Weekend Update

You see that my title is minus the "sports" part? No sports games this weekend. We missed out on a baseball game on Saturday. Instead we traveled to North Carolina. Man, I'm so upset we missed that game. Surely you can read that my blog is dripping with sincerity.

And what a trip it was. 7 hours in the car with the busiest kids on the face of any planet. No DS, ipod or other form of entertainment could touch these folks. Why, exactly, do they not make rental cars with dvd players? What, those of us renting cars don't have kids that need entertaining. Surely, the opposite is exactly true. I find it strange that I have to pay some company to use their car and I can't even do it at the highest of comfort...quiet kids.

Again, 7 hours in the car traveling to Lincolnton, NC. I see why they call it "countree", ain't nothing but trees out in these parts. I came to the realization I am a suburb gal through and through. I don't mind a tree, a walking path, some floral arrangements, birds chirping...so long as it's next to a 7-11 for goodness sakes. 11:00pm this town shuts down. We arrived at a little after 10:00 so by the time the Hub was ready for a late night snack he had to suck it up and forget about it. There was nothing happening around these parts.

We traveled to this mighty town to attend my nephew's graduation from high school. What an experience, with a simply delightful, yet predictably quiet young man. In that sense, he's a lot like his dad and his dad's side of the family. With the absolute exception of the Hub. In fact, we chewed on that one for awhile. Of three boys, the Hub definitely didn't get the "quiet" gene.

Saturday morning graduation. Let me have you experience this scene with me...North Carolina heat. Hopefully you read that correctly. North. Carolina. Heat. Very different from VA heat. Very different. And graduation, to my extreme delight, was held on the football field of this fine high school. As the parents, family and loved ones sat in the stands. North. Carolina. Heat. Oh my. I can't begin to tell you how hot it was. By about 30 minutes in we were all sweating like pigs ready to be roasted. Fitting as we were in hog country. Man, it was H.O.T. The ceremony was beautiful. We are all very proud of my nephew. He finished high school winning awards, scholarships and seems like a really great kid. And handsome to boot.

We could hardly wait to get back to our hotel to hit the pool. If you have never seen Youngest in a pool you have something yet to live for. When that boy is excited, everyone needs to watch out. We're talking dancing and shaking his butt on the side of the pool. I've never quite seen someone shake like that one. He decided he wanted to do the whole stand on the side of the pool and jump in as I catch him thing. First try, after a long and thorough analysis by Youngest...he backs up, runs up to the edge and stops dead: "You sure you're going to catch me. You weren't kidding?" More shaking and twisting of the hips with excitement and he decides to try again. Funny how once kids get the umph up to do this, they don't want to stop...for a long, long...long time.

I must share with you that, lest you doubt it, I can confirm to you that racism is alive and well in the South. I think I live just "South" enough and wouldn't want to be any more southern. A pit stop at some backwoods gas station meant snack time for us. I enter first, cashier doesn't notice me as she's with someone at the counter. The Hub enters a few minutes later, to which the cashier, a beautiful specimen of North Carolina pride, tatoos, missing teeth and all. The Hub greets her and she asks how he's doing today. "Just fine," he says. To which she replies "I certainly hope you are." Please put on your best country accent when reading that previous statement. So far, lovely experience. I approach the counter and stand beside Hub and the lady's face would have like to not have to catch up with her brain. But unfortunately for her it did. Written all over her face was the prompt realization that the Hub and I were traveling together. The friendliness turned to ice cold check out. I believe I could read her mind and it was on repeat "hurry up and get these folks out of here." The Hub tried to make friendly with her. Apparently she is deaf. I guess her loss of hearing occurred sometime between when we entered and when we were ready to check out. I love the South.

All in all we were glad we could make the trip. Good to see family we haven't seen in awhile, great to attend the graduation. Great to be back home, close to my beloved 7-11's.