Torn Between Two Options

Yesterday was Saturday June 2 and my oldest daughter Katherine qualified to run in the State of Maine Class A outdoor track championship in Bath Maine.  As the weekend drew near, the weather report looked great, and I was in a quandary. 

On weekends when the weathers nice, my "job" is to sell buoys.  Lots and lots of buoys, as many as I can.  It's how I earn my living.  It's how I support my family.  If I don't sell buoys, Katherine doesn't have track shoes and she's probably not gonna qualify for states!  I was torn on Friday, but the answer was simple.  I decided I'd go to the meet but I had three ideas to make the most of it and reduce my anguish for taking time away from making money to watch my daughter run.

1) I needed some buoys so I'd make it a "business" trip.  I get my buoys from numerous places and one of them is in Thomaston, Maine.  It's Brooks Trap Mill and although I don't buy any traps, I'm pretty sure these guys are the biggest lobster trap maker in the world!  I love their place...traps everywhere and fisherman hustling about getting their supplies so they can go catch some lobstah mistah!  I hooked up my enclosed trailer and called in advance to make sure they'd have enough buoys to fill it!  I'd leave early, pass Bath on my way to Thomaston, and stop in Bath on the way home for the track meet.

2) I wanted my son Harrison to go with me so I decided to make him!  He's my son and I know him, he wouldn't want to come.  I didn't mention it the night before, I just woke him up and told him what we were doing.  It was a fight and I won't go into the boring details but long story short, when he asked me over and over again "why" he had to come my answer was simple.  "I love you and want to be with you." 

3) Although I couldn't really afford them, I recently bought all three of my children used mountain bikes.  In an important sort of way, I did it with selfish motivations as since my heart attack I've decided I need to get more exercise and want to spend more quality time with my family.  So, I loaded my bike, and Harrison's bike in the trailer so we could take a bike ride around Bath between Katherine's events!

So Harrison and I left bright and early.  He slept and I drove listening to Jimmy Cliff and Buffet the entire way.  We go to the trap mill and Harrison stayed in the truck for more sleep.  He was still pretty grouchy and I didn't argue!  I picked out some buoys, paid for them, loaded them in my trailer and started back to Bath.  Harrison started to wake up and needled me a bit more for making him come.  I was not phased, I told him again why I made him. 

On the way back to Bath, we just HAD to stop at The Taste of Maine restaurant in Woolwich to check out Larry The Lobster!  My friend who owns the Taste decided she just had to have a lobster on the roof to celebrate their 40th year in business and she out did herself as always!  Even sleepy head Harrison was impressed!

We got to the track meet and unloaded our bikes.  We rode down to the meet because we had to park a little far away as we had a trailer and the lot was full.

It was hot!  The sun was out and it was 80 or so degrees.  I felt bad for the athletes but they didn't seem to mind.  Katherine ran the 100 M Dash trials and qualified for finals. She came in 7th in the 100 finals.  She had qualified for the 200 M dash and came in second in the state in that event!  She also ran in the 4 x 400 relay and her team came in 2nd in that race too.  It was exciting and fun. Here's Katherine collecting her 2nd place medal for the 200 M!

Between events, Harrison and I went on a nice bike ride down to the town and waterfront in Bath.  We came across a working museum where the volunteers were building a reproduction of "Maines First Ship".  So cool! 

In the end, the decision was easy.  I was not torn, I was certain.  Certain I'd made the right decision on what to do on that beautiful Saturday in Maine!

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