probably for a year the boy has been playing that online game that william shatner and mini-me advertises (the name just flew right out of my head for some reason...world of warcraft?) and that south park made fun of in one episode (lol...what has south park not made fun of).

long before we even moved to florida, he had befriended several people in orlando. he's been asking me if i would take him down there to spend a weekend with them. i've been kind of waiting to get the last reference for him (from the iceback's boss...still waiting, have been since december and even tho he told us he mailed it last friday, i find out last night, he actually mailed it tuesday, yet, it still hasn't arrived and that is a whole 'nother story) because the school he wants to go to is in orlando, so i thought i'd kill two birds with one stone.

but, his friends decided they would come up here and pick him up, and carry him away for a week. i couldn't help but be reminded of z's friend jacob who always pulled an eddie haskell on me, "how are you today, mom? i just love your shepard pie. is it all right if i borrow z for the night?" and i know, that when it comes to other people's parents, z was the eddie haskell. he could charm a parent like no other (and even did chores for them, even tho getting him to do a chore for me is like pulling teeth)

but my motherly mode kicked in and i'm wondering who are these kids? and i'm a little worried because i don't know them and yet i'm going to entrust them with my only child.

so today z asks me what chris's last name is...i don't know, i just know that his parents own el mariachi in jacksonville. z tells me that the girl's mom is doing a background check on us and the neighborhood. apparently, she is having problems letting her girl come up here and has concerns that they will be spending the night with us.

i have to laugh. and i can't be mad at her mom at all. i like that she's checking us out and i'm pissed at myself for not being as thorough as her.

come to find out, we have six registered sex offenders living in our neighborhood. (we had about four in charlotte, because we did check there and i think it's done in like a five mile radius)z is assuring her that the only people we let into our house is the couple next door (and occassionally the white supremisist, and that is only by default...meaning, he's never invited inside)

so next week, i will be all by myself. in his whole life, the longest z was away from me was during his grade school class trip to the outer banks and then on vacation with his friend (also, in grade school and to the outer banks).

i suppose, it's a good dry run for the rest of his (my) life and i'd better get used to it.