typed:
bOn Wed, 10 Oct 2007 02:47:24 GMT, "rb608"
wrote:

The date for my annual trek to Altmar is approaching; but #1
offspring has managed to royally screw up the planning. Okay, his
college classes on Monday morning are an acceptable reason to push
the trip forward a day, no problem. Lodging reservations were
revised, and all is well.

Then there was this speeding ticket. He got PBJ, but on the
condition he complete a "Driver Improvement Program". So he loses
the notification from the MVA until the only possible way he can
avoid a license suspension is to take the class on the night we're
scheduled to leave. So, instead of making Altmar by midnight, we're
looking at not even leaving until at least 10 p.m. Nuts.

So here's the question. It's a 6-hour drive; interstates all the
way. Would you leave at 10 & arrive dead tired at 4 a.m. & try to
fish on a couple hours sleep (assuming you survive the trip) or get
a few hours sleep here, get up at 0-dark thirty & drive in the
morning, missing a half day of fishing? There's really no good
answer here, I'm trying to decide which is the lesser of the two
evils.

Joe F.

Um, 'tripper seems to be politely saying that which I'll not so
delicately trod...

IOW, he ****ed up, lucked out, ****ed up the luck-out, and now, you're
wondering how to accommodate your schedule around his irresponsible
double-play...OK...I'm curious - how are you planning to rationalize
(with a heavy dose on the "ration") that he's going to learn a
motherflockin' thing from this...? Why not just call wayno and fire
up the checkbook, retainer-wise? You asked for opinions, so here's
mine: He's a college kid who got caught improperly operating a what
amounts to a deadly weapon, not some toddler who spilled his milk.
Leave it to him to figure things out, and if he's not set and legal
to leave when planned, tough **** for him.

Hmmmm, uh, no - not for me, at least. There are plenty of other ways to
teach the lessons, but I think there is more to be gained by taking Son on
the fishing trip. At that age, you never know when the interests and life
will shift, and Joe could miss out on what may be the last fishing trip with
his son - at least for a while. Coming up soon are all the interuptions of
father/son relationships - you know, serious girlfriends, jobs, etc. Take
the time with him while you can, Joe, and whenever you can. I can't recall
someone ever telling me they spent too much time with their children. ;-)
--
TL,
Tim
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http://css.sbcma.com/timj