The Gatekeeper

Are you the keymaster?  I am the gatekeeper.

Last night, I worked the ticket booth for the three girl's basketball games.  (Okay, so gatekeeper sounds much more exotic than ticket booth.)

Side note.  Money is the filthiest thing in the world.  After taking single dollars from a bunch of high school kids, I am sure that I have contracted pneumo-cardio-encephaly-coccal-beubonic-ebola.  I came home last night and first thing I did was wash my hands up to the elbows.  Oh, how I wanted a bottle of antibacterial hand sanitizer.  I don't use it much because I know it's not all it's cracked up to be, but I really just wanted to bathe in it last night.

Anyway, taking tickets meant sitting at a school desk...which by the way is about as uncomfortable as it gets for seating...and watching all 3 games.  And, it was teacher appreciation night, which meant teachers in free and their families in free and while the stands had lots of folks in them, I only sold about 87 tickets. 

I was also selling t-shirts, so lots of money passed through the lock box.

Sydney's team played first and she was on fire.  She just kept sinking basket after basket and she got cockier and cockier as the evening passed.  But, I was proud of her.  She was proud, the stands were cheering her, it was a big night for the little girl.  Still had to stop her from wandering the halls and talking to "boys" and get her back in the gym to support her team.  Rob lured her back in, using a pickle instead of a carrot.

After they trampled the competition...it was truly sad, and I ended up cheering for both teams because the opposition was from out of town and didn't have many parents and they needed some clapping when they scored, I got through the junior varsity game, paying pretty close attention, and then they had favorite teacher recognition and all the girls came on the court with a fave teach.  I got to see some of Sydney's teachers.  But, it was still a long ceremony. 

Then, the varsity played and I've got to be honest.  It was my bedtime by then and during the third quarter, I just read blogs.  I was done selling tickets.  Anybody came in that late, deserved to watch the last few minutes for free.  Luckily, nobody came in, because I don't know if the coach would have agreed with me..

Because I was there with the box of cash, the police officer on duty stood next to me and several times, we talked during the game.  I pointed out Sydney, praying that he didn't know her and he did recognize her and said she was a good kid, but he didn't know her name, which by his own admission was a good thing.

When it was over, I brought Sydney home and we all had a celebratory brownie and I fell into bed and slept the night through.

Today, I'm working from home.  It's pretty much back to back conference calls and I may as well be able to do that from the comfort of my own couch, in my comfy pajamas.  Besides, I can look outside and it is a beautiful day.  Too beautiful to be stuck in an office. 

I told Sydney we'd start cooking tomorrow and she advised me she was sleeping in.  Every time she said when she'd get up, I'd move the time I was waking her back by 15 minutes.  She said 9, I said 6.  She said 9 again, I said 5:45.  She kept on.  At this point, I don't think she even gets to go to bed tonight.  She is very persistent about her sleeping in.

Of course, I'll let her.  It is the first day of Thanksgiving break for her.

Be well and have a great Tuesday.  Lane