The End of an Era

Today, I got a letter in the mail.

It was from the Pipe Major of the Grand Rapids and District Pipe Band, sent special delivery, which piqued my interest...so I opened it.

What a surprise!

It's like they read my mind!

I've considered resignation, but felt that they needed me, more than I needed them, but in any case, I stayed on hoping that some "new blood" would come along that I could spend time with, teaching--so that they could take my place--indeed, I never intended the post to last THIS long.

But after two years of working my collective off, they sent me a letter of dismissal from the band. I'm sure that they struggled with the decision, because to dismiss me, means that they lose their entire side drummer line--because Ray and my son both ride with me...if I don't go, then they don't go. Simple as that, really.

Apparently, they didn't care one way or the other. That hurt my feelings, but otherwise I'm pretty okay with it. I'll miss the friendships I thought I had and apparently didn't--after all, how can you miss something you never really had? I'll miss the practices and the times afterward at battalion. I feel shorted for all my effort, but perhaps they've got a better idea that they think will work, and simply leave me in the dust.

It's hard when people betray your trust that way.

It will probably take me a while to get over the lies and deceipt. I no longer have to make this huge trip every weekend to a practice to listen to someone tell me why the drum corps can't make this or that change. I don't have to play footsie with the devil anymore.

In short, a certain amount of weight has been removed, and my weekends are free once again. I hope they find what they are seeking. Maybe someday, I'll get over this betrayal thing.

Ah, if only that were possible.

Not much knitting today, as I was once again very busy just taking care of life. It started this morning when the alarm went off at 5:30AM. I was supposed to rise and shine, but thought I would rest, just a few minutes more.

At 5:45am, my husband walks into the bedroom and announces that I have to get up and take him to work because he conveniently (well, not so conveniently for me) went off the road and into the ditch on his way to meet his vanpool.

So I got up, got dressed, drove him an hour to work, drove home, called a wrecker to extricate his car from the ditch, ran his car over to the vanpool so he could get home, got into my car and headed home to get ready for work.

All that, by 10AM.

I got home, showered, let the dog out, fed the dog, got in the car, took the towing bill to the insurance agency, stopped at Walmart for a Valentine's present for my hubby (he likes Chocolate Covered Turtles), then drove to my parking spot and walked 4 blocks to the office in slick ice/salt mixture.

I got there by 12:30PM.

I worked until 6, with no breaks or lunch. On the way home, my hubby calls and asks me to pick up something from McDonald's, and since I still had about $20 from the money he gave me for the towing, I did.

I got home and found the letter.

I got my gear together, took the patches off my shirt, I have yet to get my cap badge off my glen gerry....but basically, it's all there. Ready to go back to Grand Rapids from whence it came.

Like I said...it's the end of an Era. This time, the betrayal is just too much.