I can't believe it's already Thursday. It's so strange but I just can't get my head around it. I still feel like it's Wednesday. . .in early July. And already school is getting ready to start. I feel like that clip I saw of the Adam Sandler movie that came out this summer---Remote. I haven't seen the whole movie (it looked like a DVD rental if I ever saw one), but in this clip I caught, his remote for the Universe gets stuck in fast forward and he sees his whole life passing by. He learns this wonderful moral lesson from this I suppose. I haven't pressed any buttons I'm not supposed to or abused any power that I'm aware of, but I can't seem to find the pause anyway.

July went well. The Reunion, my wife's dramatic historical presentation, the Branson trip (which was only slightly tainted by a brief bout of food poisoning). My wife got an encore invitation of the piece she directed and they will be preforming for our little city's sesquicentinnial this month. I'm glad she got the invite. Until she got the call she was still all full of self doubt about the performance and it's merits, even after it was through and all the compliments were paid. That call has even seemed to help her with her assessment of her abilities over all. As you study a field, trying to learn how to become as adept in it as possible, a good education will tend to make you judgmental and a bit cynical about everything, including your own stuff. Sometimes especially your own stuff. It's one of the occupational hazards, and that's why so much of the bounty of the arts tends to go to the foolish, reckless or stupid. They don't know that they can't do it, so they just do. But somewhere around the bend, if your lucky, you can shed that legacy of your degree and find your muse again. And trust it. I hope that my wife is reaching that point. I hope I can follow soon after.

My life at the moment is going through whatever the opposite of the Midas touch is. I think someone should write that story. Give us a more useful metaphor. Not that I'm unhappy or in despair or anything. Just that old Murph is riding shotgun.

Take last Thurs for example. I got off with the phone to the garbage pick-up early that morning because last week we had been missed for missing our bill. After that I started off driving to work when I was pulled over by a fine member of law enforcement to get a written reminder that my tags on the car had expired. And of course, my current proof insurance was in my desk at home, I found. As I was pulling away from that delightful encounter, my "check engine" light went on--the one the book says to seek mechanical attention for as soon as possible when you see it. In the end I was able to arrive at work in time to get an email from my wife saying our telephone had been disconnected because I hadn't paid the bill. That following Saturday, after successfully paying the bill and getting our phone service restored, I showed that ol' phone company by driving a post hole digger right through the buried line. And yes, later it did start to rain (Young Frankenstien reference there).

But like I say, school is beginning this coming Monday and every year as I look at my kids during this week, they seem to pop up a year older in an instant. And this summer has seen some changes.

Robo had a really bad experience with Scouts early this summer (he was bullied by several roving bands of hooligans and boys in his troop at summer camp---his first camping trip without Dad or Grandpa). He came home and tried to be in good spirits telling me a story that he laughed at in a way that seemed forced and like the story was far funnier than it really was. After he finished he took a brief pause, looked right at me and said, trying to hold it together, "Dad, can I quit scouts?" And after a further falling out with a close scout friend, he has. I'm not one of those stiff upper lip, stick it out and be an man kind of fathers. My impression is that this world is too big and life is too short, and if something is giving you extra-curricular hardship. . .make changes.

And so he has. Even in his appearance. He cut his hair and is styling it and being very conscious of his appearance, right on schedule for middle school. He's going to drive the young girls crazy, so I've been over our No Dating Until After High School policy with him several times. It's working good for my daughter so far, I think he'll benefit as well.

My daughter, speaking of, ended her college Japanese class with very respectable marks, and a completely changed view of a possible trip. In fact, she's abandoned the thought of foreign exchange all together. She became very intimidated with the thought of learning such a hard language to the point where she could keep up in the very hard Japanese school system. So in a way, I've gained time with that decision---I get her at home for an extra year. And it seems like a whole lot of stress has melted away for her too. She gets to savor High School a little more, taking some fun classes among the required ones, and participating in more plays and musical events and things. She's very happy with the decision.

The best thing about that class was that she made friends with some college kids. And not just in that token be-nice-to-the-little-kid kind of way. In fact, she was so excited that they kept forgetting that she was 15. They'd invite her to come to do things with them and have to be reminded that she couldn't even drive yet. It'll be interesting to see how it feels to be back in class with people her own age. But then, she's never really been like people her own age.

In fact, she wrote a song the other day. Composed it out of the blue on the piano, music and lyrics. And it was wonderful. At first, like her mom, I thought it was going to be a teen-age rehash of over done emotions learned from the radio. But it wasn't--at all. The lyrics were clever and it had a catchy that I was still humming while I was brushing my teeth later that eve. She's keeping it under wraps as she polishes it so she can spring it on everyone at the school talent show at the end of the school year.

Even Leemur is looking forward to going back to school. That's a first. It'll be interesting to see how it goes for him.

So, here we go. Just remember, keep you arms and hands inside the ride at all times.