By MARK DEVOLDER
Los Alamos

Back in the 1970’s, I worked in Houston during the summer. There was an ice-skating rink in a shopping mall on the northwest side of Houston, which I visited sometimes to cool off and get some exercise.

For fun, I began to experiment with a few simple jumps, spins, and other maneuvers. (Note: Later I began to experiment with ski ballet, but that is another story.) A few people began watching me. They started to clap whenever I performed some skating trick. Then I fell on the ice and cut my chin. The crowd drifted away from the skating rink, and I went to the doctor to get a butterfly bandage placed on my chin. I still have the scar (physical and mental).

Lessons Learned: People often like to see others fail. It takes quite a bit of practice to become proficient at almost anything. If you want to entertain others, be prepared to get laughed at when you make a mistake. (Note: I make lots of mistakes, but that is how I keep learning.)

This reminded me to say a kind word about the folks at the Los Alamos Eco Station. The following applies to the Eco Station:

1) the facility is adequately staffed and operates 7 days a week, approximately 52 weeks a year;

2) the management is industrious and well informed;

3) employees are well-trained, hard-working, and courteous;

4) the employees clean up the messes created by Los Alamos and White Rock citizens;

5) they have a variety of interesting equipment and excel at handling hazardous materials;

6) they also excel at packaging up materials for recycle, recovery, and disposal;

7) it is a relatively clean and well-organized facility; and

8) the operation is improving even more with time. Despite any problems, Los Alamos Eco Station personnel have my enduring respect. Keep up the good work.