Becky, traveling, Brittany and Andrew

I failed to mention a bit of news that is rather significant. Becky called several days ago to tell me that she had made the Chancellor’s List. The certificate for such an accomplishment is awarded to those students who complete fifteen hours or more with a GPA of 3.5 of higher. She did that while working constant night shifts as a waitress and getting her clinical hours completed for the EMT program she was enrolled in. That really is quite a feat. She will hang the framed certificate next to the one Charles received several semesters back.


Now Becky has to complete the National Certification test and she will be a registered EMT. She is planning on going on to complete the paramedic program offered at the same college and hopes to have it done in one year. We will know soon enough if that is possible but I did not want to gloss over the accomplishments to date. She and her three dogs are extremely proud of the achievement. I suppose Charles is too even though her certificate is more recent than his.

Mama and I should be in Colorado Springs tonight. I plan to leave work at noon or a little earlier and be on the road by 2 p.m. It will put us in too late to make it to the ceremony at the Academy tonight but we will be there for the graduation Wednesday. I think Brittany and Andrew have some type of ball to go to tonight; sort of like a college prom. I never did attend any such event and would find it intolerably uncomfortable since dancing and drinking are the focus of the evening. Besides, you know how much I love crowds; especially non-church crowds.

Mama and I are planning on taking our time coming back to Amarillo. We were looking at a map last night to find points of interest en route and have come up with a couple strong contenders. Great Dunes National Park and Red River, New Mexico are at the top of the list. We have heard so much about the area that it would be silly not to go while we are in the area. That is, we will be within 50-80 miles of them. The only drawback is that we will have the pup with us. It is not a major complication, but it is a complication. Not to worry, Mama will overcome.

Being strained financially makes the whole venture less comfortable than it would be if we had a surplus of money, but it does not cost to look and there should be plenty to see while we are traveling through the area. We have Victoria’s camera with us to make the most of the opportunity.

Mama is both anxious for and anxious about her upcoming trip to New Jersey. Money concerns are a little more prominent in that arena. I am not sure what she wants to do while she is there other than eat at Twenty Five Burgers and go to some of the malls. But she is already worried about not having enough money for whatever she has not gotten around to telling me is so important to accomplish (or purchase) while she is there.

She is painfully aware that only days after she gets back to Texas, she and Jake will go to the farm en route to Florida and Brittany’s wedding to Andrew. I have a clear conscious in matters concerning the wedding. I was brutally honest with both Brittany and Andrew about issues I have had on the matter and the two of them seem undeterred in making the commitment – which is as it should be.

It is not that I am against the marriage. I am for it. What worries me is that neither of them thought it was necessary to get any pre-marital counseling to help them get some of the tough questions asked before they are committed to spending all their time in each other’s company; before they start to learn about those unspoken needs. Before they begin to learn all those annoying little habits each of them have that will drive the other crazy; before they learn the needs, wants and expectations of one another and both of them have some serious expectations – yet unspoken. Before they learn how big a part of their private life extended family will be especially with the cultural differences they must consider since Andrew comes from a Korean family; all those little things that should have been addressed with some oversight prior to the honeymoon.

Will they make it? Of course.

Are they in for a rude awakening? You bet!

What’s really funny is that rather than call me and Mama when those issues come up, Brittany will more likely call the seasoned veterans in her family – Maggie and Cori.

That will be interesting.