Graduation!

Today, Thomas graduated from high school, after a 13-year fight with school that started with kindergarten. I think the fact that Thomas made it with a diploma in his hand means that everybody won the fight. The weather cooperated nicely, and the speeches were short and fairly interesting, much to my delight and surprise.

Yesterday, I graduated, too. My tenure at NPC was not as long as Thomas' school career, although longer than his time in high school. Now that I am free of ten hours each day away from home, the real work begins. The days are going to be filled with activity as I finish the new house, sell the old house, prepare for the trip westward, and help Tom prepare for his journey into the world outside school. That's just the way I like it.

The outside appearance of the house hasn't changed much; the only two big changes to the exterior that will happen before we go are siding and decking, neither of which will take very long once started, and so the pictures you see will go from Tyvek to looking finished in pretty short order.

But the rough mechanicals are coming along nicely, the biggest hang-up being, well, me. Now that I'm done at NPC that should change very quickly. I'm actually going to tackle the hardest stuff first so that I know I have plenty of time to yell for help if I need it.

My list of things to do between now and the end of July is daunting, but if I break it up into manageable pieces with reasonable deadlines, I think I'll get most of it done, and certainly the most vital things. I can't sit around and do nothing, but in some ways I'm more relaxed that I've been in many years. I know I'm going to be busy, but I think I'm going to enjoy myself, too.