Waking up on a Sunday morning I realized something was
amiss.
First off, what the hell am I doing up on a Sunday morning? Is
it that I’m 35 and now that my “headin up the hill” years are upon me I have to
start acting this way? No. It's that my cat has been screaming into my face how
much his last clean water change at 515am wasn’t good enough and now that its 7
it needed changed yet again. I fell asleep at 3am! Son of a mother!
Second, I think long and hard and I can’t figure out if I wrote
another write up about Carly’s dancing or her teeball or which was better or
which she enjoyed better or which she remembered to so while playing or dancing………..
I dunno.
So here we are. 9 am on a Sunday. Have nothing to do till
2p, and I just ate a cucumber and celery. Breakfast of champions I’d say not. But
I’ll probably win the contest of most active audible bodily functions the rest
of the day (a contest I don’t wanna be a part of, but its better than the lactose
intolerant cheese eating Olympics, plus it’s
a chance for me to burn off my beard spontaneously)
I digress…
A few weeks ago I decided on a Saturday to fulfill my
obligation of a councle (cousin/uncle) to at least once see Carly play in her
teeball league before it was done. It was an off weekend of sorts, so I brewed
a pot and headed out. Mind you, her games start at 9:30 on a Saturday. A.M…. ç that’s American Morning,
eastern deluxe time. But since she’s getting to the age where she remembers
things for the rest of her life, I didn’t wanna have her remember me as the
drunken foole in her “I don’t remember before 5 or so” years. Heck, I don’t
wanna remember me as the drunken foole back then. Luckily I couldn’t remember
if I tried.
So when I showed up, Jon and Erin were shocked to see me,
but elated at the same time. It was a great time of watching children play the
game of baseball. There were a few good players on her team and all things
considered, I couldn’t tell you if she won or not. For the most part I was
discovering a new talent with Nicholas on the sidelines. I can draw letters
upside-down (rightside-up to him) in the dirt like Bob Ross can paint happy
little trees with ease. Who’d’ve thunk it? And when she was up to bat, guess
who she emulated in her ball location? Every hit was smacked to right center
field. Same place I always hit it to.
It was told to me later that me being at her game was the
highlight of her day. For me, that made
the Indian man’s tears over litter a real happening. Her fingerprint is on my
heart. Love is such a weak word to use in how I feel about that little girl.
Coupla weeks later it was told to me that she had another
recital at Hershey theater (see previous post about the first time I went)… so
needless to say I jumped at the chance to go. It seemed like an every 2 year
thing to me but Jon said it was annual. For whatever reason I missed last year’s
performance… I dunno… It happens.
Joe, Maryse, Manu, Uncle Pat Mac, Erin, Jmac, myself, and Erin’s
mother piled into the row awaiting the touch of brilliance we know as Carly to
hit the stage. Nick hadn’t come this time and it’s probably for the better. He couldn’t
have outdone his previous “doo doo doo, lookin’ over dad’s shoul-der”
performance, unlike his sister.
As we waited for the cerebral ballerina to make her
appearance, it was learned that another family member had his children in the
show. The doctors of Herchelroath had made it… what? I thought they lived in Iowa.
Nope. The doc had his daughter in the show and to be honest, I’m not on
facebook so she could have been a tree in the background for all I knew. I didn’t
get a chance to congratulate her, but at intermission I told her sister who was
standing with him how great of a job she did. That’s when I realized Brian had
2 kids. How’s the foot taste? Salty!
The show opened to a raucous military themed tap / stomp and
it was fantastic. Jmac pointed out a few folks, and one of the dancers stole
the entire show all night. I made the comment to him that now I understand what
the judges of a dance show was looking for. Her moves were not just hitting the
mark, but she performed the dances. PERFORMED. She didn’t just go “5,6,7,8”
like most of the dancers were doing, she felt the music and it controlled every
part of her body. She had the moves like Jagger. She was electric. And maybe
14. So to ogle on about her is kinda weird, but she was what this program was
about. I figure Carly is on her way to being like her.
Then it happened. Bright lights, big city.
Carly graced the stage with her first performance of the
evening and she was again spot-on. You could tell she was focused and determined
to get through with zero mistakes. In all honesty, once again, every move hit
every moment and as the 14 year old did, Carly felt the music. She stomped when
she had to, tapped when she had to, danced in a circle when she had to. All with
that cheeky smile that makes all the world wish they had her good looks! (and
spot-on rhythm...)
After intermission while enjoying a fresh taste of foot in
mouth disease (thanks tough actin’ tinactin for taking care of the bread in my
shoes) she was at it again. She has the ability to remember many routines now,
and it was as if she taught the moves to every beat of the music. I was on the
edge of my seat watching the wonder that was my cousin and proud isn’t even a
word I could use anymore. Admired would be better.
Odd how a 6 year old can garner the admiration of a 35 year
old. But sometimes in life it happens.
All this after playing teeball again that morning. I know
what you’re thinking but no, I slept through that one.
Speaking of...
Goodnight!!!
III
