The Dynamic Duo

This has been a pretty good day. Jimbo is still around, so all of us are happy: me, Murphy and Rowdy. They will be increasingly sad when they are inevitably left alone much more than they have become used to.
Poor UltraDad is pretty much stuck in Ruby Valley and this week is working the night shift patrolling roads for snow or drifting. He is missing Jim time, but I think we will try to make the Ruby Valley trek this weekend if he can’t make it out by then.
I was recently able to view an Ultrasound photo of my fledgling grandson, and was amazed to actually be able to make out head, hair and features. Ultra refuses, however, to reveal his name, and claims they will call him “Voldemort”, but I must say “He who must not be named.”
I had my second day of school for the new semester. I am taking a Certified Nurse’s Aid class just to see if nursing might possibly be a direction I want to take. More than half the students in the class already work at Highland Manor, the nursing home where we will be doing clinicals. It is a little alarming hearing them talk about some of their patients, particularly those on “100”, the Alzheimer’s unit. But I have decided to stick it out, and I think it will be good for me and provide valuable experience even if I decide (as I suspect I will) to NOT continue down that road. My Drugs in Society class will be interesting I think. It will be a bit problematic as I will not physically be able to attend classes very often since I am working at the time they are held. But the teacher is willing to work with me and meet with me, and I have the class Syllabus. A handout showed pictures of brains after they had been exposed to various drugs, including alcohol. It was a poor, rather grainy copy, but many of the drug-brains rather resembled Swiss cheese, As poorly as my brain and memory function NOW, I shudder to think what I would be like if I had ingested large quantities of cocaine and marijuana. I am also taking Tai Chi just because I have long wanted to learn it. This class is held at the Senior Center, and it takes me about 5 minutes to drive there from the college. It is rather a large class, and seems to be full of senior citizens, if you can imagine. And yes, I know what you are thinking, and no, I am not myself a senior citizen, at least not yet. One helpful thing I learned in my CNA class today is that age demographics and classifications have recently been changed. Young adulthood is now age 18-40, and middle age is 40-65. Jim claims this was done by old people to make them feel better about themselves, but I maintain it is because we are living longer, healthier lives. Hopefully I will like Tai Chi. The instructor seems knowledgeable, but he spent half our time today just talking.
I was able to get home in time to have lunch with my son, and since I didn’t have to work, was able to have an afternoon nap, a rare luxury. Tonight we went out to Chen’s, the local Chinese Restaurant with sis-in-law Pat, and had a very nice time. Afterwards I inveigled Jim into a little game of Casino, my new favorite card game. That was when we received the phone call from Tennessee.
It was Johnny and he had some great news. His team, consisting of himself and Mr. Goldman (what is his first name, Johnny?) had just gotten the news that they had won their semi-final match and would be advancing to the finals in the Moot Court Competition at Vanderbilt Law School. This is a very big deal. I think they start with 30 or more teams, and your team must win a lot of competitions to get this far. You must argue your case in front of judges, and must represent the side you are assigned, which can change with each competition. I believe it always involves a First Amendment right. Feel free, Johnny, to correct all my inaccuracies as well as add further enlightenment.
Jim is heading to Nashville to spend a week or two with Johnny very soon, and he will be able to attend this final competition; I am, of course, very jealous.
So join me in wishing this very bright, articulate law school student moot court team the best of luck, lack of nervousness and soundness of speech for February 8th, and stay tuned for a special announcement of results.

Proud UltraMom