear: "Two.. point.. zero miles." (The pace is something I'd rather not share!)

If I didn't know better, I'd swear she was mocking me from inside my phone. I had been hoping that maybe I had just missed some previous announcements and that I was a lot further in my run, but no such luck.

As a runner who had only weeks before been running 10 miles easily, this was not what I wanted to hear. I'm hot, I'm tired, my feet hurt, and I just want to quit. I figure I could chalk it up to a bad diet and hot weather, finish at three miles, and try again next week.

But for some reason I keep going. I guess it is my stubbornness and my knowing that if I stop, I'll regret it. My pace continues to be anything but stellar, but at least I'm still covering distance.
At about mile 6, another runner crosses the street in front of me. She's moving pretty good. Immediately, I go into race mode and all I can think about is that I've got to keep up with her. I find that I can match her pace, but then I want more. Now, I want to pass!

Suddenly, I'm in my rhythm. I am focusing on my breathing, my stride, and now ... my competition. Soon I'm close enough that I think I'll break out and pass, and she speeds up. It's as if she is competing too! I respond by increasing my speed, telling myself that surely she is still early in her run and if I wasn't on mile 7, I would not feel like I'm about to die keeping up with her.

But I press on. I gain on her, and she takes off. I catch up, and she's gone again. Finally, we reach a traffic light and I break the ice with, "So, how many miles today?"

She responds, "Oh, I just finished my 12th."

And with that, my bubble bursts.

I sheepishly tell her I'm at 7. I'm hoping she has no idea that I've been racing her the last mile! The walking man comes on and we continue, but each going our separate ways. I've still got one more mile to go, but I soon realize I'm not nearly as tired as I was back at mile 2. In fact, I'm feeling rather energized.

My announcer friend (yes, she's my friend again) comes back on and I learn that I've just run the fastest mile I've had all summer! That little friendly "competition" was just what I needed to get me past the defeating messages in my head and just RUN. It feels amazing.

I guess it is human nature to feel defeated and slow down when the going gets rough. I would never have thought that a perfect stranger would have been the one to pull me out of a rut.

I'm wondering how else in my life I can apply this strategy. Always competing against others will ultimately cause issues, and I'm certainly not advocating that. But if we can look for ways to turn our weak moments into opportunities to prove that we can push harder, then surely we'll find those mountains a little easier to climb.

Karen Thomas is a stay at home mom of four daughters, has been on the PTA board at her kids' school for four years, and is a volunteer at her church, in addition to her activities as a volunteer soccer referee, a piano teacher, and a runner. Her column will appear here every Thursday. Comments are welcome.

Man About Menifee: Value of Fundraising is a Good Lesson

By David Baker

When we moved into the first house we bought here in Menifee in April of 2012, I was in a mixed mood.

Anyone who has gone through a home purchase knows the process is filled with a series of "hurry up and wait" moments. I was going through boxes and a few fell over and the contents spilled. While I was silently cursing at myself for being so clumsy, something caught my eye.

It was a book cover I hadn’t seen in at least two decades. I saw my very first Scout Handbook.

I attribute a lot of who I am to the things I learned from the Boy Scouts of America. I learned more than just skills related to camping and knot tying -- important values and lessons as well. One of those values was self reliance.

In the first part of this book, it talks about how a Webelos Den is organized and what is expected of a scout. In this section it talks about a uniform and how a scout might earn the cost of his uniform by doing odd jobs such as lawn mowing around the neighborhood or collecting and redeeming recycling. I realize now as an adult what an important lesson that was.

One big way the scouts fund themselves is through fundraisers. The most common form of fundraising for the boys is Trails End Popcorn.

Trails End is gourmet popcorn that rivals Redenbacher in quality and is a good deal for consumers as well as the boys. Like most fundraisers, it is not a "bargain" until you remind yourself that you’re donating to the boys, and you’re getting some really tasty popcorn in return. The prices range greatly, from $10 to $75, and include options to send popcorn to our Military men and women overseas, and 70 percent of your money stays with the local scout.

My favorite value is the 2-pound bag of popping corn for $10. We like to make it in my cast iron dutch oven over the fire or over the stove. Just enough oil and popcorn to cover the bottom of the pan, and five minutes over a medium heat seems to be just about right. Two bags can last us for most of the year.

We had the district popcorn kickoff recently where they covered proper salesmanship and politeness, how to behave and ask for the sale, and how not to. Starting Labor Day weekend, you will see those boys in tan or blue knocking on doors and selling in front of the grocery stores.

Make sure you stop by and reward their attempt at self reliance. You’ll do some good, feel good about yourself, and have a tasty treat to boot.

David Baker, our Man About Menifee, writes about his adventures in and around town every Friday in this space. You may leave comments for him here or email him at manaboutmenifee@gmail.com.

Menifee Mom: Start of School Brings Mixed Emotions

By Karen Thomas

It is hard to believe that the time has already come for the kids to head back to school.

Just as we are starting to get into the summer groove, it's over. In my day, we had a much longer summer break and a lot more time to get bored. Whether a longer break is good or bad is a matter of debate, but I just know that this time of year brings mixed feelings.

At the end of the school year, it seems that as moms, we always have grand plans for all that we are going to accomplish over the summer. For some reason, we imagine that things will slow down and there will be more time to focus on the things we didn't have time for during school. (I think somehow we are dreaming that the grocery shopping, cooking, cleaning, and laundry is going to magically disappear!)

The irony is that when back to school time rolls around, we find ourselves feeling the same way. I know that I am already imagining all that I will get done when the kids are back in school all day!

But really, who am I kidding? Back to school means back to getting the kids up at 6:15 a.m., back to making lunches while I'm half asleep, back to hours of homework, back to school pick-up and drop-off chaos, back to volunteering, back to soccer, and basically back to days and weeks that are determined not by me, but largely by my kids.

So this week was spent trying to "live it up" for the last few days. Maybe, like us, you have managed to squeeze in one last trip to the beach or an amusement park. Most likely you've run around town, with kids in tow, trying to buy those last few things the kids "need" before school starts. (And you'll soon do it again when you find out you bought all the wrong stuff!) I know I have tried really hard to enjoy the few extra minutes of sleep I get in the morning.

Whether we checked everything off our summer bucket list or not, school is starting and our time is no longer our own. But as we send our kids off with the backpacks they had packed up days in advance wearing the outfit they had laid out the night before, we can look forward to all the exciting things they will learn and experience. Sure enough, a new adventure is beginning!

Karen Thomas is a stay at home mom of four daughters, has been on the PTA board at her kids' school for four years, and is a volunteer at her church, in addition to her activities as a volunteer soccer referee, a piano teacher, and a runner. Her column will appear here every Thursday. Comments are welcome.