More proof I'll never have it all

There's always something. Whenever I get an invite or am asked to take part in something really cool, there's always something that happens that cancels those plans.

Before I start my latest sob story, a recap of how we got here:

It'll be 10 years since I moved to Jackson come April. In those 10 years, there's one event that I've never experienced: Mal's St. Paddy's Day Parade. The first few years I was here, hadn't even heard of the parade. Then when I got my job at the paper, I saw the coverage it was getting. This looked cool.

Unfortunately, for the first few years, I wasn't able to go because I worked the graveyard shift and on weekends. There's no way to make a Saturday morning-into-the-afternoon event when you've been working all night Friday and have to work Saturday night as well. At least I had the pictures to look at while I was at work those nights.

A couple of years ago, my work schedule changed from nights to afternoons and a normal M-F week. Yay! I had Saturday's free!

But that still didn't help much, since I didn't know anyone that was going to the parade. Goes back to the whole 'I never get invited to the cool things' part of my life.

So after missing last year's parade, I vow to not miss another one. This year's parade is on March 21st. Not only was I planning on going, I was invited to be part of a float. That's right. My first parade experience was going to be walking the route handing out beads.

Now for the flip side of this story. The latter part of last year, I got a letter from my fraternity chapter at MSU. It was about the upcoming reunion party. Side note: the letter mentioned another reunion party some five years ago, but I don't recall getting that invite. I did get this one, so I thought this would be great. A chance to see old friends I hadn't seen in years.

I fill out the form, mail it in with my check and then start catching up with some of my brothers, mostly through FaceBook. Most of them had also gotten the invite and were thinking of going. Then once more people got to talking about it, the more interest there was.

This was turning out great. A chance to get away for a weekend, see some old friends. Awesome.

Recently, I made sure that I had those days off from work. No problem there. Then I was told about the chance to be part of a parade float. Sweet. This was going to be cool: reunion party one weekend, parade the next.

Until I looked at the reunion letter again last night and noticed that it's on the same weekend as the parade. Are you kidding me?!?!

Just like most other days in my life, as soon as it appears I might have good things come my way, there's the unforgiving kick right to the crotch. Such is my life.