FATHER'S DAY

      School is IN! Joey met me with a long report on school. His testing had shown him to be reading at a 4th-grade level; but, they put him in a quiet room and retested him. He scored 10th grade! Kid needs quiet. I'm developing a deep respect for the people who administer this GED program.

       So Joey has a spelling test this week! He has five words to learn. He must spell them, use them in a sentence, and give their definitions. Two of the words are "clothes," and "because." He went online to get definitions. He hopes to make an 88. I told him he'll surely make 100. Say a prayer.

      ALSO—Joey went to a concert this week and saw the Temptations! Totally by accident, he was given a free ticket. Yes, Joey, there is a Santa Claus. 
      Today I took vegetables to the kitchen. Investing in fresh heads of broccoli and cauliflower was a gamble, but to my delight the guys loved it. We served a mix of the florets and carrot sticks in little bowls. Some even asked for seconds—just makes a mama proud.

       Joey says the pre-release guys eat better than the shelter's homeless. Sadly, our homeless have little experience with fruits and vegetables. One fellow had to come to the dining room early for a cup of coffee. Said something about his blood sugar dropping. And you know, there's a vial or two of insulin in the refrigerator. Hard times.

       Joey was whipping up a batch of tuna salad when I got there. He was soon panicking about needing to mop the dining room, so I took over the tuna salad. He gave me explicit instructions and taste tested it: "more sugar, more relish, more spice mix." Finally, it passed muster.

       Then I made a batch of deviled eggs. The guys loved them! I know, I know... they aren't there to be pampered. Joey says they stay for 6 months on average, in the work-release program. The faces change, but slowly, and one by one. There's new guy today; he's got a full beard. Part of it is braided, and the rest is just a mess.

       Elizabeth worked the lunch shift with Joey yesterday. Joey reports that the folks she serves really enjoy having her around. She does have an infectious smile. Anyway, she made the sack lunches, so we only needed another 14 when I got there. That was easy!

       I made up ten PBJ sacks for the street folks.

       Joey and I wished all the dads a happy Father's Day. They liked that. One young fella grinned slyly and said, "I'm waiting for the DNA results." When the last lunch was over, two men lingered at the counter until Joey called my attention to them. They just wanted to thank me. How sweet is that?

       "And one more thing," they said, "we're fathers," giving me expectant eyes.

        "Oh! Happy Father's Day!"