Priorities

The Trib has covered one of what should be two of my top priorities today. That would be playground mulch. I’ve gotten a couple dozen emails on the subject and at tonight’s meeting we will make some sort of decision on how to proceed.

The other issue is our Budget and a comparrison of how it is distributed among our dozen schools. I’ve just printed out thirty sheets of PDF’s sent to me in advance of a 5PM meeting to be held in room 318 of Old Central. Feel free to drop by.

I’ve not gotten around to posting any more about the recent MSBA conference. Too bad.

What’s most on my mind is my ornery Uncle Frank who has made a few appearances in the blog and in my old Duluth Reader column.

Thirty years ago Uncle Frank came to Mankato to be with my Dad, his older brother, when my Dad was dying of cancer. Today its my Uncle Frank’s turn. His cancer has spread suddenly and he plans to take advantage of a new law in Colorado permitting sick Coloradans to die. He plans to pull the plug very soon and he’s not interested in taking calls. Damn! I just sent him a hundred pages of family docs and news stories so I could pry some good family stories out of him. (Was that stampede of horses that almost ran him over while he sat on his tricycle from a circus or the slaughter house?) I never got the chance to do that with my Dad. Now I’ve let Uncle Frank slip through my fingers.

I’d sure like to give him one last phone call for old time’s sake. Hell, I’d drive out to Colorado in a heartbeat. I could give a damn whether he can move his arms or has to be spoon fed. But I agree. Its his call.

And Uncle Frank. If you ever connect to the infernal Internet after you get to heaven……Yeah, I’m shedding a few tears right now.

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