June turned out to be a quiet month, which was fine by me. Kid #1 got his wisdom teeth out the last week in May, so there was not much activity that week for him. He was able to get back on at the pizza place he had worked at during high school, and also is driving for Uber Eats and Door Dash (which he says he makes more money per hour than the pizza place, despite the high cost of gas right now).
We saw Top Gun: Maverick – a movie some have been waiting to see for two years. It’s the sequel to the 1986 blockbuster Top Gun movie starring Tom Cruise. The original premiere date was in 2019, then got pushed to 2020 (and we all know what happened in 2020), and was finally released this year. The Hilgers were in town, and it ended up being a three generation movie event (Oma and Papa came with us!)
I was interested to see what GenZ thought of it – here’s what was they said: “It had cheesy 80s type scenes to appeal to GenX, but enough entertainment for the younger generation to enjoy it.” Sounds about right.
Kid #2 got his first experience with poison ivy this month.
He is still working at McAlister’s Deli, but has mentioned that it’s not his life goal to work there the rest of his life. It was a great job during high school with flexible hours and nice people.
He uploaded his final transcript to Emporia State and (finally) registered to vote. ☑
The two of us went to the dog exhibit at Exploration Place one afternoon, which was quite entertaining. Many times we said “yep – that’s Ali” after reading some quirky dog personality trait or listening to the difference in a dog’s bark when someone’s at the door compared to when they are scared.
We celebrated Oma and Papa’s 58th wedding anniversary at Newport Grill.
There’s been lots of disc golfing, including one tournament.
Ali and I even joined during one outing (when it was a LOT cooler).
A bird made a nest in our gutter right outside our front door. Another one used our basketball goal.
While our family had a quiet month, it’s been turmoil and chaos in the rest of the world.
Russia is still invading Ukraine, there was another deadly school shooting in Texas, traveling is expensive and dicey, the January 6 committee hearings are happening, and the abortion battle is front and center again.
A deadly school shooting in Texas has prompted more safety discussions, mental health care and some movement on gun legislation. With 19 children and two adults dead, and 16 others injured, it was the deadliest school shooting since 2012, according to Education Week (sad times we are living when there is a publication that tracks school shootings).
Traveling has proven to be a test in patience, kindness and frugality. Gas prices are at record highs ($5 a gallon), and the price for an airline ticket has soared. According to news articles, the lasting effects of (you guessed it) the pandemic and the price of crude oil have contributed to soaring gas prices.
Airline travel is especially tricky and the high ticket price is only one of the headaches. Staff shortages both in airline personnel (pilots) and in the airport (TSA agents, baggage handlers, etc) coupled with an increase in travelers (the highest since 2019) have caused delayed or cancelled flights, leaving millions stranded.
Experts suggest adding one or two or travel days to your itinerary if traveling by plane, and be prepared for cancellations. I’m glad now we decided not to plan a family vacation this summer – sounds like an expensive trip could have left us exhausted, frustrated and annoyed.
The January 6 hearings started and revealed what was going on at the White House during the January 6, 2021 insurrection. Several hearings are being held this month with more to come later this month and in September. The committee spent almost a year interviewing and compiling testimony. The hearings were streamed live online, and most of the major news stations aired the hearings, except for FOX news.
Roe vs. Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court, sparking protests around the country. This decision eliminates the freedom of choice women have experienced the last several decades. It puts women’s health at risk and takes us back to the 1960s.
One Kansas Girl 