Father's Day, 2007

As the kids grow up, it's harder to get together for a meal. Pat has insane hours at his job (works 3 a.m. to 9 a.m.) so he goes to sleep around dinnertime. Laurel was invited to a farewell party at her best friend's house (the friend is going to be in Florida for a week at a national health sciences competition.) But we did come together long enough to get this shot. Laurel took the picture.

School is out for the summer for both kids now. Pat's looking for a third job until school starts again, and Laurel will have a week off before starting summer school. She's taking two fun courses, and one remedial class - she blew off her algebra this year, so will have to make it up in July and August. The other two classes are "Constitutional and Criminal Law" and "Beginning Guitar."

I'm taking some courses now, too - all three are online, so I can read the materials and do the exercises when I have time, instead of being required to show up at a specific place and time. One, however, is taught in the game world of Second Life. That one is an experimental class, and participants come from all kinds of libraries and have provided some interesting and incisive comments about the potential for providing library services in that world. Just this afternoon, I was offered a parcel of land in Second Life. I am deciding whether I want to buy it and build ... hey, this could be the modern equivalent of "The Game of Life" board game that we used to play as kids. Simulations teach lessons about the Real World.