I got a call from you when went to New York City today...

You sounded excited being in Rockefeller Center Thanksgiving weekend.

It reminded me of the time I took you to New York City in third grade when you did a report on the State of New York and had colored the Fingers Lakes on a map. Your mom did not want to go with me and you came instead.

We also went to New York again in the Fall of 2000. You went with mom on the bus tours and the Statue of Liberty with your brothers and sisters. It was right before the fall of the towers.

It is hard to believe 10 years later you are living in New York State and going to college at Ithaca, right at the tip of the Finger Lakes.

Asking me if you could not go to school today...

When I got the cell phone call at 7:22 am, I didn't have a chance to say hello, before you started in with "Dad, today is a half day... and it is close to the last day of the first quarter...and if fourth hour the teacher already said we are not going to do anything...and it is going to be sooooooo... boring so I think I should just take off of school today...so you really don't have to pick me up this morning for school...and is that ok?... I mean I think I am not going to go to school..because everyone is not going to school and I don"t want to be the only one....

Did you mother say it was "ok?'.

"No'

"Call her, and if she says yes, it is ok with me... "

"Ooohhhhhh...just pick me up...."

Visiting your brother at college last weekend

I realize that a 15 hour van ride and missing the Halloween weekend was a big sacrifice...but once we got there it was clear how much you missed each other. It was amazing to see you all together and enjoying the moment.

In the end, after cleaning the kitchen where four young men live, taking out the garbage and washing my sons clothes, I spent most of the time just watching and waiting. Taking your roomates out for lunch and hearing the stories about "remember when Dad did this or said this..." made me a little sad to realize that it went so fast. It also reminded me that there was a time we all lived together (BD) (before the divorce...).

The campus ws beautiful and it was their first chance to see a college campus, that was separate from the city.