THERE are alot of
parents wearing hang:

i dog: Faces this: week.

Your ve scen them around:
they are asad; beaten lot,
Some of then: drool, others

quitter, Incoberdaily to
‘themsel cs. FP an one ‘of those
“Mout of sorts” people, so Tl
tele Gow what's going on.
: School sout for the summer.

School's ending caught
me a-bir off guard this year.

~Youcsee, E had avoided look:

PNG AL the calendar for most
of June, w dntinig. to savor

~ vacly day of freedom and:

“household: order withour

» having: to’ face the sad ‘truth =

that-itnwould all soon be

over, Besides, my summer -

little Book (on golt of:

ourse) and Pye, been utr erly

engrossed i in.
“Shen pne/day when:
“hustled ‘down ‘the; halt tc
C tric of teens from
near comatose slumber
6, get. ready for school, a",
groggy voice mumbled ro
me, “Mom;
“T stopped dead in my
tracks. “Exetise me?” 1 said
tothe half sleeping bor, not
sure Thad heard him cor-.°
rectly. “Mom,” he. said: “Get

épt that the | 3

norith had slippéd'by so”

quickly. Jt was only’ the:
16th, for heaven's sake; did- :
intil the end

: Bolting for, the. kitchen’
: desk: L grabbed ‘ay calend
he sneat

Sit
function of ny audvang

ta I spotted
Sure enough, Wei

hs would: know if thi
“really ue. She’svery orga-”
mized, has probably been
planning ber. summer since

choo!’ S$ out. Go

“my otherwise pe

Humphreys
Close to
home

, handiwork ofa le-vearold

datighter no doubt.
T sat down on the kitchen,
floorte catch my breath,

Alter-a few stunned minutes |

there, J reached for the:
phone. My golf partner
is were

Christmas, | dialed her num-

ber.

She picked it ‘up: on the

first ring. “Hello.” she :

droned, all the life gone
from her once singsong

voice, “Bette?” f asked. “Ts -
“that you?”

“y.-“Oh Shanny,
back, and at that i instant my.

she w sailed”

fears were confirmed: School
was officially out for sum-

ow you, might think me !

somewhat dramatic, bur.

allow me to explain, When °

uny kids are'in school | am
happy because ‘other than

my ‘domestic: chores, I have”

* most of the day to myself to.
tend to my animals, tinker
‘around witht ny writing, and
Tork on ‘my. golf wame.

© Pm the first to admic thar:

1 have.a great life, becatse:

° between 8:30 a.m. and 3: 00.
‘p.m: T-have relative peace,

Nant chan a is; to. the con-

around:
‘Now- that j it’s summer, i

“am faced witha few major’

d disruptive: changes to
¢ ceful, rou:
T hey

$I anon |

cand towels and socks

around. There’s never
‘enough cereal, snacks juice,
ar fruirin the house toe iced
them. (hate grocery shop
ping, especially aew thar Pm
a Weight Watcher. Taye
trouble resisung all the sanr-
pletables at the stores. The
other day-Praste-tested pere=
‘gies fora full 45 minutes
until finally the sample lady
asked ime to ‘leave. j

@ Mv Jaundry triples.
Teenagers change their
clothes all day long, for
skateboarding, golf, tennis,
‘and whatever ther sport, |
othey happen t6 play Pm a
atndey person, iio deubt
‘about it, but even [have my
iis, 7

EB The: housework explod s.
My kitchen is'always'2 mess,
and there. are piles ‘of shoes”
uv ery ~

‘

where you turn, Naturally i

the, amount of nagging Te |

must deliver alse increases:
“Pea never lerup, 1} must:

nag, nag, naz my children to.

pick up after themselves, tidy:
‘up their dishes, and nor!
pound the tarout of each
other. Even for a seasoned
- pro Jike me, this incessant:

nagging is, quite exhausting, :

ear. Editor:
The: Lions, Gate Bridge is

knoiwn “world “wide sand the.
tourist industry of the province:

depends. on ‘these fandmark”
names and images.:20 6°.
Although’: (the “Second ,
Narrows bridge is. not nearly-as
_ Well known, and without disre*,.

“ Spect to the’ families and lives :

which were lost in its construc
tion, 1 would suggest. thatthe

“name “ Ironworkers Memorial

© Span” will n net lox rk g

Werall lose bone density. after the age of
25. Ostepporosis can Wenn Be

Mus there is this constant
pounding noise coming. from
my house. 10s supposed to

“be muvic. When Pmake the

kids ter tum it off, the
pounding is replaced by the
paintul sereech of a boy's

‘ulectric guitar or the con-

stant finging of the phone.

Aly neighbors complain, the

dogs spend! their days hiding
in the car, and Leannot hear
novself think,

In the old days when the
kids were litle Fused to

_ pack‘everyone up and just

go. Anvw here. o

: But now my children.’
don’t want to go anywhere
with ine. One has a job,
another is a golfaddict, and,

there's a strange teenaged +

girl living here who would

-tather die than be caught
‘anywhere out in public with

her mother: | ~.
So yeah, Pava fittle out.

“of sorts,

Uhave to go now ;
Theyre going to have sam-

“ples of Twinkies at Safeway”

today.and }- don’t want to
miss ‘them,

Olvrats, now Pve gone .
and drooled allover myself
again, Miurtter, mutter’

ridge name a a bad fit |

T-shirt or postcard.

Pater O*Rourke 3s),
Calabogie, Ontario

Peter.O” Rourke@pupsege.n ca

Men-Sat 6.00arn-6:00pm. Sun. 20Cemn-5 00pm

Friday, June 06, 1998: North: Shore, News - ae

i
!

h

4
ae
cape
‘

vod ‘

Oil, Lube &.-Filter

al et, Safety check,.15 romutes FAST! ‘
inciucdes Up to 5 litres of (Ov 30 Quaikerstate H
1362 Marine Drive 980-9115:

nies uly. 3, £8 J

All Runes
Sully} waranty ©
ayeacoe ss

Timothy Renshaw every. Sunday On:
page seven in Jour. Nor th Shore News