First day of school

It's late and I have a 7:00 am meeting tomorrow so I'll keep this short. But I talked with Son 2 this evening. Classes started today. He had the first meeting of his Chemistry class and his Land Management class; one had 300 students, and the other 200. A bit of a change from Durmstrang, which had 96 students in all 4 years.

He also joined the Fencing Club. When they went around the room introducing themselves he discovered that he actually has the most years of fencing behind him, though he's 4 years out of practice. (He fenced from about 7 or 8 through the end of middle school.) Also there's a guy in his dorm who offered to teach him to box. WHAT??? (Dad panics.) Hey, I don't want you getting a concussion! Yeah, yeah, Dad, don't worry. I promise not to get a concussion. 

And of course there's nothing I can do about it. Who'd a thunk of boxing as a form of college rebellion?

Meanwhile he has lots of plans to exercise regularly, as a reaction to the heavily fried and potato-based cuisine.

His roommate still hasn't shown up, so he's planning to spread into the other half of the room.

And that -- plus his mailing address -- is what I learned in a quarter hour.

Time for bed. Night-night.

Sent from my iPhone

Son 2 goes to college

Son 2 moves into his dorm today. 

His school is a good two days' drive from home. Actually we took a little longer because we drove out to visit Schmidt and his mom en route. Son 2 likes the Schmidts, they like him -- it's a good match all around. But now, here we are.

I should clarify that "we" means me and Son 2. Wife stayed home, partly because I can't stand to be around her for several days any more, and partly because Son 1 was due home from his summer internship the day after Son 2 and I left. So she drove to the airport to pick him up and house him. Also I think she's going to help him get his driver's license. For all her faults, Wife taught both boys how to drive over the last couple of years, and I'm grateful.

But now both of them will be in college. Still costing money, but ever more independent. That's a good thing -- it's what we raise them for. Also, as I suggested in these pages years ago, I think I was reaching the limits of how much I could do as a father. It will be good for me as well as for them that I no longer have to maintain quite the same role. Boarding school achieved something of the same thing (thanks be to God) but it will be ever more so from here on out.

It will be a busy day, but I have great hopes for it to be a good one as well. And then after this I round out the week by going to visit Marie....