Dopey Bastard Day

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So, one of the kids is no longer a teen.

Yep, the son who I affectionately refer to as the Dopey Bastard is now 20.

"Let's not say 'Happy Birthday'," Sam said as we heard Matt make his first appearance of the day.

But I couldn't resist when Mommy ran to the room to check on the baby cub.

"What do you want for your birthday?" Kathy asked.

"Take him to the bus station," I said. "Get him a ticket anywhere he wants to go. He's done. I only cover 20 years."

But I'm thinking we'll have him on the hook a bit longer.

We decided to order dinner in as I've been struggling. Matt offered a ten dollar gift certificate to the cause.

"How much did that cost me?" I asked.

"I got it from my finance professor. That class only cost you two grand."

Perfect.

It's been a rather one-sided financial deal thus far, but what can you do? That's the understanding.

He's living up to his side of it thus far.

Now he's on to the challenging, confusing decade. I felt the most confused at the end of my 20's because you get caught between what you're doing and what you want to do.

But he's being set up right.

At the start of the year I texted him just before his first class.

"Your next couple of years will set up your next 40."

"I know," he texted back. "I'm going to bust my ass."

And he did.

He got great grades this year in some tough classes.

"Did you see my grades?" he asked.

"You're still a dopey bastard," I said.

Happy Birthday.

We're both living up to our end of the bargain.

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