sometimes it's hard to write regularly

It has been hard to write a new post to this blog, because I’ve been busy with work and certain activities at home, and there hasn’t been an event or subject that’s really inspired me to write.

I should be more upset about the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico next to New Orleans. I can’t really explain why I am not. Clearly, it’s becoming increasingly worse and alarming. There is a good chance the oil will not stop flowing until about August. There’s even a chance that oil will still be spilling into the Gulf of Mexico into December! !

The spill clearly indicates why there needs to be strong government regulation regarding offshore oil drilling. If an oil company isn’t certain how to stop oil spilling a mile under water, should it really be drilling there in the first place??

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I am mad at myself, because I am biking less than I did last year. Last summer, I biked three times a week and biked about 9 miles each time, sometimes more. This year, I’m only biking twice a week, and sometimes only 6 or so miles. I understand the difference between this year and last. Last spring, I spent over $200 getting my bike fixed. I was very, very intent on getting my money’s worth out of those repairs. I was so concerned about getting my money’s worth from the repairs that I biked well over 500 miles during the summer. (By the way, I stopped biking once I became my son’s assistant football coach and had to attend practices 3 times a week until the beginning of November).

This spring and summer, there is no compelling concern about getting my money’s worth. I started the season spending less than $50 in a few repairs to the bike. Last year, I treated going biking like Church (I would tell myself, “I’ve got to go; it’s WRONG if I don’t!). I just can’t do that this year.

This week, I wouldn’t even be able to bike twice a week because it’s been raining most of the week, and tonight, Andy is graduating from 8th grade. Maribeth & I are happy for him passing this milestone. It’s interesting, because there was an article/editorial in the newspaper about families making a big deal about 8th grade graduation. Even President Obama remarked about over-celebrating 8th grade graduation. There are some families that spend a ton of money on parties, have their graduate strut across the stage like they did something fantastic, and just get too overwrought with it. The editorial correctly noted that clearly, high school graduation and college graduation should be celebrated a lot more. I think the problem is that some of these families are treating 8th grade graduation the SAME as high school graduation. It ISN’T. If you get your high school diploma, you have a very slight, small chance of getting a job. But if you only graduate from 8th grade, you have next to ZERO chance of getting a job, and you definitely won’t be getting a high paying job! !

With Andy finishing grade school, I wonder how he will do in high school. Will he have considerably different problems than I had in high school? Will bullying be a problem?? Two years from now, I wonder if dating will become a source of worry  for him? I remember having some difficulty with grades my first quarter in high school. I wonder if Andy will experience that as well. I certainly don’t want him to go through what he went through at the start of 7th grade.