Here Comes Wolfboy

THE DAMN PAPER IS DONE.

I had a last-minute technical snafu that sent me scrambling to McDonald's and then Starbucks at 11pm tonight in order to get it submitted before the 11:55pm deadline.

I'm sure the details of all the panicky thoughts I had might make for some interesting reading, but I'm sorry... I'd just as soon forget that little stretch of my life.

But I did just pay $6 in order to submit a term paper.

***

I have an announcement to make: I'm changing THEBOY's name. Not in real life so much, but in this medium for sure.

That kid glanced over at me this morning, and I had a look at those piercing grey eyes and found myself calling him Wolfboy. The kid's got some eyes on him, okay. He once made a teenaged checker at the grocery store stutter by looking her in the eye. "Those eyes are going to get you a long way in life," she sputtered.

I ran it past him, played around with it a bit. He didn't care for "Wolfie" because "it has an 'e' on the end and it sounds like a baby name." Fine, fair enough.

"Wolfboy" is something he's still mulling. He's like me, a muller.

Mull mull mull.

***

And I reserve the right to change it back. Maybe it won't fly.

SO, the key, for those of you who may not know:

MOBB, short for "mail order bionic bride," is my wife, Kelli.
THEGIRL is my daughter. I don't use my kids' real names online.
Wolfboy, formerly THEBOY, is my son.
BB, that's me.

***

I saw a lot of interesting things today.

My agency has a partnership with a charitable organization in an outlying county, and I get down there about once a month to do some outreach work.

At their office a man with no shoes on held the door open for me. "Where are your shoes?" asked the caseworker.

"The dog ate my shoes," he answered.

*

I dealt with a person whom I believe I can safely say is the most flirtatious one-eyed woman I've ever encountered.

*

I saw a turkey buzzard as big as a biplane.

*

A sign by the side of the road: "Outlaw Country Reunion." The arrow on the sign pointed into a cemetery.

***

Wolfboy and his sister caught a lizard last night while I was in prepracticum. Naturally, its tale came off. I wish you could see the dance he did when trying to demonstrate to me just how it wiggled.

***

On the way out of that office down south today, I stopped into a manager's office to ask her a quick question. She looked up from her instant messenger: It was her son in Iraq, the first time she'd heard from him in two weeks.

That was an infinitely greater priority in my mind, and I did my best to duck out and leave her to it. But she talked excitedly about him for a moment. I asked what his job is, and she said he finds explosives and detonates them. [WOW]

"He volunteered for that."

I was rendered nearly speechless. She added:

"He's seen miracles. Real miracles. He knows that God exists."

I wished him a safe return and left her to it.

***

I... simply cannot imagine...

***

Headed to Austin tomorrow, like I said. No idea whether I'll update from the road. Either way, ya'll have a terrific weekend.