One of the guys at work took his daughter to college yesterday. I took Hazel to fifth grade orientation. Another guy in our trading office takes his daughter to college next week. I was walking around a middle school last night.
Before we left…. I dealt with a meltdown because one of Hazel’s press on nails popped off. She also wore chunky Jane shoes without socks yesterday.
I got the nail back on after a stop to Walgreens and I talked Hazel into putting on some white socks with her clunkity dress shoes.
When we arrived at the school they directed us into the gymnasium. After a welcoming speech from the principal, we walked the halls and found Hazel’s homeroom. We walked her schedule and we found her locker.
The lock!
We worked with the lock a dozen times. It’s a finicky dial that wasn’t easy to finesse. I could go back to my high school and pop open my locker right now… almost forty years later, but I couldn’t manage getting my daughter’s open last night.
It took me at least six times before I could click that fucking thing open. Poor Hazel with her damn press on nails couldn’t get her fingers on the dial.
Why did my daughter put press on nails on her fingers the day of fifth grade orientation?
She finally popped the locker open and smiled up at me with relief. She put the face on her sun.
I’m still worried next Wednesday she’s going to struggle with her locker and I won’t be there to help.
I went to bed last night and had dreams about my high school locker. I was going to be late for work in Oak Brook, Illinois because my locker at a high school in Indianapolis, Indiana wasn’t opening for me.
I woke up at 2:22am panicking…. 2:22am! My mom’s Angel Number. Here is my mom telling me from heaven not to worry about it. She will be with Hazel on Wednesday.
We got into Betty the Green Blazer and headed to the Divorced Dad drop off. Always a sad moment…. So I started singing Hazel’s combo to the Empire Carpet theme song.
She was surprised that I remembered the numbers an hour later. I told her my high school combo and she was even more surprised.
“Wow Dad!!! You can still remember that from the olden days?”
I looked at her with my fake pissed off face….
“Hazel…. Maybe we ditch the fucking nails before Wednesday? It will be easier to spin the dial on your locker.”
She smiled at me and said, “Maybe you’re right dad…..”
Before I know it I’ll be taking her to Bloomington or Iowa City. When that day comes, I’m going to start singing her fifth grade combo to her before I leave the campus.
I ended up putting the smile on the sun yesterday.
