Memorial Weekend

Friday night, we grabbed some KFC and went into the forest and hills, a small trend that started before I moved here. This time we went into South Carolina and sat atop a bald patch of hillside overlooking most of the Upstate. Dozens of miles away was a fireworks display. It was below us. I had a small case of vertigo when I realized there was nothing between me and the moon. And then I realized this was too cool to panic over and squashed the anxiety. It was a fantastic date.

Saturday night was the prom. As before, it was at an uber-swank inn located at Biltmore. This will be the last year the prom is held there as the estate figures it can make more money from corporate events. Has nothing to do with the behavior of our kids. The estate police are constant presences.

I happened to have a tuxedo jacket from my earlier exploits, and Your Sis wore a simple black dress. We got there for our 9 to 11 shift right at nine. We followed a stretch limo to the inn which we later learned carried 12 kids. The inn right across the parking lot was hosting a corporate party, and its system was blasting "Come On Ride the Train" as we arrived. I was glad to go to the other party.

We strolled the perimeter, checking out the vibe and the eats. We stopped along the way to chat with the other faculty there and compare outfits. I like her co-workers. Nice people.

The kids were well behaved too. The fashions of the night were fairly sedate and approaching classy. Chokers seemed to be back in style. The courtyard acted as the dance floor so you could watch the partying from all the dinner tables. Around the corner was the photo station; you could get a photo keychain of yourself within an hour of taking your picture. We didn't have that for my prom. And mine was in the school gym.

Lots of kids talked to the missus, and they talked dresses and makeup. This is really the only time she's girly with the students, and she had fun. Befitting a high school prom, we had high school drama. A female student has a crush on her, and she is not subtle about it. She's stayed after class many times to start conversations, and she's tried to hug her every time. Her friends have asked Your Sis if she's aware of the kid's obsession. It seems harmless, but it is focused. While she does have a boyfriend (even just nominally), she orbited us the entire time. I mean, she wasn't out of eyesight for more than ten minutes. And she was dragging her fella around by the wrist to keep tabs on her. It was funny. Eventually, she worked up the nerve to say something, and Your Sis tried to blow her off, and the kid stumbled over herself to say something cool and funny.

Her: God, I hate this music, don't you? [It was ACDC.]
Wife: We were just about to go dance to it.
Her: Well, I mean, like, I like THIS song. It's cool.

And off she slunk.

We were supposed to watch for dirty, filthy dancing, but the kids just weren't that competent at it. The boys, I mean. Aimed a little high, it looked. The girls knew exactly what they were doing. And we decided that if the clothes stayed on, there's no problem. Also, when the DJ played "Baby Got Back," the majority of the girls sang along to it. The boys didn't know the song. The DJ got a gold star from me for playing Def Leppard a good 20 years after they hit their peak.

We got our picture taken, snacked a bit, chatted a bit more and went home. The local '80s station was playing what can only be described as prom music for our generation (Journey, Prince, etc.) and we opened the moon roof for the drive home.

This was a much better prom experience for either of us than the ones we attended at their age.

We confirmed this weekend that we are sprouting potatoes. That's not a euphemism for babies. We are really sprouting potatoes in the garden. The soil is holding the sprinkler moisture well, and the plant leaves look healthy and hearty. Sunday was her birthday, and she unfortunately handled a lot of schoolwork. I got her a calligraphy set as she requested and we watched Friday Night Lights (also her request; good film, quick pace, and shot like a documentary) after eating grilled steaks.

I was off Monday, but I worked on the house all day. I scrubbed the deck, the siding, and the garage door. The deck doesn't look like it will last another year, but we plan to ask the school shop guild to rebuild it. They love real, on-site projects like this.

Picture of the Day
The publisher altered the cover to the minicomic, and I don't object. He didn't touch the interior, so I really can't complain. I mean, he's paying for the printing.