The Edge of Adolescence

Well, I am well off my mark for 5 posts this past week... by 5 posts. Not to make any excuses but ... I got a flat tire, the dog ate my homework, I had a terrible flu and no one really understands me. 

I have had trouble at home with my internet connection which I now realize is on a dead tie with food and water for basic essentials to my existence.  In my absence Google Analytics informs me that my readership has broken the Iron Curtain and Russia and China have joined the party. Welcome comrades.

My parents visited a week or so ago and dropped off what is apparently the last box of things I have stored at their place. In retrospect I realized it has taken me over 46 years to completely move out of my parents house. Now if that isn't a lame enough milestone in my life the box was full of toy soldiers that I have been obsessively playing with since they dropped off the box. I have completely rearranged my office to accomodate my new toys and reenactments of battles. In fact, I have become so fascinated with my toys that I have barely slept. 

Afghan Rebels Charging my Monitor 

Many of the soldiers were broken and in need of repair, so the first job was to gather all the broken soldiers and return them to their original condition.  I do maintain a strict "no man left behind" policy. 

I then had to construct a series of shelves and levels to accomodate and display my toy soldiers and reconstruction of battle scenes.

Nazi Party plotting to overtake my Scanner

...And of course Batman overseeing it all.

In order to maintain authenticity I had to  segregate the different size groups. I have soldiers ranging from 4 cm to 12 cm so each arrangement and battle had to not only have the authentic opposing force but must be the same size. 

I consulted my 5 year old at one point who informed me that when she is playing with her dolls she always makes sure there is an even amount of each for every make believe activity scene.

I vaguely recall thinking I may be too old for this as I was planning the assault on my scanner when I realized that I did remember to include Batman to add some link to reality.

In one of my first posts on "Notes from the Edge" I explained one of my core beliefs that we move through a series of cycles from infant to adolescent to adult to elder and back to infant in our lives. It is a great gift that my kids give me that I can access what is left of the little boy in me and let him out to play once in awhile. It's fun. I encourage the rest of you to give it a try.  

Respectfully, from the Edge