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The boys have slipped into comfortable summer routines.

Owen swims 3000 yards before 8:30 AM. After that he returns home to snarf a second breakfast and to relax until his energy returns. He will then look around the neighborhood or the house to see what kind of excitement he might stir up. He might spend some time studying for his scuba certification. Next week, we'll begin an algebra review to prepare him for the upcoming school year. But today, blowing up balloons with the carbonation from soft drinks provided a few minutes of entertainment, a few more minutes of clean-up and hours and hours of tales.

Taylor spends the morning at summer school -- a recreation program -- and the afternoon at a basketball camp. When he's sure someone is around to give him credit for the time spent, he'll practice his violin.

Josh spends his days asleep in his cave, or with Kat, the girlfriend. I wonder what plans they have to stay in touch after his departure for college in August. No, nevermind, I don't.

My own routine hasn't been quite what I expected. Last summer I taught six sections over the summer and never felt quite rested for the remainder of the year. This summer my schedule of only three classes promised to be a relaxed one for me; however, the additional subbing I've accepted during the last two weeks has eaten much of my spare time and energy lately. I've also taken on a few more prospective techno-nerds at the senior center, teaching basic computer classes there for a few hours in the morning both this week and next. As I have undoubtedly mentioned before, those folks wear me out. But they also entertain me, and I guess that's why I agree to do it. It's all still magic to them.

This evening I proposed to Owen and Taylor that we slap some ham and bread together for supper and head out to the Konza for a hike on the prairie, but the day's exertions and the heat had already done them in. Instead, at Taylor's suggestion, we drove over to a park in a part of town we don't often visit and checked the playground there. Taylor keeps a mental inventory of the playground equipment available at each of the city's parks, and he felt a craving for Northview Park tonight. He had a great time, as a kid his age might be expected to; however, after seeing some kids nearby that he recognized from his middle school but didn't really know, Owen decided that being seen cavorting on playground equipment with your little brother while under the supervision of your dad just wasn't cool, so he hung back, whining from the moment he spotted his peers that he was ready to leave.

I escaped his whining by drifting over to watch a women's softball game that was in progress on the diamond adjacent to the playground, and he drifted back to the car to suffer silently and alone.

I will end early here tonight lest the excitement of paying 1.77⁹/gallon for gas tomorrow kill me.

Reading:
Still working through the Stegner essays.