Just a Few Teensy Grievances…
I know. What do I really have to complain about? I’m not living in a war zone or having my house destroyed in a fire. But… there’s always something, right? I’m just going to quickly get this over with and move on. As I mentioned, we’re in Tampa! My daughter is playing in the All-State band. In addition to the student groups, it’s a huge convention for music educators. My husband has been coming for years and years, so he knows all the ins and outs- for example, the best hotels to stay in. Last year we were SO LUCKY. We were able to get a room in the hotel where my daughter had all her rehearsals. She could just walk down to her rehearsal, and back up to the room when she was finished. We liked that, because this gave us all a lot of independence. I could do my own thing without having to chaperone her much. This year, we tried to get a room in the same hotel but couldn’t for some reason (FORESHADOWING…) My husband got a room in a hotel very close, though. It’s in the heart of downtown, just around the corner from the rehearsal venue, also around the corner from our favorite sushi place, and there’s a STARBUCKS IN THE LOBBY. This is going to be the best year ever! Then… a couple weeks ago we got an email. The hotel where my daughter’s band was supposed to rehearse was damaged in the hurricane, and wouldn’t be able to host the band this year. Instead her rehearsal venue was moved…. to a hotel near the airport. NO! No! No! No! No! No! This means that, instead of her walking around the corner to her rehearsal, I have to drive her. Driving her involves getting the car out of valet parking (there’s no other way to park the car) and driving on the expressway. Because the hotel is busy, it could take five minutes to get the car, or twenty. Because some of the driving is during rush hour, it could take ten minutes to get there, or forty. There’s no way to judge if we’ll be insanely early, or late. And there’s NOTHING else to do near this hotel- it’s literally on the side of the highway. Yesterday, I drove her there three times. In the morning for seating auditions, then back in the afternoon for a rehearsal, and then back in the evening for another rehearsal. It took up… a nice chunk of my day. Let’s talk about the seating auditions! The kids audition to get to All-State, and then audition again when they get there to see what chair they are. My daughter got second chair! Objectively, that is GREAT! I mean, this is supposedly the best in the state, and she got second. The problem is, she wanted to be first chair, so she’s upset. I think it’s the “Olympic medal” phenomenon, where people who win the silver feel like they lost the gold. And I get it. “I was second chair at All-State.” Wow, that’s pretty great! “I was first chair at All-State.” WOW. That’s incredible. In spite of this disappointment, I think she’s still having a good time. I say I “think” because she’s not really speaking to us at the moment. I guess it’s a little too much together-ness. When I was sixteen I probably wouldn’t have enjoyed sharing a hotel room with my entire family either, and she’s also probably tired out after rehearsing all day. Whatever- she’s made it clear that she would like to eat her dinners alone, and speak to us as little as possible. Okay, those are my grievances. But you know what- I’m still in Tampa. I’m not at work. I still have time to myself, and I’ve spent some great time with my son. We will all survive this family vacation, and I’m enjoying myself in spite of everything. It’s not quite like it was in years past, but it’s still pretty great. Have you ever been to Tampa? Did you play in band in high school? Did you go to All-State?