SUMMER SCHEDULE

I can tell already that this summer is going to be different in several ways from my usual peaceful, sometimes boring, life of the other three seasons. My time is not “my own” now; I have to share it with the genius who has a different schedule – an unpredictable one! And I can see that writing the blog may be a little difficult, also; we will just have to see.

Besides having the genius at home at various times during the day, Rufus has decided that 5:30 or 6:00 is a good time to wake up each morning. I think I can solve this problem by doing what I did yesterday: stagger outside with him in tow while he does his business, feed him his breakfast, and grope my way back to bed, leaving the door ajar so that he can come back in if he desires. That way I can get an hour or two more shut-eye.

Today I was up at 6:15 with the idea of doing the same, but remembered that the “bugman cometh” this morning and I knew it was no use to even contemplate more sleep. So I arose and had coffee with the genius before he went in for his “final” workday. I put that in quotes because I know he will go in all summer for some reason or another. (When he retires for good, we will have to rent an office somewhere so he will feel like he’s still going to work --- and I will have some time to myself!)

Those who know me well know that I require a lot of time alone. Payton, our fourteen year old grandchild, is the same, spending hours by herself in her room. It’s not that I don’t enjoy other people around – I do – very much! But I also like my alone time where I can read or spend time on the computer. That’s one reason why I usually take a nap when I’m on vacation (I can see my family saying, “Uh-huh!” on that statement because I also like to nap at home.)

All of this to say that during the summers it’s not the same. The next few months are chock full of different events: cataract surgery for the genius, a trip to Toronto for him, then both of us to New Orleans with the sisters, Ashley’s visit, vacation to NC mountains with some of the family, then to Cape San Blas, FL for the genius and me and other family members if they desire, and I will finish out the summer going to San Antonio with BJ for a week. All that and I didn’t even include the overnight stay that the sisters and I will do alone next week at a Tennessee state park about an hour away, something we do every year. You would never know that gas prices are high as far as our family is concerned, the way we tool around all over the country. I guess we’ll just cut corners somewhere else.

Vive les summer!!!