In My Mind I'm Going to Long Island..

It's a lazy, hot Saturday here at Villa Wifey. D1 is up at some fancy Southern wedding in South Carolina, with her boyfriend's family. I look forward to hearing her take on their culture.

D2 is video chatting with friends up at UF. She starts her senior year Monday, and I think is already mentally done with high school. I hope she savors that last year, though.

We just returned the rental car she's been using for nearly one month. Her Volvo is STILL in the shop! It would have taken far less time to build a new one, but Reglo, the place we happened to choose, proceeds at a glacial pace, finding out new parts that need to be ordered on a piecemeal basis.

Wifey is puttering. We have plans for dinner tonight with Steve and Mary --my favorite former UM professor and his wife. We love spending time with them. They're so well traveled and informed, and raised two superstar sons. We always try to pick up parenting tips from them.

And then early Monday I'll be on an American 767 bound for NY. I have some meetings at Stony Brook U on Tuesday and Wednesday, and I decided to go a day early. I plan to drive around my childhood neighborhood --looking for ghosts. I'll probably pop down to Jones Beach and walk the boardwalk for a bit. That place was so much a part of my childhood and adolescence.

I remember one February day, in 1978. My father and I dressed warmly, and braved the chill there. We had clam chowder at thr restaurant, and chatted about days to come. I was to have at least 31 year's worth of days; he only got another 4.

I truly loved growing up there. My friends and I had some terrific times together. I plan to see Mark and Rita Monday night. Mark and I met in the 3rd grade --he was the "new boy" in class, having relocated from Jamaica. No, not THAT Jamaica --the one in Queens. Mark's father was a weatherman for TWA at Kennedy airport, and he and his family saw the world. There were always photos of them in Greece, and Italy (his mother's family's country of origin).

Now, to Rita's consternation, Mark HATES to travel! Rita can't even get him out of New York state!

Still --we have some year's catching up to do. I look forward to hearing how growing into middle age is different on Long ISland than its been in Miami.

So --here's to terrific senior years for my Ds! I was fortunate to truly enjoy my last high school year. And now I get to visit it's venue. I look forward to seeing those ghosts.