Family Update

While there is quite a bit going on in the outside world that grabs our attention, there's also a lot happening in everyday life - at least there is in mine. That's probably a good thing, because it helps keep me grounded (and keeps my head from exploding due to too much exposure to the idiots and imbicles roaming around out there voting and reproducing).

My three kids all have birthdays between June 17 and July 1 (there must be something about football season that gets the ol' testosterone flowing...). This year there were a bunch of landmark birthdays.

My oldest son (from a previous marriage) turned 40. In a vain attempt to prove he's still spry, he and his family (wife and two kids -- my grandkids -- aged 15 and 13) hiked down to the bottom of the Grand Canyon, spent the night down there at Phantom Ranch, and hiked back up the next day. That was a week ago and he's still moaning and groaning about it. Just wait, kiddo, it gets worse...

I have two kids from my current marriage. The oldest, a boy, just turned 18. He left June 30 to work for a month straight at Laity Lodge Youth Camp, a faith-based summer camp here in Central Texas. He's gone there for the last 10 years as a camper. This year he 'gets to' go back as a staff member. The catch is that its a non-paying gig - the staff does it 'for the experience.' From where I sit it sounds like Tom Sawyer and whitewashing the fence, but it does keep him busy and out of trouble, and it is good experience, so I guess I can't complain too much.

Our daughter just turned 16. The next day she got her driver's license, and began casting coveteous glances at my SUV. It's not much - a 2006 Honda Pilot with around 200,000 miles on it (those 400 mile round trips to Laredo and back really add up). But right now a new or even gently used vehicle just isn't in the budget.

Fortunately, we've bundled her off to a couple of tennis camps* (one run by John Newcombe and one at Texas A&M ), so I get to keep my vehicle a little while longer. But soon I'll have to hand the keys over to her, and start driving our 'extra' vehicle - a 1995 Ford F-150 pickup, also with about 200k miles on it. It's my hunting truck (4x4, oversize tires, brush guard, etc.). I also use it for light hauling and towing. It's in decent shape, but I don't know how long it will last as everyday transportation, especially in light of the weekly Laredo-and-back trips. (It's so old it has a cassette player installed in the dash. I'm so old I still have a bunch of cassettes that I enjoy listening to when I drive it.)

* It's not that she's a great tennis player. She's middle-of-the-pack, but she enjoys the game and the camps. Plus it gives my wife and I some couples time. If we make it through those two weeks without killing each other our marriage will be stronger.

Next week the wife, daughter, and I am off for 6 days at a posh beach house in Punta Cana, D.R. It's not that we can afford a luxury vacation. We just happen to be friends with someone who has connections with a property investment firm that owns a few places down there. It's all about who you know...

Sand, sun, cheap rum and good cigars ... I'm looking forward to forgetting about all the nonsense going on in the world and just relaxing.

There's a lot to be said for hedonism...