No Rest For the Weary

The kids were done with camp for a few hours and we had to jump right back into the fray with activities, for better or worse. A had a rehearsal the evening that we picked them up, and N had LAX practice, which in the end we couldn't make it to. Then, the very next day, A had a meditation class before her big concert and N had a LAX tournament all the way in Manchester. I wasn't sure if he was going to play in it because he was out all week and was gassed from camp, but he wanted to play, so R and I had to divide and conquer.

A was in charge of the home front and I drove N to Manchester, which is a bit of a trek and one we know all too well from hockey. There was some miscommunication about A's meditation class and that added a little drama, but I think it worked out. N's tournament lasted a big part of the day because it was four games, and it was hot. We got a few breaks with the clouds and some showers, but for the most part it was a hot day and I think the kids were pretty tired. The original plan was for mom to take A to meditation, bring her home where I was to pick her up after N's LAX to take all of us to her show. This meant leaving his LAX tournament immediately, getting home ASAP and picking up A and getting her to the gig.

However, that plan quickly changed because she had to be at her show much earlier than we expected, so mom took her, which of course made our lives easier. N's LAX tournament was fun but they ended up beating every team by a wide margin. So far this season they have won every game except when they played the Vermont Select team, against whom they got crushed. I think they're better off losing to a good team than beating everyone else handily, but that's just me. After the tournament, I got N a burger and some lo mein noodles and we made the trek home. The plan was to stop at home, drop off his gear and change, and then head to A's concert.

Once again there was a miscommunication and we got there way too early. I thought the show was starting at 5:00, but that was time she had to be there, and the show started at 6:00. We played outside for a bit and then watched the concert, which was pretty cool. There were 8 bands playing and it drew a fairly sizable crowd with a good number of young people. I'm guessing many of the band members go to the big city high school so friends and family attended. A's band was one of the last and they rocked out, which was fun to see. Afterward they had a party at EBAs and we chowed on pizza and socialized with the rock and roll crowd. It's an interesting and eclectic group of kids.

By 9:00 it was time to go, and in line with how our day was going, the sky opened up and it started pouring rain. I'm talking buckets of rain, and the drive home was a little tense because the storm was pretty substantial. The lighting was constant and lit up the entire area, which was actually kind of cool. It was a little stressful but we made it home fine and turned in for the evening. The kids were exhausted, as were mom and dad, but it was a fun filled day. I think we could actually use a day of rest.

Until then, thanks for reading, and thanks to Mark Morton for the pic.