May 2020

Full lock-down quarantine in Michigan lasted from mid-March to mid-June, then lifted for nearly all services. Inability to get a haircut nearly started civil war in the state (because...priorities; people didn't consider hair dryers spreading a COVID, the reasons are essentially too sensitive and complicated for the average Joe.) So Brandi places the beard trimmer on #6, and attempts to cut my hair.  Nick walks by, looks at me and says "I’m glad you went first," and refuses to have his head touched.  He looks like a mop, but no one sees him, with piano and school all virtual. He watches the world go by from the window in his study. "The old people in the neighborhood are gathering outside," he tells me.  "Are they coming for you?" "I don't think so." "Then you have nothing to worry about." They sit on their lawn chairs and drink wine in the cul-de-sac. I do love my 55+ neighborhood.

So our time outdoors is on Spring chores, from mowing lawn, to tying up tomatoes, and cutting dead branches from the trees. We had lots of clearing needed this year with extending the privacy fence in Grandpa's yard coming soon. Nick was a big help in opening the pool, which was the toughest year, with lots of water and crud, and his effort to save every tadpole.  He's earning money from his work, puts the cash in his 'fee shark' (the name of the bank on his nightstand that holds his cash.)

School finally ended, and he passed every class, with plenty of unnecessary anxiety. They better have a plan for Fall, or we'll be second-guessing the school. With time on his hands, he's usually building/coding stuff on his laptop, or pressed against the window to my home office making faces at me. "I'm just trying to keep my feet off the ground," he says.  I don't know if he's confused or has a self-awareness at his age that I didn't reach until my late twenties. We're starting to slowly get out of the house, Brandi is getting impatient, such as threatening to hurt me with a box of Mac & Cheese (she's running out of possibilities.)

Jason