So, I live in the fifth fourth largest city in the state, and yet, we're still so small town in ways...

This afternoon I got the girls ready for dance and Karl ready for baseball, dropped the girls at their rehearsals for the fair on Thursday and got Karl up to the ball field (on the OTHER side of our fair city, mind you) early for his hour-before-game practice time.

So, I'm sitting in the van, reading my library book and contemplating calling master_chatnoir, because it wouldn't be a baseball game without me calling her to complain about SOMETHING, when I saw a girl who looked remarkably like S. from the dance studio - had shared a class with Jayne last season, and was in one of the production numbers with her this season.

And I'm thinking, nah, she just looks like her. She should be at rehearsal (which, at this point, was nearly over for Jayne's two numbers.)

She goes on with her dog toward the field, but then a few minutes later, here comes her mom heading for her car, who spots me, and waves.

I wave back, still puzzled...when she passes back by I wave her over.

"Which team are you?"

"Same as Karl's - we've just been out of town so this is our first game."

"Oh! How neat! Um...isn't S dancing at the fair this year?" (Some familiies don't due to vacations or whatever.)

"Well, I was hoping so..."

"Because rehearsals are right now for the girls...and likely done," I said, looking significantly at the clock on my car radio.

(It's important to note here that this rehearsal is mandatory for both the fair and Oaks Park performances.)

"Oh, no. I called Teacher yesterday because I couldn't find my sheet with the times, and she never called me back."

Mind, this is a mom who makes sure her kid is at EVERY class unless she's sick, so if she lost the paperwork, that's unusual.

So I think it won't be a problem, but I call Roy at the studio and ask him if Teacher is in the middle of rehearsing - right that moment she's not, so he says he'll call me back after he talks to her about this S situation for us.

Calls back with bad news: Mandatory.

Now Sh. is getting freaked. Her kid is EXPECTING to dance. She'd CALLED to get the correct info and hadn't had the call returned.

I get my chair and move it to the field and together we fret. We decide she'll call Teacher after rehearsals are done at around 7:30 and plead her case.

I think the fact that she has NEVER missed a rehearsal or performance, and RARELY a class, scores her the forgiveness this time, for Teacher, after restating the mandatory and listening to Sh say she'd called in good faith to follow up on times since she either never got or misplaced the schedules, allowed S to dance - but to keep it under her hat because if word got out she let S dance, she'd have to let everyone who didn't make rehearsal dance, too. Which is fair and just. And I think her reliablity otherwise spoke volumes in allowing this. Plus, she says she didn't get the message, so there may have been leeway there.

WHEW. So we shall see them Thursday. :D Next year, I may just drop her an email and say, "remember, rehearsal is...." LOL

At any rate, we lost the ball game, but Karl got to pitch an inning - his first time ever! He was a bit lob-by at first, but he settled into straighter, lower pitches as the inning went on. My cousin Dylan wants to get his hands on him for some training, and boy do I want him to, too! Hopefully they'll get to a game soon.

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My shoulder is killing me again. No, I didn't go to the doctor, because it eased WAY up, but today, it's back with a vengeance. Yes, Chat, I'll call this time. :)

Been working too hard on this vid. Work has deadlines, and a new project for Job #2. Which is great. But gah. *feels self being sliced up into pieces to feed all the demand*

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I scored two zines from Bliss - I was missing DLDV#2 and she had it, and I wanted the A Place to Hide/Place in the Sun zine, because I have the sequel and wanted to read it first. Yay, me.

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Puter is processing a file. I want to go to bed....