Last week was quite a week. I mean, nothing was super extraordinarily crazy aside from the massive balance decrease from our savings thanks to our sparkling new roof, but it just felt like a bit of a high-level post-holiday re-entry...to the point I can't believe Thanksgiving was only a week and a half ago, which almost never feels that way.
As I mentioned, Monday was the day we got our new roof. We had to be out of our driveway by 7am, and they were casing the joint and almost immediately on the roof by about 7:30. The noise even at that point was unnerving and while normally I'd want to stick around for any massive house work, this time I couldn't wait to leave because it was driving my anxiety through the roof--no pun intended. By the time I figured out how to get out of the house and to my car because of the massive tarp, probably a little after 8am, this was the view. They were already scraping things down.
They had a running photo website throughout the day so we could keep up with the progress, literally from up on the roof. The leak in our garage (the main thing that made us get it done--although a slight dip on the left side above the kitchen was concerning, too, but apparently that was nothing?) ended up being a pretty sizable hole. They had to replace plywood along all of the edges front and back (darn you, ice dams), in the crevices on either side of the peak, and a good portion around the damage above the garage. I don't think anything ended up unexpected, so I guess that's good. They were cleaning up well into darkness that night, but it got done in one day. Now we just hope it's flawless, right? I don't have an after picture because we spent most of the week with snow on the roof and I keep forgetting to take a picture after my walks (finally back to a couple this week now that the snow is gone and the temperature rose a bit). So, lots of money gone, but hopefully we'll be good for a long time now.
Wednesday was Jacob's first basketball game of the season. We were very nervous because of his bum shin, and I sat there thinking I might not be able to watch him with any degree of sanity this season if there was any chance of it getting worse. I was a bundle of nerves most of the game--and it didn't help when one of their opponents went down with what appeared to be a major injury. We thought maybe it was an Achilles injury but it sounds like a broken ankle. Ugh, what a horrible way to start the season. It just broke my heart. It's so scary sometimes.
As expected, Jacob's team is not very good. It became apparent very quickly that the bulk of their scoring is Jacob and the one other returning starter, Joe. Most of the rest of the team were either last year's benchwarmers or JV call-ups, and there just isn't much scoring there, or really any basketball sense at all. One kid has emerged as a decent third guy, but Craig estimates they're missing about 10-15 points compared to what they were averaging from the starters last year. The defense just isn't there either, and we're thinking at the moment that they might not win a single game--especially since their usual "sure-thing" team just beat the team they lost to in the first game. Yikes. Jacob had a rough first half in the first game, but ended with 16. I will say, it was so cool to see him as a captain talking to the refs before the game.
Game #2 was Friday as a part of the same tournament they played in the same weekend last year. They got soundly destroyed in that one, and Jacob had 14 points. He seems a bit hot and cold in general right now, most of which is probably his shin and not having played in games for a while, but made worse by being one of only two people worth covering. He was heavily face-guarded in his first couple games, but even when he was open he wasn't getting passed to as much as he probably should. None of the other three guys (no matter who else is out there) can really ball-handle very well, so it's always a risk to not be selfish. It's pretty unfortunate, actually, because there's a fine line between being the clear best choice and looking selfish, especially if you miss shots you'd normally hit, so it opens the scorers up to a lot of criticism no matter what they do.
Friday was also Craig's birthday. He was busy all day with running Jacob around to appointments (as usual), as well as it being the day before a Knighthawks game. We picked up dinner after Jacob's game and then gave him his presents - a cute Snoopy Squishmallow with a puffy winter coat (Carter's choice), a box of Dots, and an IOU offer to buy him a new wallet of his choice since his is falling apart. I also managed to make him a cookie cake while I was home during the day, even though I did have to get frosting at the last minute, which meant we got to the game just in time.
Jacob's third game on Saturday ended up being winnable, but somehow they just let it slip away. He ended up with 23 points, which was really impressive considering he couldn't hit a three to save his life for most of the first half. But he made a nice comeback, had a bunch of foul shots, and did what he could. It was a disappointing loss, though.
Aside from all the sports, we didn't have a lot of other plans, but the weekend ended up a bit more complicated because Jacob decided sometime on Friday that he wants to get his bone cyst plate out now. Originally the plan was to do it immediately after the season and recover in time for the peak of his travel season. But between the pain (which isn't necessarily worse due to games but is annoying and limiting nonetheless), the importance of the travel season for recruiting, and his team being absolutely terrible and moving in a direction he doesn't love (on and off the court), I think he just decided that it wasn't worth waiting and he'd rather get to his fresh start now. He did waffle a bit mid-weekend, maybe not coincidentally after a talk with his old coach. Then he started thinking maybe he could keep playing, work on strengthening the muscles around it (assuming he could deal with the pain to make that happen--but it turns out his trainer doesn't think it would be possible), and still make it back for most of the travel season. But the more we talk to people and consider the mental toll, it probably is best to just do it now. And selfishly, it will cost way less right now than in will in a new insurance year.
Obviously it impacts his team badly, although I guess it will be an interesting taste of reality for all the teammates who think he's a ball hog or insist that they're just as good. I guess we'll see how they do--maybe this will bond them and force them to step up and work better together. I feel bad for the one returning starter since he's a senior, and my heart's a little broken for Jacob to miss most of the season, but this has taken such a mental and physical toll on him that I think it's important to help him move forward as soon as possible. Even if it doesn't work as expected, it's one less thing to have on the list and will hopefully narrow down any further treatments. He's frustrated not playing at his peak and being in near-constant pain, and none of that is good for him. I'm hoping that removing one element of stress will lighten that load a bit and help his other ongoing issues, too. It's nervewracking for sure, even though he's been through anesthesia multiple times. The risk of complications is always there. It seems like such a big step, but he's been struggling for so long, and so many things seem to indicate that now is the right time, so we need to move forward.
So, that is scheduled to happen next week. Yeah, I know...fast. Part of me has definitely had to mourn the loss of this season. He's taken off so much time since the summer and it felt like so long since I had seen him play. I was really looking forward to this season, even if it was with a boatload of nerves and caution. Basketball gets me through winter so much easier, so the thought of not having games to look forward to (at least not in the same way) is a bummer. He might try to be a player-coach on the bench if possible, so we'll likely still go to at least some games. I'll go if Craig is out of town since Jacob might need a ride, and if it's a school or game that intrigues me in some way, or I just want something to do for the evening, I'm still fine going. It's just when it might be inconvenient that it gives me some added flexibility. It'll be hard not seeing him out there, but I still want to support the team. But it already felt a bit heartbreaking to watch him this weekend, knowing it was the beginning of the end.
Speaking of which, this brings up a whole other element for consideration. If he's not playing for this team, at what point do we think about transferring him this year? I mean, that's the goal for next year, and it's definitely not worth staying at this school just for the academics, so if we ever figure out where he can go for next year, it might make sense to make that switch sooner rather than later, if it helps us avoid any weirdness or penalties next year. There's still a lot that might have to happen or would need to evolve to make that a bit more doable, but it's back on the radar. Craig has a couple thoughts up his sleeve, but we still have a long way to go for any of that to come to fruition. We need a solution soon, though.
So, we have two games left before the big day. We're hoping he can rack up a few more points--his goal has always been 1,000, so missing most of a season makes that a little harder--and help his team to an elusive first win. Keep him (and us) in your prayers--it's been a long hard road and I'm truly hoping this is the route to an easier one.
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