Team Building Vignettes

Vignette (literature), short, impressionistic scenes that focus on one moment or give a particular insight into a character, idea, or setting

Team Building weekend was so amazing and wonderful I can't even get my head around words to describe the experience right now. Still, I thought I could jot down little vignettes that I want to remember. They are only a small portion of our experiences over the weekend, but they do speak volumes as to what we accomplished.

• Sir Winston holding court in the rocking chair discussing wrestling, UFC and Bruce Lee with Allan, Victor, Liam and Lewis.
  
  
• The feeling of plunging my foot into a foot of water while blindfolded, then taking a big step to clear the rest of the ditch and putting my other foot even deeper in it.
  
  
• Alex not getting crushed by three doors falling on him during Saturday night's windstorm.
  
  
• Shanna, Kyra, Jason and I talking tattoos in the kitchen.
  
  
• Alice's keys! Looking for them through thick and thin. Hearing only half of the call to JP for help. Paul quietly offering a simpler way to solve the problem.
  
  
• KJN turning the evening over to Sean and Ian. And then doing it again a few minutes later after a few more words from her. And then again. Finally actually turning it over to them.
  
  
• Complete and reverent awe at the Buddist temple Sunday morning.
  
  
• Jean-Luc telling of seeing Sarah as Manon from his first degree group of friends.
  
  
• Josh's plastic sock coverings. Cunningly devised to attempt to keep them dry inside squishy shoes.
  
  
• Andrew's feat of barbecuing (without a beer in hand, mind you). Not just once, but twice! Herculean.
  
  
• Maxam's good cheer even through each of his too many coughing fits.
  
  
• Tommy's mussed up hair when he got up Sunday morning, and those dimples when he smiles.
  
  
• Kayla's perfect directions that took me right to the target even though I was blindfolded and she couldn't see me.
  
  
• David running(!) Saturday morning. In the rain and mud, with his brace on. And still managing to look graceful and completely at ease.
  
  
• Sita's shared girliness with someone who will not be named.
  
  
• Kyra's "ooooh you're going to get it" face. Seen whenever a certain plastic doll's name was mentioned. So, frequently.
  
  
• Alyah providing seating for Ayoka whenever she herself was seated.
  
  
• Elizabeth's cooking. Especially those banana sundae square thingys she made and the carrot cake she volunteered to make for me for after Power Weekend.
  
  
• Roger (the Muay Thai guy)'s contagious smile.
  
  
• Alex discovering that keeping his arms close to his body is a good thing when doing Mauy Thai elbow strikes.
  
  
• The feeling of kicking the Muay Thai pads as hard as I could. So. Much. Fun!
  
  
• Feeling Sir Jonathan's kicks through the 120lb heavy bag. Ye Gods that man can kick!
  
  
• Jason's happy surprise at Victor's choice of a Metallica song for our Power Weekend mix.
  
  
• Lewis and Sarah discovering he went to her school at one point, and the ensuing discussion of teachers they liked/disliked.
  
  
• Kayla singing along not only to Psychokiller (which she requested endlessly on car rides), but Hungry Like the Wolf as well!
  
  
• Ayoka's face when I gave her the robin's egg I found while searching for Alice's keys. And again later when she showed her robin's egg around to everyone.
  
  
• Late night Zen discussion.
  
  
• Liam's cocoon at the bottom of the stairs, completely asleep amid the chaos with the light shining right on his face.
  
  
• Margaret's calmly shouting out directions every time I yelled "Margaret!" in what I'm almost positive was a slighly panicky voice.
  
  
• Seeing my teammates faces, albeit a very blurry version, when I was finally allowed to take my blindfold off. Also the sky, grass, trees, blurry, but there again.
  
  
• Tom taking over giving Lewis directions to his team's white ball. "Get your hands OUT of your pockets!" and "Pick up the damn ball!"
  
  
• Allan swinging on the swing, whenever he got a chance.
  
  
• Paul quietly supporting everyone without letting on or calling attention to himself. Taking all of the garbage home, for instance.
  
  
• Winston's sledgehammer warmup while we were running. Totally in awe of that.
  
  
• Marisol talking to Andrew about music, then choosing the song he recommended for her contribution to the Power Weekend mix.
  
  
• Rose's easygoing helpfulness in every situation.
  
  
• Alyah holding Kayla while she cried about her dad Friday night.
  
  
• Laughing and smiling with every single member of the team at least once during the weekend. Most numerous times.
  

There really are so many more. Memories etched like crystals that I can take out and examine at my leisure. Thank you KJN, Sirs Sean and Ian, special guest instructors Jackie and Roger, kitchen staff Elizabeth, Ariana, Rose and Tina, house owner Christine, and most especially every member of my team. I had the time of my life and I owe it all to you.