Albu-Quickie

Happy Labor Day.

Yeah, I know I'm a might early but I have a busy weekend. You see half the Erwin clan is headed to Albuquerque, New Mexico for some exciting U10 soccer action while the remainder of the family is staying home.

I can only hope this trip to The Q leads to me getting more sleep than the last time I was there ...

Taking One For The Team*

Last night me, my wife, our two boys 4 and 6, and the 13 year old daughter of some friends girl stayed in room 220 of the Old Town EconoLodge here in Albuquerque. An ex-cheerleader with singing ambitions occupied room 219.

You know that song Rehab by Amy Winehouse the one where she sings No, No, No over and over? Well the gal in room 219 had the lyrics all wrong. She sang Yes, Yes, Yes for half the night and let me be the first to say Simon Cowell would never let her go to Hollywood because not only did she struggle to hold a key but sometimes she sang loud and at other times her vocals sounded more like a moan.

And then she would fall back into her cheerleader routine. Urge the home team on to victory.
And let me tell you that cheerleader's room was furnished different than ours. I mean our room just had your standard everyday clock radio but I guess her room had a deluxe jumbo model because all night long that cheerleader raved about the BIG CLOCK. Why every few minutes she shouted to whoever was staying there with her to give her that BIG CLOCK.

This went on for a good long while before Jennifer nudged me. "Wake up," she whispered.
"I've been awake." I answered. "How could I not be?"
"They are going to wake up the kids,you should do something," my wife said.

"What do you want me to do," I whispered back. "I don't think he needs any help. Besides," I said. "As the cheerleaders rah rahs reached a fever pitch, "They are winding it up."

Truth is I'd been contemplating intervening. I thought about banging on the wall but figured that would wake the kids up even faster. ass would exiting the room to pound on their door. The front desk was an option, but truthfully I was taken aback by the duration of the cheering session. Their stamina was down right impressive

The ol' boy finally scored and boy you should have heard that cheerleader shout.

My kids were too young to know what was going on but I hoped that our friends daughter had slept through the ruckus. That hope died when morning finally dawned and I asked her how she slept. the sudden discoloration of her cheeks told me she'd been privy to the impromptu game in the room next door.

Of course I had my own fun that morning as we packed. I guess it was the lack of sleep that made me clumsy but for some reason I couldn't stop accidentally banging the wall between the two rooms. Once I even got confused and knocked on the wrong door. Yeah I was probably just tired, but then again, it could have been CLOCK ENVY. 

*A version of this post originally ran here on this blog on August 25th 2007.