Into the Void

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

The boys' open house went fine. Minor lugged his own supplies and I took care of Minisculus'. We deposited the materials in the right desks, said 'hello' to the teachers, and filled out more forms. I also dropped off Minor's epi-pen with the school nurse. The last took the longest. I was in a long line, and at least half of us had the same plastic bag with epi pen+Bendryl+doctor's order. It was 105 degrees and the school's A/C was losing the unequal struggle with 1000+ people roaming around. There are about 700 students in the school total, and we were all supposed to do this in a 30 minute window. They literally started locking the doors and making 'last call' like announcements and kicking people out.

The boys' father's flight was cancelled so he's still in Mali and will miss the boys' first day of school (tomorrow). To say I am Very Disappointed is still an understatement. Not his fault, but the sum total of my life is STILL (literally) babysitting his dream.

Minor's first soccer game was abysmal. It was very hot and he did not shine and they lost badly. There were a couple of Frat Boy Soccer Dads, but no (as far as I could tell) Fascist Soccer Dads, so I am counting it a tentative win for me. There is one Hispanic and two Indian kids on the team, so more melanin, which is good.

I finished Death on the Riveria by John Bude [1952], the Shedunnit book club book of the month. A decent whodunnit with the first 75% a smuggling mystery. The twist at the end is not bad.

I am feeling on edge and sort of restless.

Comments

[bethctg]

I'm sorry you're having to deal with things alone. Start of the school year is a pretty bad time for it. :( I wish you all good luck with the first day.

Glad there's some melanin on the team!

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

Thank you! If I had known ahead of time their father would be missing these milestones, it would be slightly better. But he swore he'd be back for the first day of school. No matter how much I try, I still get my expectations raised when it's time for him to return and it's mostly the date being pushed back at the last moment (twice) that aggravates me.

Thank you! Their father is Rwandan and I'm white American, so the boys are mixed race. The team Minor was on for the previous two years had very little melanin and, much worse, four soccer dads who were Trump supporters, one who was pretty obnoxious, and I was the team manager (I did the paperwork, paid the refs, and kept score so I had to go to all the games) so I ended up having to wear earphones to drown out their fascist sideline chatter. It was part of the reason to move Minor down a level and to a different team. Hoping this will be a better experience. I am not involved in this new team, which is a big help, so I don't have the coach's interesting personality to navigate, too.

[bethctg]

I'm so glad none of you have to deal with those Trump supporters anymore. (At least not those *particular* ones, in that *particular* situation.) This country is a mess. :(

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

Yeah, it's a relief. But, as you say, it was that group of dads. There will be more, I'm sure.

Today there was a visiting team on another field of (what looked like) mostly Somali/Ethiopian/West African boys with similar coaches and I sort gazed wistfully at them.

[bethctg]

:( Your orange must be for wistful feelings. ♥

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

Ha, ha!

[bethctg]

I'm quirky. ;)

[smallhobbit]

I finished Death on the Riviera too - I quite enjoyed it, although I would have liked the two cases to be more intertwined. I did appreciate the twist at the end though.

[stonepicnicking_okapi]

I appreciated the change of a smuggling case focus as opposed to a straight murder. I was sort of waiting for the murder and when it came, I thought it was a bit rushed at the end.