Let me tell you this right now--if the first words you hear when you come home include the word "Jamboree," it pretty much sets a tone for the whole weekend that is mighty difficult to overcome.
Walked in Friday evening with the hope of just being able to sit down in a chair and allow what was left of my brain to run out of my ears onto my shoulders. Just a nice, quiet, dark room with a television. "Let me ask you a question," said Sweet Wife sweetly, "would you like us to all go to the Jamboree tonight with the kids?"
[Internal monologue] Why, I'd LOVE IT! And for added enjoyment, why don't you repeatedly smash my teeth with an iron bar! A HOT iron bar! And then just hitch me up to a team of weasels and drag me there! THAT would be GREAT! [/internal monologue]
[Out loud] "Uh. Well. ::sigh::--"
"Ashley wants to go see her new boyfriend!"
Oh, well that just puts a wonderfully perverse sort of spin on it, doesn't it. Oh, wait--that was internal.
"::sigh:: I really don't feel like going, Reba."
"We could get some hamburgers for the kids and not have to cook anything."
"::sigh::heavy sigh:: Come on."
I had hoped that since Oldest had dropped out of Band that things like this wouldn't come up this year. I mean, I like the ambience and all that, but I was hoping that it wouldn't be a mandatory thing like it was last year. Compunction tends to take some of the fun out of things. Especially when you have had your gray matter pressed into a fine thin sheet of goo by an interminable meeting full of bureaucrats.
And there's this whole deal with seeing a Boy. Beau #4, I think this makes. Why must I participate in this?! Oh, yeah. I am a moron--and reliably, pliantly so.
SO, everyone in the van. Off to the store to get some money. OFF to the stadium to park, except we had to park at the library and walk. Pay to get in--now remember, this is what they call a Jamboree around here. A pre-season scrimmage game. Most have four or six teams, and they play only a quarter or two apiece, but this was just a two team game--us versus the Decatur Red Raiders. (EEK!! POLITICAL INCORRECTNESS!) But, still, it was not a real game. Still had to pay full freight to get in, though. Five bucks a head. Thirty bucks total. Just like that. Sure, it's less expensive than a movie, and there are cheerleaders and such, but you know, my mood on Friday didn't seem to be able to consider those mitigating circumstances.
Oh, did I mention that it was hot? It was. Not that I'm complaining. It's August, it's supposed to be hot. But humans are supposed to huddle indoors by the air conditioner. That's what civilization is. Not out in a bleacher full of large sweaty persons when the temperature, even when the sun goes down, is still 90 degrees, and the humidity never dips below 80%. Why, that's just INSANE!
Must explain why I was along for the ride.
Anyway, we sat down and the kids immediately began starving to death right before our eyes, so Reba went and got food and drinks and I sat there and tried to be sociable.
Pretty good game--we threw the ball a lot, and the score was 28-7 at the half. Bodes well for the regular season, I hope. Halftime, time for the band performance. Whoa. Last year's band was about twice as big. I won't say much about why, but suffice it to say that adults who enjoy berating children in order to make themselves seem superior is probably not a good way to draw interest in an extracurricular program that is purely voluntary. Although I assume it's better to have a small group who are completely dedicated, it really can't make up for the volume and depth of a big band. And they NEEDED some more people. Good show, but just not in the same league as they were last year.
Second half, more of the same on our part, although they did let up a bit and didn't run the score up. Oh, and I got to see Beau #4--he didn't dress out because his foot was hurt. Good-looking kid, I suppose. But it was hard to tell from up in the bleachers.
Finally, the final play, and time to head home. I had actually gotten into a slightly better disposition, but, you know, the weekend is a long thing.
Thankfully, the staff meeting I'm about to go into won't be quite so long. I hope.
Posted by Terry Oglesby at August 22, 2005 09:10 AM