a kind of frantic morning leaves me totally exhausted, hobbling up the stairs with another cup of coffee. it's the day before my birthday and things are kind of heating up even though the weather is cold, clear, crisp and the grass is growing like crazy.

two problems were taking feather to get a haircut and taking a 17-year-old to school - he cuts most of the time but there was supposed to be a meeting today which we got wrong (it's tomorrow) so we pressured him and he texted, ready to be picked up out at this projects-like place out on the edge of town. i don't like driving all the way out there just to take him to school but we really really want him to finish school so we'll do just about anything if he's willing to go there. the place has geese and a little creek so it's a nice setting but someone just got their car window broken and tire slashed right where i park so that's a little unsettling.

decided to take feather first, but the vet has three doors, and the first two were very uneventful, very confusing. little feather was shivering hard and it was already cold. he will come out with nice short hair just in time for the warm weather and for our birthday, tomorrow. i miss him already though.

got back to find the younger girl in a huge fight with my wife over a bathing suit which she was unable to find. all this is for swimming later in the day. actually i kind of liked her hauling out and yelling, fighting back, because she's a strong woman who is well-loved and capable of fighting for her rights even if she's totally misguided and wrong. no problem. poor girls had their twin in a car accident yesterday so there's stress all around. the older one, usually far more combative, was somewhat quiet maybe feeling the responsibility of being the oldest of the three and worrying about the younger twin who, after all, is not here but at some other foster home recovering from a traumatic experience.

got them to school with the usual "make like usain and bolt!" as they were whispering conspiratorially in the back seat, in such a way that i couldn't hear whatever their complaints were against my wife. they kind of know that i'll either take my wife's side, or say nothing, anyway, so there's not much point in getting me involved. they don't seem to carry over whatever grudge they have against her, onto me, i'm only the driver.

this doesn't even cover two others we are responsible for, who are no doubt still asleep, as it's only 9 30. but it's enough and the cold ground seems to send its chill right up through my worn out sandals, i wear socks and sandals in a kind of quaker uniform but mostly because my big shoes, which probably have the only decent support, are just such a hassle when it's muddy. which is most of the time.