Talk To The Animals

After 8 years of actively looking, I can finally say: I've seen a moose.

Usually when someone says that to you, your response is "Is the car totalled?" I WAS in the car, I admit, doing a *cough* little bit over the speed limit on I-95. In a busy section just outside of Kennebunk (Hello, George and Barbara). Needless to say I was very surprised to see it ambling along the opposite side on the grassy area past the shoulder leading into the woods. Nowhere near my car, thank goodness.

No, I did not have my camera. And, of course, Walker was the only one with me and just not all that impressed. After a while, it does get pretty lame to keep having all these great moments alone. But I digress.

I saw a moose. How cool is that?

Gone

I'm bringing the teenager to the island and dropping her the hell off. For many, many, many weeks. I hope.

She hasn't arranged for a job yet. I hope she actually finds one at this late a date.

It's not that I won't miss her. She's my daughter, of course I will. It's just that. Well. She's a teenager. A hellaciously rude one. I need a break. And a margarita. I'll have to settle for the break.

The kids her age are drinking. A lot. Some of the parents are aware (although they think it's happening a lot less than it is) and some of the parents are so deep in denial that it's scary. Here in this city, under-aged drinking is treated a little more severely. I'm glad about that. First of all, it's not okay. It's illegal. It's breaking the law. (Yeah, I've always been concerned about that, right?) It is a punishable crime and that in and of itself stands for something. I'm not talking about 19 year olds having beers on the beach people. I'm talking about 13 and 14 year olds drinking to the point of almost alcohol poisoning on the breakwall and using piss poor judgement on top of that piss poor judgement. The national average of the age of most people's first drinking experience is 13. 13!!! Why is that okay? I don't think it is. I don't think it's harmless. My teenager already has a teenagers screwed up judgement. I'm trying hard not to send the message that it's okay to break the law - I've tried to be honest about my own past and how much I regret certain actions and destructive habits. Here, there aren't too many kids on the drinking track yet. The ones who are are considered the losers. But when she gets on Block Island and is hanging out with the "everybody's doing it" kids, do I think she can withstand the pressure? How many people do you know that hang out with drinkers, smokers and/or tokers and manage to not to absorb the same habits themselves.

Then again. I need a frickin' break. Maybe a drink. I'm old enough. And stupid enough.