Adapted from an October 15, 2008 post

Sometimes I had to hand it to the kids they were fucking genesis. Around the Middle of October we finally understood what Slab meant.  First there was disbelief, this gave way to annoyance that we had been so slow cracking the code.  Then finally, we acknowledge the beauty of it all. These were exciting times.

Slab was a rhyming slang for DICK BAG!!!!

Then one day we were hiking and I got to hear it all for myself.   We were hiking in preparation for a 7-day trip. The kids were plodding along, and surprisingly not bitching, when one kid trips, then tumbles to the ground. No sooner had he hit the ground, than I hear a chorus of 5 scream “Slab – Dick Bag.” The rumor was true.

The eloquence, its simplicity, the beauty of the end rhyme I fucking loved it. Better yet the kids had been calling all the staff dick bags for weeks and we had no idea

But it got better. There was a “Slab, Dick Bag” marching song.

Bit of back story, the place I worked used to be a boot camp back when we tried to scare kids straight. Though things have changed some of the less sinister aspects have been preserved. One of these things is Marching Cadences. Some love them I hate them. But not this one, Not the SDB one. This one I love. Imagine one kid leading the cadence, Three or four replying.

Lead – let me hear you say Slab

Group – Slab

Lead – let me hear you say Slaaa – aaab

Group – Slaaa – aaab

Lead – let me hear you say Sl- ab

Group – Sl – ab

Lead – Let me hear you say Slab, Slab, Slab.

Group – Slab, Slab, Slab,

(they would stop here because the lead is a staff singing with them.  but in there minds the all scream)

All – Dick Bag!

Also on the same hike I got lost. Not a little lost but really spun around and totally fucking lost. The worst map reading fuck up of my career. Not too bad but really, really amateur and embarrassing. If Shaun hadn’t caught it I might still be walking around in a giant circle. Newton was polite enough to not call me a slab. They may not be so forgiving tomorrow.