Monday, June 6, 2011

An Unexpected Rite of Passage

I am certainly proud. And I'm excited for her. And I am happy/relieved that she has a real interest in a professional career and that she has vision for her future. But, if I am going to be a little self-centered, I now feel suddenly older.



My oldest, a daughter, had the day off today. She requested it specifically since she used it to drive down to UW-GB, a hour and a half away, to take the Law School Admission Test. For whatever reason, it really hit me that this was a young woman and not my girl.

I assume she did well; she clearly has an aptitude for the type of mental constructs best used in law. In addition, she is no idiot and has actually been studying aggressively for it. It's fun to see the flash in her eyes as she pulled up after driving home. There is such an energy and drive...

So maybe it's that energy that makes me feel older. Or maybe it's the passing of the torch as I look back at my own LSAT experience. Maybe it's starting to see the next generation really start to make a move on assume the roles of social purpose and direction. Or maybe it's just seeing my daughter take the first real adult step for her future that didn't include me and was her own idea and goal. Whatever. I can get used to this feeling.

Friday, June 3, 2011

It Pays To Be Prepared.

One of the things that I find really fun about summer's in Door County is how so many people live their lives in total preparation for a moment of down time. With the plethora of opportunities to walk, run, bike, swim, boat, read, etc... and everything being fairly close, you can fit a lot into a day if you are ready to go.






Of course the dress code here helps too. Few are sloppy, and urban "costumes" are very rare. Things tend to be simple, crisp and clean, and versatile. My favorite summer outfit consists of quick-dry cargo shorts, a button down oxford cloth dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up, sport sandals if its casual or leather sandals if its dressy, and my Aussie hat if I'll be on the water. I tend to wear some derivative of this all day, every day. The only thing it doesn't do well is travel into the evening as most get crisp enough to need some other layer.

So when I am out, I bring a polartec of some sort. But, if I am at home, I have something better. Evening fires are kind of a staple event and last week I finally committed to a plan for the east side of the main house. First in, as it is the most important, was a permanent fire pit. Over Memorial Day we fully tried it out with all the kids home, and a handful of other friends to round out the mix. We made burgers and brats on the grill, watched the sunset from "upstairs", and climbed back down to finish the evening with stories, glasses of Port, and people slowly heading home until just my family was left.

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Here Comes That For Which I Paid My Three Bucks!

I try to not be one of those who complains about the weather, although I know I fail. And the reason I fail is that, in the end, I really don't like it cold or windy or rainy. So, by extension, I live for these days. June is here, the crickets, mosquitoes, tourists, and all-day-outside stuff is back. I'm a happy man.






I do need to be more disciplined however. I get up early. I make coffee and wake up with the sun and recent emails. I go to bed within an hour or so of sunset. There are a lot of hours in between. What's hard for me is to really live each day fully whether it is to include kayaking, working at the store, taking care of bills, building whatever, sleeping in the sun, running errands, getting together for another lunch or dinner or whatever with friends, ... there are so many excellent things to do that, if I am not careful, I waste too much time just trying to figure out what I want to do.

I think I found a derivative system that helps though. I have always been big on writing notes. Lately, with my morning coffee, I write a separate note of things to do that day. At the end of the day, I throw it away. The next day starts new and I always have a list for that day rather than a list that is impossible in it's length, impossible in its facts (I can't transplant trees if it's supposed to rain all day), or laden with the critique of those things not done yesterday.

This is my season. And I love the title quote. Mary Tyler Moore murmured it to herself as her hunky date, after they had gone to a cheap movie together, leaned in to give her a goodnight kiss. I love how it recognizes the redemptiveness that an excellent finish gives to an arduous process. It's summer and I'm going to get my three bucks worth.