Mandatory Minimums!

First things first.  Angi and I were informed yesterday that our high schooler has become an academic non-entity.  As his less then stellar academic performance has left him out on the street.  Quite literally.  Things are rather different now then when I was in school.  As they allowed him to progress through the first three years of high school but once he came to senior status it was revealed that he did not have enough credits to enter his twelfth year.  It's not that he's stupid, or didn't understand the material, he just didn't want to do it.  No amount of cajoling or threats from Mom and Dad could change his approach upon entering class.  Unfortunately there are few options left open to him.  He was offered the opportunity to enter a computer school, but that requires even MORE discipline then standard schooling!  So with much reluctance we had to discharge him.
I spent the better part of yesterday suppressing a great deal of disappointment and tutored him in the art of looking for work.  The application, the classic "pounding the pavement" and even tried to educate myself on the "new" job search tactics of online app's.  In essence teaching an old dog new tricks.  My hope is, he'll land a job, start putting away some money then before to much time passes, grow disenfranchised and seek further education on his own accord.  Perhaps then he'll have the drive to succeed.  It's sad though.  I never finished school myself, although the situation was different.  In the final two weeks of my senior year I was summoned to the vice principals office and informed that due to a clerical error I was 2 credits short of graduation and that I would have to come back the following year and complete another semester.  This was a major problem for me.  I had spent the better part of two months on several negotiation phone calls to California and frequent trips to their shop in Boston in order to obtain a position in the field I'd desired to work in since I was eight.  I had FINALLY secured the position three days before this ill fated meeting and there was NO way I was going to jeopardize my future.  So with no recourse I thanked the vice principal.  OK...thanked is a nice way to try and make me look diplomatic.  Rather, in the impetuousness of arrogant youth I believe my sentence was short and started with an F and ended in you.  I bid my friends farewell and the rest is history. 
The disheartening reality however is that decision proved to be a real stumbling block when after my 13 year tenor in my chosen field ran it's course  I found myself right back down to the bottom, 30 years old, 4 kids  and struggling to find work.  I'd wanted more opportunities for my kids.  And he doesn't posses the drive and goals I had.   I often lament the non direction of some of today's youth and it hurts when it hits home! 
ANYWAY!
I'm gonna move on to something else.
As any reading this can attest I have spent some words on exalting the virtues of Netflix.  One such choice find was "West Wing" .  Rapidly it became one of my all time favorite shows and with all due respects to my allegiance to the Star Trek franchise, I dare say it has to be one,  if not THE best show ever written!  Last night marked our viewing of the final four episodes!  I grant you the following is in remembrance of a show that finished it's run in 2006 but as we'd never watched it before it was fresh to us.  Both Angi and I had a severe case of "runny eye" when the final episode closed with President Bartlett uttering the last word "tomorrow".  I'm still having shivers at that final scene, and with not a small amount of regret.  I lament TV producers who follow the equation for run time on a show, relegating popular shows to the warn out principal that seven years is the optimum block of episodes.  Broken down, it offers syndication a large enough package, without a considerably overburden amount to be sold.  Allowing for a beginning, middle and end.  Problem is with the brilliance of this show, and virtually unending amount of stories to tap into in the quasi fictional offices of the president there was no reason this show could not have continued on.  It had already  proven that a continually shifting landscape of fascinating characters could be effectively followed by the audience, and just because the two term President Bartlett had step out of office, the incredibly charismatic Jimmy Smits stepped in as the first Latino president Matthew Santos.  In the final two seasons one of my all time favorite actors Alan Alda came aboard to portray Arnold Vinick, the progressive Republican front runner in the  intense campaign!  He is a truly compassionate Republican whose ideals and principals  actually had me reconsidering my opinions on the Republican party and I could have found MYSELF voting for such a man! (although given the reality of the LAST Republican we had in office I quickly came to my senses!)  Then after the election is over he is invited to Santos office during the transition and offered the position of Secretary of State.  He wrestles with the idea of continuing to serve his country while doing it in a democratic White House.  This episode was BRILLIANT as you see Alan Alda masterfully portraying the losing side of a heated race going through the paces of his post campaign day.  Seemingly lost, visiting his congressional office with little to do.  Trying to find purpose as he pours through exit polls to figure out why he lost.  At one point he's standing in line at a busy Washington coffee house and upon placing his order the clerk looks at him directly and asks "your name?"
OUCH!  Watching him wander the halls lost made me feel so sorry for him! 
THAT'S good TV!
They could have EASILY pulled a "Law and Order" and successfully milked at least another 3 to four years out of a Santos administration!  SO much was left unresolved! (although in a seventh season episode they have a brief "future" look at what happens to some of the charactures three years forward on the steps of the Bartlett Library)  The fragile mid-east peace brokered by Bartlett, the American intervention begun in the last few weeks of President Bartletts final term pitting a meager force of American troops sandwiched between advancing Russian and Chinese troops in Kazakhstan.  The burgeoning relationship between Josh Lyman and Donna Moss, the relationship between C.J Craig and  Danny Concannon,( an eight year love/ hate,  press secretary/press affair)  The return of Rob Lowe as Sam Seaborn, Will Baily's bid for Oregon Congressman not to mention the impact that move would have on HIS fledgling love affair with National Security Advisor Kate Harper.  Not to mention the possible impact the new Kennedyesque presidency would have on the very "down to earth" new first lady and their two children!  The unfolding story of Toby Ziegler and how the last minute presidential pardon would impact his life!  There were SO many stories to be told I just don't understand how they could have walked away from such a milestone of television!  I also can not understand the waining of support for the show after Arron Sorkin handed over the creative reigns!  I feel his successors not only carried the torch well, but in some cases even better (all due respect to the brilliance of Mr. Sorkin!) delivering some magically hand wringing excitement! 
I fear, that there will never be a show as brilliant as this one.  I am however interested in starting to watch Arron Sorkins latest "Network"
ANYWAY!
WHEW!  Thank you for humoring my rant. 
Yes we did in fact get some work done yesterday and put out three new goodies.  But before you get TO excited, two of them old already, I need not even pic them below.  We do however have the last one I built last night and she is a beauty!!  A GORGEOUS classic Specialized
Rock Hopper"  FULLY re-furbed and with a new sealed bottom bracket to boot!! 
So we will see you all soon!

SPECIALIZED ROCK HOPPER
ONLY $145.00!!!