Some Clarification May Be Needed

Okay, so I don't hate 'Topeka'. I am always, every year, without fail, frustrated beyond belief at the annual regatta held in Topeka.

They try to do too much which means that they run behind.

They try to do it with too much fan fare which means that while we are running behind they want to have a flag ceremony and need two rowers from each team to hold oars and make a path.

They have officials who have never rowed before so while they are running behind and trying to have a silly flag ceremony the officials who don't understand what it takes to get the boats where they need to be start yelling at the kids.

The lake is VERY susceptible to even the slightest breeze (in Kansas in the spring where the wind ALWAYS blows) so while they are running behind and trying to have a silly flag ceremony and the crappy officials are yelling at the kids who are doing everything they can to get their boats where they need to be the waves on the lake become big and scary.

They think that since this is a "Championship Regatta" (only because they named it so) they should have a hour long medals ceremony. So after a day that has run too long, where they did very little to get the schedule back on time, where my kids come off the water in tears because some 50 year old man thought it might be helpful to scream at a 15 year old girl, they want us to stand around and listen to their stupid jokes when all we want are the medals our kids won and to get the HECK out of there.

The ONLY reason we go is because it's close.

On a side note the highlight of my weekend was my 83 year old uncle Warren coming to the lake with Mean Uncle Denny, Big Daddy Kris, and my little cousins Kristin and Ethan. My family has put up with my rowing habit for years. They listen when I talk about my kids and ask how our competitions went but they don't come watch very often. It's nice to have them see what I do and who my kids are.
MUD come every year. Every year....