July 23, 2013: Erin Andrews; a Good Pool Day

A surprise guest at Shadow Ridge Pool

I blogged yesterday about my favorite summer of public pools. I think Ben may differ in his opinion. Although I know he enjoyed our public pool adventures, his preteen summers at Shadow Ridge Country Club rank high on his list.

We belonged for two summers when Ben was eleven and twelve. His posse of close friends belonged as well. It was a far cry from our summer of playing with random friends at random pools. This was more like an exclusive boys club. They ran in a pack with many in his clan living just blocks away.

For us, it was not a walk. We lived a couple of miles away. Thus Ben's excuse to frequently leave the confines of the pool and run wild through the Shadow Ridge neighborhood. Ben & Co. would start at the pool at opening with many days ending into the night. What happened in between will probably remain one of life's greatest mysteries.

On one particular occasion, I had left the pool with Grant; having enough fun in the sun for a day. Ben was busy showing off on the diving boards with his buds. With his having no interest in calling it a day, I relented and agreed to come back to pick Ben up.

When I arrived at our agreed pick-up time, Ben was nowhere to be found. After an hour of scouring the neighborhood and knocking on doors with no resulting child, I started to panic. I decided to talk to the teenage staff at Shadow and ask when they last saw my wayward child. As I walked up to the lifeguard stand, I heard Ben's distinctive laugh. He was hanging out with the teenage female lifeguards in their inside designated lounge area. Note: designated for lifeguards, not boys.

As I collected Ben, he went on to tell me that he and a couple of buddies had befriended the lifeguards. They were considered "one of them". So they hung out in the lifeguard lounge because they were invited to hang out. Of course. What was I thinking?

The photo above was taken of Ben and his friend, Sam, with Erin Andrews. Yes, the sportscaster and celebrity, Erin Andrews. I received this text picture at work. Ben was spending his typical summer afternoon at the pool with all friends and no mom.

Erin was taking an afternoon to relax in between games at the College World Series. Ben and Sam welcomed her into their pool and asked for a picture as any preteen boy would. Who knows, maybe she got an invitation into the lifeguard lounge too.