The Saturday Morning Post - Vol. 9 - More on The SMP Vol. 8

Last week I played golf. Last week was the La Habra Corn Festival. Last weekend started as if I was on the road to H-E-double hockey stick.

I've written before about the golf tournament named in memory of my dad, and about the Corn Festival and Parade. Last week, for the first time since the golf tournament was established, the two events took place on the same weekend. The thing that complicates this is that the weekend also coincided with the start of my daughter's cheer leading season. That means it coincided with the start of my wife's cheer coordinator season. That means it all added up to stress, tension, anxiety, unpredictable expenses, and emotional moments that I would prefer not to have experienced.

So what happened to make it such a challenging weekend? First, the background information: every year, the boys and girls of La Habra Pop Warner Football and Cheer get to march in the La Habra Corn Festival parade. The little girls - those on the flag squad - get to ride on the float. Last year, the float was awarded a prize. This year it's the 40th anniversary of the La Habra Pop Warner Football and Cheer's existence, so something special was supposed to happen in this year's parade - the 61st annual. Well the person in charge of the parade for the league had a personal crisis, and bailed on her responsibilities of coordinator, and of towing the float.

My wife finds out about this on Thursday - two days before the parade - after all the little girls were told they would be riding on the float. But all is not lost: the coordinator dropped off her trailer (the would-be float) at our house on Thursday evening. My wife and some cheer coaches and cheer moms decorate the float on Friday. I get home from work Friday night and opt to hook up the trailer (float) on Saturday morning before I leave for my golf outing.

Saturday morning comes and I find myself struggling to hook up this trailer (float) only to find my hitch is not compatible with the trailer's counter-part. The owner of the trailer is contacted and arrives to assist. Also assisting in this effort is my wife's grandparents (our next door neighbors). Between all of us - we can't hook our truck to the trailer / float. And, by the way, I am overdue to leave for the 1 & 1/2 hour drive to the golf course to play in the tournament.

I was already worried that my wife would be towing a trailer (float) loaded with 5-7 years olds, while my daughter marches nearby. Did I mention that my wife has never towed anything in her life? My nerves were shot. Not the best frame of mind to be playing golf - that is if I arrived in time for my start time.

Well all worked out fine. It was decided that the trailer had some problem with the device that attached to the hitch of our truck - so no towing (or driving in the parade) would take place. All the girls - disappointed little ones included - would have to walk the mile and a half parade route. I would have to drive like a maniac for an hour and a half to get to the golf course. I would take my first swing at a golf ball on the first tee - approximately a year after I took my last swing at a golf ball on the 18th fairway. I shot something that I would be more proud of if I were bowling. I forgot my camera, so I have no pictures to share. And my wife forgot her camera too, so I have no pictures to share of the parade.

So you are left with reading another boring post about my mundane life, and all I can offer is a few links to previous year's post's of a similar topic. See you next Saturday morning.