Crap, crap, crap, crap, crap.

Nate's best friend, C, who's having some massive adjustment issues to middle school (plus his family's military and has moved around a lot) got suspended today for punching another kid that he claimed was picking on a smaller kid.

The problem now is that he's told his mother that Nate was also involved in the picking on of the smaller kid. Given that a) it sounds COMPLETELY unlike Nate and b) the school has not contacted me in any way about any kind of disciplinary action, I had to wonder. When I asked Nate about his possible involvement, he said that he didn't get into it until AFTER C got involved and that in fact, C also hit him.

Aside from the fact that my instinct is to believe Nate, because, you know, my kid and I know him better than anyone, C has been having the aforementioned adjustment issues and this isn't the first time he's tried in implicate Nate in something, not so much because he's trying to shift blame, but more in the "Well, if Nate's involved, how bad can it be?" vein.

If Nate's involved, I want him to take the consequences, but like I said, nothing from the school and when he answered me, he looked me in the eye. I honestly think he's too scared of what I might do-- all involving his beloved electronic games-- to lie to me. And beyond that, we've tried to impress upon him how important it is to not act out physically, even if he's just roughhousing and playing with friends, because he's a big kid and you just know where the finger would be pointed. Ironically, C has already been reprimanded twice this year for physically lashing out.

And I understand that C's mom, who's also a friend of mine, rightly wants to protect/defend her child, but I'm not needlessly throwing my kid under the bus so she can have reason for her formerly non-troublemaking son to have an excuse for his behavior, but I'm afraid that's what she's looking for. (C's such a classic case, poor noodle-- super bright kid, undersized, total target for bullies, and with a long, long fuse that when he finally hits his limit, completely blows.)

I say Nate is innocent until you hear from somebody who wouldn't benefit from implicating him (i.e., The School).

Yay, Tom! Congrats!

So, the test thingy didn't hurt but the dude did NOT know how to operate a t TMI speculum. OW!

I say Nate is innocent until you hear from somebody who wouldn't benefit from implicating him (i.e., The School).

I'm inclined to agree, hec-- especially, as I said, C has already been repeatedly in trouble and while Nate has his things as all twelve-year-old boys do, physically acting out hasn't been one of them.

Excellent news for Tom!

A friend who's a stylist has been coloring my hair for close to 20 years. He is dealing with some serious personal problems, which is, of course, the important part. However, this has led to a minor crisis on my part: I have about an inch of roots in my natural color, which is part medium brown and part gray. The combination makes for very dull hair approximately the color of a rat. I've never colored my own hair, but I need to do something and funds are a bit tight. Can some of the hair gurus here offer some suggestions?

In other words, help!

I went to yet another doctor today. He thinks the heart palpitations I've been getting have been anxiety attacks. I said I haven't been feeling particularly anxious -- actually, kind of calmer than usual, since I haven't had as much school stress the past few weeks -- but he said that experiencing anxiety isn't always what leads to an anxiety attack. Which makes me think that they should have a different name.

Which makes me think that they should have a different name.

I vote "Pit of Hell."

signed,
Currently Residing There

I vote "Pit of Hell."

signed, Currently Residing There

See that person waving from the next torture chamber? That's me.

See that person waving from the next torture chamber? That's me.

Man, the food here is *awful,* isn't it?

And such small portions.