Parton my Dust: No No November

Feeling obligated to update but not really inspired; it's been an odd week with much going on yet nothing at all. Sports have finally concluded for the fall season with a final make-up soccer game Tuesday (man, it gets cold when that sun goes down). Halloween was decent, we just went around up in North Branch, the first time we've done that in many years since we used to go to mom's house in Grosse Pointe for the last five. Rob and I worked the Haunted House, he in the parking lot and I taking tickets and psyching people out at the door before they entered. There were about 175 people that came through which was their biggest night of the month. I was interested to learn he runs it as a fundraiser for athletic, community, and church groups; those who come volunteer get to take a decent portion of the night's proceeds. Nice.

Also dealt with a stomach flu which had me down for a few days, the worst of it only lasted 24 hours but it takes several days until you're on solid ground again. Ben stayed home yesterday with it. I did manage to eek in a sub job at the high school on Wednesday for one of the science teachers, Intro Macrobiology classes and an Environmental Science class. Went well, pretty mellow with only one extremely immature bunch right after lunch. Go figure. This is the same group from the nightmare English classes I had last year.

Alex's financial aid finally got straightened out and logged on her account so Fall is now paid for in full and she is released to register for the Winter semester. She is finally getting a clue that she should have thought things out better during her senior year and has been flip flopping in what she really wants to do. Everything she's been bringing up now are things I'd mentioned to her before but she didn't want to deal with it. During our chats I explained that part of the whole college experience is testing out different things to find out what you want to do, and not knowing exactly what your total focus should but is not unusual and it is certainly not to late to get on the right track. Since she registered at the final hour for Fall classes at Mott she got the bottom of the barrel choices and has really been dreading it. For winter she is going to take more art and creative based classes which hopefully will spark her enthusiasm again. But of course you're never going to love every class you're required to take. Serious topics of late include transferring to U of M Flint for next year, she had already been accepted but didn't pursue it fully originally since she kept a primary focus on Grand Valley. She's also mentioned cosmotology school but although I haven't completely condemed it I gently tried to tell her I didn't think it would be satisfying to her long term. Getting back into some music or writing classes will make a world of difference in her outlook as well as being involved in a dramatic production somewhere. If the class schedule works out she's talked about auditioning for 'Mousetrap' at the Pix, that would be cool.

Haven't taken many pictures of late but here's a blast from the past picture. This is me with the Farrah hair, oh yeah '80s baby, and my little brother, with a colleague of my dad's checking out some crazy aparatus in the electronics lab at Henry Ford Community College.