Resuming Driving

 After months of waiting, today Robby resumes his extracurricular classes. To describe him as excited would be an understatement. He has his satchel packed with items that he acquired during his summer adventure in NOLA as well as the miniatures he has been making. (I can't remember the last time he packed for something in advance.) He has definitely missed his friends and his teachers.

Robby is ecstatic to be resuming his classes, but I have to admit that I'm less enthusiastic. This year his classes, which have historically all been held on Fridays, have been split between Friday and Monday. Instead of driving him to and fro once a week, this year I will drive him twice. It is going to be a lot of driving! 

I'm not looking forward to the chaos of adding another obligation to my schedule, but I am excited about the extended alone time with Robby. He talks to me when we are driving, sharing ideas and his thoughts. I know next year he will be away at school so I am going to try my best to just enjoy every drive with him. Next year my schedule will be considerably lighter and I will probably miss the hectic hustle.

Poker Face

 There is an industry conference being held this week in Indiana and many of my co-workers are in attendance. Although I miss seeing my friends at the event, I am glad to be home this year. Ever since Covid, the idea of being in a conference hall with thousands of strangers is no longer appealing. Besides, with everybody in Indianapolis, my meeting calendar is extremely light this week. I am definitely not going to look a gift horse in the mouth and I am fully enjoying the more relaxed schedule.

I am also glad to be home because I abhor a keynote speaker for the conference. This is an individual with a significant profile who I would classify as a "professional amputee." This person has made a living mocking his disability (his prerogative) while outright refusing to aid or assist the greater community in any aspect. He earns money mocking his limb loss while shunning the amputee community. I don't have respect for that. 

Several years ago, during our Not A Luxury movement, I was heavily involved in soliciting support. I know who helped and who refused. This person outright refused to learn about the issues or to send a single tweet because he had "no interest in the amputee community."  (He immediately went onto my f*ck you list.) 

No interest in helping when the industry was against the ropes, but now he is keynoting the national conference because he is being paid to be there. I call bullshit. It is better that I am home this year because my poker face stinks.

Laborless Labor Day

 Another Labor Day has come and gone. As a child I never enjoyed the holiday mainly because it heralded the beginning of a new school year. As I'm an adult I have learned to detest the holiday for the same reason. This year the kids started school two weeks before Labor Day, nullifying the association that has so long ago been established in my mind. 

After a 48 years of approaching the holiday with the Back-to-School anxiety and stress, this year I was able to actually relax on Labor Day. We slept in, lounged around the house and went out for a nice family lunch. Afterwards we all came home and watched movies for the rest of the day. It was simply too hot to go outside, especially since I didn't get a pool this year.  

With a rather enjoyable Labor Day in the books, we are beginning another week of school. Robby's enrichment classes begin this week, so this will be the first run at a new school schedule. I will be spending a lot more time driving this year, but I am trying to remind myself that I am also going to be afforded a lot of quiet and quality time with Robby. I hope to make the most of it before he leaves for school next year.