8 months down, 4 to go....

I feel like I need to kick things off by sharing a disclaimer for the following ramble through my stream of consciousness: I’ve noticed that my brain just doesn’t have the capacity these days for anything fancy, like a prettily-phrased “introduction” or a coherent “story structure” (because TWENTY TWENTY). Therefore what you’re gonna get basically amounts to a mental file cleanout containing the latest batch of…recent stuff that’s happened…with lots of love from my little pandemically isolated island to yours. (There, you’ve been warned…here we goooooo!)

So we’re a couple of weeks into the Fall semester’s version of what school will look like, and so far things seem to be chugging along pretty well. Derek took himself back to South Carolina to attend classes--even though his are all happening online, at least he gets to catch up with his friends and enjoy the university’s amenities…until the campus shuts down, anyway.

This was also the first time he’d driven himself down in August, which I’ve gotta admit was a little weird…for his mother. But he IS a Junior this year, so it seemed like a fine time to let him take care of his own business…stocking his apartment, ordering his books…and also hopefully continuing to exhibit the safe and responsible public health behavior that became somewhat second nature during his quarantined time in Casa WestEnders. (Fingers. Crossed…)

Meanwhile in the K-12 department, Riley met with his teachers in cyberland, got a taste of how his virtual AP courses are going to proceed, and figured out the “asynchronous learning” piece that is supposed to hold everything together (Incidentally, I adore that term: a multisyllabic, nerdy way of saying “time you’re supposed to spend on assignments while not physically logged into an official instructional session”. Wait a second…my explanation was even more complicated, wasn’t it? No wonder it resonates with me…) 

Honestly, his Senior year somewhat resembles college, if you think about it: Monday and Thursday he has 4 subjects, with a mixture of in-person and on-your-own format, from 9-3:45. Then Tuesday and Friday he does the same thing with his other 2 classes, but is finished by noon. And Wednesday is reserved for whatever else you need to get done, be it reading, homework, reviewing materials your teachers have sent, studying, organizing…napping…bingeing SportsCenter…(Hey, checking in with one’s mental health totally counts as a valid educational exercise these days, amiright?) 

In the midst of all this, his birthday also rolled around—which of course in Coronatimes meant a very different kind of celebration than usual. First of all, since it happened to fall on that free-form Wednesday I mentioned before, he…took himself to get an overdue haircut. Which I guess was rewarding in its own way, like “I’m old enough to drive myself to Great Clips, tell them what I want, and pay for it, independent of parental involvement?” Eh, he seemed pleased enough with the experience, so let’s just go with that…

Also on the anniversary of his birth, he got…cards. Now, if this seems lame, keep in mind that once Riley plows full-speed-ahead into what we call his “academic mode”, all of his time and attention is laser-focused on scholarly pursuits, and he prefers to confine, let’s say “recreational activities” to the weekends. Thus we were utterly unable to get him to formulate clear directives on such topics as “What would you like for a present?” or “What can we make you for your special dinner, or dessert?” The best he could do was “I’ll think about it on Saturday, okay?”

He’s also difficult to buy gifts for, in general, but fortunately I did have a brainstorm: I suggested that we set up an appointment at our local Fleet Feet store for one of their custom foot scans, after which I’d purchase him some fresh running sneakers based on the analysis and their recommendations.

He agreed that this sounded perfect, so we visited our favorite shoe specialists and found out that…his feet are very similar to mine (super-high arches being the predominant feature). Not surprisingly, then, he preferred a squishy sole (just like yours truly)…and also ended up with the same inserts I use, to provide extra stability and support. And as a bonus treat (mostly for me, the person who’d be shelling out the moolah for the swanky new gear), we discovered that they offer a 20% discount to student athletes who participate on their school’s cross-country team…yaaayyyy!

Finally, because he was in a relaxed leisure-time state of mind, I even got him to consider getting takeout for a belated bday dinner. He sheepishly admitted that he was in the mood for Chipotle--which is one of the standard go-to establishments that we patronize on a frequent basis. I think he might have been afraid I was, I don’t know, tired of eating the same delicious salad that I always get? But I’m NEVER going to turn down a chance to have yummy food that’s been prepared by someone else, so…burritos and ensalada, FTW! 

That’s about it…a pretty quiet end of August, all-in-all. Looking forward to the Labor Day hiatus, and Summer weather lightening up a little bit, maybe? C’mon, how are we supposed to enjoy pumpkin spice…everything…if it’s still hot and muggy? Sure, I CAN do iced coffee with Fall flavors in a pinch, but there’s just something a little bit wrong with that. So, to what deity do I owe a sacrifice, to speed up the delivery of some cooler temps, crisper air, and Autumn vibes…’cuz I’ll be ALL OVER IT, folks!

Some things change, while others stay the same...

Ah, do you hear that, friends? Those are the last sparkling notes of Summer 2020, lightly wafting away on the muggy August breeze. With the college kid having left yesterday, to at least begin his Junior year on campus...ish...and the High Schooler settling into his self-appointed "home office" this morning for the orientation phase of his remote-learning-style 12th grade setup, the hiatus has officially ended. And you know what? Part of me just wants to say "good riddance" to a season that was characterized by continued pandemic worries and restrictions, canceled vacations, and a generally depressing lack of, you know, "fun". 

Don't get me wrong, there are some things I remain grateful for--regardless of Rona, the ultra-rude visitor who Just. Won't. Go the Hell. AWAY. For example, although I totally sympathize with how much it sucks to lose some of his college experience, I treasured having Derek back at Casa WestEnders for an extended period. Not only did it take a load off my mind to know that he was safe, it was also just nice to be able to chat with him every day about…stuff. Such as the fact that I sold him on reading one of my absolute all-time favorite series of books after his semester ended and he had abundant free time to devote to leisure pursuits. Well, imagine my gratification when he ended up loving it as much as I do, and we were able to discuss it as he made his way through the 6 novels—it was like having our own little Book Club. (Yep, proud members of the Nerd Herd! Also apple/tree…whatever….)

It could also be considered a silver lining of the global…situation…that the reunited Goofball Brothers got to spend some bonus quality time together, hanging out, chilling, watching sporting events, and generally being the amusing, smart-aleck duo that they tend to be when in each other’s company. Honestly, with Derek being here for about an extra 2 months, adding his unique touch to the daily antics, having 4 people in the house kind of became…normal…again. Which is why--even though this is what should happen—saying goodbye again is leaving me a bit melancholy. (Ooh, wait a second…I know how to fix that! I’ll just focus on how much less food I’m going to have to buy for a while! Yes--feeling better already…)

One additional factor that’s probably affecting my perspective on his departure: this marks the first time I won’t be accompanying him back to SC for move-in day. With a vehicle at his disposal, and returning to the same apartment complex he lived in during the previous academic year, he just…doesn’t need me to tag along anymore. And seriously, I’m fine with that because he’s technically an adult and can handle this himself, blah blah blah…but that doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy the shared road trip, or the inevitable shopping for supplies when we arrive, etc. Eh, I guess I’ll just have to resign myself to having a one-time reprieve, because next year it’ll be Riley’s turn! (Ay yi yi…)

For now we’ll just have to wait and see how long he’s able to stick around the university, with all (or most? some? who really knows….) of the students returning from places far and wide. He’s living a few miles from campus, and his courses were converted to online format, therefore his risk theoretically should be minimal. As for the other 27,000 kids in the petri dish? Siiighhhh…fingers crossed, y’all!

Meanwhile there’s Riley, who informed his beloved sibling that pretty much the moment Derek pulls out of the driveway, he’ll be taking over his bedroom for a workspace. You see, apparently Riley can’t focus on schoolwork in his own room, and he uses the back porch for downtime relaxation…so he determined that he needed an alternative spot to log into his video meetings, self-guided modules, and training sessions, and to grind out his assignments. As usual, he took care of these arrangements independently…including electronically signing (for me) some sort of digital permission slip related to the new technology he’ll be (taking himself to) pick up on Wednesday. (Shhh! Don’t tell!) Alrighty, then…the WFH crew seems to be managing swimmingly!

At least we did succeed in cobbling together one more…family activity of a sort…before everyone had to get back to their more business-like endeavors. First I floated the notion of another field trip--which met with, shall we say, a tepid response. Derek’s only comment when I asked the clan what they might like to do was an instantaneous, fervent, “Nothing educational!” We thought about hiking again, but were stymied by Riley’s loaded cross-country workout schedule, and the fear that on a weekend, the more popular trails—and their parking spaces--might be overrun with other like-minded nature lovers. Besides, for whatever reason Riley, particularly, seemed unenthused by the prospect of actually traveling someplace. So when he proposed that we simply find a movie to watch, we all latched onto the idea, and gave his plan our stamp of approval.

Of course, that turned out to be the easy part. Next we had to actually agree on a film, which proved ridiculously challenging (especially given the sheer number of nonsensical suggestions thrown out by the Peanut Gallery…bless their little pea pickin’ hearts). After an absurd amount of debate, we selected Men in Black International (because aliens, cool sci-fi toys, and action, I guess? Ahem…and Chris Hemsworth. Just sayin’…). Then we added pizza for the guys, and because I was determined to replicate as authentic a theater atmosphere as possible, even whilst lounging in my living room…popcorn, soda, and M&Ms for me. (Dinner. Of. Champions. Amiright?)

Anyway, the cinematic choice was…let’s call it silly-but-adequately-entertaining, and we all savored our culinary treats while participating in the final episode of wholesome Team WestEnders bonding for this Summer. And with that, we move onward, toward Fall, with wishes for a well-deserved respite from things that have been plaguing us for too long—like oppressive humidity, killer viruses…and the outrageously dangerous, corrupt administration currently occupying Washington, D.C. Signing off and looking hopefully ahead for more temperate weather, a healthier world, and more competent and honest leaders…SOON!

Mid-August musings...

Comin' at ya this week from the magical land we like to call...Extended Phase II! (And can I just add, the fact that everyone automatically knows what that means kind of sums up the state of the planet right now, yeah? Siiiighhh…) While the governor's announcement certainly came as no surprise--and once again felt like exactly the right call--it goes to show that some things haven't changed much lately. However, we do fortunately have a few updates and anecdotes to break up the late-Summer doldrums...

Speaking of which, we've arrived at that inevitable point in the season where a number of predictable things tend to occur….such as the fact that I, for one, am thoroughly OVER the double-H'd-sword of heat and humidity, and ready for the weather to take a turn. Alas, I also know that this won't happen for at least another month, so we must carry on...with the sweating....and whatnot. Also, Riley seems to have secured his membership in the elite Boredom Club (founding member: yours truly) in recent days. How do I know this? He came to me and asked, "Do you have any errands you need run? Because I NEED to get out of the house!" That's right, the nearly-17-year-old offered to complete my To Do List for me, just for the sake of driving somewhere. But hey, fighting tedium by making himself useful? I can absolutely get behind that!

 

However, both he and Derek reached milestones of a sort this week, as they marked their last days (or nights, as it were) of work. For Derek, who spent the past several months toiling away on a 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. shift--or 3, or 4, depending on how late they kept him--this means a bit of a break to get his body clock and daily routine back to a reasonable facsimile of normal, before he ships off to SC for the Fall semester (more on that in a moment). And with his Senior year approaching, Riley decided to end his tenure at the grocery store to focus on his studies, at least for the beginning of the academic term, until he adjusts to his new 5-AP course load, and submits all his college applications. (Stay tuned: we'll revisit that shortly as well.)

So, now that we’ve arrived at the topic of learning and whatnot, I had Derek do one final check of his classes before I settled his tuition bill, just to see if anything had changed since the last time we took a peek. And whaddya know…his entire schedule had formally been converted to “online”. While we’re not entirely certain how this is going to play out, I do hope they have additional in-person support for some of the more challenging material…like the second level of Organic Chemistry that he’s required to take (after barely skating by Orgo I, using that handy Pass/Fail lifeline to smooth over his less-than-desirable letter grade.)

While it would theoretically be possible for him to remain at home during all this, he’s understandably itching to go back, see his friends, hang out on campus, and resume whatever kind of collegiate life is available to him…for as long as it lasts. Besides, we’re locked into a lease on his off-campus apartment anyway, and have to pay rent, so he might as well spend some time there, right? Hopefully the habits that have been instilled in him during his months in Casa WestEnders (masks! hand washing! sanitizer! 6 feet!) will prove deeply ingrained enough to survive a return to the potential chaos of a large university (fingers definitely crossed).

Riley will also be carrying on with the working-from-his-bedroom phenomenon for the foreseeable future. Tomorrow he’ll be able to log on to his student account and see what his daily agenda will look like for the year. Then next Wednesday we have an assigned time to show up at a drive-through pick up/drop off situation, where he’ll exchange the Chromebook he used last year for a shiny new flip/touch/tablet…thingie….and a mobile hotspot. Y’all…they are SERIOUS about trying to make this successful. (I mean, my favorite part was that even preschoolers will be issued IPADS. What. The. What? Brave new world, I guess…) 

Meanwhile he’s plugging away at his Common/Coalition App essays, as well as each institution’s unique requirements, and occasionally wandering by to consult with me when he can’t quite decide how he wants to address one of the writing prompts. (Naturally, I super-love these impromptu editorial meetings. I look forward to the point when he’s ready to have me do a read-through for more substantive improvements. It just…warms my little nerdy heart…)

Then on a purely recreational note, I was able to get together with some bootcamp buddies for a socially distanced paddleboarding trip, thanks to one of our intrepid organizers who took it upon herself to arrange the outing. Unlike last year, when we traveled to a nearby lake, this time we tried a river setting. I actually found that I liked it better, with the surface being smooth and calm due to the absence of motorboats whizzing by at frequent intervals! And having attempted this activity once before, I felt steadier and more comfortable on the board this time, making for an entirely pleasant float down the lazy waterway.

We paddled, we sat down and chatted, we breathed in the fresh air and admired the lovely landscape—it was an altogether delightful foray into the mystical realm of…Saxapahaw. (I couldn’t resist throwing that in there; it’s such a blast to say!) Afterwards—having earned ourselves a whole bunch of calories with our wet workout--we congregated at a local eatery called The Eddy, for a delectable brunch. Awesome exercise AND a yummy meal? Yep, that’s a Win/Win! 

Finally, you might recall that Derek and I launched an ambitious Disney/Pixar film campaign in 2019, during which we viewed 19 movies in total, either first time experiences or favorites revisited. Well, given how much we enjoyed that…and also the amount of free time we’ve had on our hands…we decided on a different “project” in 2020. This one involved identifying just a handful of what Derek considers the “top tier” flicks from OTHER studios (primarily Dreamworks), and also plowing through some of the recent offerings in the Marvel Universe one more time.

Thus we spent some entertaining Saturday nights with such gems as Shrek, How to Train Your Dragon, Kung Fu Panda (the originals only, no sequels!), Captain America: Civil War, Black Panther, Spiderman: Far from Home, and Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame. And with that very appropriate final, epic selection…we’re done. Which makes me a little sad, honestly, but also feels like the right timing, with the college kid set to head south next weekend and all.

So with one more official week of Summer 2020, let’s make the most of it, shall we? We’re gonna get out there, thumb our noses at the weather forecast…yeah, and then probably retreat to the air conditioning for some cool drinks and (albeit Corona-depleted) baseball on TV. Eh, sounds like a fine antidote for August antipathy…who’s with me?

August...antics? Angst? How about a bit of both...

Trudging resignedly into August, I must confess that I'm finding it somewhat difficult right now to maintain my own morale--especially after a July that was marked by disappointments. We already had to forego our planned hiking expedition to the wilds of...Tennessee. But then this weekend we were supposed to at least end the month on a joyful note, by heading north for our annual Maryland Summer sojourn. Alas, we were thwarted once again by the damned Coronavirus, whose presence reared its ugly head amongst the friends who normally host us, causing them to shut down the inn, as it were, and advise us not to come. (They're fine, thank goodness--just exposed by someone else and exercising an abundance of understandable caution.) So if you're counting, the score is currently COVID: 4, Team WestEnders: 0. Siiiiighhhhh...

As with our previously scheduled vacation, everyone had done the responsible thing, and requested the days off from their jobs well in advance--so I guess we can be grateful for the extra downtime? For Derek this meant catching up on sleep, since his package sorting job continues to run overtime almost every shift, and therefore severely cuts into his preferred 10 hours/night of slumber. (I'm not even kidding. The dude does love his shuteye...) As for Riley, it turned out that the cross-country team had been tossing around ideas for how to replace their traditional camp experience, which takes place around this time every year at App(alacian) State, and acts as not only a training opportunity, but also a highly anticipated bonding activity.

So they chose...this weekend, naturally...meaning that Riley immediately petitioned to skip the out-of-town journey anyway, for the chance to work/hang out with his running peeps. Of course, they can't exactly replicate the format; for example, instead of (I assume) staying in dorms and using the facilities and trails at the university and in the Boone area, they're meeting up for time trials, hill sessions, goal setting, and recreation in and around Chapel Hill/Carrboro/ Durham. However, my kid (who truly defines the old adage 'early-to-bed-early-to-rise') really only wants to participate in the daylight events. So, grabbing dinner and eating together after an evening run? Not interested. Overnight camping at Jordan Lake? Oh, H...ECK NO. Eh, he seems to be enjoying himself nevertheless, and he's been pleased with his recorded times (one of which was 48 minutes...for 8...miles), so I guess that's all that matters, yeah? To each his own... 

Meanwhile, the calendar flipping to August triggered that most magical time...you know what I'm talking about...College Application Season--whoo hoo! Seriously, I'm surprised Riley didn't have an alarm set at midnight, alerting him that he could begin officially filling out his information, because he's been working on the essays for, oh, about a month now. So he used some of his bonus spare time to finalize (I use that term loosely...because it's ALWAYS subject to change with this one) the group of colleges to which he wants to apply, and to recheck and list the requirements for each one, thereby getting all of his proverbial ducks in a row waaayyyy before any deadlines even think about beginning to approach. Nope--don't try sneaking up on this guy, friends!

And while we're on the subject of academics, it's been a loooong...Spr-ummer since either of the WestEnders boys have seen, you know, an actual "school" of any sort...and only some of that is going to change. You see, our local system decided that--for now, at least--they're setting up the first semester of 2020-2021 to consist entirely of remote learning. It goes without saying that Riley is...less than enthused...about his new crop of (5) AP courses being online, but he does understand that it's the safest option. 

On the other hand, the University of South Carolina is still moving forward with their "bring everyone back (who chooses to come)" agenda. I just...don't have high hopes for 27,000 students, plus faculty and staff, staying healthy in a region that still doesn't boast promising numbers for showing they have the outbreak under any kind of control whatsoever. Fortunately, Derek's mindset seems to be realistic, even if mixed with a solid dose of pessimism. While on our family outing last week I asked him what he thought would happen this Fall, and he snorted while replying, "Oh, my group thinks it's all going to be shut back down and we'll be home by October." Well...I can't disagree with that assessment, so we'll just...wait and see? (With fingers crossed, obvs...)

There's been a lot of that, actually--both the holding pattern and the trying to remain hopeful. With many of our usual pastimes unavailable (Can I tell you how much I miss movies? And baseball games? And doing...fun stuff...with other people?) I've struggled to figure out another diversion. I mean, the one paint-by-numbers kit I completed was super-entertaining and satisfying while it lasted, but it's not really a sustainable hobby, since no one needs a house full of...ahem...coloring-book-quality artwork. BUT I was able to identify that it was something about creating with colors that seemed to bring me the most contentment, so I decided to seek a similar medium. 

Thus I bought a watercolor tutorial set...and quickly realized that A) my "copying skills" are, shall we say "poorly developed" and B) that I'm much better at filling in someone else's vision than I am at imagining my own. This explains why all of my attempts so far resemble the output of, say, an elementary schooler. But is it amusing? Sure, as long as I manage expectations, and accept that this does not in fact represent a heretofore undiscovered well of talent--but only a pleasant way to help get through a damn pandemic. So yeah, it is what it is...and we'll take it!

And there you have it--this update leaves us a mere 2 weeks out from both of my scholars returning to their educational...whatever...after the Summer That Wasn't. Hey, at least we still get to look forward to the crushing heat and humidity sticking around for another month--or two--amiright? (Oh yeah, add that to the official tally of Things. I. Am. O-V-E-R...) Honestly, though, I remain grateful as always that my loved ones are okay, and I know this will be over someday, blah blah blah...but sometimes ya just gotta vent a little bit, so I'm also thankful for the space to do that. I feel lighter now...and definitely ready for some iced tea, a beach book (even if read inside whilst lounging in the air conditioning), and some peppy tunes. Rockin' the staycation vibes, fam...peace out!