This weeks thought from the pot

I'm always complaining. To the nurse that we never hear much from the offspring. I guess that's a good thing, that they are doing well and don't need the help from the old man anymore. But it kinda bothers me when a year rills around and I didn't see either one of em.  Even the phone calls are months apart. One is 2 hours away in Des Moines, the other Montgomery Alabama. Don't know how many hours that iz. Theres a couple of grandchildren, but him and his wife have split up, and their even further way, in Crawfordville Florida. Oldest is in school now. Only seen em a couple of times.

The nurse says it's a two way street. If ya wanna see the young ens, yer gonna have to drive to them. Yeah, she's right as always. But it's kinda hard when yer not retired yet, an yer still tryin to scratch out a living.

It was 2008. The boys final year in college. And he's a sports fanatic. By gosh if there was a ping pong match on TV he was watching it. And I told him. If by some miracle Iowa State makes it to a bowl game, I'll take ya to it. He he . Nothing to worry about. Iowa State had gone 2 wins and 10 losses the year before. Probably since the pigskin game was invented. My bet was safe. Couple of months later, I'm standing at the gates of Yankee Stadium, about to witness the first ever pinstripe bowl game. To bad they lost tho. And I never made that wager again.

Fast forward to yesterday. The boy calls. The nurse hands me the phone. I whisper to the nurse, "Are you sure it's him? What's his name again?" The look from the nurse wasn't a pleasant one. He invites me to go to the Alamo Bowl. No expenses paid. You'd think I'd be thrilled, but I'm not. I gotta ride in a van. With 6 of the in-laws. An we ain't got nothing in common. They are all Iowa State Allumni. And Iowa State football is their passion. Nothing ranks higher. And to sit in that van and having to listen to the singing of the Iowa State fight song all the way to San Antonio, well, I'd rather hear fingernails on a chalkboard. Just can't seem to get my self to believe it would be a good time. Part of it, is the expense of it all. The expenses are split 8 ways. The nurse gets to stay home. I'd rather use that money some other way with the son. But I don't know what.

Grin and bear it? What would you do?