"Think how stupid the average person is, and then realize that half of them are stupider than that." - George Carlin

I could tell you where I get the pictures from, but then I'd have to kill you. Besides, if you knew that you'd have no reason to come here.

Very brief post. I'm at a McDonalds somewhere in central Michigan off of I-96. I'm not sure exactly where but it doesn't matter because it all looks the same out here. Flat, trees barren of leaves and flattened brown sod in the freeway median. In another three months things will be green and growing but now it's just COLD! The overnight low will be 12 and tomorrow's high may get above freezing, but don't count on it.
I didn't pack the right clothes.
But that's understandable because I no longer own the right clothes.

I was getting very, very sleepy as I drove. Except for that part where I dozed off. Getting up at 3 a.m. has taken its toll.
I'm driving a KIA Forte. I reserved an economy car but they didn't have any so I got bumped up to a compact. Nice little car, surprising amount of pep, all the amenities incl. an iPod jack and steering wheel mounted radio controls. Has 36,000 miles on it and pulls hard to the left. But I picked it up in Detroit so by the time I get to Grand Rapids it will pull strong to the right.

Had an interesting and pleasant conversation with my seatmate on the Phx/Denver leg of my trip. A single mom traveling with her son who turns 9 next week. They live in Paradise Valley, a city w/in metro Phoenix. She works at Costco, he has ADHD, gets straight A's and plays every sport available. Cute kid.

I asked her, "What's the hardest part?" She said, "Getting him up at 4:30 because I have to leave at 5:00 for work." She has a great sitter who comes in at that hour, but if she wants to interact with him in the morning that's the only way to do it. Then he goes back to sleep.
"What's the best part?" She said it's just having him in her life, watching him grow physically, academically and emotionally. His ADHD is pretty severe and he's on strong meds, but he knows what they do for him and takes them willingly.
"Does he have any male role models in his life?"
No. I didn't ask about the father but he's apparently not involved. And she was raised by a single mom so there's no grandpa. And she has no male extended family members in the Phx. area except a cousin whose life is all messed up.

"Do you ever think, as you parent, what you want him to be, what you want to 'turn out' when he's 18 or 20? Do you have goals for your parenting or is it just get through today?"
(I asked that b/c when I get back we'll begin a short series on parenting in my adult class. I was interested to hear if she had parenting goals. I'll be asking my class the same thing. I told her I was a pastor and going to do a mini-series on parenting.)
She said she just doesn't want him to look back and resent his childhood. She wants him to have good memories of being a kid. She doesn't.

Shortly after that he climbed out for his third trip to the restroom. When he came back they started talking and I dozed off. As we got off the plane she said she enjoyed the conversation. I apologized if it seemed like I was intrusive but she said "absolutely not."

OK, climb back in the car and drive the other half of the way to Grand Rapids. But first I'll fill up my Diet Coke which will help with the drowsiness. The combination of caffeine, and that it will make me have to go to the bathroom again. It's hard to fall asleep when you're worried about wetting your pants if you do.