Monday Musings

Last week was a quiet week.  We had middle child home for a day!  He's enjoying his summer at camp.  He's saying that this will most likely be his last summer as a camp staffer, so he's enjoying it as much as he possibly can!

Oldest child is off doing field research for two weeks.  We know where he is, but he's out of cell phone range!  We're looking forward to hearing from him when he gets back!  I can't wait to see the pictures and hear the tales!

A storm moves in on highway 81 in Virginia.

Daughter is taking a class online this summer.  It's a full one semester class "squished" into four fun filled weeks.  She has assignments due almost daily, in addition to online discussion board postings.  She is looking forward into getting back into a face to face class!  (And a full semester to complete her work!)  We've had some fascinating discussions about Women's Health, sexually transmitted diseases, birth control....  It's a wide ranging list, and I'm thankful that she feels she can talk to me openly about these things.

Tiger makes that nap look good!

Daughter and I went down to Virginia this past week to go check out a college that she's interested in transferring to next year.  It's going to be our first ever road trip for just the two of us!  I'm very excited, because we're headed very close to where I went to college - so even though she doesn't want to go to my alma mater, I'm going to make her spend a few hours down there with me while I roam around and reminisce.

I stopped by the public library last week.  On my way into the library, I was stopped by someone coming out who said "Hey!  I found what I was looking for!  It was right where you said it was!"  Then she looked at me, and realized I wasn't who she thought I was and started laughing.  "That's great!  I'm glad you found it!"


Hey, while you're out and about this summer, remember to keep one eye out for what's going on around you.  The military calls this "situational awareness".  When I was growing up, I remember my Dad always pointing out exits when we entered a theater, insisting that he sit with his back to the wall in a restaurant so he could keep an eye on the situation in the room around him.  We never were big crowd people.  Dad would keep us away from the crowd, finding ways to skirt around big groups of people and avoiding being in the middle of things.  Even in the mall, we rarely ate at a Food Court.  We'd pick up our food and eat at the far edges of the food court, or take our food outside and eat away from the entrance.  We never went on big shopping days, and he was always pointing out emergency exits, regular exits, and pointing out anything or anyone he saw as "suspicious".  I thought Dad was a bit of a nut.  He was a Vietnam Vet, and I always chalked this behavior up to some sort of PTSD.  Maybe it was, and maybe it wasn't.  His habits instilled themselves on me over time, and I found myself doing many of the same things he used to.  Finding exits as soon as I enter a room.  Keeping my back to the wall in a restaurant.  Staying away from crowds.   Now, looking at the world around us and how quickly things are changing, I think keeping an eye on situational awareness is a very good thing.  I'm not saying terrible things are going to happen, but I am saying it's always a good idea to keep an eye out on what's going on around you, and to stay out of big crowds, and to know where the exits are.