Vacation Time

Ok, I am ready
School is out
I had everything packed up
and cleaned up
on the first day,
so the second,
"bad weather makeup" day,
was utilized
with preparations for next year.

Doesn't that sound like
I am working on organization?
well... I am

so Saturday was the first day
at home,
with no school to be
on Monday...
I brought too much stuff home
as usual
some was perishable,
which is always scary to leave
and yucky to bring home.
and the rest were notebooks I need to put pages in
and they are for next year.
Then I have to take them back
but hey,
they will be ready to go
on Day One
woo hoo

now you would think
I would go to the pool
(yes, it has clean water in it,
but, NO they haven't opened it yet)

or attend a happy hour
or hand out and have fun
but actually
my youngest child
has been here over a week
and his older brother was here
for 5 days as well
over the Memorial Day Holiday
which was great and a whole 'nother story

but my youngest has burned all his bridges
with his father, who said he could not move back,
and with my mother
who doesn't trust him and is afraid of him
(somewhat understandably)
and since he has been here
he has been nothing but trouble for me.

Up all hours of the night,
leaving windows open,
doors unlocked,
lights on...

now, that is not so bad,
I know
but then he gets in his vehicle
and drives around
in a city he doesn't know
and after 2 am

the first night,
his eyes told the tale
of alcohol or drugs
and I told him
there were new
curfews,
10 during the week
12 on weekends
no matter your age
those are my curfews

and that was when
he was to be
in his room
not just in the house

if he thought he could steal money from me
in the form of my coin collections
he better think again
I have them all rigged
so that I will know
if he has taken any of my jars of change or money from them
because he had taken
at least 30 dollars
in quarters
since arriving

and there will be no alcohol consumption

then the alarm
that woke me up at 2
the first night I caught him
(as stated above)
the alarm woke me again the next night
a watch I believe
that he can't find
but one that is set for 2 am
WTF?
apparently
it is in a box of stuff
he didn't think he had room for in his room
so it is in mine

the third night
the alarm went off again
but in his room
and he
he was not here
I call his cell
oh
he is at the burger place
getting something to eat

eating out for the third time in a day
when he has no job
and little money
and there is food in the house

that is not good....
and it is past curfew
not good again

when he gets home
I explain that
if it happens again
just one more time
he will be out of my house

the next day,
he did as I asked
with a good tone of voice
and we went on

later in the evening
he wanted to grill some skirt steak
so he went to the grocery store
and got it

he made the fire
he cooked,
he cleaned up after himself
and then about 9:30
a windy storm blew up
so I went downstairs
to ask him to bring some things in

on the porch was a cooler
from the convenience store on the corner

In the cooler was beer

apparently he asked a homeless man
to buy him some beer
and gave him some money for it

at least he was honest with that answer.

so what would you do?

I am glad I have friends to ask
because Amused Muse suggested I take the car keys away
and I did.

so no, it isn't a vacation

but it is Vacation Time
and I really need one.