finishing and beginning

Melissa, Carly and I went to Joe's graduation tonight. That smart boy done got his GED! Fine, MBA, whatever. The university president spoke about how it was just the beginning of the graduates' lifelong relationship with the school. I went to that same school myself and now my primary relationship with them consists of screening when I see their number come up on caller ID. I got no money for you, bitches, I went into education.

Then the commencement speaker talked about how inspiring it was for him to see "two obese women" make it to the top of a wall during an outward bound weekend. Yeah, I'm not sure what his point was, either.

Joe did it the hard way... worked during the day, went to school nights. I give him a lot of credit. I can pontificate about how education enhances your soul and blah blah, but I probably wouldn't have gone to grad school if it hadn't been required for my job. He complained in his blog (blogplained) a lot while going through the whole thing, so we made sure to taunt him endlessly: "Joe, I forget, was this entire process a pleasure for you?"

So, go Joe! Real American hero! Now go make money so Olivia can buy lots of crap at the mall someday.

Got home and went to Fugakyu with Katie. It was a perfect night, with just the beginning of fall in the air. Tomorrow is September first, of course, and Beacon Street is already lined with U-Haul trucks. Don't even want to think about what Comm Ave looks like. Mattresses and bureaus and fresh starts everywhere you look. Welcome to Boston... now stop double-parking or we'll stab you in the throat.

Tomorrow I'm headed to Cape for the long weekend with family, including cousins, and a few friends. Next week I'm back to the three-foot-tall loves of my life. Working in a school keeps you on that academic schedule, so September is still about sharpened pencils and shiny notebooks.

I love fall, more than I can put into words. Pumpkins, leaves, all the oranges and browns and burgundys, like perpetual sunset everywhere you look. That perfect crispness in the air that makes everything feel clean and recharged. Hot chocolate, cider, apples. Needing a blanket on your bed but still sleeping with the windows open.

That's right, windows open. Deal with it, crazy.