A Surprise Visit

Jake was so happy to see Dan tonight that he ripped his shirt in his exuberance. We were equally happy but a little more restrained. Dan is our oldest child, who is currently living in San Francisco and who recently passed the California bar.

We got a call several days ago from Dan saying he was coming home for a few days between lodging changes. Four of those days we will be in Florida, but this means we no longer need a dog sitter.

I think we are going to have a great visit – especially if I refrain from asking about the job search or the status of his bank account. I will grant that at 26 he is entitled to make his way in the world without my interference. He volunteered that he is applying for a job with at least one NGO and we left the employment situation at that.

We just had a very interesting discussion about the California bar exam, reputed to be the most difficult in the country. He told us his strategy for dealing with the 100-question multiple choice section on 6 types of law for which they give you exactly 3 hours. That’s less than 2 minutes per question. He told us about the performance tests, practical applications of the law that require two afternoons of writing. Fortunately one of them was closely related to the work he did for a law firm in Tucson.

The first day we are always all on our best behavior. It’s only after a few days when differences in our approach to things like clothes and dishes start to cause friction. Right about that time we should be boarding a plane for Florida, meaning that this visit may be just about perfect.

So for the next week Jake will have his Kong thrown as often as he wants both day and night, Dan will probably stay up to all hours of the night, and we will likely eat a lot of Indian food.

He may well never live here again, but it is always a treat to have Dan home for a visit, even if it’s a short one.