The Storm Before the Calm

This week we've had a flurry of activity.

Since I'm starting the new job next week, I've been trying to squeeze in appointments and excursions as much as humanly possible. So with dentists, doctors, car maintenance, hair cuts, and whatever else we can squeeze into one week, it's been a little nuts.

So call me surprised when my son springs on me the desire to have his annual back-to-school party tonight. Since we're also going to try and squeeze in a quick run down to Oklahoma to see my niece and great-niece coming in from Arkansas, tonight was the only available evening for him to have this fling.

The gang of five began to arrive around four-thirty today. I'd just returned from filling out all my new hire and benefits enrollment forms to face running to pick up soda and snacks and order three large pizzas.

Good thing Pizza Hut was running a special!

Since this is his annual tradition, I'd never deny him this end-of-summer ritual. But I'll be kinda glad to see the weekend end and Monday to roll around. Then I'll start my new job and he'll start school the end of next week.

Sometimes schedules can be a blessed thing. It keeps the crazy desire for sudden activities in check. Feels like the storm before the calm.

Go-go Garage Sale

Well today ended up being a busy day.

My best friend called last night and asked if I'd be able to help her out with her back-to-school garage sale today. She invited me to put some things into the sale, but I'd gotten rid of so much stuff almost two years ago when I bought my new home that all I had left was pretty much clothes.

And clothes don't typically sell well in garage sales, in my limited experience.

Before the move, I'd taken a load of things to Goodwill - cookware, dishes, unmatched bookshelves, paintings, etc. If I'd have had them in this garage sale, they'd have probably been hot items.

But all I had were a few old suits that no longer fit, some slacks, and a few blouses - nice things, but nothing of any significance. Last night I chucked them in bags in case I decided to mess with them this morning.

I almost left them home because I was running late. Boy, I'm sure glad I ended up taking them with me.

When I arrived, she already had quite a crowd going so my bags stayed put in the car. Then at the first lull, I decided to go ahead and just put them out to see if anything happened.

I'd just started hanging up a few things when several ladies came by, saw them and snatched them up. For sake of time, I just dumped the remaining bags in my chair and told them to have at the pile. It was a feeding frenzy!

So I left this evening with cash in my pocket and only a few items left from what would have been just dropped off at Goodwill. Couldn't believe my luck and how well everything sold.

Maybe we'll just have to do this again next year.

The Battle Rages

I've been thinking about the possibility of going back to school. Only problem is that I'm not so sure what I'd take up as a major.

I could do the safe thing and take a one-night-a-week business management course, but in reality I could probably teach parts of it myself.

Then there's that old dream that I started waaaay back when I originally attended college - music.

Music has been my passion and soul for as long as I can remember. There's nothing that reaches me more deeply than music - well and my Lord. Even then I can feel so much closer to Him when listening to or singing glorious music. It's as if the heavens open up my soul and I can reach and see farther and greater than I could ever on my own.

Long ago I played the piano, flute, oboe for a time, and greatly desired to learn drums and guitar. Pretty much I was good at whatever I picked up.

Not trying to brag, just stating reality for me.

So I'm faced with the problem of what I'd do with such a degree. About the only thing available around here is teaching music and I definitely don't want to do that. Nothing against crumb-crunchers, but if I taught I'd want to do it at a more serious level. Plus teaching is a poorly paid industry. Hey, my son and I have to eat too.

Then a more serious level would require even more schooling or moving and I'm not in a position to do that right now.

So I'm back to the practical purposes, which bore me to tears. I might as well wait around for my industry to come back to life again if that be the case. I've done extremely well in this field, but it isn't where my heart truly lies. In the job search, I keep coming back to this time as being an opportunity to do something new. Just can't shake that monkey.

The practical side and the dreamer side are at war at the present time. I'll be sure and let you know the outcome of the battle before the war kills me.

Winding Down The Summer

It's hard to believe my son starts back to school in two weeks. Where has the summer gone?

He's been off traveling most of Texas. Last July we attended my cousin's wedding in Houston. In April he was off to Dallas for the choir trip. June he went back to Dallas with his dad for vacation. Then July he was off to San Antonio for IYC.

I'm so glad he's had these opportunities to travel...even if they've all been to one state in the Union.

Next summer he's off to Europe for sixteen days. That's a long time to be gone. These trips have been good to help prepare him for that journey.

For now, sophomore year awaits. He's got the clothes. Today we got some supplies and a backpack. For once, I think he's actually looking forward to the start of school. This could be an incredible year for him. It seems for so long he's been swimming upstream, crashing against the currents of life. My hope is that this year will be a major turning point for him.

He's got his license. He's got the car. Now all he wants is the girl.

I think I can wait awhile for that. Maybe after next summer? Or maybe the summer after that.

Back To School Shopping

Well, it's that time of year again. We set aside time today to do my son's back to school clothes shopping. He did good!

Over the last couple of years, he's gotten into a style that is...well NO style. All he would wear was T-shirts and jeans. At least they were nice T-shirts and not a bunch of weird sayings and wicked-looking screen prints. But it just wasn't doing a whole lot for him.

So this year I set aside his allotment and told him he could buy anything he wanted as long as it wasn't T-shirts and jeans. Then I added a caveat that everything he chose had to obtain my seal of approval.

Maybe I've been watching too much "What Not To Wear" shows on TLC.

But anyway, we discussed some ideas the last few weeks and I gave him some guidelines about what would look good on his frame. He's got a very broad chest, no hips, and long skinny legs. It's been a real battle to dress him all his life.

He decided on a variety of cargo pants to compliment the jeans he already owns. Then he got this denim shirt and cuffed up the long sleeves like a jacket over a tee. It looked so awesome on him! He even found this great olive flack jacket that looks soooo cool with the cargoes. There's a variety of colored button shirts he can either wear alone or with a tee. We even found this black Calvin Klein shirt (on sale!!!) that is tailored and fits him like a glove.

Tomorrow we're going to try out a black vest that he wanted really bad but they didn't have his size at the east store. They called the west store and they're holding it for us to stop by tomorrow after church. I'm really looking forward to seeing how it looks on him tomorrow.

And miracle of miracles, he even picked out a polo shirt that he really liked. I used to dress him in cute polos when he was younger. He'd gone through a period where he refused to wear any, so I stopped buying them. It's really good to see him trying a new (old) style again, especially when he looks so nice in them.

Maybe someday I'll find a style again too.