Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag

Well, it has been QUITE a while since I posted anything, so I should get to it.

Quick Job Update: my old boss made good on his promise to FINALLY open the job that I had wanted for 3 years (Feb 2004 – Jan 2007). The process, from what I can tell, took longer than process for hiring Federal employees; I guess that nothing is fast anymore. I did the interview in January when it was scheduled, but was unable to go to my current employers Academy due to an injury. Judging from the weather in Arkansas from January to February, I am glad I didn’t go (as well as February and March). Despite the generous offer, I elected to stay put. As previously mentioned, I sustained an injury that kept me from going to the Academy in January. It was a little humiliating, but I ended up bruising a rib. This in turn led to my inability to do any sit-ups, which are a vital part of the physical fitness test. So I was re-scheduled for the Academy in March. Without going into great and boring detail, I did well at the Academy.

Sports Tangent
This spring my boy was selected for a local travelling team for basketball, Colorado Select. It’s mind-boggling to me that at 14 (and soon 15) he will have played teams from across the country at 2 tournaments in Las Vegas, one in Texas, and several at the local level. I appreciate that he will be watched by coaches from major schools this summer. I even am thankful that they will have at least 3 more seasons of these summer leagues to see how he has grown as a player, but is that too much to put on a 14 or 15 year old kid? Who knows…he seems to think that American History and Freshman English are too much for him, but playing hoops for the summer, no problem

I am still not used to the idea that kids today need to be on travelling sports teams over the summer, but I guess in the big city I am in the minority on this one. Yeah, I live vicariously thru my boy and sports; that is what happens when he, at 14, is 25 times the athlete I ever was in my life. But I also am not the parent who wants his kid to be what he never was. I am happy and proud of where I am and have been, but I digress. So The Boy finished a tournament on the Saturday or Sunday I returned. On the following Friday he was flying to Las Vegas {Sin City} for another tournament. Needless to say my Wife and I were on a plane about the same time as him. No matter what they say about Vegas being a family vacation spot, I really don’t agree. So we went to Vegas for the weekend.

So here’s the timeline:
Friday – Finish Academy (AM) – Graduate (PM) – Drive Ark to Tex 500+ miles (PM)
Saturday – Driver from Tex to Colo 400+ miles (AM-PM) – BB Tournament (PM)
Sunday – honestly, I don’t remember if it was BB Tourney or nothing…all a blur
Monday thru Thursday – work (PM)
Friday – Take family to DIA, take big ol’ jet airliner to Vegas (AM) – get rental car (AM) – find food (noonish) – drive around Vegas until hotel room ready (PM) – dinner (PM) – BB game (PM)
Saturday – Recover from previous day’s travel/excitement/fun (AM) – tourney game (PM) – lunch with family friends (PM) – tourney game (PM) – recover from day’s events (PM)
Sunday – Sleep (AM-PM) – verify The Boy’s travel plans/arrangements (PM) – walk the Strip since The Boy was leaving a day before us (PM) – have 1 drink on the Strip (PM) – go to bed early so we can drop off the rental car at the crack ‘o’ dawn (PM)
Monday – wake up before anyone else in the World (really AM) – return rental car, wait for shuttle bus with everyone who got up at same time as us (also really AM) – go to airport and attempt to get thru security before flight leaves (AM) – board plane (AM) – sit next to Randy Coture {I think, sure looked like him} (AM) – arrive DIA (AM) – travel home (AM) – Wife goes to work (AM) – I go to work (PM)
Tuesday thru Friday – Work (PM) -- The Boy has another local tournament (PM)
Saturday – Work (PM) – another BB tourney (PM)
Sunday – Finally NOTHING (AM-PM)

Now life is normal…or relatively until July. Nothing more than a few travel days for a family “gathering,” than the dame thing a few weeks later, punctuated by work, The Boy’s recreational league basketball games, The Boy’s finals, and the beginning of Camps for FB and BB throughout the summer, maybe a quick trip to Wyoming for a weekend. Thankfully, we are not going to the Texas tournament, but will probably go to Vegas again. But The Boy will be busy with the camps and practices and hanging out and movies and shopping and hanging out and talking to girls and the internet and girls and sports and girls and his soon-to-be-his car and, in case I hadn’t mentioned it earlier, girls.

Everything is settling into place, and at 30-something, I am starting to feel like I have grown up. Well not totally; but more that I was in college, the Army, or shortly thereafter. I have some permanency now and feel that my life is finally amounting to more than a footnote!