Bfth's Boring Blog

So long ago and yet so close by, or so it seems when I think back on the last day of school.  Wasn't it only a day or so ago when the kids were rushing out of the school and another year was over?  Then I realize that how many weeks ago June 19th was. (9 weeks ago as I sit and write this; how could it have been that long ago?)  In other ways, it seems like years since summer began.  All that planning I did;  camps and summer activities for my son.  I spent month plotting and planning to assure that summer vacation would be busy AND fun. It seems like my planning took more time than the actual activities!  Now that's all behind us as we gear up for the new school year.  I've plotted and planned for that as well.  (Despite what I said here:  http://bfthsboringblog.blogspot.com/2015/08/somwad-nightmare-is-over-supply-list.html  I still have a few thing that I need; like gym clothes!)  This school year is a "big" one for our family, as our son heads "downtow

It may be at the root of many (if not all) of our problems today.  I'm not trying to trivialize matters; I am most likely simplifying things.  But maybe things NEED to be simplified.  Maybe we need to think of things on a really basic level to make them stick. We, as a human race, need to RESPECT each other. As children most of us are taught to respect our elders, our teachers, our leaders and those who serve the public at large (such as police officers, EMTs, etc.)  But of course it goes both ways, those people need to respect us as well.  We may look different, act differently in situations, but when you come down to it we are ALL made of the same atoms/molecules.  (And I'm not getting any more technical than that.)  Respect is a two way street; something we tend to forget, especially in the heat of the moment.   Before you speak or act, remember RESPECT.  I know it's not easy, but it IS right.  Harking back to the WWJS philosophy (not to get too religious here),

One of my pet peeves/minor annoyances/things that tick me off are those people on social media who wish a "Happy Birthday" to people who are no longer alive.  If you're dead, what is the point of posting a birthday greeting?  To me it's just silly/stupid.  Additionally, I'm irked/annoyed when people post death "anniversaries".  I don't know why these things get under my skin; they just do. Which I suppose makes me somewhat of a hypocrite as I reflect back on my brother today.  It would have been his 43 birthday.  Which means that he's been gone for over 3 years now.  Somehow it seems longer than that; in other ways it seems like just yesterday.  (Isn't that the case for so many "milestone" events?) There are certain times of the year when memories of my brother are stronger than others.  Obviously the day he was born and the day he died stand out.  I find that as it gets closer to the date of his birth, I start thinking mor

(George Harrison fans: hope you get a laugh out of the title of this post) Late last month a survey by Market Force Information confirmed what I already knew Wawa is #1 in convenience stores.  In my book, Wawa is just plain old #1.  It's easy to understand why:  good products and good customer service. (Sadly a rarity in today's world; or at least in my world.) There is no Wawa close by to me. (This is a good thing...and will be explained at the end of this post.) The nearest one is ten or so miles away, but it just happens to be in the perfect spot right off the highway when I am picking up or dropping off my son at summer camp.   After I drop off (and am feeling those empty nest blues), I stop by for a drink. (Nonalcoholic; although I hear Wawas in Virginia can sell wine!  Have no confirmation of this; maybe it's time for a drive south?)  With all  Wawas in possession of Coke Freestyle machines, the selection seems to be somewhat endless.  (I don't know how

http://www.myveronanj.com/2015/08/12/living-in-small-spaces/ Just sharing this morning...originally this was going to be a blog post, but My Verona got there first.

I have gleefully finished my school supply shopping.  (Or so I hope/think; you know something is going to pop up last minute and I'll be running around the day before school starts to try and get "that thing" that my son will desperately need for the first day of school.)   The school year starts (for our district) in 3 weeks and 3 days.  For others it may start a little later (after Labor Day) or maybe even a little before. (Especially for those going back to college or those who are in the South where summer vacation starts a little earlier and ends by the middle of August.)  However, it is still officially summer.  I expect to see the end of the summer season sales in the stores along with back to school stuff.  What I don't expect is Halloween items, although I suspected candy to start appearing at the end of the month. I got my first view of Halloween trappings last Tuesday at my local grocery store.  The seasonal aisle was still a combination of end of

It's Sunday afternoon.  We have dropped our son off for one last week at sleep away camp; along with millions of others.  (This is clearly the last week of any kind of schedule summer activity; after this the college students go back to school and that's that.)  I know he's going to have another great week.  And I know I am going to have a great week because I have made a major accomplishment today:  I have found the elusive   5-Star Flex 5-Subject College Ruled Refillable Notebook by Mead. (The cheering and applause may now commence.) It was brilliantly displayed in this week's Staples circular.  On sale for only $10; down from the suggested price of $11.99.  (That's $10.70 with tax.)  They were right in the front of the store in a lovely display.  It was the final item on the list. (The French/English dictionary is optional so I'm holding off on that.)  I have to admit, I was tempted to buy more than one, just in case.  I debated over what color to buy (s

School supplies; the bane of many a parent's life.  Much has been written about the subject and here I am adding my own spin. Officially school starts in our district in less than a month.  (Yes, that's prior to Labor Day, which I think is a first for us, but if I'm wrong please correct me.)  Summer vacation began just before the official start of summer this year and school supplies started to go on sale about a month later (mid-July.)  If you know me (and hopefully you've read more than just this blog post, so you know a little about me), you know that I am always looking for a bargain or a good deal.  (I'm not completely crazy when it comes to sales, but I do come close.)  I won't drive miles out of my way to get twenty cent composition books, but I will make repeated trips to Walgreens (one of which I drive by on my way to work and the other which I can walk to from home) to get 3 subject notebooks for a dollar one week and glue sticks the next.  I scan

August 4, 2005:  The day my son was born.  When it was time to get dressed (and get driving) that morning, I chose to wear a sleeveless collared white top (with a zipper in the front) and a pair of navy shorts that I had bought in DisneyWorld eight years prior.  I'm not 100% sure why I chose to wear those clothes that day.  They were cool and comfortable and I knew it was going to be a long, hot day.  I'm a big Disney fan so wearing Disney items is no surprise. (In looking back at a photo that day I am also wearing a Minnie Mouse watch and Mickey Icon silver ring).  I don't recall giving it that much thought.  Again, comfort was my main concern.  (That and getting on the road we thought our son was about to be born! Little did we know that he had already made an appearance an hour and half prior to our leaving the house!) August 4, 2006:  My son is turning one.  Although I have no big party planned, it is a big day and needs to be marked as such.  There needs to be champag

He's turning 10 today.  How in hell did that happen?  He's just a couple inches shorter than me (although I am pretty short) and his feet are the same size as mine (only narrower).  Somehow a decade has flown by and I can barely wrap my head around it.  I some ways I can hardly remember when he was born; in others it seems like he should still be a baby.  It's a question I know so many parents ask:  Where did the time go? Time has dimmed my memory, but I kept a record of my son's first year in a daily diary.  So no matter how much I forget from those early days, I can always look back and will never completely lose that time. I think much is lost due to the lack of sleep.  I can barely remember much of anything from that first year.  Some of my first year memories revolve around sleep.  I remember taking the boy to the shore for the first time. (Husband stayed home for the weekend to get some much needed sleep.  He was the stay at home dad, while I was out work

Last Sunday afternoon we dropped our son off at camp; in just a few hours we will be picking him up.  Although he has gone away a lot this summer (with my in laws to Gettysburg and staying at the shore with my parents), this week was the hardest because he was really away.  At Camp Johnsonburg (http://www.campjburg.org/), he is on his own.   While there are wonderful counselors and fellow campers, there are no relatives and no daily calls from mom and dad. There's no digital connection (except for emails that I write to him that the staff prints and hands out) It's a wonderful experience for him.  For me...well that's a whole other story. I scan the camp's website for the daily photos.  For the first couple of days this year there were no photos with my son in them. (In the past they have taken cabin photos on the first day so you can see your camper and his bunk.)  Logically, I knew he was fine and I knew he was having fun.  (After all this is the third year that