AWOL

January 24, 2008

I didn't mean to leave you hanging last week, but for several days my unpaid job (number two assistant to Davis Buenger, college student extraordinaire) has superseded my other unpaid job of blog captain for Erin Buenger. Davis not only found himself making sit down dinner for sixteen last weekend (remember, he lives in a dorm), but he also found himself hip-deep in applications for summer research internships. I swear on a big stack of whatever you want me to swear on, that I did not fill out applications for him (I hold a grudge against helicopter parents who can't seem to cut the apron strings and let their college students fend for themselves), but there were some parts of the process he asked my advice on and some other ways I could help without violating my own code of honor. I admit, I had an ulterior motive. I really would like him to spend two months of next summer living elsewhere, having experiences he has never had.

Erin didn't seem to notice that she wasn't front and center in my daily routine. Ayesha came over from Round Rock for the long weekend. They did the usual stuff, which means I am only vaguely aware of how they spent their time. They did play makeover one afternoon, with strict instructions that they needed to wash their supermodel make up off if they left the house. They did two versions.

The very made up version:


And the very, very made up versions:


Frankly, I couldn't tell the difference.

We did have them scrub up before we went out for Walter's birthday Saturday evening.


As relaxed as the weekend was, we picked up the pace on Tuesday. Erin competed in the local piano teachers guild theory test/competition. We won't know how she did until next week, but it was a great way to kill a couple of hours on a nasty weather day. Yesterday, she helped Jackson celebrate his eleventh birthday with an after school party, followed by bells and choir practice. Tonight its back to soccer (in preparation for three tournaments over the next four weekends).

In some ways, Erin is growing so much, it's hard to keep track. At breakfast one recent morning, after discussing the causes of the War of 1812 (a topic I recalled very little about, though I did --apparently erroneously, thanks to the anonymous commenter who helped me on my history lesson. Shhh don't tell Walter, and don't remind me that I have two degrees in history--remember that it was the inspiration for the fine piece "The Overture of 1812"), she turned to Walter and said, "Now tell me dad, how come generals always get all the credit for winning a war, when really their soldiers do the fighting and it's probably their assistants that make the battle plans." To which Walter said, "I think you should ask your social studies teacher that question."

She is also working on a letter to Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson. I asked her teacher to do this with her as a school project because I wanted it to be her words and not mine. I sent some cancer facts to the teacher along with a link to the curesearch website, so Erin could arm herself for a persuasive paper. After the first day that she worked on it, we were riding home together in the car. Erin asked me, from the back seat, "Is it true that every sixteen hours a child with neuroblastoma dies?" I told her not literally, but on average it was true, that enough children died each year from neuroblastoma that it was like one dying every sixteen hours. She was uncharacteristically quiet. I ask her if that scared her. She said "No, but it sure is hard to understand why my Senator won't sign the bill to save some of those kids' lives. Why is she so stubborn?"

I have to say it's hard for me to understand, too.

Anyway, that's it for now. I'll publish Erin's letter here when she's done. Maybe you'll take the time to write your Senator or Representative today. The Senate bill will come to a vote before too long, and its gaining momentum in the House (up to 194 co-sponsors!).