Walking in Memphis... With 30 High School Students From Rural South Central Idaho

This is Elizabeth. When Elizabeth isn't busy with her high-altitude-mountain-disco hobby, she is the Orchestra Director/Teacher/Advisor/Mentor/Tuner/String-fixer for the school district across the river. Elizabeth has spent the last two years planning and fund-raising for an orchestra trip to Tennessee. This is Ratha, Elizabeth's handsome hubby. Ratha doesn't get to go to Tennessee because his job doesn't come with a built-in Spring Break. But don't feel too bad for Ratha. His job also doesn't come with an entire state legislature spending massive amounts of time and energy trying to figure out how to make him feel worthless and vilified. Spring Break or not, Ratha is doing pretty well.

This is Chloe, Elizabeth's bat-eared-rat-dog. Usually, when Elizabeth and Ratha leave town, I am the designated puppy-sitter.

And this is Me. And Elizabeth. And we match. On purpose. For a Relief Society mother/daughter activity (FYI, I was playing the part of "daughter", while Liz played the role of "young, trophy-wife step-mother "). Because Elizabeth's permanent roommate/travel buddy couldn't come to Tennessee, I was promoted from dog-sitter to chaperon. So now, instead of walking Chloe around on a leash for four days, begging her to piddle under trees in parks, I will be walking 30 high school kids around for four days, begging them NOT to piddle under trees in parks. That is, of course, assuming that Tennessee has laws prohibiting public piddling, which I am pretty sure they do... at least in the nicer parks.

I have never been to Tennessee before, so I am pretty excited.

I have also never chaperoned a high school trip before, so I am pretty nervous too. After all, high school means actual "kids" instead of "kidlets". Kids and kidlets are two very different species. We're talking Disney Channel vs. MTV, Justin Bieber vs. Lady Gaga, Mt. Dew vs. Red Bull.

Thankfully, these particular high school kids are from Rupert (Town Motto: It could be worse. At least we're not from Paul) , Paul (Town Motto: Proudly wearing the same styles since 1982) and Acequia (Town Motto: Now with indoor plumbing!) These kids are more CMT than MTV, and the only Red Bull they care about is the one they draw to ride in the high school rodeo tournament.

Plus, they are orchestra students, so ... well ... you know. It's not like I'm taking the football team to Vegas.

Still, I think I would be a bit less nervous if leashes were going to be involved in the chaperoning process, but Elizabeth forgot to write a leash-clause into the permission slip so cell phone checks and tape across hotel doors will have to suffice.

Next weekend, if all goes well, you will be reading about my many Memphis adventures on this blog. If all doesn't go well, you will probably be reading about my many Memphis adventures on CNN.com.

Lets all hope for the blog, shall we? Wish us luck! Tennessee here we come!