August 18, 2010

White Dog and Quinn staggered out to the living room at 6am to help Michael with his final preparations for the first day of school and to share a "Good Luck" breakfast. Neither were happy that this year he is first on the bus route and must be ready to go at 6:20 instead of last year when he was last and did not get picked up until 7:10. "There goes your beauty rest," she catted at the yawning Other White Dog!

White Dog checked him up and down and gave his look a "Paws UP!" Wearing his new glasses and dressed in a Del Sol dragon t-shirt (which changes colors in the sunlight), Michael seemed confident and ready for the semester's start. TOWD insisted on a quick morning walk before the bus came because this was their ritual all of last term. Then the bus came, White Dog barked her "Let's Go!" call and Michael disappeared until mid-afternoon.

WD heard the return bus coming from down the block and by the time Michael walked in the door both WD and TOWD were singing a two-part "welcome home" aria. Kisses and cuddles complete, both White Dogs headed back to cool spots to continue their nap.

And only I got to hear how well Michael navigated a first day in which two classes were dropped accidentally from his schedule, his advisor lost Michael's id card and he had to get a replacement, and how he managed to find his way all over campus to go to mainstream classes that are, for the first time in his career, not designed for special needs.

Of course, such a tale of bravery and adventure did bear repeating at dinner so that Steve...and White Dog and Quinn...could share in the triumphant return!