Back to school

The girls finished their first week of school. Hurray!

We already had to go to a meeting at the middle school about the sixth-grade "team-building" trip. It's three days up north at a YMCA camp -- for at least $70. It's supposed to bond all the kids as a group.

This coming week we have three nights of meetings -- one is for the middle school band for Elspeth. More money. Who said kids get a free public education?

For Elspeth, this will be a tough few weeks. Her best friend Maggie is moving this weekend to Manistee, a few hours away from here. Maggie's mom got a job at the school district there. When they told us a few weeks ago, Elspeth just sobbed.

Other

I hear my sister in the Houston area is doing OK in the hurricane. They did not evacuate but stuck it out.

Work is reaching new levels of pettiness and stupidity -- the new boss doesn't start until Tuesday. See what happens when you let the lunatics run the asylum?