[pfreivald]

I wish they'd get rid of the withholding allowance altogether. Seriously. In a town as small as mine, finding mentors is difficult, and mentors with kids are almost nonexistent.

I love the competitive aspect of FIRST -- you not only have to build a robot to complete tasks, you have to build it to complete tasks better than everyone else's robots. I love the hard work and the long nights and the drive to always be better than you've been in the past--in design, in build, in fundraising... I love the drive and commitment and...

I have a wife I didn't see for eleven days straight (including Valentine's day). I skipped a nephew's birthday party pre-ship, and because we can withhold, on Saturday I will be missing his going-away party before he ships out for the Navy. One of my good friends is also shipping out (Marines), and I'm going to miss his send-off, too.

FIRST asks a lot from its mentors, and it seems that every year, that amount only ever gets bigger. Maybe it's because of my particular situation--tiny town (3,000 people), tiny school (~750 students K-12), geographic isolation (Southern Tier, with lakes and impassable hills separating most towns)--but a whole crapton of stuff falls on my shoulders, and finding others to share the load is very, very difficult.

I'm not complaining -- like I said, I love it. But if they eliminated Stop Build Day, I'd almost definitely quit.