Today is Saturday. It started out like any other Saturday. I woke up, ate breakfast, and got ready to do nothing for the rest of the day. My only plan was to wait around for Tiger Services to come and do my pre-arranged AC checkup. I had visions of myself dozing in and out all day in my Lazy Boy recliner with the TV remote in my hand.

I love those do-nothing days. Besides, next week I am going camping at Garner State Park, and plan on hiking the whole time. I needed to rest up to prepare for that. I may not be digging ditches along the highway, but my job really wears me out. This week was no different. While physically at one school, I am mentally at both of them. My job for each school is pretty much what it was when I only worked at one. Nothing was taken away. I still have all the same responsibilities and duties of two full time jobs. I needed this do-nothing break!

About a half hour before Tiger Services showed up, I got a text from N2S asking if I wanted to go to Austin to visit his older brother, N1S. My first inclination was to simply say no. I had plans to do nothing, not drive 90 miles to Austin at the spur of the moment to do who knows what, only to have to drive another 90 miles to get home. But I said yes.

I find myself saying yes a lot these days where my boys are concerned. I have reasons. For one thing, it is so awesome to see them getting along now that they are both young adults. The five-year difference in their ages caused all sorts of hell when they were kids. N2S was a rotten little brother, and N1S was not a particularly great big brother either. Rachel and I were convinced they would go their separate ways and not be "family" to each other. We were wrong. They have a very nice relationship developing now.

The more important reason is fear of the future I know is coming. No matter what anyone says, the day will come when the boys don't have time for Dear Old Dad. That's just a natural course of events. Their careers, their families, and their need for adventures of their own will gradually push me aside and leave me along the trail hoping for them to come back to me occasionally. I completely understand it. I know it is coming. Therefore, I simply can't miss the opportunities to be with them here and now.

I have to look at what I got for my effort today. I got to spend almost four hours in the truck talking with N2S. I learned a lot about his new existence as a freshman at UTSA. He told me what he has been doing. He told me about his friends. He told me the exploits of his room mate. I also got to here what he thinks about the world he lives in. We spent at least an hour talking about the government shutdown and how we could solve all the ills of the country. I also got to observe N1S in his own environment. He called the shots today, taking us to a great place for lunch and showing us around Austin.

We went to see a movie- Machete Kills Again. I think they should call it "Machete Kills Again and Again Again and Again Again and Again Again and Again Again and Again Again and Again Again and Again Again and Again Again and Again Again and Again Again and Again... All the dude did was kill people. it was certainly not the kind of movie I would normally seek out. But seeing it with my sons was special. Anything with them is.

I may not have much money. I may not drive a fancy sports car. I might not live in a mansion on a hill. That doesn't matter to me. I am a wealthy man because I have a loving wife and two of the best sons anyone could have. I hope they let me hang around with them for a long long time.