Here, you practically have to go find your waiter when you want the check so you can leave. And, it did take me awhile to get used to not leaving a tip. I even tried once anyway when a waiter was especially nice and was politely refused.

I worry about spoiling him. He’s on his way there now, and while I realize he’s only been on this earth for a mere three and a half years, the time seems now to begin showing him that he *can’t* do just anything he wants on a whim. I’ll do my part, but he really needs to know that when a teacher gives him instruction, his job is to follow it- not run off to play instead. That’s what I’m more concerned about than whether or not I brought the form back, signed, for the school phone directory.

To your point, I want to be involved as much as possible. So far, working from home has allowed me that. Above all, I do not want to be the kind of father to him that my father was to me- only there in the early years for disciplinary terrorism, then years later when he kinda wants to ‘catch up’ before he dies.

I hope I can hang around long enough at this late age to be dumbstruck and thunderstruck by what he can do or what he’s feeling. I really look forward to that, because there’s no question it will be greater than I ever did or thought about doing.

Thanks, as always, for the note. ;)

Come on down and try the driving here.

I do have to say that there are some nice cars and that overall, the drivers seem to be good, but very agressive. Signs, signals and right of way are only just suggestions.

There is no side of the road. If you, or anybody else for that matter, want or need to stop, the only place to do it is in the road. It makes for some interesting traffic to and from work.