Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Wish List

This blog post will be an ongoing project. I'll be adding more wishes as I think them up. But for starters - I wish.....

  • that I knew how to fish. I love to go fishing, and so does Mary, but I don't know how to catch the little buggers. I'm absolutely clueless about what kind of bait to use and when, how deep to let the bait fall into the water, where the best place to cast is, and so forth. I have lots of nice gear, but I don't know the best way to use it. If I did know, I'd take Mary fishing with me and we'd go more often.
  • that I knew how to whistle loudly with my fingers in my mouth. My dad could whistle - he'd be outside in the field, far from the house, and when he whistled you could always hear him, even with the windows closed. I want to learn to whistle like that.
  • that I could play guitar or piano. I can't, because I have a minor learning disability. I'm a "method learner" which means I can't read and process more than one line of notes at a time, nor can I coordinate several fingers over frets and strum at the same time. It stinks.
  • that Hannah would learn to drive. It would solve alot of our transportation coordination problems, especially the school related ones.
  • that I knew how to build a house. I want to understand the ins and outs of framing, wiring, plumbing...all that sort of stuff. I also wish I knew more about landscaping and gardening. I'm cursed with a black thumb, and Carl and I want to landscape in front of our porch this spring. I need to move some plants that I have, and maybe break them up, but I don't know how or where best to plant them. That they've lived this long is a miracle.
  • that I could do a better job of styling my hair in the morning.
  • I knew how to fast-yodel.

Sunday, March 08, 2009

What Should I Do?

This Wednesday, March 11, the Benton Community boys basketball team will be playing in the State Basketball Tournament. This is the first time any high school I've ever been affiliated with has gone to a post season tournament, so I'm excited. Not only for the team, but also for Hannah. She gets to go to the game as a member of the Pep Band, and as a proud band mom I'd like to go and see her play. School has been cancelled for Wednesday so as many kids (and parents) as possible can go to Des Moines and cheer on the team. School being cancelled and Hannah being gone means that Mary has no one to stay home with her during the day. I don't mind her being home alone for an hour or so, but not all day. I'd really like to go to the tournament game and take Mary with me, but I hesitate. For one thing, I don't know that I can afford the time off. I don't know what kinds of projects are due at work (last week was super-quiet) and I don't know if I'll be able to save 40 hours of vacation for this summer if I go. For another, I feel a little silly wanting to go. I don't have a son on the team (I don't have a son, period) and I wonder if I'm living vicariously through Hannah by going to these types of events. I don't want to be pedantic, but I would like to experience the excitement of being at a tournament game and cheering on my school district's team. So what should I do? Should I go to the game or not? I need to make up my mind soon so that if I do try to go I can ask for the day off without leaving my fellow drafters buried in excess work. Is my desire to go to the game an immature attempt to recapture my youth, or am I overanalyzing myself? Having never been in this situation before I'd like to get your opinion. What do you think? Should I go?