Whew! I get tired just READING the schedule!

My husband Joe is an ambitious man.  Lucky for him, he's also a determined man, as you have to work hard if you dream big. He wanted to sing the national anthem at as many minor league ball parks as possible in one season.  That's AS MANY AS POSSIBLE IN THE WHOLE COUNTRY. That struck me as a little large, as dreams go. But it seems that he's managed to make the project real.

 I just posted the schedule on this blog (it will also be on his website, anthemtour.com) for all the games, and it still overwhelms me just to read it. As long as it will take him  to get to each of the games, a lot more time has gone into organizing all that has had to happen for this big adventure to become a reality. Actually, that goes for both of us, most of the time--I won't be there for every game, but I do get credit for being there MOST of the time.

First, he had to convince himself this was a project that could be done.  As an optimist and big thinker, he didn't have trouble with this part.  Next, he had to break the news to me.  Now, I'm not exactly a pessimist, but I do panic faster than he does about the scale of his ideas.  "Why can't we just go to Paris for your sabbatical, where you can research in libraries while I sip coffee in outdoor cafés?"  He didn't really have to explain to me that his interest in American baseball and the national anthem didn't properly intersect with European travel.  One wry look did the trick.

So my response was somewhat curt: "Send me postcards!"  Patiently, he continued to make his plans, contacting teams, asking for advice on how to make the project work from anyone who might have ideas.  I could not believe how supportive people were in wanting to help make this project come true.

Eventually, I came around to wanting to be helpful too.  The biggest factor in that decision was the purchase of an RV.  Because a friend offered us a lovely motorhome at a very reasonable price, the project now took on aspects of an extended vacation, of sorts. Slowly, I started seeing all this as a nesting project: a second home! There's decorating to be done, stuff to be bought, side trips to enjoy!

So now, finally sharing all this with you readers, it's becoming very real. VERY real. In a good way, but also with open eyes about all the times that we'll have mechanical problems with Arby, the RV. We've been warned that daily maintenance is the price for all that freedom on the road, and we're getting as prepared as we can.

And I am glad that he dreams big.