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That's it. The jig is up. Summer has finally ended. Today was the first day of school for Lovely Daughter and BoyHead. LD is a freshman and BH is a Junior. My how time flies. Seems like only yesterday.... Well, anyway. I was on them all last week about going to bed at a decent hour so that the transition wouldn't be such a shock. They've been staying up til well past midnight and getting up around noon (or later) if they didn't have anything going the next day. Oh to be a teenager again... Well, anyway. I was urging them to get to bed around 11:00 p.m. and get up at a decent hour (say, before Oprah comes on). I'm just a dad. What do I know? Ten years ago I was the smartest dad in the world. Now I don't know a thing. I remember when I was a boy... Well, anyway.
Today I was vindicated. No, they couldn't get to sleep at a decent hour last night. Nerves, you know. Oh, and they had only been awake for six hours. So they got very little sleep last night. The poor little dears were very tired this morning (I hear). Alas, they couldn't even make it til dinner. Both were asleep where they sat. And what kind of a father would stoop to putting such a story on the Internet for all to see. I guess one who just doesn't know anything.
Perhaps they should go on the kitchen page. Lord knows I haven't posted too much on that page as of late. But I just couldn't bear to. These young 'uns almost seem like members of the family to me. Yummy members. Great on sandwiches or, better yet, in the lovely tomato salad. Well, here you have it. The results of my summer's work. I planted, I hoed, I sprayed, I nurtured. What do I get for it? Lovely obedient tomatoes. Actually, I had a touch of the blight this year and didn't feature as many progeny as I otherwise would have. I haven't really had too many problems until this year. So after a bit of research, it seems that I'm doing nearly everything wrong. Hey, if I can do nearly everything wrong, have a bad crop which suffers from multiple diseases and still get over 50 good-looking and exceptional tomatoes out of it then that's not half bad. Your results may vary.
Lovely Daughter and I went to the food pantry to help out with distributing food to the needy. Today LD was promoted to "interviewer". That's where she asks the clients questions to determine exactly what we need to put in their grocery bags. She liked it and, I suspect, she's good at it. The youth group at our church mans the pantry on one Saturday every other month. When it hits during the summer months, sometimes it's slim pickin's. Today there were three kids, but they were great. Helpful, friendly and all around good eggs.
Even after helping out at the pantry all morning, it was back to the grind when we got home. She still hadn't completed here weekly chores yet. Here is LD in "Chore Mode". Don't get in her way or you're likely to get dusted or sprayed.
I took Friday off, so Lovely Wife and I decided to go to the zoo. I've never been to the St. Louis Zoo before, but it's a great zoo. Free too. The weather was perfectly conducive to zoo strolling. Partly cloudy. Low 70's. Slight breeze. Also good for keeping odiferous zoo smells to a minimum. Check out the slide show below (click the right arrow at the bottom to see the next picture):
After a full zoo day (and about 10 miles of walking) we went out for a quick dinner and then it was time for the Muny. This was the last Muny performance of this, their 86th season and it was (for me) be best of the year. First off, the weather was excellent. Sweater weather--very odd for mid August. The show was wonderful--42nd Street. Costumes, sets, choreography were all good. The music was great--there is an orchestra in a pit, you know. Most musicians I know should be kept in a pit. Anyway, long day. Home late. See ya.
Well, not the "real" season. Just the "fake four-game exhibition" season where the object is to not get hurt and make money through ticket sales. But why be cynical? BoyHead and I are very excited about the awe and wonder of the new football season. It is truly a magical time of year. The hope and promise of the new season, which we've been anticipating since January, is finally upon us. The first exhibition game was last night against Da Bears. The final score? Who cares, it's pre-season. But we lost. But who cares.
One great thing about the games are the masses of humanity. What a bunch of freaks. Some good looking women too. And freaks. Two guys in front of us have large multicolor afro wigs, painted faces and matching jerseys with "Short Bus" written on the back. Others are trying to start a new trend. Green Bay has its "CheeseHeads", but there are a few who are trying to start "RavioliHeads" here in Saint Louie. I don't think it will take hold, though. Scariest of all, though, is the dude on the right. Yeah, it's fun to see him at the game, but would you really want to know him in "real life"?
Nearly 19 years ago she was just a tiny little thing. But, in the blink of an eye, she has become a grown woman. She just graduated HS and is off to Genius U. in the Fall. Congrats big A, we love you.
It's official! L.D.'s a cheerleader. Since the proposition for the tax levy passed, they will not be cutting out the freshman cheerleaders. Yeah, they're gonna teach math now too. And science. She just brought home her uniform today. Isn't she a doll. I'll be sure to take lots of pictures of her cheering at the games this fall. Go Indians!!!
BoyHead and I have been playing quite a bit of tennis lately. We're fairly evenly matched (although I beat him today 6-1, 6-2). Hey, anyone can have a bad day. Seems like he trounced me fairly robustly in the past couple of days--although I can't seem to recall the details. Anyway, we've been having lots of fun with it and we're getting better by the week. After the game we head to the store to get Slurpees. It's a tradition.