Well, it’s that time of year again. Although the actual season doesn’t end for well over a month, what we often think of as summer is drawing to a close. It’s sad.
It’s not sad that the extreme heat of summer will soon turn to the frigid cold of winter. I love the cold.
It’s not sad that my boys will continue in the educational process. The sooner they get through school, the sooner they gain skills that will enable them to surpass their lame father in a meaningful career… outside of the panhandle. I don’t want to wish away their childhoods, and I do not look forward to the day when they leave home to start lives on their own (along with my wife, my sons are really the only friends I have here in Huskerland… because I’m kinda pathetic… and people don’t really seem to be drawn to my vibrant personality… but whatever). The sooner they move away from the panhandle, the sooner the wife and I can get the hell out of here and I can figure out what I’m going to do with my life. I’ll only be like 52 — that’s young, right? Yeah, I’m delusional…
Soon, every night will once again be filled with one kid’s or the other’s activities. The peace and quiet, the time to collect one’s thoughts, the fun family time — they are all about to go out the window, and I’m not looking forward to it.
This year, the oldest boy enters high school. The wife was looking through the pile of crap that the school sends out with all of the rules and suggestions and whatnot. There was a flyer for the high school’s booster club in the mix.
“Huh,” said the wife, ” that sounds kind of fun.”
“Yeah,” I said. “I wouldn’t mind getting involved with something like that.”
“Oh, never mind,” said the wife as she read the flyer over.
“What?” I asked.
“Never mind,” said the wife, “you’re not going to want to do it.”
“Why?” I asked.
The wife just looked at me, and I suspect that she may have been trying to come up with a lie. She ended up telling me the truth.
“They charge $25 to be a member of the booster club,” she finally admitted.
“They charge you $25 to volunteer your time?” I asked. I should have been incredulous at this point, but life has taught me that most things make absolutely no sense, and much of what life offers seems to have been created exclusively to piss me off.
“See,” said the wife, “I knew you’d get upset.” She knows me well.
“Guess they charge $25 to keep out the riff raff,” I said. “Looks like it’s working… ’cause they’re keeping me out. All of those doctor’s wives and lawyer’s wives can handle it just fine on their own.”
“It’s twenty-five dollars,” said the wife. “It’s not exactly country club membership pricing.”
“Yeah, twenty-five bucks is like twenty percent of our weekly grocery budget,” I said. “They want our kids to starve so we can volunteer for the booster club?”
“I don’t think the boys will starve over twenty-five dollars,” said the wife.
“Well, they could!” I shouted, and the wife just walked away. Apparently she doesn’t love our boys as much as I do…
Oh summer, how I will miss you. I wish the fun and relaxation you offer could be found all year round… but with colder temperatures. I am, however, a little excited about the whole “high school” thing. Just from the intro packet that the school gave out, I can already tell that I am going to find a whole new world of stuff to piss me off and to bitch about in a very short period of time…