Q&A: What’s your biggest expense right now? Monthly rent on a 752 sq. ft. two-bedroom house at 0.8 miles from the beach, then the 2016 Mazda 3 in the driveway. Our electric bill has a credit this month and our upgraded fridge and washer are using less energy than the old appliances last year.

part of I Dance (I)

We stood in the kitchen this morning as we prepared our breakfast — toasting soft waffles, spreading the thickest almond butter, scooping on cold cottage cheese, and adding a juicy grape to some bites to appreciate the different temperatures and textures of the meal that are combining in my mouth; Caleb is thinking food, and eats it.

Some of Caleb’s coworkers wanted to disc golf at 9 am but went to work instead, so we took Sparky. This reminded me that I had bags of toothpaste/brushes and floss in the car that was supposed to be used in the candy buyback program after Halloween, but since I no longer work there I will at least drop the box off at the school.

I left man and dog in the car while I carried two boxes through a lock-broken front door. I set one down and quickly delivered to the 1st grade and Kinder rooms, the students jumping up from their activities because they noticed me, and wanted to know what I had brought them, for some reason thinking it was cell phones.

I grabbed the second box and got hugs from the 2nd grade class before going to 4th to interrupt their teacher reading to them, then the 5th grade class with a substitute and a student telling me that my boss told them that I went to a different school (answers the question that I no longer work there), and then to 3rd grade with another substitute and a relentless child wanting to know where I’ve been for three weeks.

I left his question unanswered as I quietly yelled Happy Halloween, left the four extra bags downstairs, and waved bye to the nurse before taking the chance that the principal might come out of her office. I will drop off the rest of the supplies in my car on Monday and then let the teachers know that I haven’t been on a lengthy vacation in the middle of school. Some of the students and staff miss me and I do miss them.

Caleb throwing on Hole 4

I run back to the car and Caleb doesn’t want to talk about it. He thinks ghosting is something teenagers do because they don’t know better and I agree. People in leadership positions should be better at setting an example of how things are done properly instead of acting like a child when the situation affects more than just themselves and their inconsiderate outlook on the state of the circumstances.

I got Caleb to Morley Field and he got to play through the stoners lost in conversation on a few holes and Sparky got his bits smelled by another dog. I suppose he might miss that mid-meal action he used to get from Piggy.

I finished a book, I am an Emotional Creature, by Eve Ensler, inspired by girls from around the world and want to find the words to share their condition so that those more fortunate will jump to immediate action, but that’s not how change happens.

Sparky takes his mid-afternoon aggressions out on an old bone while Caleb tilts his head to the side for a nap. I edit another post for the third time before going to the shelf of books to take one outside to enjoy the sounds of airplanes above, cars driving by, and the wind blowing through the palm leaves on a Friday afternoon while I read about passion.