It Had To Happen Sooner or Later!!

I had a bit of a crappy day off yesterday.

I was in a really good mood at first. I had some tunes cranked up and was sipping on an early day cocktail.

And then…

The e-mail came. It was from the ex and the subject line was: RYAN. My throat slipped into my stomach and a feeling of nausea overcame me.

Whenever I get an email like that, my instincts tell me that it can’t be good. Let me tell you folks, my instincts are 20/20.

His mom had just checked his weekly class results online, and yes my friends, good ol’ Ryno is once again failing to turn in homework assignments on occasion and it is affecting his grades.

I picked him up from school yesterday. Sitting in the parking lot, I watched him approach the car with his typical devil-may-care grin beaming from ear to ear. He seemed so happy.

Well, when he got into the car, his smiled quickly dissipated when I asked, “What the hell is going on in that mind of yours?”

As we discussed this disturbing, and not unfamiliar habit of his on the way home, I was fed the same tired excuses that I had heard from him in the past.

Upon arriving at his house I went inside with him. Typically I just drop him off, so my irregular action was the catalyst for a microburst of sweat to spew from his teenage forehead.

With each lame excuse and non sequitur rationalization that he uttered, I used my acutely honed scalpel of logic to dissect each one.

Knowing in his mind that I was right each time, this drove the teenager who knows everything to the point of anger. So, he came up with a new, and to that point, unheard excuse…

“I sometimes don’t turn my homework in, because you’re never around.”

Yes dear readers, the boy employed the, “blame it on Dad and make him feel guilty” attack. It didn’t work.

I told him (as he already knows) that I am only eight minutes away…a phone call away…and that I ask him everyday if he needs help with any school work or if there is anything we need to talk about life wise.

He sat in dumbfounded silence other than muttering, “Just get out, and leave me alone.”

I said to him that if my not being around was the root of the problem he could start staying with me a couple of times a week. He said, “no”, and I think we all know why…

He’s just being lazy at times, and is doing other fun things instead of doing his homework, and that’s all there is to it. School for him much of the time, is a social setting, not a place of learning.

After his “no”, he told me once more to go and just leave him alone. While Ryno will already be turning 15 next month, it was yesterday that it became official: My son has become a teenager.

With that tumultuous situation being discussed I would like to give someone a hearty shout-out.

The one bright spot of my solo day-off was when the Cynical Bastard, Jay, took a few minutes out of his day to be my special friend and talk to me on the phone…

It’s nice to see that somebody answered the call of my friend request.

Thanks Jay, and thanks for the “artwork” that you sent to me.

One of the pieces is now proudly displayed on my computer monitor in wallpaper form. I think you can guess which one.

I love it, my computer loves it, but Schmoop? Eh, she’s not a big fan...go figure.

Happy Friday, all.

Cheers!!