All in all, it was a much smoother and better Senior Class trip than last year's. It involved a whole lot less sleep, but the kids were very mellow, there were no incidents (major or minor), and the weather was entirely reasonable. It did rain on Friday when we were at King's Dominion in Richmond, but that was a short day. It was clear and hot on Thursday for the waterpark, and dry on Saturday for the Busch Gardens nine-hour marathon. It was cold, but as long as it was dry, I was happy. Here's a picture that sums up our day at Busch Gardens:
They won scads of these giant toys. What I really wanted, though, was a Donkey (as in Shrek), which people had won and were carrying around in various sizes. I asked one of our girls how she got hers (since I'm limited in the games I can even play) and she told me one of the boys was winning them for everyone. Long story short, he sunk a couple of baskets and won one for me too, which was very sweet of him.
The only thing that seriously marred the trip at all was that our hotel totally sucked. We've stayed there for several years; it's the only one in the area with a pool and a banquet room big enough for us, but the service is abominable and the facility, although just renovated, is worse. Just as we were checking out Sunday morning, all four elevators shut down. (I was on the fourth floor.) On Thursday, as all of us had to make the transition from waterpark to formal dinner, there was no water pressure in the building for showers. The place wasn't dirty and the people there were pleasant, but really, this is their business, after all, running a hotel. It's the only thing they have to do. They could do it right.
Last year, I was pretty ... I don't know, disturbed, I guess ... by the various reports of the seniors' sexual and other activities during prom weekend at the shore the week before the trip. Not that I think that's stopped, necessarily, but I wasn't hearing about it this year, so that was better. The only thing along these lines that I did see on the trip was that I was watching them dance one night. Holy Freaking Crap.
**Warning!** This is where I start to sound like my own grandmother.
I mean, this is not dancing. This is sex. This is people having sex on the dance floor for all to see.
**Danger passed. Cancel warning.**
Whenever I start to think like this, I remember that to every older generation, the dancing of the younger generation looks like public sex. It was thus in the fifties when rock'n'roll started up, and heavens, what did my parents' generation think of Woodstock and what went on there? I know, I know. It was just that while the kids were dancing -- the girl's back is to the boy's front, and there's a whole lot of ... grinding ... going on -- I just kept hearing my grandmother, who passed away about 25 years ago, who would say when she saw such behaviors:
"One day ... (she would smack her hands together here in a loud clap) .. they'll do it in the road! They'll be doing it right in the road!"
She really said that. It was pretty funny, as she was not generally prudish.
So I got home from the high school at 5:00 Sunday afternoon and at 5:45 K and I took off to see Harry Potter. Well, I liked it. I liked it a lot. I need to see it again many times. Since K's favorite characters in the whole series are Sirius Black and Remus Lupin, it was an excellent movie experience for her. All I can say is, she's convincing me. Enough said.
Still catching up on sleep, although I think I'm mostly caught up on diaries. While we're at it, let me just say that I'm not going to get into the whole passing of President Reagan thing, since I know there are lots of different opinions out there, except to say that the poor man and his family suffered way longer than anyone should ever have to and I'm glad for them that it's all over. As for one of America's greatest presidents, I think there are whole bunches of people out there in the media (not diary people, the media) who are suffering from extremely selective memories where the 80s are concerned, and that they have a very poor sense of what "greatest" means. As for putting his face on the ten dollar bill, as someone said at school today "And take off Alexander Hamilton? He invented the money!"
Perspective, folks, we need to keep it all in perspective.
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I'm watching Friends
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Sweet Sorrow - 06.12.2007
So ... - 12.19.2006
Christmastime Is Near - 12.18.2006
Fifteen Years - 12.17.2006
A Message From Our Sponsor - 12.16.2006
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