Life

I had the first long telephone talks with my boys in Missoula today and they both sound very good. Ten days ago, they moved from this west coast city to a college town in the mountains. It has to be disorienting, but they seem to be adapting pretty well so far.

We talked about their classes (they like them), their dorm rooms (they like them), the cafeteria food ("pretty good"), the weather ("hot but will get cold soon, people say"), their finances (okay), meeting new people (slow but sure), and the town ("it's nice.")

The huge hole they have left back here is filled with our excitement about their new life out there. I told them our small news -- that the work on my flat is done and that their little sister may get to adopt a new pet rat soon, and we discussed sports.

God, how I miss those guys. I know as a parent you're not supposed to let it happen, but they became my best friends over recent years. We always followed the Giants together and discussed the issues of the day.

I did bring up how much I miss them but I also made it clear I am happy they are thriving out there.

At times like this it would be nice to have a partner. Yesterday at a meeting at work with two young colleagues, one a 30ish single man and the other a 25ish married woman, they both pointed out to me that given how I have been working a 60-hour week for a year now, with no days off, maybe it's a good thing that there is no wife at home to complain about how little I am around.

This in the context of how much they appreciate me as their boss.

I smiled and said, "No worry about that. After my experiences with women, especially the ones that left me, I'll never make the mistakes of having a partner again."

The woman told me, "Never say never, David."

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