You’re wondering why the October Fifth Chalkboard has a quote about growing flowers. Autumn just began a little over a week ago. Why not a quote about the leaves turning brilliant colors?
For me, I grow flowers every Wednesday.
Every Wednesday for the last six years I get the Shepkids. Wednesday and every other weekend is the agreement for custody. That means every other Monday and every Thursday morning I wake up in a mixed bag of emotions. It’s Thursday morning, which makes today’s Chalkboard even more therapeutic.
The Princess of Hensdale set it up on Google Calendar where it shows “Mom’s weekend” and “Dad’s weekend.” It shows this pattern for as long as Google Calendar extends.
If someone invites me to a rugby game in November or a Wedding in January… I open Google Calendar and see who’s weekend these events fall upon.
I can go to the Fourth of July in 2046 and see if I have the Shepkids that weekend. The Shepkids will all be in their thirties on that Fourth of July, but at least I can still plan ahead.
I have two calendars in my kitchen. George has a calendar hanging in his room. There is a calendar hanging over Hazel’s bed and one over Fritz’s bed. At Christmas I buy the Shepkids a calendar with a theme that was big in their life the year before. I’ve been doing this the last few years.
My Gramma in Indianapolis use to give me a calendar. Usually she gave me the one Kroger's gave her. A couple of years she gave me her extra Christ the King calendar. In 1981 she gave me an Indiana Pacers calendar. Man, I wish I still had that one.
In 2016 I had a calendar from a girls rugby team in England. They were all nude, but in a discreet manner. Twelve months of gorgeous woman with rugby balls placed perfectly to cover up their girl parts. That was the last full year of my marriage. I had a calendar with naked hookers and props. My wife had a couple boyfriends.
The 2023 calendar for Hazel is Turtles. Fritz has a calendar with twelve pictures of the Moon and George has a calendar from the CTA. I have a calendar from Riverside Foods hanging by the chalkboard. On the icebox hangs one the guys from The James Joyce gave me.
We have all these fricking calendar’s hanging around the flat and the only one that really matters is The Google Calendar.
I can’t make big plans for New Years Eve in 2039. I have the Shepkids that weekend. Just so you know December 31st, 2039 falls on a Saturday night. The 2040’s start on a Sunday. I looked it up on the Google calendar. You can’t get that at Riverside Food!
Hopefully I’ll still be living in my three flat in the Divorced Dads District in Riverside on New Year’s Eve in 2039. I better mark that on my Google calendar.